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Mares on Monday: Valiance Makes a Virtue from Vice

8/31/2020

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According to the dictionary, valiance is the quality of being brave or heroic, making it a nicely ringing choice for the name of a Thoroughbred. That name received due honor on August 29, when the 4-year-old Tapit filly Valiance turned in a neat and professional victory in the Eatontown Handicap. The race, perhaps, was not particularly outstanding; after it was taken off the turf due to heavy rains at Monmouth, it lost both its Grade 3 status (pending review by the American Graded Stakes Committee) and all but five of its intended starters. Nonetheless, there is some amusement that in this case, virtue (as embodied in the winner) started out with an original sin.

Valiance belongs to the family of Instant Sin, a winning half sister to 1959 American champion older female Tempted. Bred for eight consecutive years to 1961 Futurity Stakes winner Cyane, the name produced some delightfully named offspring, among them stakes winner Misgivings, stakes-placed runners Menage a Trois and Canoodling, and Nimble Folly, who proved herself a first-rate broodmare.

Misgivings and Canoodling both produced stakes winners, but the best Menage a Trois could do was to come up with three runners who were stakes-placed in minor events. Both of her stakes-placed daughters improved on their dam's record, however, beginning with the Val de l'Orne mare Trois Cloches. Put to a series of modestly credentialed sires, she still managed to produce Peruvian Group 2 winner Fazel (by Fast Gold), Ecuadorean champion Azulako (by Desert Secret), and listed stakes winner Doctoressa (by Doc's Leader).

Sent to California and given a similar level of mates, Trois Cloches' cleverly named half sister Three Flights Up (by Topsider) also came up with more success than might be suggested by either her racing performance or her opportunities. Bred to Slewvescent, she produced Lazy Slusan, a two-time Grade 1 winner as a 6-year-old in 2001.

As a Grade 1 winner, Lazy Slusan got far better opportunities than her dam, and while she produced only one stakes winner, this was 2013 Madison Stakes (USA-G1) winner Last Full Measure (by Empire Maker), dam of Valiance and of Harbor Bay, a 2018 Exaggerator colt currently working in a promising manner toward his first start. Last Full Measure last produced a 2019 Mastery filly and was bred to Constitution for 2021. Lazy Slusan may see further good things happening through her After Market daughter Humor Section, who is the dam of listed stakes winner Monkeys Uncle (by Uncle Mo) and has a 2019 Bernardini filly and a 2020 Uncle Mo colt waiting in the wings.

While the family of Instant Sin has not been spectacular, it has shown the happy quality of being able to outbreed its mates when not fashionable and to deliver on better opportunities when they arrive. And that, in Thoroughbred circles, is no sin at all.

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Mares on Monday: A Bit More Trimming for Fanfreluche

8/24/2020

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Fanfreluche needs little introduction to those familiar with Canadian racing and breeding. The 1970 Canadian Horse of the Year and that year's champion 3-year-old filly in both Canada and the United States, she went on to great success as a broodmare. Her five stakes winners included three Canadian champions, and her many daughters have continued to extend her family.

One of those daughters is La Pepite, whose sire Mr. Prospector also sired Grade 2-placed Lode (a champion sire in Argentina) and stakes winner Smackover Creek from Fanfreluche's stakes-winning daughter Grand Luxe (by Sir Ivor). La Pepite boasted no such credentials as a racer, placing twice from six starts, but she did fairly well as a broodmare, producing six winners from nine named foals.

Easily the best of those stakes winners was Soldera (by the good Maryland sire Polish Numbers), who won a listed stakes in England as a 3-year-old and was Group 2-placed. Her racing accomplishments plus her pedigree and a reasonably nice physical makeup made her an attractive broodmare prospect, and she sold for US$600,000 to Wertheimer et Frere at the 2004 Keeneland November mixed sale.

The Wertheimer brothers' investment paid off with Soldera's second foal, a 2007 colt by Maria's Mon. Named Exhi, he won the 2010 Coolmore Lexington Stakes (USA-G2), the 2011 Ben Ali Stakes (USA-G3), and three other races, earning $807,917. He cut no mustard as a sire, however, and in 2018 suffered the indignity of being sold for US$1,000 at the Keeneland November mixed sale. (He was at least more fortunate than some low-end horses, finding a home at Big Oaks Farm in Arizona, where he stood the 2020 season for a private fee.)

Soldera has since produced a second stakes winner as her gelded son Diluvien (by Manduro) won a listed stakes in France last year, but it is her daughter Soldata (a winning full sister to Exhi) who may be pointing the way to the future of La Pepite's branch of Fanfreluche's family. Already the dam of 2018 Prix Dollar (FR-G2) winner Alignement (by Pivotal), she added another credit to her record this week via her daughter Alda, who following up on earning Thoroughbred Daily News "Rising Star" status in her second start by winning the listed Catch a Glimpse Stakes at Woodbine.

