Smart Strike (CAN)
May 21, 1992 – March 25, 2015
Mr. Prospector (USA) x Classy 'n Smart (CAN), by Smarten (USA)
Family 23-b
May 21, 1992 – March 25, 2015
Mr. Prospector (USA) x Classy 'n Smart (CAN), by Smarten (USA)
Family 23-b
While undoubtedly talented, Smart Strike suffered repeated injuries during his racing career and was never thoroughly tested on the track. Whether he could have been the equal of his great half sister Dance Smartly as a racehorse is open to debate, but he more than upheld the family reputation as a sire. The only one of Mr. Prospector's sons to lead the American general sire list, he left several good sons to establish his own branch of Mr. Prospector's sire line.
Race record
8 starts, 6 wins, 1 second, 0 thirds, US$337,376
1996:
Honors
Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame (inducted in 2008)
As an individual
A bay horse, Smart Strike stood 16 hands. He was a plain, lengthy individual with a good shoulder and hip, a straight, strong hind leg, and short cannons. As of the end of 2019, he had sired 135 stakes winners, including 12 champions. Smart Strike is an Intermediate/Classic chef-de-race in the Roman-Miller dosage system.
As a stallion
Smart Strike's progeny tended to be rather plain like their sire. They were generally better as they matured but could handle a wide variety of distances and surfaces. According to statistics compiled by The Jockey Club, Smart Strike sired 966 winners (60.5%) and 136 stakes winners (8.5%) from 1596 named foals of racing age.
Sire rankings
Per the American Racing Manual (Daily Racing Form) series:
Per Arion (www.arion.co.nz):
Per The Blood-Horse:
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
Per Thoroughbred Heritage (www.tbheritage.com)
Per Thoroughbred Record/Thoroughbred Times:
Notable progeny
Added Edge (USA), Battle of Midway (USA), Cascanueces (USA), Centre Court (USA), Crown Queen (USA), Curlin (USA), Dr. Arbatach (USA), English Channel (USA), Eye of the Sphynx (CAN), Fabulous Strike (USA), Fleetstreet Dancer (USA), Furthest Land (USA), Gold Strike (CAN), Lookin At Lucky (USA), Minorette (USA), My Miss Aurelia (USA), Never Retreat (USA), Portcullis (CAN), Shadow Cast (USA), Silver Streaker (USA), Soaring Free (CAN), Square Eddie (CAN), Streaming (USA), Swagger Jack (USA), Tom's d'Etat (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Desert Power (CHI), Dullahan (USA), Eye of the Leopard (CAN), Fair Maiden (USA), Faiza (USA), Goodnight Olive (USA), Gun Pilot (USA), Inglorious (CAN), Ivar (BRZ), Mine That Bird (USA), Moonlit Promise (USA), Peace and War (USA), Rich Strike (USA), Seize the Grey (USA), Shared Account (USA), Stars on Earth (JPN), Therapist (USA), Tone Broke (CAN), Union Strike (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Ontario, Smart Strike was bred and owned by Sam-Son Farms. He was trained by Mark Frostad. He entered stud in Kentucky at Lane's End Farm in 1997 and remained there throughout his stud career. He was humanely destroyed due to laminitis in 2015.
Pedigree notes
Smart Strike is inbred 4x5 to five-time American leading sire Nasrullah. He is a full brother to 2002 Niagara Breeders' Cup Handicap (CAN-G1) winner Full of Wonder and 2002 Chinese Cultural Center Stakes (CAN-G2) winner Strike Smartly. Smart Strike is a half brother to 1991 Canadian Horse of the Year and American champion 3-year-old filly Dance Smartly (by Danzig), who earned Canadian Broodmare of the Year honors in 2001 after producing back-to-back Queen's Plate winners Scatter the Gold (2000) and Dancethruthedawn (2001), both by Mr. Prospector; she later produced Canadian Grade 2 winner Dance With Ravens (by A.P. Indy). Two other half sisters to Smart Strike are also stakes producers: Seattle Classic (by Seattle Slew) is the dam of 1999 Mazarine Breeders' Cup Stakes (CAN-G1) winner Hello Seattle (by Deputy Minister) and restricted stakes winner Sail From Seattle (by Gone West), the second dam of multiple Canadian Grade 3 winner His Race to Win and the third dam of 2019 Canadian champion turf male El Tormenta and Grade 3 winner Zero Tolerance, while Dance Swiftly (by Danzig) is the dam of Grade 3 winner Speightster (by Speightstown) and listed stakes winners Paiota Falls (by Kris S.) and West Coast Swing (by Gone West).
