Storm Cat thrives
The legacy of the late, great sire Storm Cat has been felt all over the world. His dominance has been well felt at the Breeders Cup meeting over the past few years. Storm Cat himself left behind five Breeders Cup winners – Cat Thief (Classic), Desert Stormer (Sprint), Life Is Sweet (Distaff), Storm Flag Flying (Juvenile Fillies) and Sweet Catomine (Juvenile Fillies).
To date, three sons of Storm Cat have sired BC winners, namely – Black Minnaloushe, Giant’s Causeway and Hennessy. Storm Cat son, Forestry, is the broodmare sire of this year’s Breeders Cup Juvenile turf third place finisher, Bobby’s Kitten. Storm Cat sons, Sea Of Secrets and Sir Cat, are broodmare sires of BC winners My Miss Aurelia and Hansen respectively.
Storm Cat is also the broodmare sire of BC winners and champions, Folklore and Speightstown. The latter is the sire of this year’s Dirt Mile runner up, Golden Ticket. This year, Storm Cat’s name appeared in no fewer than three of the Breeders Cup winners – Beholder (Distaff), Goldencents (Dirt Mile), and Wise Dan (Mile).
He is also the broodmare sire of Distaff runner up Close Hatches. His granddaughter, She’s A Tiger (Tale Of The Cat), was first past the post in the Gr1 Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies, but was disqualified and demoted to second. In 2012, Storm Cat line descendants won four Breeders Cup races during the two day meeting.
Hasili legacy
Few could have imagined that a Listed winning daughter of the rather unfashionable sire Kahyasi would become one of the greatest broodmares of her era. However, Hasili has become just that – and this magnificent producer again made her mark at this year’s Breeders Cup meeting.
Her son Dansili, who has been represented by no fewer than six Grade/Group One winners during 2013, is the sire of G1 Breeders Cup F&M Turf winner Dank, who pushed her earnings to in excess of GBP 1 000 000 following Saturday’s win.
Dansili, himself narrowly and unluckily beaten in the 2000 Breeders Cup Mile, is also the sire of star filly The Fugue, who was second in the Breeders Cup Turf. Hasili herself produced two Breeders Cup winners in the form of Banks Hill (F&M Turf) and Intercontinental (F&M Turf).
Banks Hill, who beat the ill-fated South African champion Spook Express into second place back in 2001, is herself the dam of this year’s Filly And Mare Turf runner up, Romantica.
With Dansili also sire of F&M Turf seventh place finisher, Hasili’s name thus appears in a third of the runners for this $2 000 000 contest! Hasili herself produced no fewer than seven Grade/Group One performers, and has four sons at stud, including Dansili, the very capable (but subfertile) Cacique, and promising first crop sire Champs Elysees.
Romantica, winner of the G1 Prix Jean Romanet, this year, is a half-sister to the Mauritzfontein Stud based Ideal World – whose first crop are two this season.
Same old Same old in Turf
The powerful Sadler’s Wells male line has exerted tremendous influence over the Breeders Cup Turf. It was no different in 2013 – his grandson (Magician) beat Sadler’s Wells granddaughter, The Fugue, to win the 2400m race. In scoring this victory, Magician (winner of the Irish 2000 Guineas earlier in the year) became the sixth male line descendant of Sadler’s Wells to win this race.
Sadler’s Wells’ Turf influence does not stop there, however, as he is also the broodmare sire of dual Breeders Cup Turf winner Conduit (Dalakhani). Magician also became the second Turf winner for his sire Galileo, also the sire of F&M Turf runner up Romantica.
Excitingly, Magician has a South African connection. Not only is his second dam by Lake Coniston, but Magician, from the same family as champion Henrythenavigator, is from the family of recent Avontuur addition, Paradise Beach (by Danehill Dancer).
Male line success in the BC races of 2013
As ever, the potent Northern Dancer male line proved very successful at this year’s World Championship meeting. Of the 13 races run this year, seven of the winners are male line descendants of the 1964 Kentucky Derby winner. Of the 13 big race winners, eight are inbred to Northern Dancer, and only one BC winner of 2013 (Mizdirection) is Northern Dancer free.
Exceed And Excel and Dansili, sire of the BC winners Outstrip and Dank respectively, are both inbred to Northern Dancer. The Mr Prospector line is the world’s other major dominant factor. This year four of the Breeders Cup winners (New Year’s Day, Chriselliam, Secret Circle and Ria Antonia) are descendants of the former Claiborne legend.
Ria Antonia, the first Grade One winner for ill-fated sire Rockport Harbor, is inbred to Mr P. Other male lines represented by 2013 BC winners include Caro (Mizdirection) and Roberto (London Bridge).
2013 – a year of the repeaters
No fewer than four of the Breeders Cup winners in 2013 were winning at the World Championships for the second time:
• Wise Dan (Mile twice)
• Beholder (Juvenile Fillies, Distaff)
• Secret Circle (Juvenile Sprint, Sprint)
• Mizdirection (Turf Sprint twice)
• Groupie Doll (F&M Sprint twice)
BC winning female lines
It is interesting that the various Breeders Cup winners of 2013 come from a host of backgrounds. From the bluest of blue bloods, to relatively humbly bred stock, this year’s event had something for all breeding fundis.
It is interesting that only one BC winner this year (Outstrip) was produced by a Grade One winner (his dam, Asi Siempre won the Spinster Stakes). However , narrow BC Classic runner up, Will Take Charge, was out of an outstanding, multiple Gr1 winning racemare in Take Charge Lady as is Romantica (runner up in F&M Turf). Five of the 2013 Breeders Cup winners were produced by stakes winners:
• Magician
• Mucho Macho Man
• New Year’s Eve
• Outstrip
• Secret Circle
Six other of the championship race winners were out of mares who won at least one race. The only two Breeders Cup winners of 2013 bred by maiden mares were Mizdirection and Ria Antonia.
– Sarah Whitelaw
