Big Red’s Magnificent Matriarchs
We will touch on Saturday’s sensational Travers Stakes at the end of this column and will share additional thoughts in the weeks to come, but this column has been in the works for months and after this past week’s stakes results at Saratoga and in Europe this is the perfect time to run it, as it is an important addition to Secretariat.com. We have seen the names of Secretariat’s daughters Weekend Surprise, Terlingua, and Secrettame in the pedigree of numerous stakes winners and champions over the past decade. Now it is time to tell their story. ~ Steve Haskin
Big Red’s Magnificent Matriarchs
By Steve Haskin
Secretariat’s daughter Secrettame on left, with foal
There was an episode of the iconic comedy series “The Honeymooners” in which Ralph, as usual, is making his case to Alice that men rule the world and have done all the great things in history. “I’ll give you an example,” he said. “There would be no America if it wasn’t for Columbus,” to which Alice replied, “There would be no Columbus if it wasn’t for his mother.”
That was the mentality of the 1950’s from both sides, but that simple retort by Alice got me thinking that in some ways it may actually apply to Thoroughbred racing. When discussing dominance in pedigrees one’s inclination is to think of prolific sires like Mr. Prospector and Northern Dancer, whose names appear in the majority of star racehorses, many of whom are inbred to both stallions.
But what if I were to tell you that the two most dominant names in today’s pedigrees over the past 10 to 12 years are not stallions at all, but broodmares? And they are not just any broodmares, but daughters of the legendary Secretariat? They are Weekend Surprise and Terlingua, and we can certainly add a third one to a lesser degree if you include Secrettame, who has made her influence known as well.
At this point, before we dig deeper into who these mares are, facts are needed to back up our rather bold assertion. First off, as a point of currency, this past week was a tour-de-force for Secretariat’s dynamic daughters, Most important, all eight starters in the Travers Stakes had one or more of Big Red’s daughters in their pedigree, with Terlingua and Weekend Surprise each in the pedigree of five starters and Secrettame in the pedigree of three starters. The winner, Fierceness, not only has Weekend Surprise and Secrettame in his pedigree, but another daughter of Secretariat, Sister Dot. Runner-up Thorpedo Anna has Terlingua, and third-place finisher Sierra Leone has Terlingua and Weekend Surprise.
In the other four Grade 1 stakes on the Travers card, in order, the Sword Dancer Stakes was won by Far Bridge, who has Terlingua and Weekend Surprise in his pedigree. In the Ballerina Stakes, not only did all eight starters have one or more of Secrtariat’s daughters in their pedigree, they were represented a total of 16 times, with Terlingua alone represented 11 times. The first two finiishers, Society and Scylla, have Terlingua and Weekend Surprise, and to go one better, Mullikin, winner of the Forego Stakes, has Terlingua, Weekend Surprise, and Secrettame. And to sweep the grade 1 bonanza, Allen Jerkens Stakes winner Domestic Product has Terlingua in his pedigree.
The day before the Travers in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign Stakes. champion Idiomatic was upset by Raging Sea, whose maternal grandsire is out of Terlingua and maternal granddam out of Weekend Surprise. And not to restrict their influence to the United States, this past week Coolmore’s superstar City of Troy added a record-breaking performance in the Juddmonte International to his victories in the Epsom Derby and Eclipse Stakes, and Terlingua and Weekend Suprise are in his pedigree as well.
We must begin by saying that the dominance of each mare is based mainly on their sons A.P. Indy (Weekend Surprise), Storm Cat (Terlingua), and Gone West (Secrettame). Individually, they have had a tremendous influence on the breed. OK, now we can provide you with the facts. At least one, often two, and sometimes all three of these dynamic daughters can be found in the pedigrees of nine of the last 10 Horses of the Year, 10 of the last 12 Kentucky Derby winners (12 of 14 in you include the two horses disqualified, Medina Spirit and Maximum Security), eight of the last 11 Preakness winners, and 11 of the last 13 Belmont winners. That’s 31 of 38 classics. Breaking them down, including Horses of the Year and classics, Terlingua’s name appears 25 times during that time, Weekend Surprise 23 times, and Secrettame seven times.
