US STALLIONS : CONFUSION REIGNS

Speightstown (USA)
(Photo : Winstar Farm)

“Speightstown who, like Western Winter and our own Visionaire,
is a member of the Gone West tribe”

You’d have thought that the world’s most sophisticated economy would be “tickety boo” when it comes to their stallion logs. But that isn’t the case in America, where he who leads depends on who you read. If your point of reference is the traditional source, the Bloodhorse, then Giant’s Causeway is headed for the Championship, but if you’re anything of a purist, you’d probably choose to believe the list compiled by the Thoroughbred Daily News. Why? Because the former list includes earnings over the jumps (as it always has), while the TDN schedule is limited to earnings on the flat. In the end, the one most people will go with is bound to be the Bloodhorse list, because it’s the way it’s always been done, the probability therefore is that Giant’s Causeway has taken his third Sire’s title in the past four years. On the other hand, if you go the TDN route, the crown has been handed to first-timer, Speightstown who, like Western Winter and our own Visionaire, is a member of the Gone West tribe. Gone West of course, is responsible also for the top stallions Elusive Quality, Zaphonic and Zamindar, so this is not altogether surprising.

But when you consider the American’s aversion to later maturing stallions, and the fact that Speightstown won his first Graded Stakes race at the ripe old age of six, you’d begin to understand that he’s arrived where he has by dint of his excellence, and nothing less. He’s only now begun to serve the mares he deserves, and with 19 Black-type winners in the past season, and 35 Black-type performers, this won’t be the end of our friend. For the record, Giant’s Causeway (with some 70 runners more), has finished the season with an equal number of Black-type winners, and 36 Black-type performers, 14 of the former at Graded stakes level.

Whichever way you shake up the numbers, the horse that ranks second or third, depending on which list you prefer, Empire Maker, just goes to prove the old adage; if they die or if you sell them, you’re bound to regret it. Empire Maker now resides in Japan, simply because his first crop were a little slow in making muster.

*Editor’s Note: At the time of publishing, Empire Maker had surpassed Speightstown according to the Bloodhorse log, and is currently in second position.

THOROUGHBRED DAILY NEWS LEADING SIRE LIST
1	SPEIGHTSTOWN
2	EMPIRE MAKER
3	GIANT’S CAUSEWAY
4	TAPIT
5	SMART STRIKE

	BLOODHORSE LEADING SIRE LIST
1	GAINT’S CAUSEWAY
2	SPEIGHTSTOWN (now in 3rd position)
3	EMPIRE MAKER (now in 2nd position)
4	TAPIT
5	SMART STIKE

VISIONAIRE FOALS IMPRESS

Pictured at Summerhill is this strong foal from the first crop of American Gr.1 sprinter Visionaire. Out of the Northern Guest mare Summersault, the colt is a half-brother to Gr.2 Gold Bowl winner Winning Leap and to stakes-placed Gymnast.
(Photo : Leigh Willson)

“THE STALLION WITH ROCK STAR LOOKS”

Ada van Bent reports in the European Bloodstock News that early reports indicate the first foals of Gone West’s Gr.1-winning grandson, Visionaire, are making quite an impact. The former Team Valor colourbearer entered stud at Summerhill Stud in 2011 following a successful racing career, the highlight of which was a breathtaking last to first victory in the Gr.1 King’s Bishop Stakes at Saratoga. Described by stud owner Mick Goss as “the stallion with rock star looks”, the powerful chestnut is passing on those same qualities to his offspring, according to Summerhill spokeswoman Linda Norval: “He has some stunning foals and what’s wonderful is that he’s really stamping them; they are robust, with big bums.”

According to Norval, the stud’s latest recruits, Irish Derby runner-up Golden Sword (High Chaparral) and More Than Ready’s Gr.1-placed son Traffic Guard, have settled in well and have taken to their new careers with gusto.

“Golden Sword has attracted a fine book of mares and is stopping his mares on one jump,” Norval remarked. “We have been pleasantly surprised by the popularity of Traffic Guard,” she added. “He has impressed all and sundry with his powerful good looks and breeders are really putting a lot of thought into the type of mare they are sending to him.”

Editor’s note : Visionaire’s sister, Scarlet Strike, was 2^nd Saturday in America’s Chandelier Stakes (Gr.1) behind the season’s unbeaten Champion Two-Year-Old elect, Executiveprivilige. The blood runs deep!

DEATH OF GRAND SLAM

Grand Slam (USA)
(Photo : Coolmore)

GRAND SLAM (USA)
Gone West (USA) - Bright Candles (USA)
1995 - 2012

Grand Slam (Gone West - Bright Candles by El Gran Senor) died Saturday at Ashford Stud in Kentucky due to heart failure, according to a statement issued by Coolmore. He was 17.

Trained by D. Wayne Lukas and owned by Robert and Christina Baker, William Mack and David Cornstein, the son of fellow Lukas-trained MGSW and MGISP Bright Candles kicked off his juvenile campaign with a track-record setting 11-length romp going 5 1/2 furlongs at Belmont Park in July. Later that fall, the bay added victories in the GI Champagne Stakes and GI Futurity Stakes before failing to finish in a problem-laiden running of the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

At three, he added a score in the GII Peter Pan Stakes, finished second in the GII Swaps Stakes and GII Jerome Handicap and was also third in the GI Haskell Invitaional Handicap. The Overbrook Farm-bred rounded out his sophomore campaign, and his career, with a runner-up finish in the 1998 GI Breeders’ Cup.

At stud, Grand Slam sired 2003 GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Cajun Beat, Canadian turf champion Grand Adventure and 2008 GI King’s Bishop Stakes winner Visionaire (now a resident Stallion at Summerhill). He is also responsible for multiple graded stakes winners Limehouse and Strong Hope, in addition to Millionreasonswhy, the winner of last season’s GII Matron Stakes who is a contender for the GI Kentucky Oaks.

