On July 16, Mo Strike took the next step up in his brief but promising career to win the Sanford Stakes (USA-G3) from 11 rivals. Just how good his field was remains to be seen, as summer juvenile stakes races often have fields in which three-quarters of the contestants are either still maidens or have only a maiden special weight win to their names. Nonetheless, the Uncle Mo colt got the job done with a flourish at the end and is likely to target the venerable Hopeful Stakes (USA-G1) in his next outing, a seven-furlong race that should be easily within his scope.
On the distaff side of his pedigree, Mo Strike is a fourth-generation descendant of the Buckpasser mare Passing Look, a product of E. P. Taylor's Maryland operation whose family has done good work without reaching the heights of the top matriarchies. Produced from the stakes-winning Sir Gaylord mare Gay Meeting and a half sister to 1977 Canadian Turf Handicap (USA-G3) winner Gay Jitterbug (by Northern Dancer), Passing Look won four of 30 starts and collected two stakes placings during her racing career. This was far from a great record, but as a well-bred daughter of Buckpasser, she was well worth a place in Taylor's broodmare band. She delivered on the opportunities she was provided, producing three stakes winners as well as Look North (by Northern Dancer), dam of multiple Grade 3 winner Raja's Revenge (by Raja Baba) and second dam of 2000 San Vicente Stakes (USA-G2) winner Archer City Slew (by Slew City Slew).
Among Passing Look's stakes winners, Trumpet's Blare (by Vice Regent) took pride of place by winning the 1989 Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes (USA-G1). As a broodmare, however, Trumpet's Blare was a disappointment, foaling only three winners from 10 named foals. Her Grade 3-winning full sister Passing Vice was only a modest improvement in the paddocks, becoming the second dam of English Group 3 winner Crime Scene, a horse best known for finishing second in the 2009 Melbourne Cup (AUS-G1).
In My Cap, the third of Passing Look's stakes winners, never won a graded stakes but was much the most consistent of the trio and was ranked near the top of the Canadian-based fillies of her year at both 2 and 3. She was also the best producer of the three, throwing nine winners (including four stakes-placed runners) from 13 named foals, and has become the primary conduit for the family through her daughters. She began with stakes-placed In on the Secret (by Secretariat), who produced 2002 Oaklawn Breeders' Cup Stakes (USA-G3) winner Ask Me No Secrets (by Capote), and continued with stakes-placed Bright Feather (by Fappiano), dam of 2000 Jockey Club Gold Cup (USA-G1) winner Albert the Great (by Go for Gin) and listed stakes winners Watch the Bird (by Rahy) and Sheer Bliss (by Relaunch). Marie J (by Mr. Prospector), another stakes-placed daughter of In My Cap, has also contributed to the family, becoming the second dam of 2020 American champion turf female Rushing Fall (by More Than Ready).
Alleynedale, a daughter of In My Cap by Unbridled, got into the act by producing 2012 Autumn Stakes (CAN-G2) winner James Street (by El Prado), and the last of In My Cap's stakes-producing daughters is unraced Favorite Feather (by Capote). Bred to Smart Strike, she produced Grade 1-placed stakes winner Featherbed, a mare who now has two Grade 3 winners to her credit: Dynamic Impact (by Tiznow), winner of the 2014 Illinois Derby (USA-G3), and Mo Strike.
The family of Passing Look has not shown strong tendencies in any direction, tending to be flexible to the influence of its mates, and Mo Strike has one of those "could be anything" pedigrees that could produce brilliant speed or classic stamina---or both. If he proves to be one of those horses who can train on to carry precocious speed beyond sprint distances, he may well be worth more than a passing look.
On the distaff side of his pedigree, Mo Strike is a fourth-generation descendant of the Buckpasser mare Passing Look, a product of E. P. Taylor's Maryland operation whose family has done good work without reaching the heights of the top matriarchies. Produced from the stakes-winning Sir Gaylord mare Gay Meeting and a half sister to 1977 Canadian Turf Handicap (USA-G3) winner Gay Jitterbug (by Northern Dancer), Passing Look won four of 30 starts and collected two stakes placings during her racing career. This was far from a great record, but as a well-bred daughter of Buckpasser, she was well worth a place in Taylor's broodmare band. She delivered on the opportunities she was provided, producing three stakes winners as well as Look North (by Northern Dancer), dam of multiple Grade 3 winner Raja's Revenge (by Raja Baba) and second dam of 2000 San Vicente Stakes (USA-G2) winner Archer City Slew (by Slew City Slew).
Among Passing Look's stakes winners, Trumpet's Blare (by Vice Regent) took pride of place by winning the 1989 Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes (USA-G1). As a broodmare, however, Trumpet's Blare was a disappointment, foaling only three winners from 10 named foals. Her Grade 3-winning full sister Passing Vice was only a modest improvement in the paddocks, becoming the second dam of English Group 3 winner Crime Scene, a horse best known for finishing second in the 2009 Melbourne Cup (AUS-G1).
In My Cap, the third of Passing Look's stakes winners, never won a graded stakes but was much the most consistent of the trio and was ranked near the top of the Canadian-based fillies of her year at both 2 and 3. She was also the best producer of the three, throwing nine winners (including four stakes-placed runners) from 13 named foals, and has become the primary conduit for the family through her daughters. She began with stakes-placed In on the Secret (by Secretariat), who produced 2002 Oaklawn Breeders' Cup Stakes (USA-G3) winner Ask Me No Secrets (by Capote), and continued with stakes-placed Bright Feather (by Fappiano), dam of 2000 Jockey Club Gold Cup (USA-G1) winner Albert the Great (by Go for Gin) and listed stakes winners Watch the Bird (by Rahy) and Sheer Bliss (by Relaunch). Marie J (by Mr. Prospector), another stakes-placed daughter of In My Cap, has also contributed to the family, becoming the second dam of 2020 American champion turf female Rushing Fall (by More Than Ready).
Alleynedale, a daughter of In My Cap by Unbridled, got into the act by producing 2012 Autumn Stakes (CAN-G2) winner James Street (by El Prado), and the last of In My Cap's stakes-producing daughters is unraced Favorite Feather (by Capote). Bred to Smart Strike, she produced Grade 1-placed stakes winner Featherbed, a mare who now has two Grade 3 winners to her credit: Dynamic Impact (by Tiznow), winner of the 2014 Illinois Derby (USA-G3), and Mo Strike.
The family of Passing Look has not shown strong tendencies in any direction, tending to be flexible to the influence of its mates, and Mo Strike has one of those "could be anything" pedigrees that could produce brilliant speed or classic stamina---or both. If he proves to be one of those horses who can train on to carry precocious speed beyond sprint distances, he may well be worth more than a passing look.
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