To show how spread out their influence is, Terlingua is in the pedigree of this year’s Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan; Weekend Surprise is in the pedigree of this year’s Belmont winner Dornoch and last year’s Kentucky Derby winner Mage; Secrettame is in the pedigree of last year’s Preakness winner National Treasure; and all three are in the pedigree of 2021 Belmont winner Essential Quality and that same year’s Kentucky Derby first-place finisher Medina Spirit.
Just to add to that, in the pedigrees of three of the last four Breeders’ Cup Classic winners, the names of Weekend Surprise, Terlingua, and/or Secrettame appear seven times. And they are in the pedigrees of six of the last eight Travers winners. Earlier classic winners include Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, Preakness winner Bernardini, and Belmont winner Rags to Riches.
We have established the unprecedented dominance of these three daughters of Secretariat, but there is a lot more to them than just being names in a pedigree. They are in some ways part of the fabric of racing and breeding in this country.
WEEKEND SURPRISE (Secretariat – Lassie Dear, by Buckpasser)
Weekend Surprise
She goes back to the very early days of the now historic Lane’s End Farm as the second foal out of the Buckpasser mare Lassie Dear, who had been bred by Mrs. George F. Getty II and sold to William Farish and William S. Kilroy, who were building the Lane’s End broodmare band. Bred to Secretariat, she produced Weekend Surprise. Although Lassie Dear would produce 11 more foals she was never again bred to Secretariat.
Weekend Surprise was a tough, hard knocking racehorse who ran 31 times, winning or placing in 22 of them at ages 2, 3, and 4, 15 of which were stakes races, while earning over $400,000. At age 2 she won stakes sprinting (Schuylerville), at a flat mile (Pocahontas), and around two turns (Golden Rod). At ages 3 and 4 she placed in the grade 1 Delaware Handicap, Santa Margarita Stakes, and La Canada Stakes, as well as the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes and her career finale, the Long Look Handicap at Meadowlands. Riding her for the first time in the Long Look was an up-and-coming rider named Wesley Ward.
“I loved that mare,” Ward recalled. “I worked her many times for Del Carroll 3rd. This was the last race of her career and I was the leading jockey and he put me up on her. She was a big beautiful mare and awesome to breeze in the mornings.”
After finishing third in the Long Look, Weekend Surprise was retired and ready to head down to Kentucky to begin her career as a broodmare. Lane’s End was just in its infant stages and had no stallions yet, and with so few people working on the farm they sent their “broodmare guy” Callan Strouss to pick up three new potential stallions off the racetrack – Dixieland Band from (trainer) Charlie Peoples and two Rokeby Stable colts, Fit to Fight and Hero’s Honor from Mack Miller. The fourth passenger was Weekend Surprise.
“They were our first three stallions, but Weekend Surprise at that time was the queen,” Strouss said. “We put her in the back of the van in a big box stall, giving her a lot more room. She was a good-sized mare and taller than Lassie Dear and wasn’t difficult at all, but she did have some spirit.
Weekend Surprise’s first foal, by Storm Bird, was Summer Squall, who would win the Preakness, Hopeful, Blue Grass Stakes, Pennsylvania Derby, and five other stakes and run second in the Kentucky Derby. That firmly established Secretariat as a top-class broodmare sire. Summer Squall’s name can be found in the pedigree of 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage and his full-brother 2024 Belmont Stakes and Haskell winner Dornoch.
Weekend Surprise’s second foal, by Danzig, was Honor Grades, who placed in three graded stakes and sired a $1 million-dollar earner and two horses who earned over $2 million, including Adoration, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Distaff and six other stakes. She was later sold to Coolmore for $3.1 million.
So Weekend Surprise, with only two foals, already had produced a classic winner and a Breeders’ Cup winner. But the best was yet to come.
In 1988, Callan Strouss loaded Weekend Surprise on a van and took her up the road to Three Chimneys Farm to be bred to Seattle Slew. That mating would change the face of the breeding industry in the United States.
