Northern Dancer Done And Dusted

The expanded two-day Breeders’ Cup extravaganza at Santa Anita has come and gone.

There was controversy over the synthetic Pro-Ride track surface which Curlin’s trainer asserted was tantamount to turf and contributed to his champion's disappointing, modest fourth in the Classic. And there was a very positive showing by the European based runners.

The two Breeders’ Cup championship days now embrace 14 events worth US$25.5 million, broken down into just about every division imaginable; silly really. It’s no more a world championship than I am Harry Houdini but John Gaines’s brainchild has stood the test of time for a quarter-century as a showcase of many of the greatest horses of our era.

The most dramatic outcome of the meeting this year was the obliteration of the Northern Dancer male line from the winners’ circle.

It was responsible for just two of the 14 winners. The Mr Prospector line, on the other hand, came up with eight.

Is this the beginning of the end up north?

The remaining four winners came from the Mill Reef, Tudor Minstrel, Seattle Slew and Ribot male lines.

Here’s a brief summary:.

Breeders’ Cup Classic, 2000m: Raven’s Pass, English-based 3c by Elusive Quality (USA) out of a Lord At War mare. Darley’s shuttler Elusive Quality has been an expensive failure in Australia so far. Three stakeswinners in his first local crop (now 4YO), total progeny earnings just under $2 million, or equivalent to about 20 of his first year service fees. Still has time to redeem himself, perhaps; may be just a dirt sire or too old when he first got here. They asked US$75,000 for him this year at Darley Kentucky and probably got it; hands up if you're paying $82,500 at Darley Aberdeen this season. I can't see any hands.

Breeders’ Cup Turf, 2400m: Conduit, English-based 3c by Dalakhani out of a Sadler’s Wells mare. The high quality English St Leger winner transferred his form to the USA. From the first crop of his Aga Khan bred and owned sire, a champion by Darshaan (Shirley Heights-Mill Reef). This sire looks highly promising; he also has an Oaks winner in his first crop. I've written about him previously on the blog.

Breeders’ Cup Mile, 1600m: French-based Goldikova, 3f by Anabaa (USA) out of a Blushing Groom mare. One-time wobbler and champion sprinter, ageing Anabaa finished his shuttle run to Widden last year but he has been one of the more consistent successes in the role with 19 Australian-bred stakeswinners so far and a 70% winners-to-runners strike. None of the stakeswinners are out of Blushing Groom-line mares. Seeing out his days in France after strangely doing a season in the USA.

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, 1600m: Midshipman, 2c by Unbridled’s Song (USA) out of an Avenue Of Flags (Seattle Slew) mare. Winner of this race himself after famously failing the yearling sale x-rays, Unbridled’s Song, a big son of Unbridled, shuttled to Arrowfield for three seasons up to 1999, serving an average book of 75 mares. Got a passable 10 stakeswinners from those crops and 78% winners-to-runners, but not a lot of class amongst them. Being a big, strong grey, there should be some nice clerks-of-the-course horses by him. Stood for US$150,000 in 2008.

Breeders’ Cup Sprint, 1200m: Midnight Lute, 4h by Real Quiet (USA) (pictured above) out of a Dehere (USA) mare. The first back-to-back winner of this race. Another to shuttle for three seasons, to Vinery, Real Quiet was a fabulous racehorse but a poor specimen – he wasn’t called ‘The Fish’ for nothing. Look at him front-on. Under 50% winners-to-runners and three little stakeswinners, he was despised by Australian breeders, his biggest book being 70 mares. These days you find him in Pennsylvania at US$10,000, where he has some cred. His main Australian earner Tommifrancs is his ninth highest earner worldwide. Well named.

Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic, 1800m: Zenyatta, 4m by Street Cry (USA) out of a Kris S. mare. An unbeaten champion mare, perhaps as good as any horse in North America. Sire Street Cry shuttled for four years to Darley but hasn’t returned since 2006. His plainish stock looked like horses which would take time (and they do) and although he averaged just over 100 mares a season whilst here the declining local enthusiasm level versus the northern hemisphere demand saw him stay stateside where he stood for US$100,000 in 2008. Has a growing list of truly superior horses and obviously is a serious sire. Had an unlikely background himself for a dirt performer and was possibly being stigmatised as “another dirt sire” at the end of his shuttle duty here. I’ve always maintained Machiavellian would make a big contribution eventually. (Street Cry's fee raised to US$150,000 for 2009).

Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, 1300m: Desert Code, 4h by E Dubai (USA) from a Lost Code mare. Ye gods! E Dubai! Another who came on a Darley shuttle: not a single stakesplacegetter in Australia so far in his first two crops (oldest 4YO) and only one horse which has earned more than $30,000 - his progeny may have been held up by EI?. Served an average of 85 mares a season (which seems regrettable at this point) but was a lost cause and not foisted upon us again this season. US$15,000 at Darley, Kentucky.

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, 1600m: Donativum, 2g by Cadeaux Genereux from a Warning mare. An English invader by a never-shuttled old timer who got this gelding when he was 20 years old. Represents a dying branch of the Tudor Minstrel line of Hyperion. Cadeaux Genereux has had 58 stakeswinners.

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, 1700m: Stardom Bound, 2f by Tapit (grandson of A P Indy, out of an Unbridled three-quarter sister to the disappointing sire Rubiano). Stardom Bound’s dam is by the very obscure Tarr Road, by Grey Dawn II. A G1 winner at three, Tapit is quite an attractive-looking grey son of Pulpit standing for US$12,500 at Gainesway and Stardom Bound belongs to his first crop. Another of his fillies was third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. Maybe one to watch.

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, 1600m: Maram, 2f by Sahm (Mr Prospector-Salsabil) out of a mare by Quest For Fame (GB). Sahm stood at Shadwell Farm in Kentucky. He was a US$5,000 fee stallion in 2007 but died in March of that year aged 13. Modestly patronized, he has sired 13 stakeswinners to this point.

Breeders’ Cup Marathon, 2400m: Muhannak, 4g by Chester House out of a Forzando mare.
Breeders’ Cup Fillies & Mares Sprint, 1400m: Ventura, 4m by Chester House out of a Be My Guest mare.
A feature double for this prematurely deceased son of Mr Prospector-Toussaud, by El Gran Senor, thus a half-brother to Empire Maker. Muhannak was bred in Ireland and is raced by Australian Richard Pegum. Ventura is American-bred. The majority of Chester House’s progeny raced in North America with reasonably good turf aptitude; he left 25 stakeswinners in three crops so his early demise is shaping as quite a blow.

Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, 1600m: Albertus Maximus, 4h by Albert The Great, the G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup winning son of Kentucky Derby winner Go For Gin, out of a mare by Forty Niner. Albert The Great stands in Pennsylvania at just US$4,000 but that may be on the way north as he is also responsible for one other very capable horse in Nobiz Like Shobiz, winner of $1.5 million. Albert The Great is 11 years old and represents the declining Ribot male line through His Majesty.

Breeders’ Cup Fillies & Mares Turf, 2000m: Forever Together, 4m by Belong To Me (USA) from a Relaunch mare. Now 19, Belong To Me rose from humble New York origins to do a steady but unspectacular job on both sides of the equator. He shuttled to Widden for seven seasons (missed 1999) but was never screamingly popular, averaging around 75 mares a season. He has left 10 stakeswinners from his Australian seasons, the best of them Bon Hoffa, Beauty Watch, Proprietor and Bulla Borghese. He’s seeing out his days at Lane’s End in Kentucky, currently standing at US$12,500.

The Breeders' Cup Inc. is not an organisation which lets the grass grow under its feet. On its website already it has a clock widget counting down the days, hours and minutes to the 2009 Breeders' Cup meeting at Santa Anita (6 & 7 November).