While Rusty Slipper is a nice turf mare, no one is going to mistake her for a feminine counterpart to American Pharoah. Nonetheless, she has something in common with the 2015 American Triple Crown winner besides four hooves and an appetite for hay. Like Pharoah, she is a living tribute to Fred Hooper, whose unorthodox breeding program continues to contribute to modern pedigrees.
A look at the pedigrees of Rusty Slipper's second dam, Classic Value, and American Pharoah's third dam, Zetta Jet, reveals that both are bred along similar lines. Zetta Jet is by Hooper's homebred sire Tri Jet, out of a mare by another homebred Hooper stallion in Crozier, out of a mare by a Hyperion-line sire---in this case, Greek Game, a son of Hooper's foundation sire Olympia. Classic Value is by Tri Jet's best son, Copelan (also a Hooper homebred), out of a mare by Crozier, out of a mare by a Hyperion-line sire, the great Swaps. While Hooper made use of other stallions with good effect, this pattern of Tri Jet over Crozier over Olympia or another source of Hyperion is a common one in the pedigrees of Hooper Farm stock. Its net effect is to create line breeding to Hyperion, a six-time English champion sire and three-time English champion broodmare sire. There are far worse foundations on which to try to breed high-class horses.
Even without considering the Hyperion connection, Rusty Slipper's female line is quite solid. Her first four dams are all Hooper-breds, and all four are stakes producers. The line begins with the Swaps mare Pretty Pat, the last foal of Patricia P. (Pilate---Minaret II, by Ksar), who was one of Hooper's original foundation mares. While Pretty Pat won only one of 22 races, she was a half sister to multiple stakes winners Hoop Band (by Hoop, Jr.), Ezgo (by Olympia) and Hoop Bound (by Hoop, Jr.). Those connections were good enough to keep Pretty Pat in Hooper's broodmare band, and she duly rewarded Hooper by producing six winners including Grade III-placed multiple stakes winner Selecting (by Crozier).
All four of Pretty Pat's daughters became stakes producers, and Queen Pat (a full sister to Selecting) was the best of the four. Her seven winners include Grade III-placed multiple stakes winner Pat's Joy (by Daryl's Joy), Grade I-placed stakes winner Shuttle Jet (by Tri Jet) and multiple Grade III winner Classic Value (by Copelan), the granddam of our subject. Queen Pat also produced the non-winner Jetapat (by Tri Jet), dam of multiple Grade III winner Roman Envoy (by Roman Diplomat).
Returning to Classic Value, she produced six foals for Hooper before being sold to William Farish of Lane's End Farm. For Hooper, she produced multiple Grade III winner Class Kris (by Kris S.) and stakes-placed Class on Class (by Jolie's Halo) and Classic Approval (by With Approval). For Farish, Classic Value produced Grade I-placed stakes winner Patriot Act (by A.P. Indy), a horse bred along similar lines to Rusty Slipper as he is by Lemon Drop Kid, whose dam is a three-quarters sister to A.P. Indy.
On the recent record of her female family, Rusty Slipper is now quite a valuable broodmare prospect. Her dam's half sister Class Kris is the dam of multiple Grade I winner Student Council (by Lemon Drop Kid's sire Kingmambo), Grade III winner gradepoint (by A.P. Indy) and stakes winner Class Leader (by Smart Strike), and Class on Class has also done her bit to embellish the family record by producing Grade II winner Don't Get Mad (by A.P. Indy's son Stephen Got Even) and listed stakes winner Barkeley Sound (by Dixieland Band). As for Classic Approval, she had previously produced multiple Grade III winner Gulch Approval (by Gulch) and Grade III-placed listed stakes winner Approval Rating (by Lemon Drop Kid) before throwing Rusty Slipper, and her Charismatic daughter Moyne Abbey is the dam of 2014 Twinspires.com Wood Memorial Stakes (USA-I) winner Wicked Strong (by Hard Spun).