A.P. Indy at Lane’s End Farm
Her foal, later to be named A.P. Indy, was sold at the Keeneland July yearling sale for a sales topping $2.9 million and would more than live up to that high price tag, winning the Belmont Stakes, Breeders’ Cup Classic, Santa Anita Derby, Hollywood Futurity, Peter Pan Stakes, and San Rafael Stakes en route to Horse of the Year honors and induction into the Hall of Fame. His name can be found in the pedigree of champions such as Cody’s Wish. Flightline, Justify, California Chome, White Abarrio, and classic winners Essential Quality, Orb, Mo Donegal, Rags to Riches, Super Saver, Tiz the Law, Cloud Computing, Tapwrit, Creator, and Tonalist.
As a sire, among his 156 stakes winners and 12 champions were Horse of the Year Mineshaft, Belmont Stakes winner Rags to Riches. and Preakness and Travers winner Bernardini. In his final crop his son Honor Code won the Met Mile in a scorching 1:33 flat. Perhaps his biggest impact on the breed was as the paternal grandsire of Tapit, one of the most influential sires of the past century.
In comparing A.P. Indy with Summer Squall, Strouss said, “Summer Squall was a fiery, high energy colt, and at the sale he was on his hind legs most of the time. But A.P. Indy had a certain presence about him even as a foal and liked to show it off. He was the perfect horse and loved being the main guy. At the sale he knew he was special and wanted people to look at him.”
Having raised three top-class foals, Weekend Surprise proved to be as classy as her offspring. “She was so good about raising her foals,” Strouss said. “She was a fantastic mother.”
Farm manager Mike Cline, who retired three years ago after working 40 years at Lane’s End, added, “Weekend Surprise was well balanced and feminine with a pretty head and lots of quality. She was a very good mother with a great disposition; very kind. I remember A.P. Indy was special from birth. He always looked the part and he became a tremendous influence on our industry.”
Although Weekend Surprise failed to produce any oher horses the caliber of A.P, Indy and Summer Squall she did produce five other horses who earned over $140,000, including the aforementioned Honor Grades, Dogwood Stakes winner Welcome Surprise, stakes winner Eavesdropper, Saithor, a five-time winner in France, and Weekend in Seattle, a full-sister to A.P. Indy who finished third in the Coaching Club American Oaks.
Weekend Surprise was voted Broodmare of the Year in 1992, having produced two classic winners from her first three foals. Sadly, she died in 2001 at age 21 after hemorrhaging giving birth to a filly by Belong to Me. That filly would never get to the races, but did produce three stakes-placed horses, including Jaconda, who was second in two listed stakes at Longchamp, and Gallant Fields, second in the Queens County Stakes at Aqueduct.
A.P. Indy died peacefully at age 31. But even at such an old age he was so beloved his death was a crushing blow to everyone at Lane’s End. But they were prepared. “It was time,” Mike Cline said. “The grooms took such good care of him the last few years. They cooked his oats every day so he could gum his feed. They never let him suffer and he was happy to the end.”
TERLINGUA (Secretariat – Crimson Saint, by Crimson Satan)
Terlingua
On June 14, 1978, just four days after Affirmed defeated his arch rival Alydar in the Belmont Stakes to become racing’s 11th Triple Crown winner, a seemingly insignificant race was run at Hollywood Park. But in its own way that little 5 ½-furlong race called the Nursery Stakes arguably would have more of an impact on the sport than Affirmed’s victory. Saddling the first stakes winner of his career was the virtually unknown trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who had been testing the waters of Thoroughbred racing before deciding whether to make the transition from Quarter Horse racing, a sport he had dominated for years.
The winner of that Nursery Stakes was a filly from the second crop of the great Secretariat, out of the speedy stakes winner Crimson Saint who was bred by Tom Gentry and was making the first start of her career. Named Terlingua, she romped by 4 1/2 lengths and continued her winning ways by scoring victories in the Hollywood Lassie, Hollywood Juvenile Championship beating eventual Santa Anita Derby and Hollywood Derby winner Flying Paster, and the Del Mar Debutante by nine lengths. Although her winning streak was snapped after heading east, finishing third in the Frizette Stakes and second in the Alcibiades Stakes, Lukas was hooked and thought so much of Terlingua he decided to give up Quarter Horse racing and devote his career solely to the Thoroughbreds.
