A Big Weekend for Giant's Causeway Sons
Looking back to the weekend of Nov. 21-22, when no less than five sons of Giant's Causeway were represented by stakes winners in North America.
Alan Porter
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Pedigree Analysis: Scat Daddy
Scat Daddy, a son of Johannesburg, and a great-grandson of Storm Cat, was represented by his seventh and eighth Northern Hemisphere 2-year-old stakes winners of 2015 in Surfside Tiara and Get Jets.
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Pedigree Analysis: Empire Maker
Empire Maker has returned to what appears somewhat of a transitional time in the U.S. stallion colony.
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Pedigree Analysis: Frosted
Frosted is a son of Tapit, the first sire from the Seattle Slew line to benefit consistently from inbreeding to Seattle Slew.
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Pedigree Analysis: Beholder
As well as brilliance, Beholder has also showed rare versatility, scoring at 5 1/2, six, eight, 8 1/2, nine, and 10 furlongs.
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Smart Strike Stallion Sons
30 years after Tasso became the first grade I winner sired by a son of Mr. Prospector, another son of Mr. Prospector, Smart Strike, is emerging as a sire of sires.
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Pedigree Analysis: Noble Bird
Just a week after the completion of an epochal Triple Crown series, the Stephen Foster threw up a new star in Noble Bird.
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Pedigree Analysis: Solow
Looking at his pedigree, it's not too surprising that Solow's connections -- trainer Freddy Head and owner/breeders Wertheimer et Frere -- would have expected Solow to require a test of stamina.
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Pedigree Analysis: Lovely Maria
Lovely Maria does have some of that old-fashioned classic stamina on her dam's side, as she's out of Thundercup, an unraced daughter of the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) and Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winner Thunder Gulch.
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Pedigree Analysis: Ball Dancing/Miss Ella
The second weekend in April saw a career high for veteran sire Exchange Rate, as his daughters Ball Dancing and Miss Ella both won graded stakes.
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Pedigree Analysis: Firing Line
Line of David is off to a promising start to his stud career -- he is near the top of the 2015 second-crop sire list. So far he has been represented by two stakes winners: Firing Line and Cross the Line.
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Stellar Wind Striking for Curlin
Three of Smart Strike's best sons-who retired to stud in the space of four years-are shaping up as if they have the potential to make their way to the upper echelons of the North American stallion colony.
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Pedigree Analysis: Far From Over
Far From Over stems from one of the most prolific branches of the Betty Derr family, that of his fourth dam, the 1983 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year, Courtly Dee.
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I'm a Chatterbox a Silverbullet for Munnings
Silverbulletday winner I'm a Chatterbox was the first stakes winner of 2015 for Munnings, who was one of the leading freshman sires of 2014.
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Dortmund Moving to the Front-Rank
Dortmund is the second Big Brown stakes winner to feature inbreeding to Boundary's sire, Danzig.
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Leave the Light On for Storm Cat
Remsen winner Leave the Light On is one of many stakes winners to be inbred to Storm Cat, with both duplications within the first four generations.
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Freshman Sires of 2014
As 2014 enters the home stretch, the freshman sire title seems to have boiled down to a three-way race.
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Pedigree Analysis: Madame Chiang
Often the best winner by a sire is the result of what appears to be a very deliberately and cleverly constructed pedigree.
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Pedigree Analysis: Pivotal Point
Pivotal has enjoyed a level of success that could not have been predicted from his race record and pedigree.
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Pedigree Analysis: Shared Belief
Undefeated son of Candy Ride has won two grade I races this year and will be a favorite in the Breeders' Cup Classic.
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Pedigree Analysis: American Pharoah
Although too early for objective conclusions, we can say subjectively with some confidence that Pioneerof the Nile is well on his way to an important career as a stallion.
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Pedigree Analysis: Euro Charline
Myboycharlie, already sire of a group I winner in the Southern Hemisphere, matched that feat with a member of his first European crop when 3-year-old filly Euro Charline won the Beverly D.
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Pedigree Analysis: Bayern
By a 10-furlong grade I winner out of a mare by a Derby and Belmont Stakes winner, with a second dam who was a graded stakes winner at 10 furlongs, Bayern illustrates the difficulties of interpreting modern U.S. pedigrees.
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Pedigree Analysis: Shared Belief Rides On
Shared Belief has a couple of parallels with his sire Candy Ride: an undefeated race-record and spectacular performances in California.
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Classic Combo: Galileo and Cape Cross
It's rather rare for a mare in a major racing jurisdiction to throw Derby-winning brothers. It's probably even rarer for both siblings to go on to sire classic winners themselves.
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(It's A) Dundeel Spotlights High Chaparral
It's A Dundeel is the fifth group I winner from High Chaparral's first four Southern Hemisphere crops.
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Ruby Slippers
Of the two most expensive stallions at stud in North America for 2014, one is out of a mare by Rubiano, and the other is out of a three-quarters sister to Rubiano.