A daughter of Munnings, Alda showed a strong closing kick and equally strong determination in nailing favored Dreaming of Drew at the wire, and those traits should stand her in good stead in her likely next start, the Natalma Stakes (CAN-G1) on September 20. In the meantime, her dam has the yearling Into Mischief colt Serifos and the weanling Tapit colt Dataman in the pipeline, both youngsters with the potential to add some more trimming to a well-ornamented family.



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Weekly Trivia Challenge for 8/21/2020

8/21/2020

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After a bad fall, this colt was given a very special treatment---he had a prominent equine acupuncturist flown in to attend to him. Within 24 hours of his unconventional treatment, he had recovered so well that he won an important stakes race and later in the season became the winner of an American Triple Crown race and a champion. Who was he?
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Mares on Monday: Woodbine Oaks a Cozy Fit for Curlin's Voyage

8/17/2020

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On August 15, 2019 Canadian champion 2-year-old filly Curlin's Voyage asserted her continued dominance over the fillies of her crop, taking down the Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser in professional style. She is now under serious consideration for a start in Canada's premier Classic, the Queen's Plate, on September 12. A victory there would make her a near-certain lock for a Sovereign Award as Canada's champion 3-year-old filly and a potential candidate for Canadian Horse of the Year honors.

As a daughter of two-time American Horse of the Year Curlin, Curlin's Voyage should have all the stamina needed to tackle the 10 furlongs of the Queen's Plate. But winning a Classic at the North American classic distance of 10 furlongs usually takes more than pure stamina, especially in a large field; it also takes the tactical speed to gain early position and to take advantage of holes as they open. Fortunately, Curlin's Voyage should have the latter quality through her family, which descends from the juvenile stakes winner So Cozy.

A daughter of Lyphard and a half sister to another sprint stakes winner in Special Power (by Lines of Power), So Cozy produced four stakes winners by sires with proven speed and the ability to transmit it. As might be expected, all four earned their black type over sprint distances (although in fairness, the Forty Niner filly Special Moves was never tried over more than a mile and so never had the opportunity to show whether she could stretch her speed as her sire did).

No fewer than seven of So Cozy's daughters produced at least one stakes winner, and three produced graded or Group winners. The best of them as a broodmare was Wilshewed, a daughter of Mr. Prospector's good son Carson City. While Carson City was strictly a sprinter whose best wins came at 6 furlongs, he had the pedigree to suggest other possibilities, as his dam was by Blushing Groom out of a daughter of the staying Nijinsky II.

Wilshewed never lived up to her heritage on the track, placing third twice in 10 starts, but the concentration of speed in her immediate ancestry combined with some pedigree elements indicative of stamina suggested that she had the potential to supply speed to foals by a more stamina-oriented sire without such matings being too much between "fish and fowl" types, yet would not "shorten up" a foal by a speedier horse. This proved to be the case. Sent to the beautifully bred Storm Cat horse Stormy Atlantic, whose pedigree, like hers, suggested more stamina potential than his record as a sprint stakes winner indicated, she produced Stormello---a two-time Grade 1 winner over 8.5 furlongs---as her first foal and 2012 Del Mar Derby (USA-G2) winner My Best Brother as her fifth. Bred to the more stamina-oriented Bernardini, she produced 2014 Palm Beach Handicap (USA-G3) winner Gala Award as well as the Grade 1-placed sprint stakes winner Cherry Lodge.

A full sister to Stormello and My Best Brother, Atlantic Voyage apparently took after the speedier elements in her pedigree, with both her two wins from eight starts coming at sprint distances. Nonetheless, she appears to have what it takes to blend successfully with a stamina-oriented mate, as Curlin's Voyage is her fourth foal. Her subsequent matings may reflect a perception of her potential for genetic versatility, as she produced a 2018 filly by Speightstown, a 2019 colt by Kitten's Joy, and a 2020 filly by Speightstown.

