GEMOLOGIST, I’LL HAVE ANOTHER WIN THER WAY INTO DERBY PICTURE

  • by Alan Porter  on April 14, 2012  -  
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The most recent weekend saw another pair of grade one Kentucky Derby (gr. I) trials, with the Wood Memorial Stakes (gr. I) at Aqueduct, and the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) on the West Coast. In New York,Gemologist and Alpha, two of the leading Derby hopefuls had to finish in the first

UNLIKELY HERO

  • by Alan Porter  on April 7, 2012  -  
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A busy week means that we’ve only just found a minute to post about last week’s Kentucky Derby (gr. I) trials, the the Florida Derby (gr. I), the Louisiana Derby (gr. II) and UAE Derby (gr. II). The two events run in the U.S., and both worth $600,000 to the

MONTEROSSO PAYS TRIBUTE TO DUBAI MILLENNIUM IN WORLD CUP

  • by Alan Porter  on April 6, 2012  -  
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In 2000, the Dubai World Cup (gr. I) was won in devastating style by the appropriately named, Dubai Millennium (he had actually been renamed with the event in mind, when it was decided that he was the most promising among the Godolphin crop that year). A son of Seeking the Gold and the Shareef Dancer mare, Colorado

PARALLEL LINES – SUNLAND TRIALS REVEAL SIMILARLY-BRED CLASSIC PROSPECTS FOR SECOND SEASON SIRES

  • by Alan Porter  on March 30, 2012  -  
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Last weekend saw a pair of classic trials at Sunland Park in New Mexico, the $800,000 Sunland Derby (gr. III) and the Sunland Park Oaks (taken last year by subsequent Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) heroine, Plum Pretty). There were some interesting parallels between the two winners: both are by  horses from

CIRCLE GAME: GUESS HOW FAR HE’LL GO

  • by Alan Porter  on March 24, 2012  -  
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For us, from a standpoint of pedigree, physiology and genetics, one of the most interesting horses on the Triple Crown trail is Secret Circle, who won the Rebel Stakes (gr. II) last weekend. There certainly is no doubt about his speed and courage, but against the evidence of his pedigree page,

GIANT’S CAUSEWAY RUNNERS SHOWING CLASSIC POTENTIAL ON DIRT

  • by Alan Porter  on March 18, 2012  -  
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We’ve always thought that—in retrospect—it would have been very interesting had Giant’s Causeway been sent from Ireland to challenge for the 2000 renewal of the Kentucky Derby (gr. I). The son of Storm Cat certainly demonstrated that he was very well-suited to ten furlongs at Churchill Downs when only narrowly-defeated in a Breeders’ Cup

SPEEDSTERS SMART MISSILE, TOORAK TOFF AMONG FIRST NEW AUSTRALIAN SIRES ANNOUNCED FOR 2012 BREEDING SEASON

  • by Alan Porter  on March 10, 2012  -  
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While we are only in the first few weeks of the Northern Hemisphere breeding season, stallion masters in Australia are already at work on recruiting new stallions to their rosters for the 2012 Southern Hemisphere breeding season, which is still some six months away. Among the first of these announced are Smart Missile, who

OFFSPRING OF FRESHMAN SIRES STRUT THEIR STUFF AT OBS

  • by Alan Porter  on March 9, 2012  -  
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The OBS March Two-Year-Old in Training Sales offers the first chance to get a preview of juveniles by many of the year’s freshman sire crop, so we ran a quick eye over some of those represented at next week’s sale. Two of the biggest names among the freshman, the classic

SO FAR, SO GOOD – BUT CAN UNION RAGS STAY THE DERBY DISTANCE?

  • by Alan Porter  on March 2, 2012  -  
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The death of Dixie Union, who was euthanized in July 14, 2010, at the age of 13, due to a deteriorating neurologic problem, was a major loss, not only to his connections, but also to the industry at large. Standing at $35,000 in his final season, Dixie Union was a horse

RECENT STAKES POINT UP VALUE SIRES

  • by Alan Porter  on March 1, 2012  -  
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A few weeks back we noted Northern Afleet as a stallion who appeared to be great value at his current fee. Looking at last weekend’s results, we’re prompted to note a couple more. >Proud Citizen’s son, Mark Valeski, didn’t add to his sire’s total of stakes winners at the weekend, but he ran with