Blog Archives - American Classic Pedigrees

Hollywood finish

11/29/2014

In what will probably be his final start of 2014, California Chrome justified his 7-10 odds by cruising home an easy winner in the Hollywood Derby (USA-I). Excepting the Queen's Plate winner Lexie Lou, who put in a valiant effort to be a clear second best, the field he defeated was not much to write home about. Nonetheless, Chrome's connections have to be excited about the ease with which the colt glided over the course. The fact that he finished up in a healthy 36.40 for his final three-eighths -- 12.17 for the final furlong -- and clearly could have gone faster if asked is icing on the cake.

Whether or not this race lands Chrome an Eclipse Award, it looks as though this gamble was one well worth taking. Not only does this victory open up racing options next year, but it also makes Chrome a more attractive stallion prospect, particularly to foreign interests in countries where turf racing is the norm. Even if he does not leave the country -- and Perry Martin and Steve Coburn certainly haven't shown any eagerness to sell -- the versatility he has shown will probably make his future foals more attractive to foreign buyers at the sales.

As for Lexie Lou, her connections deserve nothing but credit for their willingness to tackle one of the best 3-year-old males in the States. Even though she was second, her performance puts an extra shine on a 2014 record that looks like a cinch for giving her a Sovereign Award as best 3-year-old filly and should have her in the running for Canadian Horse of the Year.

Sophs 2, Seniors 0

11/28/2014

While Hoppertunity was a deserving winner in the Clark Handicap (USA-I), the 3-year-old sweep of the top spots in the race franked what the Breeders' Cup Classic (USA-I) had indicated earlier: the survivors of this year's older male division are a pretty uninspiring lot. This is not to say that horses like Prayer for Relief and Departing are bad runners, but they are not in the same ballpark as Game On Dude, Mucho Macho Man and Will Take Charge at the top of their form.

Given the results so far, it's a good thing for the older males in the Cigar Handicap (USA-I) that the only 3-year-old in the field is Noble Moon, who has yet to recapture the form he showed in the Jerome Handicap (USA-II) back in January.

Friday trivia challenge

11/28/2014

It's time for another installment of the Friday trivia challenge! Today's question:

My race record includes an "unplaced" finish for an event in which I was the only starter. Who am I?

I'll post the answer on Monday. In the meantime, have fun searching the Library!

Going Green

11/26/2014

It's now official: California Chrome is entered in the $300,000 Hollywood Derby (USA-IT) on November 29. It's an interesting move by his connections, who passed up options to go back to Churchill Downs for the $500,000 Clark Handicap (USA-I) or travel overseas for the $1.9 million Champions Cup (JPN-I).

A win on the grass may or may not help his championship hopes much, but it would certainly open up a lot of options for next year. It would also make it easier for the handsome chestnut to stay home in California, where he remains overwhelmingly popular and where his connections feel most comfortable. It would also move him a step closer to emulating another California hero, Lava Man, still the only horse to win Grade I races on dirt, turf and synthetic track surfaces. California Chrome has already won over Del Mar's Polytrack, so a crack at next year's Pacific Classic (USA-I) might well be in the cards.

The big question now is, will Queen's Plate winner Lexie Lou -- a proven commodity on grass -- tackle Chrome, or will her connections opt to send her against older females in the Matriarch Stakes (USA-IT) the following day? Given that only six have passed the entry box for the Hollywood Derby, the filly's defection would weaken the field substantially as well as removing the intriguing angle of a showdown between the winners of the United States' and Canada's top Classic races. Her presence or absence may make the difference as to whether a Hollywood Derby victory would give Chrome a championship or just another nice entry on his resume.

Secretariat Vox Populi Award

11/25/2014

Six noteworthy Thoroughbreds have been chosen as candidates for the fourth annual Secretariat Vox Populi Award. The winner will follow in the hoofprints of Zenyatta, Rapid Redux and Mucho Macho Man as the horse whose combination of popularity and racing excellence brought the greatest popular recognition to the sport in North America.

All six of these equine athletes have remarkable stories. Few horses last long enough on the track to even start in the same race three or four times, but Ben's Cat has won the Mister Diz Stakes four times and Game On Dude has three renewals of the Santa Anita Handicap (USA-I) to his credit. Shared Belief and Untapable both turned in terrific 2014 campaigns with only one loss each. Wise Dan was even better, going unbeaten in 2014 despite coming back from colic surgery.