Ashford Stud manager Dermot Ryan said, “Grand Slam was a pleasure to have here and he was very popular with breeders, as he sired nearly 800 winners and had progeny earnings of over $64 million. It’s a sad day for the staff here who worked with him and for all the partners who were involved with the horse and who have always been fantastic to deal with.”

Extract from Thoroughbreddailynews

SADLER'S WELLS RIDING HIGH

Sadler’s Wells
(Painting : Susan Crawford)

LEADING SIRES
BY 2011 NORTHERN HEMISPHERE
GRADE/GROUP 1 WINNERS

Standing in U.S. and Europe

Stallion	Sire	G1 Winner
Galileo (Ire)	Sadler’s Wells	10
Montjeu (Ire)	Sadler’s Wells	8
Giant’s Causeway (USA)	Storm Cat	3
High Chaparral (Ire)	Sadler’s Wells	3
Mr. Greeley (USA)	Gone West	3
Oasis Dream (GB)	Green Desert	3
Dalakhani (Ire)	Darshaan	2
Danehill Dancer (Ire)	Danehill	2
Dubawi (Ire)	Dubai Millennium	2
Dynaformer (USA)	Roberto	2
Empire Maker (USA)	Unbridled	2
Exceed and Excel (Aus)	Danehill	2
Hawk Wing (USA)	Woodman	2
Lomitas (GB)	Niniski	2
Medaglia d’Oro (USA)	El Prado	2
Mineshaft (USA)	A.P. Indy	2
More Than Ready (USA)	Southern Halo	2
Northern Afleet (USA)	Afleet	2
Refuse To Bend (Ire)	Sadler’s Wells	2
Sakhee (USA)	Bahri	2
Samum (Ger)	Monsun	2
Selkirk (USA)	Sharpen Up	2
Smart Strike (USA)	Mr. Prospector	2
Tapit (USA)	Pulpit	2
Tiznow (USA)	Cee’s Tizzy	2
War Front (USA)	Danzig	2

Correct as at 21 November 2011 (Thoroughbred Daily News)

VISIONAIRE : NOW STANDING AT SUMMERHILL

Click above to watch Visionaire.
(Image and Footage : Team Valor)

VISIONAIRE (USA)
Grand Slam (USA) - Scarlet Tango (USA)

In life, timing is everything. Whether it’s a multi-billion dollar Warren Buffett acquisition, the capture of Osama bin Laden or the winning of the Kentucky Derby, you need to get it right. All of this happened in the course of the past week, so it’s as good a time as any to announce the arrival of a new stallion prospect, especially one associated with the biggest event in American racing, Team Valor and its always-colourful principal, Barry Irwin. South Africa doesn’t have a greater racing ambassador abroad than our man Irwin, and his victory in the Kentucky Derby with homebred Animal Kingdom, will have warmed the hearts of all South African racegoers.

It’s also universally known that besides the Derby, commonly known as the “best two minutes in American sports”, the most celebrated stallion-making races on their calendar are the King’s Bishop (Gr1) and the Met Mile (Gr1). For these purposes, we’re going to confine ourselves to the former, because it’s the here-and-now from a South African perspective. Anyone who attended the 2008 staging of the King’s Bishop at fabled Saratoga, couldn’t help recalling one of the most famous stretch runs in the history of this great event. Considering it is the traditional gathering ground of the fastest three year olds in the United States, and that there’s only 350 metres from the final bend to the post, the closing run of the victor that day is part of the folklore of the King’s Bishop. Still last as they entered the bend, Visionaire’s demolition of a field described by the Blood Horse as “real good with big numbers”, resembled the big boy in the kindergarten. Whatever we have to say about it here, you’d need to see the movie to understand (click above to watch…).

The good news for us as a country, is that in his determination to use the type of stallion he’d like to breed his own select band of broodmares to, Irwin has sent Visionaire to Summerhill Stud, where he arrived a fortnight ago. In the last decade alone, the King’s Bishop has spawned the celebrity stallions Distorted Humor, More Than Ready, Forestry, and top five American sire last season, City Zip, none more impressive on their day than the handsome Visionaire, who hails from the Gone West male line. Besides South Africa’s Champion sire, Western Winter, Gone West has left his own big mark on the international stallion scene through Elusive Quality, Mr. Greeley, Zafonic, Zamindar, Speightstown and Visionaire’s own sire, Grand Slam.

Visionaire was no one-race wonder though, his earlier achievements making him and Pyro the “talking” horses going into the Kentucky Derby of that year. It was his complete dominance in his two opening gambits that pricked Team Valor’s interest, and within just two more starts, they had secured the winner of one of the principal Derby trials, the Gotham Stakes (Gr3), remembered for another stand-out performance from the all-time legend of Stateside racing, Secretariat.

“I can understand now why Mr Irwin wanted so badly to bring this horse to South Africa. He’s as big and strong as any horse I’ve had in this barn, and he’s just about the best looking, too. He’s wanted to breed his mares in South African to a horse like this for years”, according to Greig Muir, whose 24 year tenure at Summerhill includes vigilance over the top stallions Northern Guest, Home Guard, Liloy, National Emblem, Rambo Dancer, Kahal and Muhtafal.

Knowing that Visionaire was Summerhill-bound, Maine Chance’s Dr. Andreas Jacobs recently lamented the fact that Europe, England, Ireland and Australia had largely missed the Mr. Prospector-line boat, whilst the Champion stud farm had obviously been building its concentration of his blood. And here we have the full circle: the Kentucky Derby winner was bred by Team Valor, out of a German mare acquired from Dr Jacobs!

For more information please visit :
www.summerhill.co.za