Red hot sire Trippi, whose son, Illuminator, won Saturday’s CTS Million Dollar and whose daughters, Inara and Lanner Falcon, ran 1-3 in the Gr1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes on the same day, is a stallion with a potent pedigree, writes Sarah Whitelaw.
Trippi – blood to rule the world
His famed male line (Trippi’s sire End Sweep is by the highly influential Mr Prospector son Forty Niner) and well known to all pedigree enthusiasts.
Trippi’s female line is at least as deserving of credit. His first dam is by Valid Appeal (broodmare sire of more than 120 stakes winners), his third dam by Never Bend (sire of Anne Campbell and Courtly Dee –both Broodmare Of The Year winners), his fourth is by Tudor Minstrel (also broodmare sire of the great racehorse and sire Damascus) and his fifth by Bull Lea (five times champion sire in USA).
Interestingly enough, Never Bend (Nasrullah), sire of Trippi’s third dam, continues to make his presence felt in pedigrees the world over.
Never Bend (left)
Trippi apart, Never Bend, sire of such champions and influential sires as Mill Reef and Riverman (both of whom became top class broodmare sires), can be found in the female line today of such important horses as Green Desert (Danzig), the recently deceased sire success, Arch (Kris S), 2016 classic hope, Ballydoyle (Galileo), Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Classic hero, Bayern (Offlee Wild), and US champion and successful sire, Bernardini (A P Indy).
Inbreeding to Never Bend has resulted in such notable Gr1 winners as Able One (Cape Cross), Alexander Goldrun (Gold Away), SA Gr1 winner, Blueridge Mountain (Giant’s Causeway), Gr1 Champion Stakes winner, David Junior (Pleasant Tap), champion miler, Desert Prince (Green Desert), and 2000 Guineas winner and sire, Golan (Spectrum) , among many others.
Trippi (End Sweep) himself traces back to Another Love (his fourth dam), a high class stakes winner at two and a daughter of the very tough mare, Amoret. The latter made more than 60 racetrack appearances, and won or was placed in 35 races, with her stakes wins including the Beverly Handicap (a former G1 contest). Amoret’s numerous high class descendants include the Japanese Oaks winner, Vega (Tony Bin), with the latter responsible for such high class Japanese performers as Admire Don (Timber Country) and Admire Vega (Sunday Silence). Amoret herself produced the talented Eastern Fleet, a Fleet Nasrullah colt, whose 11 wins included the now Gr1 Florida Derby, one of the principal prep races for the Kentucky Derby.
While Amoret was a really talented and durable racemare, she was not in the same class as her own dam, Mar-Kell. Remarkably, Mar-Kell (Blenheim II) and her first and second dams were all US champions. Herself a champion at five, Mar-Kell won 17 races and made more than 50 racetrack appearances, before retiring to a successful stud career. Her foals included the above mentioned Amoret, as well as the very high-class Mark-Ye-Well (Bull Lea) whose 14 wins included the Arlington Classic, American Derby and the Santa Anita Handicap. At stud, Mark-Ye-Well’s runners included Prix de la Foret (now Gr1) winner, Spy Well, sire of the wonderful mare, Flossy (Champion Stakes).
Mar-Kell was an exceptionally well bred mare –by an Epsom Derby winning leading sire in Blenheim II. Her own dam, Nellie Flag, was not only a champion at two, but has subsequently become one of the cornerstones of the American stud book. Herself dam of Kentucky Oaks winner, Nellie L (Blenheim II), Nellie Flag is also ancestress of Kentucky Derby/Belmont Stakes winner, Bold Forbes (Irish Castle), unbeaten Gr1 winning 2yo and sire, Saratoga Six (Alydar), Gr1 winning fillies, Lakeway (Seattle Slew) and Mushka (Empire Maker), Gr1 winning half siblings, Jan Vermeer (Montjeu) and Together (Galileo), Belmont Stakes winner, Bet Twice (Sportin’ Life) and Gr1 William Hill Futurity hero, Dunbeath (Grey Dawn II).
Forego, 1976 Woodward Winner’s Circle, photo from Thoroughbredmemories.com
Interestingly, Trippi hails from the same family as one of the greatest and most durable racehorses in recent US history –Forego (Forli), Forego’s fourth dam being Nellie Flag. Horse Of The Year three times in a row in North America and a member of the Racing Hall Of Fame, Forego won 34 races, including the Gr1 Woodward Stakes on four occasions.
The versatile and durable champion, one of the best loved horses in US racing history, was also named Champion Handicap Horse on four occasions, and Champion US Sprinter in 1974. Forego won major races from 1400m to 3200m, and is today honoured by the Gr1 Forego Stakes at Saratoga, a recognised prep race for the G1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and G1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
Forego himself was rated the 8th best US racehorse of the 20th century in a study conducted by the Blood-Horse, and rated above such legendary performers as Seattle Slew, Spectacular Bid, Affirmed, Bold Ruler and Phar Lap, among numerous others.
One of Nellie Flag’s most interesting descendants (in terms of inbreeding) is the talented eight time winner and Gr3 Razorback Handicap victor, Let It Rock.
A son of Trippi, he traces back in female line to Nellie Flag both through his sire and his dam, Timeless. Remarkably, Nellie Flag herself is a daughter of champion racemare, Nellie Morse (Luke McLuke), one of just five fillies ever to win the classic G1 Preakness Stakes.
At two, Nellie Morse won the 1000m Fashion Stakes and was second in both the Spinaway and Matron Stakes (both races at various times being accorded Gr1 status). At three, Nellie Morse preceded her historic Preakness victory with a score in the Pimlico Oaks, and at stud went on to produce the high class colt, Count Morse (winner of the now Gr1 Clark Handicap).
The Nellie Morse Stakes, was subsequently named in her honour.