Nonetheless, it was California Chrome who took the limelight and captured the nation's imagination this year. Although his owners have tarnished their image since the Belmont, the horse's story remains compelling. The son of an $8,000 mare and a stallion who stood for $2,500 in the year of his conception wrote a plot line for himself that Hollywood wouldn't buy if it were submitted as fiction: horse out of nowhere, novice owner-breeders and a small-time trainer team up to win the Kentucky Derby. Chrome's accomplishments drew in fans and gave hope to dreamers everywhere in the Thoroughbred industry, and for that he deserves this year's Vox Populi Award.

Answer to 11/21/2014 trivia challenge

11/24/2014

The Thoroughbred that served as the inspiration for composer Jeffrey Schindler's "Thoroughbred Fanfare" was Go for Wand.

Mr. Prospector Inbreeding Continues to Strike Gold

11/22/2014

Despite some breeders' concerns about unsoundness, inbreeding to Mr. Prospector continues to be used to good effect in American breeding. The latest poster boy for this strategy is Ocho Ocho Ocho, who gutted out a nose victory in the Delta Downs Jackpot (USA-III). A son of Mr. Prospector's great-grandson Street Sense, Ocho Ocho Ocho is out of the Horse Chestnut mare Winner, a maternal granddaughter of the great stallion.

Inbreeding to a stallion that has as many good sire sons as Mr. Prospector is inevitably going to occur. In Mr. Prospector's case, the fact that he is a great broodmare sire whose daughters have worked very well with the Northern Dancer and Seattle Slew male lines make inbreeding to him even more likely. His name is becoming so widely spread in top American pedigrees that attempting to avoid him in planning a mating can create a devil's dilemma: do you create the strongest possible match even if Mr. Prospector inbreeding is present and take your chances on the foal's inheriting his flaws, or do you eliminate perhaps the best available stallions from consideration for your mare to avoid doubling up on Mr. P?

Judging by the number of good racehorses of the last few years with two or more crosses of Mr. Prospector (think Orb, California Chrome, She's a Tiger and Mucho Macho Man, to name just a few), more and more breeders are deciding that inbreeding to the great sire isn't such a bad deal after all.

Friday trivia challenge

11/21/2014

This is the first installation of a weekly trivia challenge. All answers to trivia questions can be found in the Horse Library section. The answer will be posted Monday.

The question: I served as the inspiration for composer Jeffrey Schindler's "Thoroughbred Fanfare." Who am I?

Common ground

11/18/2014

With the year going into its final six weeks, all the names at the top of the American broodmare sire list are quite familiar. Storm Cat is in front by a wide margin; Sadler's Wells is in a tight battle with third-place A.P. Indy for the runner-up spot; and the next two places are occupied by Danehill and Gone West. What's worth noting about this year's broodmare sire race is who's behind the ones in front: Secretariat, who is the broodmare sire of Storm Cat, A.P. Indy and Gone West.

While Secretariat has been called a "disappointing" sire for not meeting the extraordinary expectations placed on his stud career, there is nothing disappointing about the way his genes are spreading through the Thoroughbred population. The leading American broodmare sire of 1992, Secretariat has turned out to be a remarkable broodmare sire of sires, with Chief's Crown, Dehere, Holy Roman Emperor, Royal Academy and Summer Squall also numbered among his maternal grandsons.

Excepting Holy Roman Emperor, all these horses have passed from the scene as sires of winners. But with the way they are performing as broodmare sires themselves, it looks like Secretariat will be an important part of pedigrees for a long time to come.

No rematch, but a great race shaping up

11/15/2014

Fans looking forward to the Clark Handicap (USA-I) on November 28 had to be a little disappointed when speculation about a possible rematch between Bayern and California Chrome fell through. Nonetheless, it looks as though the jewel of Churchill Downs' fall meet will host one of the most competitive fields of the season. While Bayern isn't likely to start despite being nominated, the race is being targeted by three talented 3-year-olds in Rebel Stakes (USA-II) winner Hoppertunity, Besilu Florida Derby (USA-I) winner Constitution and Breeders' Cup Mile (USA-I) second Tapiture. A win by any one of the three would mark the victorious colt as one to watch at 4.

The Clark is also drawing a salty group of older horses, any one of which could pop up to take the race and move into the elite ranks of Grade I winners. The most dangerous of the group on his 2014 record appears to be Zivo, but with multiple graded stakes winners Prayer for Relief, Departing and Cary Street in the field, as well as the improving Fayette Handicap (USA-II) winner Pick of the Litter, this looks likely to be one of the best post-Breeders' Cup races in years.

As a side note, the nominees for the Clark include three winners of the West Virginia Derby (USA-II) in Prayer for Relief (2011), Departing (2013) and Tapiture (2014). A trifecta, anyone?