American Pharoah in the 2015 Belmont Stakes
American Pharoah’s devastating six and a half length win in Saturday’s Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Classic could hardly have come at a more appropriate time as this year marks the 25th anniversary of his grandsire Unbridled’s triumph in the same race.
The son of Fappiano, who like American Pharoah won the Kentucky Derby prior to his Classic success, was hardly in the class of the magnificent Pharoah, the first horse ever to win both the US Triple Crown (Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes) and Breeders Cup Classic.
Nonetheless, Unbridled was a truly top class racehorse, who won or was placed in 20 of 24 outings and earned over $4.4 million. His wins included the Gr1 Florida Derby and Unbridled also put up a tremendous performance when he won the Deputy Minister Handicap over 1400m, defeating dual sprint champion, Housebuster (Mt Livermore). The latter was a truly exceptional athlete, who was twice named US Champion Sprinter and who has subsequently been inducted into the US Racing Hall Of Fame.
Stud legacy
Unbridled (Fappiano – Gana Facil)
Despite only enjoying a brief stud career (Unbridled died at the young age of 14), Unbridled left behind a remarkable legacy, through sire sons, Unbridled’s Song, Grindstone, Broken Vow, and Empire Maker. Another son of the former Derby winner, Spanish Steps (a full brother to Unbridled’s Song), is the sire of 2012 Gr1 Breeders Cup Turf winner, Little Mike, and, while former Gr1 Pimlico Special winner, Eddington, (by Unbridled) proved a disappointing sire overall, he did produce a Breeders Cup winner in the form of former Sprint/Juvenile Sprint winner, Secret Circle.
Broodmare sire
A highly successful broodmare sire himself, Unbridled is also damsire of champion US sire, Tapit (Pulpit). To date, the latter has five individual Breeders Cup winners to his tally, and that total is likely to increase sharply over the coming years. Other major winners produced by Unbridled mares include Kentucky Derby winner, Orb (Malibu Moon), French 2000 Guineas winner, Falco (Pivotal), Belmont Derby hero, Mr Speaker (Pulpit), Preakness Stakes winner, Shackleford (Forestry) and 2015 Gr1 Awesome Again Stakes winner, Smooth Roller (Hard Spun).
Breeders’ Cup
Unbridled (Fappiano – Gana Facil)
The Unbridled legacy was well and truly felt at the 2015 Breeders Cup meeting. Not only is his grandson, Pioneerof The Nile, responsible for American Pharoah, but arguably Unbridled’s greatest son, Unbridled’s Song, was represented by his fourth Breeders Cup winner, when Liam’s Map (who is out of the Trippi mare, Miss Macy Sue), landed the Gr1 Dirt Mile in style. In turn, Unbridled’s Song’s former BC Juvenile winner, Midshipman was responsible for Turf Sprint runner up, Lady Shipman. The latter, a three-year-old who hails from her sire’s first crop, has been the soul of consistency thus far, having won or been placed in 12 of her career outings.
The now deceased Unbridled’s Song, winner of the Juvenile back in 1995, had previously been represented by Breeders Cup winners Midshipman (Juvenile), Unrivaled Belle (Ladies Classic) and Unbridled Elaine (Distaff), while his champion son, Will Take Charge, was narrowly defeated in the 2013 Breeders Cup Classic. The Unbridled Song horse, Rockport Harbor sired 2013 BC Juvenile Fillies winner, Ria Antonia, while another son, Dunkirk, is responsible for former Juvenile runner up Havana. An increasingly successful broodmare sire, Unbridled’s Song is also broodmare sire of 2014 Juvenile runner up, Carpe Diem (Giant’s Causeway).
Unbridled’s consistent sire son, Broken Vow, is the damsire of 2015 Sprint winner, and probable sprint champion, Runhappy (Super Saver), while Grindstone’s underrated son, Birdstone, is sire of Juvenile second, Swipe. Former Kentucky Derby winner, Grindstone, like Unbridled’s Song a member of his sire’s first crop, is also broodmare sire of Sprint third place finisher, Favorite Tale (Tale Of The Cat).
Yet another son of the prolific Unbridled represented by a Breeders Cup winner this weekend was Gr2 Gulfstream Park Handicap winner, Harlington (a brother in blood to Rathmor Stud’s blue blooded young sire, Noble Tune), sire of Filly & Mare Sprint winner, Wavell Avenue.
Stud success
Unbridled more than made a name for himself as a stallion capable of siring outstanding racehorses prior to his untimely death in 2001. He had winners of all three legs of the US Triple Crown – Grindstone, Red Bullet (Preakness Stakes), and Empire Maker (Belmont Stakes). Interestingly, while Unbridled and his sons have struck up a strong relationship with Northern Dancer line sires and their daughters, it is former French champion, Caro, who is broodmare sire of two of Unbridled’s top sons – Red Ballet and Unbridled’s Song.
Unbridled himself was represented by 49 black type winners from 566 foals, (9% of Unbridled foals were stakes winners). He himself had an excellent record in the Breeders Cup, with his three winners including Unbridled’s Song (Juvenile), Anees (Juvenile) and Halfbridled (Juvenile Fillies). Unbridled’s daughter, Banshee Breeze, a close relative of young SA sire, Twice Over, and North America’s Champion 3YO Filly of 1998, was a multiple Gr1 winner who finished second twice in the Breeders Cup Distaff.
Empire Maker, sire of Pioneeof The Nile, was himself represented by a Breeders Cup winner in the form of dual Ladies Delta heroine, Royal Delta – and it is hard not to think, with his return to USA, that the Gainesway Farm based stallion won’t feature among the sires of Breeders Cup winners in the years to come.
Indeed, it is hard not to envision the Unbridled influence on the Breeders Cup growing steadily over the years to come and one can but wonder what part American Pharoah will play in furthering the success story of this increasingly potent male line.
