When the unbeaten Nyquist won Saturday’s Gr1 Kentucky Derby, taking his formline to eight wins from as many starts, he provided more ammunition for what was once a dominant sire line, suggests Sarah Whitelaw.
Nyquist
From the first crop of sensational sire, and former US champion 2yo Uncle Mo (by Indian Charlie), Nyquist was one of three runners in the Derby for his red-hot sire (Uncle Mo’s stud fee has risen from $25 000 to $75 000, and is likely to increase again this year).
Uncle Mo, who himself was unbeaten at two when his wins included both the Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Gr1 Champagne Stakes, has already been represented by three individual first crop Gr1 winners thus far in Nyquist, Outwork (Gr1 Wood Memorial Stakes) and Gomo (Gr1 Alciabiades Stakes), and this tally could well rise still further.
Uncle Mo
Uncle Mo’s sire Indian Charlie, winner of the Gr1 Santa Anita Derby, was a top class stallion, who sadly died of cancer at the relatively early age of 16.
Nonetheless, the son of In Excess (a grandson of French 2000 Guineas winner and hugely influential sire Caro) left behind 90 stakes winners from 951 foals –with an impressive nine percent of his runners picking up at least one stakes race.
Indian Charlie’s tally of stakes winners included seven Gr1 winners, including the Breeders’ Cup winners, and official champions, Indian Blessing and Uncle Mo.
Another daughter, Fleet Indian, was named Champion Older Mare in 2006. Uncle Mo aside, Indian Charlie’s sons at stud included the now deceased Bwana Charlie, sire of Gr1 Cashcall Futurity winner Comma To The Top, and graded winners Adios Charlie, Anthony’s Cross, Conveyance, and Liaison.
Uncle Mo apart, another top class current day US sire from the Caro male line is the Juddmonte Farms based Mizzen Mast, whose offspring include the Breeders’ Cup winners Flotilla and Mizdirection.
Zenyatta
From the same family as former top class SA sire Dancing Champ, as well as Horse of The Year Zenyatta, Mizzen Mast has seven Gr1 winners to his credit, and is siring a more than respectable 6% stakes winners to foals.
Nyquist, just the second horse to win both the Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Gr1 Kentucky Derby (Street Sense being the other to complete the double), is a direct male line descendant of the former outstanding sire Grey Sovereign (a Nasrullah three parts brother to 2000 Guineas/Derby winner Nimbus).
The latter, who won the Gr2 Richmond Stakes, was twice champion sire of 2yos in Britain and was also a leading sire of juveniles in France.
His top runners included French 2000 Guineas winner Don, Prix de l’Abbaye hero Fortino II (sire of Caro),brilliant filly La Tendresse (dam of Coventry winner Prince Tenderfoot), top class filly Cynara, Cheveley Park winner Queensberry and French 2000 Guineas hero Zeddaan. The latter was a successful sire of sires, with his classic winning sons Kalamoun and Nishapour both enjoying success at stud –Kalamoun’s sons including the top class sire Kenmare, while Nishapour’s top performers included French Derby winner Mouktar and French Oaks winner Shemaka.
Nishapour’s son Mr Eats is broodmare sire of former Horse Of The Year National Colour.
Grey Sovereign’s brilliant daughter Nalatale foundered a formidable dynasty in South Africa, and is perhaps best known as the granddam of Horse Of The Year and successful sire Horse Chestnut (damsire of this year’s Gr1 J&B Met winner Smart Call).
Smart Call
Grey Sovereign’s son Sovereign Path also sired the 1000 Guineas winner Humble Duty as well as the top class stallion Sovereign Edition –a former champion sire in New Zealand, whose top runners included the champion filly Surround as well as
A horse famed for siring horses with both brilliance and temperament, Grey Sovereign’s sire Nasrullah is a horse who more than left his mark on the Kentucky Derby.
California Chrome
Recent winners, Orb and California Chrome, are both descended from Nearco’s great son, while Nasrullah’s best sire son, Bold Ruler, himself sired arguably the greatest Kentucky Derby winner of all time in Secretariat. Bold Ruler’s sons Bold Bidder, Bold Commander, Irish Castle, and What A Pleasure, all went on to sire at least one Derby winner.
Nyquist’s dam, Seeking Gabrielle (Forestry), is a winning three parts sister to G3 Interborough Handicap winner Seeking The Sky (Storm Cat), dam of Gr1 Met Mile hero Sahara Sky (Pleasant Tap).
Seeking Gabrielle, who has been confirmed in foal to War Front, has stakes winners as her first three dams and she traces back directly in female line to Irish Oaks winner Superbe (Bosworth).
Bobby’s Kitten wins the Turf Sprint
While Nyquist is the best horse produced by a Forestry (Storm Cat) mare to date, the former Gr1 King’s Bishop winner is already damsire of at least 17 stakes winners, with his daughters having also produced Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint hero Bobby’s Kitten (Kitten’s Joy) and multiple Gr1 winner Turbulent Descent (Congrats).
Forestry made history when his son The Green Monkey sold for $16 000 000 at the 2006 Fasig Tipton Calder Sale.
A magnificently bred horse (he is a half brother to Breeders’ Cup winner Cash Run and from the family of Mr Prospector), Forestry was a somewhat inconsistent sire, but his 50 odd stakes winners included G1 Cigar Mile hero and Gr1 sire Discreet Cat, the very fast Forest Danger and G1 Preakness Stakes winner Shackleford, whose first two-year-olds race this year. Another son, Old Forester, was champion sire in Canada in 2015.