Terlingua, who Lukas had bought as a yearling for one of his Quarter-Horse owners Bob French for $275,000, would go on to win three more stakes, the Santa Ynez, Las Flores, and La Brea Stakes, while placing in three others before suffering a slab facture of the right knee and being retired to William T. Young’s Overbrook Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. Young, who was just starting out owning and breeding Thoroughbreds, had purchased Terlingua as part of a three-mare package.
“When she showed up in the sales ring I told Bob French, ‘This has to be a runner, especially being by Secretariat,’” Lukas recalled years ago, “She was strong, she had a great hip, a nice short back, and a beautiful head and neck.”
Terlingua’s value as a broodmare increased after Crimson Saint produced multiple stakes winner Pancho Villa in 1982 and Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Royal Academy in 1987. But Terlingua established her own identity in 1983 when she produced a Storm Bird colt later to be named Storm Cat, who won the grade 1 Young America Stakes at Meadowlands and was beaten a nose in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He was retired to Overbrook Farm having made only eight starts in a career cut short by bone chips in his knee and a tendon injury. Ironically, had that nose decision in the Breeders’ Cup gone the other way, William Young later admitted he probably would have sold him.
Storm Cat at Overbrook Farm
Storm Cat was not highly regarded as a stallion prospect and his initial $30,000 stud fee was lowered to $20,000. But there still was little interest from breeders. Young had to resort to foal sharing agreements and even gave seasons away for free in order to keep Storm Cat’s name alive. His first couple of crops did produce some fast precocious 2-year-olds and interest began to pick up.
The racing and breeding industry would never again be the same. History has shown us that from that nondescript little stakes victory in 1978 by the a first-time starter by Secretariat named Terlingua came the most successful trainer in the history of the sport, the most sought after stallion in the history of the sport, whose stud fee skyrocketed to a record $500,000, and a family that produced two Triple Crown winners, seven Horses of the Year, five Hall of Famers, and the winners of 17 classics.
Joe Yocum, Overbrook’s farm manager at the time, recalled years ago that Terlingua “was tough and strong-willed with a lot of personality. As she got older she became more and more difficult to get pregnant and became more of an every other year mare. Her last foal was so small she was no longer conducive to raising a healthy foal. We didn’t want to push her so we retired her.”
Yocum said she was fiery, but she became very laid-back and easy going. Her paddock had a running shed and she stayed out all day most of the year with her buddy, a test mare named Ashley.
Lukas, who had a good deal of success with a number of Storm Cat’s offspring, such as Preakness and Belmont winner Tabasco Cat and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Cat Thief, said years ago the Storm Cats were “Terlingua through and through.” He added, “They walk like her, they look like her, and they have her attitude. The mother’s influence is very strong.”
Lukas had so much experience with sons and daughters of Storm Cat, Aidan O’Brien, the trainer for Coolmore, who had horses with Lukas, asked him if he would pony his Breeders’ Cup Classic contender Giant’s Causeway, a son of Storm Cat, to the track in the morning and help get him acclimated to Churchill Downs.
One of the last horses to epitomize the amazing one-two punch of Weekend Surprise and Terlingua was Honor Code, a son of A.P. Indy, out of a Storm Cat mare, who as mentioned earlier, won the Met Mile in 1:33 flat and followed that up with a victory in the Whitney; two of America’s most historic and prestigious races.
Unlike Weekend Surprise who died giving birth at age 21, Terlingua lived a long and happy life with her buddy until her death at age 32. Storm Cat lived until the age of 30, with both mother and son succumbing to the infirmities of old age.
SECRETTAME (Secretariat – Tamerett, by Tim Tam)
Secrettame
Although her influence is overshadowed by Secretariat’s other two daughters Weekend Surprise and Terlingua, Secrettame has come to personify the versatility of Big Red and her dam Tamerett though her son Gone West and her brothers Tentam and Known Fact.