Thus far in her racing career, Curlin's Voyage appears to have demonstrated that she has inherited a cozy union of the best of both sides of her heritage, combining Curlin's stamina and potential for further development with maturity with the speedier and more precocious background contributed by Atlantic Voyage. Given the grass orientation a number of her close relatives on the distaff side have shown, it is not impossible that a trial on turf is somewhere in Curlin's Voyage's future as well, especially given the number of good turf stakes usually contested at Woodbine in the fall and the relative ease often seen in transitioning a talented synthetics performer to grass.  Regardless, she will be an interesting filly to watch as both a racer and a broodmare, with the potential in the latter capacity for sparking further development of what appears to be a rising family.
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Weekly Trivia Challenge for 8/14/2020

8/14/2020

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Most people recognize Calumet Farm as the greatest American racing program of the 20th century, but not everyone recalls that it was a Standardbred nursery before it was switched over to Thoroughbreds. Your challenge: Name the first homebred stakes winner to race for Calumet after it switched between the two breeds.
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Mares on Monday: Weston Proves Worth a Passing Look

8/10/2020

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In a topsy-turvy 2020, some things remain the same. Saratoga and Del Mar are still favored places to reveal promising juveniles, and on August 8, Weston added his name to the list of youngsters to keep an eye on. A gelded son of 2015 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (USA-G1) winner and freshman sire Hit It a Bomb (War Front x Liscanna, by Sadler's Wells), Weston dug down deep to score by a neck over Girther in the Best Pal Stakes (USA-G2) at 6 furlongs on the main track. While his time was unimpressive, the professional demeanor he displayed both in the paddock and after getting shuffled back early stood him in good stead, and no one can fault the determination he displayed in his final surge to the wire.

While dirt was not Hit It a Bomb's forte, the distaff side of Weston's pedigree gave good reason for trying the gelding on the main track. He is a member of the family of Passing Look, which has had some turf and distance successes but has been at its best at intermediate distances or less and on the dirt.

A Buckpasser half sister to the Northern Dancer horse Gay Jitterbug, who was a Grade 3 winner on turf and Grade 2-placed on dirt, Passing Look was stakes-placed on dirt at 2 and 3. Like many other daughters of Buckpasser, she proved a valuable broodmare, producing three stakes-winning fillies by perennial Canadian champion sire Vice Regent as well as the Northern Dancer mare Look North, dam of Raja's Revenge (by Raja Baba; a Grade 3 winner at 7 and 8 furlongs) and second dam of 2000 San Vicente Stakes (USA-G2) winner Archer City Slew.

None of Passing Look's stakes-winning fillies produced any stakes winners themselves, but all are the second or third dams of graded stakes winners. The eldest of the trio is In My Cap, who won six stakes restricted to Canadian-breds at 2 and 3 and ran second in the 1985 Canadian Oaks. She produced stakes-placed Bright Feather (by Fappiano), who in turn produced 2000 Jockey Club Gold Cup (USA-G1) winner Albert the Great (by 1994 Kentucky Derby, USA-G1, winner Go for Gin) and listed stakes winners Watch the Bird (by Rahy) and Sheer Bliss (by Relaunch). Bright Feather is also the second dam of listed stakes winner Itsmyluckycharm, and through other daughters, In My Cap is the second dam of 2012 Autumn Stakes (CAN-G2) winner James Street  and 2002 Oaklawn Breeders' Cup Stakes (USA-G3) winner Ask Me No Secrets and the third dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Rushing Fall and 2014 Illinois Derby (USA-G3) winner Dynamic Impact.

In My Cap's youngest sister Passing Vice was an even more accomplished racer, winning the 1993 Bay Meadows Oaks (USA-G3) and placing in the 1992 Hollywood Starlet Stakes (USA-G1) and three other graded stakes races. She was less accomplished as a producer, but via her Gulch daughter Crime, she is the second dam of 2007 St. Simon Stakes (ENG-G3) winner Crime Scene and the third dam of multiple Argentine Group 2 winner Old Bunch.

Trumpet's Blare, the "middle sister" among Passing Look's daughters, reached the highest level as a racehorse, winning the 1989 Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes (USA-G1) and four other stakes events. If anything, she was an even more disappointing producer than her sisters, as neither she nor any of her daughters produced any stakes winners. Nonetheless, her unraced daughter Call to the Post (by Mt. Livermore) produced multiple stakes-placed Elke (by Dixie Union), and after a disappointing previous broodmare career, Elke produced Weston as her seventh named foal. She has since produced a 2019 filly by Tapiture and a 2020 colt by Speightster.

On paper, Weston does not seem likely to want distances beyond an extended mile, but his pedigree does suggest enough versatility that a later trial on turf should not be ruled out. He may not turn out to be a great horse, but he is at least one worth giving a passing look.

