A TRIP DOWN UNDER

With a cold January ahead, I was fortunate enough to get out of the chilly climes of Lexington and make my way down to Australia to work alongside the team at Champion Thoroughbreds and also Aquanita Racing for the Magic Millions, Inglis Classic and NZB Karaka Yearling Sales. I will

DRUNKARD’S WALK

  • by Alan Porter  on December 23, 2012  -  
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A combination of sales, matings and sire anaylses has somewhat slowed our blogging output of late, but we have still been keeping a close eye on pedigree events around the world (much aided by the stakes digest in the Pedigree Analysis program). So we thought we’d spare a few moments

FAREWELL TO CLAIBORNE’S BREED SHAPER

October 6 brought the news that Pulpit, a leading commercial sire for almost a decade and a half, had died in his paddock. The 18-year-old stallion was bred by Claiborne Farm, raced in the Claiborne colors, and stood his entire stud career at the Paris, Ky., nursery. A member of

FRANKEL HIGHLIGHTS THE SUCCESS OF DANEHILL MARES

  • by Alan Porter  on November 1, 2012  -  
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On a week when much will be written about the great Frankel (Galileo–Kind, by Danehill) as he retires to Juddmonte Farms to serve his first season at stud in 2013, this writer had pause to reflect on the outstanding performance of his broodmare sire, Danehill, who has thus far proved

NEW APPROACH HEADS THE EUROPEAN FRESHMAN

The weekend saw New Approach, become the first European-based freshman sire of 2012 to be represented by a group one winner, his son Dawn Approach taking the Vincent O’Brien Stakes (formerly National Stakes) (gr. I) by 4¾ lengths. This was the fifth win in five starts for Dawn Approach, who

DREAM FULFILLED

  • by Alan Porter  on September 4, 2012  -  
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With Danedream flashing her credentials for a shot a back-to-back victories in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (gr. I), with a score in the Grosser-Preis Von Baden (gr. I) at the weekend, we thought it was worth a look back at her pedigree from this article we wrote for

KAUAI KATIE: REPEATING THE PATTERN

  • by Alan Porter  on August 16, 2012  -  
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It’s still very early in the season for serious juvenile competition, but there is no doubt that one of the most impressive 2-year-old fillies seen to date is Kauai Katie. Successful by 12 lengths on her debut, the Stonestreet Stable color-bearer returned to action at Saratoga in the Adirondack Stakes

SECOND SEASON STARS

  • by Alan Porter  on July 28, 2012  -  
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The three-year-old crop of 2007 was one of the most contentious of recent years as Street Sense, Curlin, Hard Spun and Any Given Saturday fought it out for leadership of the division. Curlin would emerge with titles as Champion Three-Year-Old and Horse of the Year, and remained in training to

THE DEPARTED

Last week brought the news that ace sprinter/miler Caleb’s Posse would be retiring to stand at Three Chimneys Farm for the 2013 breeding season.  At the weekend, however, it was two Three Chimneys stallions that have departed for greener pastures, Rahy and Dynaformer that were in the spotlight. Like the

PLANETS ALIGNED

With the exception of a Grade/Group One winner over 4000m, which his sire did in the form of the brilliant Yeats, it would be reasonable to suggest that while time may prove him superior, the Coolmore stallion Galileo is right now as every bit a good a classic sire as his