With one of the world’s truly great racing festivals, the Breeders Cup meeting, taking place at Keeneland this Friday and Saturday, a number of stallions look set to enjoy potential big pay days.
BERNARDINI
Bernardini
Runner up in the 2006 Classic to Invasor, Bernardini has enjoyed a tremendous run of success this year. North America’s Champion 3YO Colt of 2006 has been represented by no fewer than five individual Gr1 winners this year – Boban (Memsie Stakes), Cavorting (Test Stakes), Dame Dorothy (Humana Distaff), Greepointcrusader (Champagne Stakes) and Rachel’s Valentina (Spinaway Stakes). All, barring the Australian Boban, are set to represent their sire in the Breeders Cup this weekend. Remarkably, the Preakness-winning son of a Belmont Stakes winner has no fewer than three of the runners in the Filly & Mare Sprint – Cavorting, Dame Dorothy and Fioretti.
Bernardini is currently 15th on the US General Sires List and fifth on the Leading Sires of 2YOs list. He has built up an impressive record with his juveniles (especially given the fact he himself never raced at two), with other Gr1 winning juveniles sired by him including A Z Warrior, Biondetti and Go Indy Go.
TAPIT
Tapit
Last season’s Champion US Sire, Tapit looks on course to defend his title. The grey son of Pulpit has representatives including Tin Type Gal (BC Juvenile Fillies Turf), Untapable (BC Distaff), Tapiture (Dirt Mile), Hollywood Don (Juvenile), Tap To It (Juvenile Fillies), and Frosted (Classic).
Few sires in recent times have had more success at the Breeders Cup than Tapit, whose runners include Breeders Cup winners Untapable (Distaff), Tapizar (Dirt Mile), Hansen (Juvenile), Tapitsfly (Juvenile Fillies Turf) and Stardom Bound (Juvenile Fillies).
KITTEN’S JOY, MEDAGLIA D’ORO
Medaglia D’oro
The impact of former US Champion Sire, El Prado, looks sure to be felt at the 2015 Breeders Cup meeting this weekend. His outstanding sire sons, Kitten’s Joy and Medaglia D’Oro, have no fewer than ten runners between them competing in this weekend’s Breeders Cup.
Kitten’s Joy, who was second in the 2004 BC Turf, has Camelot Kitten and Cymric (Gr1 Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf), Sapphire Kitten (BC Juvenile Fillies Turf), Bobby’s Kitten (Turf Sprint), Big Blue Kitten (Turf) and Stephanie’s Kitten (Filly And Mare Turf).
Champion US Sire in 2013, Kitten’s Joy’s Breeders Cup winners include Bobby’s Kitten (Turf Sprint) and Stephanie’s Kitten (Juvenile Fillies Turf). The son of El Prado is enjoying another superb season this year and is currently clear on North America’s Leading Turf Sires list – his runners have earned more than $6.7 million – nearly $3 million more than runner up, Medaglia D’Oro.
His paternal half-brother, Medaglia D’Oro, sire of this year’s Golden Slipper winner, Vancouver, will also be represented both as a sire and as a grandsire this year. His son, Warrior’s Reward, has BC Juvenile Fillies Turf contender, Andreya’s Reward, while Medaglia D’Oro’s great daughter Rachel Alexandra is the dam of leading Juvenile Fillies hope Rachel’s Valentina – whose greatest rival could come from Medaglia D’Oro’s daughter, Songbird.
SCAT DADDY
Scat Daddy
By far and away the leading sire of 2yos by stakes in North America in 2015 is Scat Daddy, whose 2yos have amassed more than $2.3 million already. The son of Johannesburg looks to have a strong line up representing him at the Keeneland spectacle this weekend. Scat Daddy, sire of an impressive eight individual stakes winning 2yos this season, will be represented by graded winners Azar (Gr2 With Anticipation Stakes) and Conquest Daddyo (Gr2 Summer Stakes) in the Gr1 Juvenile Turf, Harmonize in the Gr1 Juvenile Fillies Turf, Gr1 Frizette Stakes winner, Nickname, in the Gr1 Juvenile Fillies and the Chilean bred Dacita in the Gr1 Fillies and Mare Turf.
He will be looking to continue the great run of success that Hennessy line horses have enjoyed in the Breeders Cup – with past winners including Horse Of The Year Wise Dan, Scat Daddy’s own sire Johannesburg, dual Breeders Cup winner, Beholder and Sprint winner, Trinniberg.
A P INDY
A.P. Indy
Winner of the 1992 Breeders Cup Classic, A P Indy, sire of past Breeders Cup winners, Eldaafer and Tempera, looks sure to exert a considerable influence over this year’s championship. His outstanding son, Honor Code, is a leading contender for the Classic, following a season in which he has won both the Gr1 Whitney Stakes and Gr1 Met Hcp, and A P Indy’s influence is likely to be felt through the deeds of his son, Bernardini, and grandson, Tapit. The legacy of this amazing sire could also be felt through the red hot young sire, Super Saver (who is out of an A P Indy mare). Sire of six graded winners in his first crop thus far, the son of Maria’s Mon has fancied contenders in both the Sprint (Runhappy) and Filly & Mare Sprint (Super Majesty).
SMART STRIKE
Smart Strike
This son of Mr Prospector has enjoyed huge success at the Breeders Cup, with past winners including Furthest Land, as well as champions My Miss Aurelia, English Channel and the legendary Curlin. The now deceased Smart Strike promises to be a force once again this year with Curlin having a pair of strong contenders in the Distaff (Curalina and Stellar Wind) with his Gr1 Travers winning son Keen Ice lining up in the Classic, while English Channel’s Gr1 Arlington Million winning son The Pizza Man takes on European champion Golden Horn in the Turf.
Yet another son of Smart Strike with a runner in a Breeders Cup race this year is former Juvenile runner up Square Eddie, whose Gr1 Hopeful winning son, Ralis is a runner in the Juvenile. Square Eddie has a fine strike rate with his two-year-olds in 2015 – seven of his ten 2yos having won thus far.
