Champion racehorse Buckpasser left behind a slew of outstanding broodmare daughters – despite dying relatively young at the age of 15.
Al Mufti
Among the champion’s top daughters were Sex Appeal, Passing Mood, Con Game, Relaxing, Playmate, Numbered Account, Alluvial and Hopespringseternal.
He ranks as broodmare sire of top class sires Seeking The Gold, El Gran Senor, Private Account, Miswaki (broodmare sire of Galileo and Sea The Stars) and the prolific Woodman (damsire of top stallion More Than Ready as well as former top class South African sire National Assembly) and is also found in the pedigree of legendary sire/sire of sires Danehill.
Wolfhound (Nureyev – Lassie Dear)
However, few, if any, Buckpasser mares made more of an impact than has the superb producer Lassie Dear.
Not only did she produce a champion South African sire in Al Mufti (sire of champion sire Captain Al), her dual Gr1 winning son Wolfhound left behind French Oaks winner Bright Sky and is also damsire of current hot first crop sire Bungle Inthejungle (Exceed And Excel).
Al Mufti’s son Captain Al has enjoyed another outstanding year in 2017-2018, with Gr1 winners Snowdance, Undercover Agent, Sergeant Hardy and Tap O’ Noth, as well as Daisy Fillies Guineas winner Fiorella.
Recent Rising Sun Gold Challenge winner Undercover Agent is one of 18 Gr1 winners sired by Captain Al – one of the most successful stallions bred in South Africa.
Magical Wonderland – stakes winner
Lassie Dear’s son Al Mufti has also enjoyed notable success as a broodmare sire in South Africa, and is damsire of 2017-2018 stakes winners Magical Wonderland, Gambado and Majestic Mambo, and also of Equus Champions Jay Peg (inbred to Lassie Dear), Bold Silvano and Yorker.
But it is as the dam of Weekend Surprise (Secretariat) that Lassie Dear has ensured her place in history.
North America’s Broodmare Of The Year in 1992, Weekend Surprise is one of just a handful of mares to have produced two US classic winners – her sons Summer Squall (Storm Bird) and A P Indy (Seattle Slew) winning the Preakness and Belmont Stakes respectively.
Judpot (A.P. Indy – Miesque)
Grandsire of triple US champion sire Tapit, A P Indy became an exceptional stallion who was US champion sire twice. A P Indy’s numerous high class sire sons include top US sire Malibu Moon, whose stakes winners this year include Gr1 Arkansas Derby hero Magnum Moon. Another son of A P Indy, Judpot, is the sire of Friday’s Gr2 Post Merchants winner Sniper Shot.
A P Indy’s half-brother Summer Squall, despite being hindered by fertility problems, also enjoyed stud success, and is sire of, among others, dual classic winning Horse Of The Year Charismatic.
Honor Grades (Danzig) and Tiger Ridge (Storm Cat) are two other sons of Weekend Surprise to have enjoyed success at stud, with Honor Grades’ offspring including Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Adoration, while Tiger Ridge’s local runners include champion Cherry On The Top and recent Gr1 winner Nother Russia.
Weekend Surprise is also second dam of five time Gr1 winner, and US champion, Lemon Drop Kid (Kingmambo), who has enjoyed consistent success at stud and who is also an outstanding broodmare sire. Lemon Drop Kid was damsire of two individual Breeders Cup winners last year, Bar Of Gold (Medaglia D’Oro) and Forever Unbridled (Unbridled’s Song) and of 2018 Royal Ascot St James’ Palace Stakes winner Without Parole. To date, Lemon Drop Kid has nearly 100 stakes winners to his name, with his runners last year including the Gr1 winners Beach Patrol and Romantic Vision.
Mambo In Seattle (Kingmambo – Weekend In Seattle)
His three-parts brother Mambo In Seattle (out of a full-sister to A P Indy) is responsible this season for 2018 Vodacom Durban July hope and Gr1 Daily News 2000 runner up Majestic Mambo, with Mambo In Seattle’s previous top performers including Gr1 Garden Province Stakes/Thekwini Stakes winner Same Jurisdiction.
Mambo In Seattle has fared best when mated to daughters of close relative Al Mufti –with this cross producing the likes of graded winners Desert Rhythm and Fortune Fella, as well as Majestic Mambo and Derby Trial winner Gambado. Same Jurisdiction is out of a mare by Captain Al.
Lassie Dear has been in the news of late thanks to the deeds of her son Bee Jersey (Jersey Town). Winner of the recent Gr1 etropolitan Handicap, and a first Gr1 winner for his Cigar Mile winning sire, Bee Jersey has won five of ten outings including the Gr3 Steve Sexton Mile. He finished second last year in the UAE 2000 Guineas behind Thunder Snow. Lassie Dear is Bee Jersey’s fourth dam.
Duke Of Marmalade – during his racing days
Lassie Dear also ranks as third dam of five time Gr1 winner and Cartier Champion Duke Of Marmalade (Danehill), whose first South African crop are 2yo’s. His early winners include Kenilworth Fillies Nursery second Santa Clara and Temple Grafin. Duke Of Marmalade’s Melbourne Cup runner Marmelo scored his fourth win when winning the Listed Sky Bet Grand Cup Stakes at York recently.
Ruler Of The World seen winning the Investec Derby in 2013
His Investec Epsom Derby winning half-brother Ruler Of The World (Galileo) recently got off the mark as a stallion, when his first-crop son The World Is Yours made a winning debut.
