On June 26, Snap Decision completed his rise in the steeplechasing ranks by powering home in the Calvin Houghland Iroquois Stakes. It was his first Grade 1 win under National Steeplechase Association Rules and, coupled with a win in the Temple Gwathmey Hurdle Stakes (NSA-G2), puts him among the early leaders racing toward an Eclipse Award in the steeplechase division.
A horse of impeccable bloodlines, Snap Decision is by Hard Spun out of a daughter of the great Personal Ensign, Salute. While nowhere close to her dam as a racer and not her equal as a producer (Personal Ensign, in addition to her Hall of Fame racing credentials, was the 1996 Kentucky Broodmare if the Year), Salute is racking up a broodmare record that can stand among the best of Personal Ensign's daughters, and one embellished with two major wins in the last week.
Sired by 1990 American champion 3-year-old male Unbridled, Salute possessed enough talent to run second in the Demoiselle Stakes (USA-G2) and third in the Tempted Stakes (USA-G3) as a juvenile of 2004 but failed to move forward off that form at 3 and 4. Her first four foals were unmemorable, but her fifth was worth the wait. A son of Pulpit, Mr. Speaker won four graded stakes including the 2014 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (USA-G1). Now a third-crop sire at Lane's End, Mr. Speaker also shuttles to Haras Cordillera, Chile, where he was represented in May by Group 2 winner Media Mundo, a gelding from his second Southern Hemisphere crop. His best American-based runner thus far is 2020 Central Bank Ashland Stakes (USA-G1) winner Speech, a member of his first Northern Hemisphere crop.
Mr. Speaker was immediately followed by Fire Away, a 2012 son of War Front. The winner of the 2018 Dixie Stakes (USA-G3), he is now at stud in South Africa. Snap Decision was next, and Salute's youngest stakes winner is Vigilantes Way, a 2017 daughter of Medaglia d'Oro who won the 2020 Tropical Park Oaks and this year's Eatontown Stakes (USA-G3) on June 20. Salute's 2018 foal, the Uncle Mo colt Uncle Duke, has yet to win, and she had no foal in 2019 or 2020. She produced a filly by Flatter on January 24.
Salute has been unfortunate in her daughters thus far, as two of the three she produced prior to Vigilantes Way died young; the other, Prankster (2007, by Ghostzapper) was exported to Argentina in 2017 after producing three winners in the United States. Nonetheless, Salute has been a fine producer, and it is to be hoped that either Vigilantes Way or one of Prankster's two daughters will come through and continue a heritage worth saluting.
A horse of impeccable bloodlines, Snap Decision is by Hard Spun out of a daughter of the great Personal Ensign, Salute. While nowhere close to her dam as a racer and not her equal as a producer (Personal Ensign, in addition to her Hall of Fame racing credentials, was the 1996 Kentucky Broodmare if the Year), Salute is racking up a broodmare record that can stand among the best of Personal Ensign's daughters, and one embellished with two major wins in the last week.
Sired by 1990 American champion 3-year-old male Unbridled, Salute possessed enough talent to run second in the Demoiselle Stakes (USA-G2) and third in the Tempted Stakes (USA-G3) as a juvenile of 2004 but failed to move forward off that form at 3 and 4. Her first four foals were unmemorable, but her fifth was worth the wait. A son of Pulpit, Mr. Speaker won four graded stakes including the 2014 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (USA-G1). Now a third-crop sire at Lane's End, Mr. Speaker also shuttles to Haras Cordillera, Chile, where he was represented in May by Group 2 winner Media Mundo, a gelding from his second Southern Hemisphere crop. His best American-based runner thus far is 2020 Central Bank Ashland Stakes (USA-G1) winner Speech, a member of his first Northern Hemisphere crop.
Mr. Speaker was immediately followed by Fire Away, a 2012 son of War Front. The winner of the 2018 Dixie Stakes (USA-G3), he is now at stud in South Africa. Snap Decision was next, and Salute's youngest stakes winner is Vigilantes Way, a 2017 daughter of Medaglia d'Oro who won the 2020 Tropical Park Oaks and this year's Eatontown Stakes (USA-G3) on June 20. Salute's 2018 foal, the Uncle Mo colt Uncle Duke, has yet to win, and she had no foal in 2019 or 2020. She produced a filly by Flatter on January 24.
Salute has been unfortunate in her daughters thus far, as two of the three she produced prior to Vigilantes Way died young; the other, Prankster (2007, by Ghostzapper) was exported to Argentina in 2017 after producing three winners in the United States. Nonetheless, Salute has been a fine producer, and it is to be hoped that either Vigilantes Way or one of Prankster's two daughters will come through and continue a heritage worth saluting.
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