With a background like this, Rusty Slipper would be accepted for the court of virtually any top stallion on the planet. Nonetheless, I find my thoughts circling back to American Pharoah and the common factors that helped make both these fine horses what they are. A dream date, anyone?
A look at the pedigrees of Rusty Slipper's second dam, Classic Value, and American Pharoah's third dam, Zetta Jet, reveals that both are bred along similar lines. Zetta Jet is by Hooper's homebred sire Tri Jet, out of a mare by another homebred Hooper stallion in Crozier, out of a mare by a Hyperion-line sire---in this case, Greek Game, a son of Hooper's foundation sire Olympia. Classic Value is by Tri Jet's best son, Copelan (also a Hooper homebred), out of a mare by Crozier, out of a mare by a Hyperion-line sire, the great Swaps. While Hooper made use of other stallions with good effect, this pattern of Tri Jet over Crozier over Olympia or another source of Hyperion is a common one in the pedigrees of Hooper Farm stock. Its net effect is to create line breeding to Hyperion, a six-time English champion sire and three-time English champion broodmare sire. There are far worse foundations on which to try to breed high-class horses.
Even without considering the Hyperion connection, Rusty Slipper's female line is quite solid. Her first four dams are all Hooper-breds, and all four are stakes producers. The line begins with the Swaps mare Pretty Pat, the last foal of Patricia P. (Pilate---Minaret II, by Ksar), who was one of Hooper's original foundation mares. While Pretty Pat won only one of 22 races, she was a half sister to multiple stakes winners Hoop Band (by Hoop, Jr.), Ezgo (by Olympia) and Hoop Bound (by Hoop, Jr.). Those connections were good enough to keep Pretty Pat in Hooper's broodmare band, and she duly rewarded Hooper by producing six winners including Grade III-placed multiple stakes winner Selecting (by Crozier).
All four of Pretty Pat's daughters became stakes producers, and Queen Pat (a full sister to Selecting) was the best of the four. Her seven winners include Grade III-placed multiple stakes winner Pat's Joy (by Daryl's Joy), Grade I-placed stakes winner Shuttle Jet (by Tri Jet) and multiple Grade III winner Classic Value (by Copelan), the granddam of our subject. Queen Pat also produced the non-winner Jetapat (by Tri Jet), dam of multiple Grade III winner Roman Envoy (by Roman Diplomat).
Returning to Classic Value, she produced six foals for Hooper before being sold to William Farish of Lane's End Farm. For Hooper, she produced multiple Grade III winner Class Kris (by Kris S.) and stakes-placed Class on Class (by Jolie's Halo) and Classic Approval (by With Approval). For Farish, Classic Value produced Grade I-placed stakes winner Patriot Act (by A.P. Indy), a horse bred along similar lines to Rusty Slipper as he is by Lemon Drop Kid, whose dam is a three-quarters sister to A.P. Indy.
On the recent record of her female family, Rusty Slipper is now quite a valuable broodmare prospect. Her dam's half sister Class Kris is the dam of multiple Grade I winner Student Council (by Lemon Drop Kid's sire Kingmambo), Grade III winner gradepoint (by A.P. Indy) and stakes winner Class Leader (by Smart Strike), and Class on Class has also done her bit to embellish the family record by producing Grade II winner Don't Get Mad (by A.P. Indy's son Stephen Got Even) and listed stakes winner Barkeley Sound (by Dixieland Band). As for Classic Approval, she had previously produced multiple Grade III winner Gulch Approval (by Gulch) and Grade III-placed listed stakes winner Approval Rating (by Lemon Drop Kid) before throwing Rusty Slipper, and her Charismatic daughter Moyne Abbey is the dam of 2014 Twinspires.com Wood Memorial Stakes (USA-I) winner Wicked Strong (by Hard Spun).
With a background like this, Rusty Slipper would be accepted for the court of virtually any top stallion on the planet. Nonetheless, I find my thoughts circling back to American Pharoah and the common factors that helped make both these fine horses what they are. A dream date, anyone?
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