Smart Strike's dam Classy 'n Smart won the 1984 Canadian Oaks and was named the Canadian champion 3-year-old filly of that year. Her exploits as a broodmare made her Canada's Broodmare of the Year in 1991. She was the first of six stakes winners and four champions produced by Sam-Son Farm's remarkable foundation mare No Class (by Nodouble). No Class's other champions were 1985 Canadian champion 2-year-old male Grey Classic (by Grey Dawn II), 1987 Canadian champion 2-year-old male Regal Classic (by Vice Regent), and Sky Classic (by Nijinsky II), winner of three championships in Canada and champion turf horse in the United States in 1992. Also the dam of 1997 Early Times Turf Classic (USA-G1) winner Always a Classic (by Deputy Minister) and multiple stakes winner Classic Reign (by Vice Regent), No Class was the Canadian Broodmare of the Year for 1985.
Fun facts
Last updated: December 5, 2024
Race record
8 starts, 6 wins, 1 second, 0 thirds, US$337,376
1996:
- Won Philip H. Iselin Handicap (USA-G1, 9FD, Monmouth)
- Won Salvator Mile Handicap (USA-G3, 8FD, Monmouth)
Honors
Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame (inducted in 2008)
As an individual
A bay horse, Smart Strike stood 16 hands. He was a plain, lengthy individual with a good shoulder and hip, a straight, strong hind leg, and short cannons. As of the end of 2019, he had sired 135 stakes winners, including 12 champions. Smart Strike is an Intermediate/Classic chef-de-race in the Roman-Miller dosage system.
As a stallion
Smart Strike's progeny tended to be rather plain like their sire. They were generally better as they matured but could handle a wide variety of distances and surfaces. According to statistics compiled by The Jockey Club, Smart Strike sired 966 winners (60.5%) and 136 stakes winners (8.5%) from 1596 named foals of racing age.
Sire rankings
Per the American Racing Manual (Daily Racing Form) series:
- Led the American general sire list in 2008; 4th in 2010; 6th in 2004 and 2005; 9th in 2003.
Per Arion (www.arion.co.nz):
- Led the American general sire list in 2009; 3rd in 2010 and 2011; 5th in 2012.
- Led the North American broodmare sire list in 2022; 2nd in 2023; 3rd in 2021; 5th in 2020; 6th in 2017 and 2018; 7th in 2019; 8th in 2012 and 2016.
Per The Blood-Horse:
- Led the American general sire list in 2007 and 2008; 3rd in 2009; 5th in 2010 and 2012; 7th in 2004; 8th in 2005; 10th in 2003.
- 2nd on the American broodmare sire list in 2022; 4th in 2023; 6th in 2021.
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
- 6th on the American general sire list in 2004; 8th in 2005; 9th in 2003.
Per Thoroughbred Heritage (www.tbheritage.com)
- Led the American general sire list in 2007-2009.
Per Thoroughbred Record/Thoroughbred Times:
- Led the American general sire list in 2007 and 2008.