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Weekly Trivia Challenge for 8/7/2020

8/7/2020

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We probably will not see a filly competing in this year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (USA-G1), but fillies have not only done so but have even been favored for the big race when the field went to the post. Your challenge: Name the first filly to be the race-day favorite and the first filly to be the winter book favorite for the Kentucky Derby.
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Mares on Monday: Hopeful Growth Soars Into Oaks Contention

8/3/2020

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While Saturday's four-length win by Hopeful Growth in the Monmouth Oaks (USA-G3) was an upset according to the tote board, it was also the payoff for a trainer's careful provision of learning experiences to a promising but immature filly. After making sure in earlier events that Hopeful Growth knew how to handle being off the pace, being inside horses, and going around two turns, Anthony Margotta Jr. had the pleasure of seeing his pupil put everything together for her first stakes win, in the process trouncing pretty much the same group of fillies that had beaten her into fifth in the Delaware Oaks (USA-G3) on July 4.

Thanks to her victory, Hopeful Growth now has enough points on the Longines Kentucky Oaks (USA-G1) leaderboard to take a shot at Classic glory if Margotta and owner Vincent Viola (who races as St. Elias Stable) so desire. The daughter of the Tapit horse Tapiture certainly has the pedigree for it, for her family is one of the pillars of Darby Dan breeding, that of Soaring.

Produced from the mating of Swaps to the imported mare Skylarking II and thus a half sister to 1958 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French One Thousand Guineas) winner Yla, Soaring failed to win in five starts but bred two good runners while in Darby Dan's broodmare band. One was Mehmet (by His Majesty), winner of the 1982 Monmouth Cup (USA-G1). The other was 1968 Ashland Stakes winner Miss Swapsco (by Cohoes), dam of stakes winners Vite View (by Reviewer) and Secreto's Glory (by Secreto) and the head of a branch of the family leading to champions Devil's Bag, Glorious Song, and Singspiel.

Aside from her two stakes winners, Soaring produced several other daughters that had some significance, among them the Raise a Native mare Pi Phi Gal. The winner of two of her four starts, Pi Phi Gal produced five foals, with the best runner among them being multiple Panamanian stakes winner Pi Phi Prince (by His Majesty). More importantly, she produced the His Majesty mare Graceful Touch, a solid allowance runner whose daughters and granddaughters provided a fruitful cross with stallions from the male line of 1972 Derby Stakes (ENG-G1) winner Roberto, a champion in both England and Ireland and a most influential sire for Darby Dan.

Graceful Touch signaled what was to come by producing Graceful Darby as her second foal. Sired by the useful Roberto horse Darby Creek Road, Graceful Darby won four Grade 3 races and was Grade 1-placed. She proved a disappointing broodmare, but her full sister Graceful Creek produced Grade 1-placed Grade 2 winner Stalcreek (by Stalwart) and listed stakes winner Graceful Cat (by Forest Wildcat).

Tribulation, Graceful Darby's Danzig half sister, achieved higher honors as a race mare, winning the 1993 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (USA-G1) and two Grade 3 races but showed the family affinity for Roberto as well; to the cover of Roberto's good son Silver Hawk, she produced Grade 3 winner Bold Hawk and English listed stakes winner Coshocton. Adding to her credits, her Dubai Millennium daughter Mizna is the dam of multiple Japanese Group 2 winner Decipher (by Deep Impact).

Tribulation's full sister Ameriflora never raced but produced two top-class horses when bred to Silver Hawk. The first was Grass Wonder, the Japanese champion juvenile male of 1997 and a two-time winner of the Arima Kinen (then a Japanese Group 1 and now a Group 1 race by international standards). The other was Wonder Again, a two-time Grade 1 winner on turf in the United States and the dam of Group 3-placed Japanese listed stakes winner Red Raven (by Smart Strike). Bred to the Roberto grandson Rock Hard Ten, Ameriflora added further luster to her record by producing Maiden America, who produced 2017 Bashford Manor Stakes (USA-G3) winner Ten City (by Run Away and Hide) as her second foal and Hopeful Growth as her fourth.

Since producing Hopeful Growth, Maiden America has given birth to the unraced 2018 Shackleford colt Little Chief and a 2019 full brother to Ten City. Her first foal, the winning Kitten's Joy mare Full of Joy, is also active in the paddocks, having produced a Run Away and Hide colt in 2019 and a Klimt filly in 2020. As for Hopeful Growth, she still has some racing to do before her breeding career commences, and one can hope that whatever happens, she will soar to greater heights than those she has already reached.

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Weekly Trivia Challenge for 8/1/2020

8/1/2020

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The great Affirmed, a two-time American Horse of the Year, was known for attacking birds if he got the chance, but he wasn't the only American Classic winner who regarded birds as feathered fiends rather than feathered friends. Among his other quirks, this Preakness champion would try to stomp pigeons into the ground if he saw them in the shedrow. Who was he?
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    I'm Avalyn Hunter, an author, pedigree researcher and longtime racing fan.

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