When Colonel E. R. Bradley died, most of his bloodstock ended up being divided between Greentree Stud, the King Ranch, and Ogden Phipps. All benefited considerably in the division, which distributed the priceless daughters and granddaughters of the great matron La Troienne among some of the nation's top breeders, but the Phipps family probably came out best. In no small part, this was due to the descendants of Striking, a full sister to 1945 Horse of the Year Busher who became the 1961 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year.
Many of Striking's descendants were given baseball-related names, among them her granddaughter Stolen Base. Sired by French champion Herbager, Stolen Base was not a top-class racer, although she placed in six black-type events. She proved a first-rate broodmare, however, and established a branch of her family which leads to Come Dancing, winner of the Ketel One Ballerina Stakes (USA-I) at this year's Saratoga meeting.
Most broodmares are most productive during the first half of their producing careers, but Stolen Base reversed that pattern. After throwing just one stakes-placed runner from her first four foals, she was culled from the Phipps broodmare band and was sold to Frances Genter. For her new owner, Stolen Base came up with four stakes winners from her final five foals. The Buckpasser colt Ask Clarence (who was sold to Mrs. Genter in utero) and his half brother Passing Base (by In Reality) had little long-term significance, but Dont Worry Bout Me (by Foolish Pleasure) produced multiple Grade III winner Cowboy Cop (by Silver Deputy) and multiple stakes winner I'll Get Along (by Smile), dam of 2004 American champion 3-year-old male Smarty Jones (by Elusive Quality).
The best of Stolen Base's runners was Basie, an In Reality filly who scored her signature win in the 1985 Delaware Handicap (USA-I) at Saratoga. Basie produced just one foal of any real significance, the Fappiano mare Jeano, who won five stakes races including the 1993 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (USA-III) . This mare proved a disappointing producer of runners and, after passing through several hands, ended up selling in foal to Alphabet Soup at the 2009 Ocala Breeders' Sales October mixed sale for just US$5,000.
As it turned out, Jeano was a better producer of broodmares than of racehorses. She is the second dam of five stakes winners, and two of her daughters produced graded stakes winners: Contrive (by Storm Cat), dam of 2005 American champion 2-year-old filly Folklore (by Tiznow), and Never a No Hitter (by Kris S.), dam of Demoiselle Stakes (USA-II) winner Tizahit (by Tiznow), who in turn produced Come Dancing (a daughter of Malibu Moon) as her third foal.
While the mating that produced Come Dancing is an outcross to the 4x4 In Reality inbreeding found in her dam, it shows duplications of 3x5 to Seattle Slew and to Mr. Prospector, stallions who trace back to the same matriarch (Myrtlewood). Tizahit's most recent foal is a 2018 full brother to Come Dancing, and it will be interesting to see if the same combination works a second time. In the meantime, one can hardly argue with the results already obtained, which would be a home run in anyone's ballpark.
Many of Striking's descendants were given baseball-related names, among them her granddaughter Stolen Base. Sired by French champion Herbager, Stolen Base was not a top-class racer, although she placed in six black-type events. She proved a first-rate broodmare, however, and established a branch of her family which leads to Come Dancing, winner of the Ketel One Ballerina Stakes (USA-I) at this year's Saratoga meeting.
Most broodmares are most productive during the first half of their producing careers, but Stolen Base reversed that pattern. After throwing just one stakes-placed runner from her first four foals, she was culled from the Phipps broodmare band and was sold to Frances Genter. For her new owner, Stolen Base came up with four stakes winners from her final five foals. The Buckpasser colt Ask Clarence (who was sold to Mrs. Genter in utero) and his half brother Passing Base (by In Reality) had little long-term significance, but Dont Worry Bout Me (by Foolish Pleasure) produced multiple Grade III winner Cowboy Cop (by Silver Deputy) and multiple stakes winner I'll Get Along (by Smile), dam of 2004 American champion 3-year-old male Smarty Jones (by Elusive Quality).
The best of Stolen Base's runners was Basie, an In Reality filly who scored her signature win in the 1985 Delaware Handicap (USA-I) at Saratoga. Basie produced just one foal of any real significance, the Fappiano mare Jeano, who won five stakes races including the 1993 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (USA-III) . This mare proved a disappointing producer of runners and, after passing through several hands, ended up selling in foal to Alphabet Soup at the 2009 Ocala Breeders' Sales October mixed sale for just US$5,000.
As it turned out, Jeano was a better producer of broodmares than of racehorses. She is the second dam of five stakes winners, and two of her daughters produced graded stakes winners: Contrive (by Storm Cat), dam of 2005 American champion 2-year-old filly Folklore (by Tiznow), and Never a No Hitter (by Kris S.), dam of Demoiselle Stakes (USA-II) winner Tizahit (by Tiznow), who in turn produced Come Dancing (a daughter of Malibu Moon) as her third foal.
While the mating that produced Come Dancing is an outcross to the 4x4 In Reality inbreeding found in her dam, it shows duplications of 3x5 to Seattle Slew and to Mr. Prospector, stallions who trace back to the same matriarch (Myrtlewood). Tizahit's most recent foal is a 2018 full brother to Come Dancing, and it will be interesting to see if the same combination works a second time. In the meantime, one can hardly argue with the results already obtained, which would be a home run in anyone's ballpark.
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