Notable progeny
Added Edge (USA), Battle of Midway (USA), Cascanueces (USA), Centre Court (USA), Crown Queen (USA), Curlin (USA), Dr. Arbatach (USA), English Channel (USA), Eye of the Sphynx (CAN), Fabulous Strike (USA), Fleetstreet Dancer (USA), Furthest Land (USA), Gold Strike (CAN), Lookin At Lucky (USA), Minorette (USA), My Miss Aurelia (USA), Never Retreat (USA), Portcullis (CAN), Shadow Cast (USA), Silver Streaker (USA), Soaring Free (CAN), Square Eddie (CAN), Streaming (USA), Swagger Jack (USA), Tom's d'Etat (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Desert Power (CHI), Dullahan (USA), Eye of the Leopard (CAN), Fair Maiden (USA), Faiza (USA), Goodnight Olive (USA), Gun Pilot (USA), Inglorious (CAN), Ivar (BRZ), Mine That Bird (USA), Moonlit Promise (USA), Peace and War (USA), Rich Strike (USA), Seize the Grey (USA), Shared Account (USA), Stars on Earth (JPN), Therapist (USA), Tone Broke (CAN), Union Strike (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Ontario, Smart Strike was bred and owned by Sam-Son Farms. He was trained by Mark Frostad. He entered stud in Kentucky at Lane's End Farm in 1997 and remained there throughout his stud career. He was humanely destroyed due to laminitis in 2015.
Pedigree notes
Smart Strike is inbred 4x5 to five-time American leading sire Nasrullah. He is a full brother to 2002 Niagara Breeders' Cup Handicap (CAN-G1) winner Full of Wonder and 2002 Chinese Cultural Center Stakes (CAN-G2) winner Strike Smartly. Smart Strike is a half brother to 1991 Canadian Horse of the Year and American champion 3-year-old filly Dance Smartly (by Danzig), who earned Canadian Broodmare of the Year honors in 2001 after producing back-to-back Queen's Plate winners Scatter the Gold (2000) and Dancethruthedawn (2001), both by Mr. Prospector; she later produced Canadian Grade 2 winner Dance With Ravens (by A.P. Indy). Two other half sisters to Smart Strike are also stakes producers: Seattle Classic (by Seattle Slew) is the dam of 1999 Mazarine Breeders' Cup Stakes (CAN-G1) winner Hello Seattle (by Deputy Minister) and restricted stakes winner Sail From Seattle (by Gone West), the second dam of multiple Canadian Grade 3 winner His Race to Win and the third dam of 2019 Canadian champion turf male El Tormenta and Grade 3 winner Zero Tolerance, while Dance Swiftly (by Danzig) is the dam of Grade 3 winner Speightster (by Speightstown) and listed stakes winners Paiota Falls (by Kris S.) and West Coast Swing (by Gone West).
Smart Strike's dam Classy 'n Smart won the 1984 Canadian Oaks and was named the Canadian champion 3-year-old filly of that year. Her exploits as a broodmare made her Canada's Broodmare of the Year in 1991. She was the first of six stakes winners and four champions produced by Sam-Son Farm's remarkable foundation mare No Class (by Nodouble). No Class's other champions were 1985 Canadian champion 2-year-old male Grey Classic (by Grey Dawn II), 1987 Canadian champion 2-year-old male Regal Classic (by Vice Regent), and Sky Classic (by Nijinsky II), winner of three championships in Canada and champion turf horse in the United States in 1992. Also the dam of 1997 Early Times Turf Classic (USA-G1) winner Always a Classic (by Deputy Minister) and multiple stakes winner Classic Reign (by Vice Regent), No Class was the Canadian Broodmare of the Year for 1985.
Fun facts
- Smart Strike scored an unprecedented triple on October 2, 2007, when his sons Curlin, English Channel, and Fabulous Strike won Grade 1 races on the same card at Belmont Park.
- Smart Strike became the first horse to sire the winners of both the Breeders' Cup Classic (USA-G1) and the Breeders' Cup Turf (USA-G1) in the same year in 2007, when English Channel won the Turf and Curlin won the Classic.
- Smart Strike's 2007 progeny earnings of US$14,358,570 set a single-season world record.
- Smart Strike joined the “Century Club” of sires with at least 100 stakes winners on January 25, 2014, when his daughter Cloud Scapes won the Endeavour Stakes (USA-G3) at Tampa Bay Downs.
- After Smart Strike's death and cremation, a part of his ashes was interred at Lane's End Farm. The remaining portion was sent to Sam-Son for burial beside the grave of Dance Smartly.
Last updated: December 5, 2024