Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint

Timing is everything. Having Santa Anita as the host track for the 2008 BreedersÕ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships certainly was an advantage to a course-specialist like Desert Code. A perfectly-timed ride from Richard Migliore was also a key factor in the 4-year-oldÕs ability to rally from far back to land the inaugural running of the $1,094,620 BreedersÕ Cup Turf Sprint by a half-length.

Desert Code started his career at Belmont Park for trainer Dale Romans and TYB Stable. After two starts, the son of E Dubai was purchased privately by David Hofmans for Susan OsborneÕs Tarabilla Farms. Taken to California, Desert Code promptly won his next start, and then finished a decent fourth in the San Miguel Stakes.

Since moving to the warmer weather, firmer turf courses, and synthetic main tracks of California, Desert Code has made 17 starts and finished in the money 11 times. In addition to capturing the Turf Sprint, HofmanÕs charge has also won the Affirmed Handicap (gr. III) and the Baldwin Stakes (gr. IIIT).

An affinity for turf sprints really should come as no surprise, since both sides of Desert CodeÕs pedigree lean toward grass and speed. His sire, E Dubai, is out of the multiple stakes-winning mare, Words of War. The hard-knocking daughter of Lord At War made 44 career starts from the ages of 2 through 6, with 25 of those starts coming in grass stakes. Her most notable victories came in the listed River Downs Budweiser BreedersÕ Cup Stakes and the Mint Julep Handicap, both of which were on the turf.

The first foal produced from Words of War was a daughter of Nureyev named No Matter What. Campaigned by George Strawbridge Jr., No Matter What won the Del Mar Oaks (gr. IT) in 2000. Since joining the broodmare ranks, No Matter What has produced five foals, her most notable so far being Rainbow View.

Campaigned in England for Strawbridge, Rainbow View is a 2-year-old daughter of Dynaformer who is undefeated in four starts. Her most recent victory came Sept. 27 in the Meon Valley Stud FilliesÕ Mile (Eng-I) for trainer John Gosden.

Another family member who happened to figure prominently on BreedersÕ Cup Saturday was Ascutney, a full sister to Words of War. A graded stakes winner in her own right, Ascutney is the dam of RavenÕs Pass, the emphatic winner of the BreedersÕ Cup Classic (gr. I). Both E Dubai and Elusive Quality, the sire of RavenÕs Pass, stand at Sheikh MohammedÕs Darley near Lexington.

Stakes winner Chatta Code, the dam of Desert Code, has produced two other stakes winners in addition to the Turf Sprint winner. Soul Onarazorsedge captured the 2001 Pollyanna Pixie Stakes on her way to earning $229,940. Forest Code, a daughter of Forestry, won the listed GiantÕs Causeway Stakes at Keeneland in 2007.

Lost Code, the broodmare sire of Desert Code, has had several daughters become stakes-producers, most notably Lost the Code, dam of 2001 sprint champion and Penske Auto Center BreedersÕ Cup Sprint (gr. I) winner Squirtle Squirt, and Tricky Code, dam of Hat Trick, a champion miler in Japan.

Other notable stakes winners produced from daughters of Lost Code are Gayego, winner of this yearÕs Arkansas Derby (gr. II), Rite Moment (gr. II), and I Love Silver.

Chatta Code was bred in Kentucky by Dr. Gary Lavin and consigned by the LavinÕs Longfield Farm, agent, to the 1992 Keeneland September sale, where she sold for $42,000 to P.A. Everard, agent. Sent back through the ring the following year, the chestnut filly sold for $132,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Florida February 2-year-olds in training sale.

Chatta Code is currently owned by John Sykes and Tony FergusonÕs Woodford Thoroughbreds, located near Versailles, Ky. She has a weanling filly by E Dubai, and is in foal to Discreet Cat for 2009. By Mary Schweitzer