On April 19, two unbeaten colts who finished at the top of Japan's 2019 juvenile standings duked it out in the closing 100 yards of the Satsuka Sho (Japanese Two Thousand Guineas, JPN-G1). The results reflected their previous standing, as champion juvenile male Contrail edged away from 2019 Asahi Hai Futurity (JPN-G1) winner Salios. The son of the late Deep Impact is now the favorite for the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, JPN-G1).
Contrail is yet another member of the fabulous tribe of La Troienne and descends through the Striking branch via the last-named mare's granddaughter Stolen Base (see "Mares on Monday: Come Dancing Scores a Home Run for Stolen Base," 8/26/2019). Like 2019 Ketel One Ballerina Stakes (USA-G1) winner Come Dancing, Contrail traces his lineage to Stolen Base through 1985 Delaware Handicap (USA-G1) winner Basie, a daughter of In Reality, and her Grade 3-winning daughter Jeano (by Fappiano). There the lines diverge, as Come Dancing is a granddaughter of Jeano's daughter Never a No Hitter (by Kris S.), while Contrail is a great-grandson of Jeano's 1998 Storm Cat daughter, Contrive.
Contrive's main claim to fame is as the dam of Folklore, whose victories in the 2005 Matron Stakes (USA-G1) and Alberto VO5 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (USA-G1) lifted her to the American juvenile filly championship and her sire Tiznow to an unexpected title as American champion freshman sire. A fractured knee ended Folklore's racing career in May of her 3-year-old season, and her broodmare career has been a disappointment thus far; she has produced seven named foals, but only two have won races of any description. (She is still in production, and her most recent foals are a 2018 colt by Frosted and a 2020 colt by Arrogate.)
Folklore, however, has an ace in the hole in the form of six well-bred daughters, and the eldest is Rhodochrosite, a 2010 daughter of Unbridled's Song who is the first to provide evidence that Folklore cannot be written off as a matron yet. Placed four times in her seven starts, she has produced three winners from three foals of racing age, and Contrail gives ample proof of the worth of her bloodlines.
Miss Moon, a 2012 daughter of Malibu Moon, is the only other daughter of Folklore with foals of racing age thus far and has one winner to her credit, the 2017 Paynter filly Ma Chachis Intenta. Her 2018 Quality Road colt, Savile Row, has yet to race, and Miss Moon's only other produce is a 2019 filly by Distorted Humor. Nonetheless, Contrail's success plus the fancy pedigrees of his dam's half sisters will likely ensure that Folklore's daughters receive good opportunities for some time to come.
As for Contrive, she has several young daughters with regal pedigrees who are also being mated to top-end stallions, including the listed stakes-winning A.P. Indy mare Divided Attention and Grade 3-placed Delightful Quality (by Elusive Quality), so Folklore is far from her only candidate for maintaining her family well into the current century. Contrail may be flying highest of all among her descendants at the present time, but he may well be marking out a trail across the sky that others will soon follow.
Contrail is yet another member of the fabulous tribe of La Troienne and descends through the Striking branch via the last-named mare's granddaughter Stolen Base (see "Mares on Monday: Come Dancing Scores a Home Run for Stolen Base," 8/26/2019). Like 2019 Ketel One Ballerina Stakes (USA-G1) winner Come Dancing, Contrail traces his lineage to Stolen Base through 1985 Delaware Handicap (USA-G1) winner Basie, a daughter of In Reality, and her Grade 3-winning daughter Jeano (by Fappiano). There the lines diverge, as Come Dancing is a granddaughter of Jeano's daughter Never a No Hitter (by Kris S.), while Contrail is a great-grandson of Jeano's 1998 Storm Cat daughter, Contrive.
Contrive's main claim to fame is as the dam of Folklore, whose victories in the 2005 Matron Stakes (USA-G1) and Alberto VO5 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (USA-G1) lifted her to the American juvenile filly championship and her sire Tiznow to an unexpected title as American champion freshman sire. A fractured knee ended Folklore's racing career in May of her 3-year-old season, and her broodmare career has been a disappointment thus far; she has produced seven named foals, but only two have won races of any description. (She is still in production, and her most recent foals are a 2018 colt by Frosted and a 2020 colt by Arrogate.)
Folklore, however, has an ace in the hole in the form of six well-bred daughters, and the eldest is Rhodochrosite, a 2010 daughter of Unbridled's Song who is the first to provide evidence that Folklore cannot be written off as a matron yet. Placed four times in her seven starts, she has produced three winners from three foals of racing age, and Contrail gives ample proof of the worth of her bloodlines.
Miss Moon, a 2012 daughter of Malibu Moon, is the only other daughter of Folklore with foals of racing age thus far and has one winner to her credit, the 2017 Paynter filly Ma Chachis Intenta. Her 2018 Quality Road colt, Savile Row, has yet to race, and Miss Moon's only other produce is a 2019 filly by Distorted Humor. Nonetheless, Contrail's success plus the fancy pedigrees of his dam's half sisters will likely ensure that Folklore's daughters receive good opportunities for some time to come.
As for Contrive, she has several young daughters with regal pedigrees who are also being mated to top-end stallions, including the listed stakes-winning A.P. Indy mare Divided Attention and Grade 3-placed Delightful Quality (by Elusive Quality), so Folklore is far from her only candidate for maintaining her family well into the current century. Contrail may be flying highest of all among her descendants at the present time, but he may well be marking out a trail across the sky that others will soon follow.
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