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Gala Award: Not Your Typical Turf Pedigree
PORTER ON PEDIGREES<br/>Gala Award does not have a pedigree that one would normally associate with a turf specialist, and his connections are now considering races such as the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes.
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Kobe's Back Sprints Onto Derby Trail
PORTER ON PEDIGREES<br/>The impression that Kobe's Back was an early season 2-year-old flash in the pan was dismissed when he won the San Vicente Stakes.
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Samraat Brings Back Memories of Funny Cide
PORTER ON PEDIGREES<br/>Eleven years after Funny Cide became the first New York-bred to win the Kentucky Derby (gr. I), two more horses bred in the Empire State stamped themselves as legitimate classic prospects.
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Into Mischief Confirms He's a Sire to Watch
PORTER ON PEDIGREES<br/>Lecomte Stakes winner Vicar's in Trouble is keeping the spotlight on his sire Into Mischief.
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Noble Moon Full of Classic Promise
PORTER ON PEDIGREES<br/>In just his third start, Noble Moon impressed with a determined two-length victory in the Jan. 4 Jerome Stakes.
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Mr Speaker Hopes to Follow in Orb's Footsteps
PORTER ON PEDIGREES<br/> If Mr Speaker is to follow in Orb's footsteps, he will have to make the switch from turf to dirt at some point, and according to his trainer that switch may come as soon as his next start.
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King Kamehameha Son Dominates in Hong Kong
PORTER ON PEDIGREES<br />Few Japanese runners in international competition have been more impressive than Lord Kanaloa, who won 13 of 19 starts overall.
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Rise Up Scores for Late Sire Rockport Harbor
PORTER ON PEDIGREES<br />Rise Up took Rockport Harbor to the head of the juvenile sire standings with his dominating victory in the Delta Downs Jackpot.
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Bernardini Making Headway Down Under
PORTER ON PEDIGREES<br />Bernardini's first Australian crop has produced not only multiple group I winner Boban, but also four-time group scorer Toydini and stakes winners Meidung and Solemn.
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Kingston Hill Proves Merit of Mastercraftsman
PORTER ON PEDIGREES<br />Mastercraftsman leapt to the top of the freshman sire list Oct. 26 following the victories of Craftsman in the JRA Killavullan Stakes and Kingston Hill in the Racing Post Trophy.
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Astaire a Model for Close Inbreeding
PORTER ON PEDIGREES<br />Astaire wasn't bred by trainer Jim Bolger, but he is by the Bolger-trained Intense Focus, and the Irish conditioner would surely approve of the inbreeding found in Astaire's pedigree.
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In Trouble Signals Man o' War Line Survival
PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter<br />If the Man o' War line is to extend far into the current century, it will almost certainly rely on the success of Tiznow as a sire of sires.
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Toormore: Another Good Horse for Arakan
PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter<br />Toormore is the third group winner sired by Arakan, and the second out of Danzig line mare.
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Sweet Success for Street Cry Line
PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter<br />One of the more interesting features of the last 10 days or so has been the hot streak for young sire sons of Street Cry.
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A Date for Delta: Mating Royal Delta
Alan Porter analyzes potential stallions for champion mare Royal Delta using statistics from the Key Ancestors report.
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A Joyful Grade I Trio for the Ramseys
PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter<br />Few owners in recent times could have been more committed to the stud career of a stallion than Ken and Sarah Ramsey have been to Kitten's Joy.
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Justin Phillip Perseveres for Grade I Prize
PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter<br />Justin Phillip made his racecourse debut Aug. 19, 2010 at Saratoga. Some 28 races later he gained a first grade I victory in Saratoga's Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (gr. I).
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Princess of Sylmar is a Grade I Warrior
PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter<br />Majestic Warrior has made impressive strides this season, second among second-crop sires by earnings, and leading with six individual stakes winners.
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Ghostzapper's Starship Rising in 2013
PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter<br />It's not surprising that Ghostzapper's offspring would do best when given time, and it's more than likely that this was the reason for his perceived initial 'failure to launch.'
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Close Hatches Makes First Defence
PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter<br />Leading commercial sire Unbridled's Song is still looking for his true heir as a stallion, and he may have found it in First Defence.
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Porter on Pedigrees: Palace Intrigue
Porter On Pedigrees<br/> Alan Porter dives into the family of Belmont Stakes winner Palace Malice.
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Sahara Sky Taps Pleasant Bicoastal Success
PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter<br />Conceived in Kentucky, foaled in Florida, and trained in Southern California, Sahara Sky made another cross-country journey to secure his first grade I victory.
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Flotilla Sails to Transatlantic Success
PORTER ON PEDIGREES, by Alan Porter<br />Flotilla, one of two 2012 Breeders' Cup winners for sire Mizzen Mast, returned to win the 2013 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches-French One Thousand Guineas.
