The male line of the brilliant 19th-century champion Domino has always been clinging to existence by its fingernails. Starting out with a stallion who sired just 19 named foals, and whose best son sired just 27 foals, it has never been strong in numbers. Even in the 1930s through 1950s, when Black Toney, Black Servant, Blue Larkspur, Bimelech, Equipoise, Balladier and Spy Song were all active, Domino-line stallions represented only a small fraction of North America's important sires. By the 1980s, Domino's male line had essentually narrowed to just one stallion: 1971 Horse of the Year Ack Ack, who in turn got just one good sire son, 1994 American champion sire Broad Brush.
Broad Brush begot several Grade 1-winning sons, but 1994 Breeders' Cup Classic (USA-G1) winner Concern was a disappointment, Mongoose was exported to Peru after failing to gain much headway in Florida and Schossberg was exported to Chile from Canada. That left the fate of Domino's male line pretty much up to 2001 Pimlico Special (USA-G1) winner Include, who has sired 10 Grade or 1 Group winners during his career. That's not bad for his prospects of continuing the male line, except for two things: eight of the 10 are female, and Ferox earned his Group 1 status in Panama, which isn't much of a stud recommendation outside that country.
Include's latest Group 1 winner, though, has a chance to be Domino's link to the future. On March 12, Argentine-bred Don Inc prevailed in a wild three-horse finish to take South America's most prestigious race for horses aged 3 and up, the Longines Gran Premio Latinoamerico (BRZ-G1), which was run this year at Hipódromo de Gávea in Brazil. The colt (a 3-year-old by the South American calendar), had previously run second in the Gran Premio Nacional (Argentine Derby, ARG-G1) and the Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini (ARG-G1), so he was no stranger to top-level competition.
A product of one of Argentina's leading studs, Haras La Biznaga, Don Inc is the fourth Argentine Group 1 winner by Include, who has shuttled to Argentina from Airdrie Stud in Kentucky, and is the third out of a mare by the Storm Cat horse Bernstein. He is a half brother to Group 2-placed stakes winner Doubly Master (by Art Master); his dam is a half sister to Argentine Group 2 winner Batty Silvadora (by Batty) and Group 3 winners Batty Silbona (by Batty) and Forty Alondra (by Roar); and his granddam Saint Dove (by Saint Sever) is a half sister to 1980 Gran Premio Raul y Raul E. Chevalier (ARG-G1) winner Pajarraco (by Good Manners). That's pretty solid breeding.
Include is 19 now, and he probably won't have too many more chances to get a potential successor. Nonetheless, we can hope that he has now done enough through Don Inc to continue the cliffhanger story of the Domino male line through at least one more episode.
Broad Brush begot several Grade 1-winning sons, but 1994 Breeders' Cup Classic (USA-G1) winner Concern was a disappointment, Mongoose was exported to Peru after failing to gain much headway in Florida and Schossberg was exported to Chile from Canada. That left the fate of Domino's male line pretty much up to 2001 Pimlico Special (USA-G1) winner Include, who has sired 10 Grade or 1 Group winners during his career. That's not bad for his prospects of continuing the male line, except for two things: eight of the 10 are female, and Ferox earned his Group 1 status in Panama, which isn't much of a stud recommendation outside that country.
Include's latest Group 1 winner, though, has a chance to be Domino's link to the future. On March 12, Argentine-bred Don Inc prevailed in a wild three-horse finish to take South America's most prestigious race for horses aged 3 and up, the Longines Gran Premio Latinoamerico (BRZ-G1), which was run this year at Hipódromo de Gávea in Brazil. The colt (a 3-year-old by the South American calendar), had previously run second in the Gran Premio Nacional (Argentine Derby, ARG-G1) and the Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini (ARG-G1), so he was no stranger to top-level competition.
A product of one of Argentina's leading studs, Haras La Biznaga, Don Inc is the fourth Argentine Group 1 winner by Include, who has shuttled to Argentina from Airdrie Stud in Kentucky, and is the third out of a mare by the Storm Cat horse Bernstein. He is a half brother to Group 2-placed stakes winner Doubly Master (by Art Master); his dam is a half sister to Argentine Group 2 winner Batty Silvadora (by Batty) and Group 3 winners Batty Silbona (by Batty) and Forty Alondra (by Roar); and his granddam Saint Dove (by Saint Sever) is a half sister to 1980 Gran Premio Raul y Raul E. Chevalier (ARG-G1) winner Pajarraco (by Good Manners). That's pretty solid breeding.
Include is 19 now, and he probably won't have too many more chances to get a potential successor. Nonetheless, we can hope that he has now done enough through Don Inc to continue the cliffhanger story of the Domino male line through at least one more episode.
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