From six Breeders' Cup starters, Theatrical, a champion in Ireland and the U.S., has failed to sire a winner but earned seconds from Paulson's Geri in the '97 Mile (gr. IT) and The Thoroughbred Corporation's Royal Anthem in '99, his second attempt at the Turf. In all, Theatrical won six Group I races on turf, racing in four different countries over four years, won ten of 22 starts and just under $3 million.Committed was purchased by Paulson in 1985 and returned to the U.S. She was sold by the Paulson Living Trust at last fall's Keeneland November mixed sale where she brought $300,000 carrying Hap's full sister, which she foaled successfully in March at Gerald Ford's Diamond A Farms.
Hap's dam, Committed, a champion older mare in England twice, has been a regular visitor to Theatrical throughout her career as a broodmare. Her first foal was a European stakes winner by Nijinsky II, Committed Dancer, but by far her two best have been son's of Theatrical, Pharma in 1991 and Hap five years later.Hap, now five, finished a disappointing ninth to War Chant in last year's Mile at 20-1 but he looms a major contender this year. Pharma never contested a Breeders' Cup race although she won nearly $400,000 and collected a Grade I race in Santa Anita's Santa Ana Handicap (gr. IT).Theatrical, on the other hand, contested three Breeders' Cup Turfs (gr. I) for different trainers and improved from eleventh for Irish trainer Dermot Weld in 1985, when he raced for Bert Firestone, to second for Bobby Frankel for the partnership of Firestone and Allen Paulson in '86, to winning the '87 Turf for Bill Mott when he carried Paulson's silks. Theatrical was coupled with Louis le Grand that day at Hollywood Park as the 9-5 favorites and he gamely held off Trempolino through the stretch to win by a half-length.
