The recent death of Arazi at the age of 32 has brought forth a slew of remembrances, most centered around the sensational move in the 1991 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (USA-G1) that emphatically stamped him as the best juvenile on two continents. The electric turn of foot he possessed when at his best certainly owes something to his sire Blushing Groom, himself the best French juvenile of his year as well as a champion miler at 3. But there is more to a horse's pedigree than his sire, and for another source of miler speed, one need look no further that the family of modern foundation mare Native Partner, to which Arazi belongs.
One of five stakes winners produced by the Tom Fool mare Dinner Partner, Native Partner won 11 of 42 starts with her best win coming in the 1970 Maskette Stakes. The equivalent of a Grade 2 winner by the standards of the modern graded stakes system (which placed the Maskette at that level when the system was inaugurated in 1973), Native Partner clearly had something of the speed of her sire Raise a Native, the co-champion American juvenile of 1963, and it became apparent during her broodmare career that she could pass that speed on in a form desirable to European racing.
Native Partner did produce one major stakes winner on American dirt, 1982 Fantasy Stakes (USA-G1) winner Flying Partner (by Hoist the Flag), but even Flying Partner left her main legacy on the grass as the second dam of Canadian champion turf mare Hero's Love. Native Partner's other two top-level winners were Group 1-winning sons in Europe: Formidable (by Forli), winner of the 1977 Middle Park Stakes (ENG-G1) as a juvenile, and Ajdal (by Northern Dancer), the French and English champion sprinter of 1987.
Neither Formidable nor Ajdal (who died young) rose beyond the useful as sires, and Native Partner's legacy was to be primarily through her daughters. Four were stakes producers, including her best racing daughter, 1978 Prix de Pomone (FR-G3) winner Fabuleux Jane (by 1964 French champion 3-year-old male Le Fabuleux).
While Fabuleux Jane stayed quite well herself, her best runners were most adept over intermediate positions, headed by 1998 Early Times Turf Classic Stakes (USA-G1) winner Joyeux Dancer (by Nureyev). Her other stakes winners were 1987 Anne Arundel Handicap (USA-G3) winner Doubles Partner (by Damascus) and French stakes winner Fabuleux Dancer (by Nijinsky II). She also produced Group 3-placed Danseur Fabuleux (by Northern Dancer), dam of Arazi and also of 2001 Champagne Lanson Sussex Stakes (USA-G1) winner Noverre (by Blushing Groom's son Rahy).
The one significant failing of Native Partner's family has been as a source of sire power, as the best male runners from this lineage (Arazi included) consistently underperformed their own considerable racing talent. Native Partner's best tail-female descendant thus far has probably been the Danzig horse Exchange Rate (out of Grade 3 winner Sterling Pound, out of listed stakes winner Spectacular Bev, out of Group 3-placed Bev Bev, out of Native Partner), who won the 2001 Tom Fool Stakes (USA-G2) and has ranked among the top ten Argentine sires four times after kicking off his stud career well in Florida. Nonetheless, the remembered brilliance of Arazi's charge to victory thirty years ago has not faded in spite of his failings as a sire, and it serves as a reminder of a fleet mare whose line may yet recreate that brilliance in some future hero or heroine of the turf.
One of five stakes winners produced by the Tom Fool mare Dinner Partner, Native Partner won 11 of 42 starts with her best win coming in the 1970 Maskette Stakes. The equivalent of a Grade 2 winner by the standards of the modern graded stakes system (which placed the Maskette at that level when the system was inaugurated in 1973), Native Partner clearly had something of the speed of her sire Raise a Native, the co-champion American juvenile of 1963, and it became apparent during her broodmare career that she could pass that speed on in a form desirable to European racing.
Native Partner did produce one major stakes winner on American dirt, 1982 Fantasy Stakes (USA-G1) winner Flying Partner (by Hoist the Flag), but even Flying Partner left her main legacy on the grass as the second dam of Canadian champion turf mare Hero's Love. Native Partner's other two top-level winners were Group 1-winning sons in Europe: Formidable (by Forli), winner of the 1977 Middle Park Stakes (ENG-G1) as a juvenile, and Ajdal (by Northern Dancer), the French and English champion sprinter of 1987.
Neither Formidable nor Ajdal (who died young) rose beyond the useful as sires, and Native Partner's legacy was to be primarily through her daughters. Four were stakes producers, including her best racing daughter, 1978 Prix de Pomone (FR-G3) winner Fabuleux Jane (by 1964 French champion 3-year-old male Le Fabuleux).
While Fabuleux Jane stayed quite well herself, her best runners were most adept over intermediate positions, headed by 1998 Early Times Turf Classic Stakes (USA-G1) winner Joyeux Dancer (by Nureyev). Her other stakes winners were 1987 Anne Arundel Handicap (USA-G3) winner Doubles Partner (by Damascus) and French stakes winner Fabuleux Dancer (by Nijinsky II). She also produced Group 3-placed Danseur Fabuleux (by Northern Dancer), dam of Arazi and also of 2001 Champagne Lanson Sussex Stakes (USA-G1) winner Noverre (by Blushing Groom's son Rahy).
The one significant failing of Native Partner's family has been as a source of sire power, as the best male runners from this lineage (Arazi included) consistently underperformed their own considerable racing talent. Native Partner's best tail-female descendant thus far has probably been the Danzig horse Exchange Rate (out of Grade 3 winner Sterling Pound, out of listed stakes winner Spectacular Bev, out of Group 3-placed Bev Bev, out of Native Partner), who won the 2001 Tom Fool Stakes (USA-G2) and has ranked among the top ten Argentine sires four times after kicking off his stud career well in Florida. Nonetheless, the remembered brilliance of Arazi's charge to victory thirty years ago has not faded in spite of his failings as a sire, and it serves as a reminder of a fleet mare whose line may yet recreate that brilliance in some future hero or heroine of the turf.
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