Dubawi
Dubawi, sire of Sunday’s G1 Hong Kong Derby hero Akeed Mofeed, is one of the hottest sires in the world. The stallion has come up with nine G1 winners to date, with his progeny proving successful at the highest level from 1200m to 2400m.
Dubawi has already been represented by 50 stakes winners – from 545 foals. His progeny, who have been successful all over the world, have already earned over $39 000 000 in prize money. Dubawi was by far the best performer sired by the ill-fated Dubai Millennium, one of the greatest racehorses of the past fifty years.
Dubai Millennium had just 54 foals in his sole crop prior to his untimely death. Five (10%) were stakes winners – Dubawi (G1 Irish 2000 Guineas), Echo of Light (G2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein), Belenus (G3 Sovereign Stakes), Thousand Islands (Prix Occitanie) and Antique (Prix la Sorellina). He also was the sire of two other black type performers, Oude and Quickfire.
To date, Dubai Millennium’s daughters have yet to produce a stakes winner, but they have thrown four black type placed performers to date. As an outstanding looking champion, Dubai Millennium (Seeking The Gold) covered some outstanding mares in his only season at stud.
His mates in 2001 included:
• Miss Satamixa (G1 winner)
• Asfurah (G2 winner)
• Sabaah (dam of G1 winner and sire Desert King)
• Solo de Lune (dam of G1 winner Cerulean Sky)
• Crimson Conquest (dam of champion Crimplene)
• Cape Verdi (G1 1000 Guineas)
• Zomaradah (G1 Italian Oaks)
• Elfaslah (dam of Dubai World Cup winner Almutawakel)
• Flagbird (G1 winner)
• Embassy (G1 winner)
• Seazun (G1 winner)
• The Caretaker (dam of G1 winners Dimitrove, Mutafaweq)
• Sheer Audacity (dam of Epsom Derby winner Oath)
• Storm Song (Breeders Cup winner, champion)
While taking into account that his stats were more than respectable from just a few opportunities, it can be argued that Dubai Millennium’s sole crop could have done more considering the quality of his mates.
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A Smart Loss to the industry
The South African breeding industry lost a talented stallion when Mauritzfontein’s Strike Smartly died at the age of 12. The stallion suffered a fatal heart attack back in 2009. He was in the news last year when his son Slumdogmillionaire came to the fore, and Strike Smartly again hit the headlines this weekend, when his talented son, General Sherman, won the weekend’s top race (following Sunday’s controversy!), the Listed Drum Star Handicap.
Strike Smartly, to date, has sired 11 stakes winners from just over 200 foals (5%). His most successful crop was born in 2005 – from 40 foals he had 5 stakes winners (12.%). Nearly 25% of his stakes winners have been Gr.1 winners – Smart Banker (Horse Chestnut Stakes twice), Bouquet-Garni (SA Derby) and Slumdogmillionaire (SA Classic).
It is interesting, but not, possibly, surprising, that of Strike Smartly’s 11 black type winners, six are out of Fort Wood mares. Fort Wood is also the damsire of the talented Strike Smartly runners Two Tone, Cherry On The Cake, Brooks-Club and Bayard Crown.
His last crop of foals, which number fewer than 30 registered foals, are now three, but this crop is yet to produce a stakes winner. However, given the stallion’s previous record, it is fair to assume the 3yos could well improve next season, so this statistic could yet change.
Not only was Strike Smartly, himself a high-class racehorse in Canada, a good match for Northern Dancer line mares, he was also a classic stallion – whose progeny stayed better than most.
A full brother to Smart Strike (one of Mr Prospector’s greatest sire sons), Strike Smartly is closely related to the promising young sire Sail From Seattle.
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Aretha
Star overseas performer’s dam in fine form
South African bred horses have continued to do well overseas during the past few years. One of the toughest and most versatile of these classy performers is the Sorrento Stud bred Nocturnal Affair. The son of Victory Moon, who won the Gr3 Betting World Nursery at two, was racing successfully at the age of six.
Nocturnal Affair, who has won races in South Africa, Dubai and Britain, has won or placed 19 times in four different countries – which is an remarkable achievement. His dam, Aretha, is a half-sister to recent winner Moonlight Gambler (Indigo Magic), himself a former Sophomore Sprint winner.
Aretha, dam of a Trippi colt (named James Blunt) who fetched R1.4 million at the 2012 Cape Premier Yearling Sale, currently has a Trippi colt at foot, but is not in foal this season. She is by Centenary, a horse who has enjoyed considerable success as a broodmare sire – he is the maternal sire of such G1 winners as Bravura (Cape Derby) and Captain’s Gal (SA Fillies Sprint).
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Curlin vs Big Brown
In 2008, two names dominated the North American horse racing scene. The reigning Horse of the Year Curlin (Smart Strike), and three year old sensation Big Brown (Boundary) were the focal points for all US Racing fans.
During 2008, Curlin and Big Brown combined to win all of the Dubai World Cup, Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Stephen Foster Stakes, Jockey Club Gold Cup and Haskell Invitational.
Unfortunately the pair never met on the race track, as Big Brown was retired shortly after winning the G1 Haskell. “Brown” won seven of his eight starts, and was voted Champion 3yo colt of 2008, while Curlin landed his second consecutive Horse of the Year for that season.
Both horses retired to stud in 2009 – and they are represented by their first 3yos this year. Curlin, who has the stronger pedigree, retired to Lane’s End for a stud fee of $60,000, while Big Brown began his stud career for a fee of $65,000.
While it is early days yet for both Curlin and Big Brown, their first runners have not set the world on fire just yet. Both horses have been represented by stakes winners, but neither have had graded success.
To date, Curlin, whose stud fee in 2013 is $25,000, has had 19 winners from 49 starters, and the big chestnut has had just one stakes winner. Big Brown has been represented by 21 winners from 44 starters – with his stats very closely resembling those of Curlin.
However, while neither sire is yet on the graded stakes board, this could change soon, as both have well regarded runners. Curlin’s promising 3yo, Palace Malice, looks a legitimate contender for some of North America’s top 3yo races, while Big Brown’s winners include the high-rated Darwin, who has been sent to Aidan O’Brien in Ireland.
