Here are a few of the blue hen mares whose descendants featured prominently in 2016 writes Sarah Whitelaw.
Allegretta
Sea The Stars – champion
One of the most potent influences on the modern day thoroughbred, Allegretta is dam of 2000 Guineas winner King’s Best (Kingmambo) and Arc winner Urban Sea (Miswaki). The former made his mark as broodmare sire of Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Queen’s Trust (Dansili) and Gr1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Mont Ormel (Air Chief Marshal). Urban Sea’s sons include champion sire Galileo (who had an astonishing 14 Gr1 winners in 2016) and Sea The Stars. Between them they scored an Epsom classic double with Galileo’s daughter Minding landing the Gr1 Investec Oaks and Sea The Stars responsible for Gr1 Investec Derby winner Harzand.
Fall Aspen
We know her as the dam of our influential champion sire Fort Wood (broodmare sire of SA Gr1 winners Noah From Goa and Marinaresco), but she continues to make her presence felt in major races around the world. She’s the fifth dam of 2016 Gr1 Prix Jacques le Marois winner Ribchester (Iffraaj) and fourth dam of G1 Arlington Million winner Mondialiste (Galileo). Fall Aspen is also grandam of Dubai Millennium, whose son Dubawi gotfive Gr1 winners in 2016.
Lucky Spell
Arrogate – lines up in the Pegasus World Cup on 28 January
This remarkably tough race mare made 69 starts, winning a dozen of those, including the G3 Las Palmas Handicap. She was noted in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic where her grandson Unbridled’s Song sired winner Arrogate. Another grandson, Lucky Pulpit, is responsible for champion California Chrome. Either could be named US Horse Of The Year for 2016.
Unbridled’s Song was an outstanding sire prior to his demise, with 100-plus stakes winners – among them five Breeders’ Cup winners.
Park Appeal
Gr1 winner and champion Park Appeal (Ahonoora) is a direct descendant of Pretty Polly (Gallinule). She left a tremendous legacy through her sons and daughters, principal flag bearer the now retired Gr1 winner Cape Cross (Green Desert). A full brother to SA sire Great Britain, Cape Cross has 100-plus stakes winners, including the Epsom classic winners Ouija Board (dam of Gr1 Investec Derby winner Australia), Sea The Stars and Golden Horn, and got Irish 2000 Guineas winner Awtaad last year.
Park Appeal is second dam of dual Gr1 winner Diktat (Warning), broodmare sire of 2016 dual Gr1 winning filly Speedy Boarding (Shamardal). She is also grandam of Iffraaj, sire of 2016 Gr1 winner Ribchester, Gr1 French 1000 Guineas runner-up Nathra, and Gr1 winning 2yo Wootton Bassett. The latter’s son Almanzor won the Gr1 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby), Gr1 Irish Champion Stakes, and Gr1 Champion Stakes.
Glowing Tribute
Golden Horn
A direct descendant of La Troienne, Glowing Tribute was a top class race mare, whose nine wins included the G2 (now G1) Diana Stakes. An outstanding producer, named Broodmare Of The Year in the US in 1993, her progeny include Kentucky Derby winner Sea Hero and United Nations Handicap winner Hero’s Honor (broodmare sire of Elusive Quality).
Glowing Tribute’s name can be found in pedigrees of major winners in N-America in 2016, through sires Flatter and Congrats. The latter had G1 Ballerina Stakes winner Haveyougoneaway, while Flatter’s best include G1 winners as Taris and Paola Queen.
Glowing Tribute (a daughter of Graustark) also made her mark through Meghan’s Joy (an AP Indy three-parts sister to Flatter and Congrats), whose six stakes winning offspring include 2016 graded winners On Leave (War Front) and Ironicus (Distorted Humor).
Smart Call
Hasili
One of the true greats.
Hasili’s champion sire son Dansili is sire of the Breeders’ Cup winning filly Queen’s Trust.Dansili also made his mark as a sire of sires, with his son Zacinto siring New Zealand 2000 Guineas winner Ugo Foscolo, and another son Zoffany represented by Gr1 winner Ventura Storm and Gr1 Investec Oaks runner up Architecture.
In South Africa, Hasili’s grandson Ideal World sired 2016 Gr1 J&B Met winner Smart Call.