Tentam excelled on dirt and grass, winning the Met Mile, Jim Dandy, Toboggan Handicap, and finishing second in the Travers on dirt and winning the United Nations, Boardwalk, and Bernard Baruch Handicaps on grass and finishing second to Secretariat in the Man o’War Stakes in course record time. Known Fact won the 2,000 Guineas and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in England and sired four group I winners in Europe and is the grandsire of Alabama, Coaching Club American Oaks, and Spinster winner Banshee Breeze and Louisiana Derby winner High Limit.
So it should not have been a surprise that a Secretariat – Tamerett mating would produce a filly who would continue to pass on that versatility on a much larger scale through her son Gone West, who was her first foal.
Gone West at Mill Ridge Farm
Gone West, a son of Mr. Prospector, was a multiple stakes winner on dirt, scoring in the Dwyer, Gotham, and Withers Stakes while competing against one of the deepest crops seen in many years that included Alysheba, Bet Twice, Java Gold, Gulch, Lost Code, Polish Navy, and Afleet.
But at stud he sired such top grass horses as Da Hoss, two-time winner of the Breeders’ Cup Mile; Zafonic, winner of the 2,000 Guineas; Johar, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf; and two winners of the Canadian International Championship. He also was the broodmare sire of Epsom Derby winner Motivate.
But his biggest influence came on dirt. To demonstrate his versatility, Gone West sired Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner and champion sprinter Speightstown, who has become a leading sire of both sprinters and distance horses, and Commendable, winner of the Belmont Stakes. His son Elusive Quality won or placed in four stakes on dirt and grass and sired Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Smarty Jones.
Through Gone West, Secrettame’s name can be found in the pedigree of recent classic winners Authentic (Kentucky Derby), National Treasure and Cloud Computing (Preakness), and Essential Quality and Union Rags (Belmont Stakes). Authentic also won the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Her name can also be found in the pedigree of Medina Spirit, who many still consider the Kentucky Derby winner despite his disqualification due to a positive test caused by a skin ointment.
Bred in Kentucky by noted veterinarian Dr. William O. Reed, Secrettame was purchased at the Keeneland July yearling sale for $400,000 by Venezuelan Jose Sahagun, with the intention of breeding her to Mr. Prospector. Turned over to New York trainer Bruce Johnstone, she began her career by scoring impressive victories at Belmont, once at seven furlongs and once a mile, run in a sharp 1:34 2/5. By the time she got to Saratoga the word was out about this exciting daughter of Secretariat and she drew big crowds around her saddling tree. She responded by romping by 14 lengths in a mile and an eighth allowance race over a muddy track.
Johnstone, who died in 2020, told the website Thoroughbred Racing Commentary, “She had three white stockings, a beautiful Arab head, and was a striking horse and very charismatic.” He also told them that on one occasion he actually got on her and jogged her because “I just wanted to feel her; it was a thrill for me.”
Injuries curtailed Secrettame’s career and she only raced sparingly, but did finish second in the grade 2 Gazelle Handicap as a 3-year-old.
When Sahagun was forced to sell his farm and his Thoroughbred holdings because of business problems, Secrettame was put in the Keeneland November sale in 1982, where she was bought back by her breeder, Dr. Reed for $1,150,000, a far cry fom the $400,000 he sold her for. Returned to the races, she won her first and only stakes the following winter, the Shirley Jones Handicap, before being retired, having won six of her 10 starts. She was bred to Mr. Prospector as Sahagun had intended and her first foal was Gone West.
When Dr. Reed became seriously ill he sold his Mare Haven Farm in 2004 to Clint and Susan Atkins with the stipulation that Secrettame remain on the farm. The year before, she had produced the last of her 15 foals, a colt by Fusaichi Pegasus. Although none had the success of Gone West, she did produce 10 winners, including Lion Cavern, who won or placed in six stakes in England and France, including the group 1 French 2,000 Guineas and Prix Morny, and two stakes in the U.S, including a victory in the Grade 2 True North Handicap.
On March 17, 2006, Secrettame died of colic at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital at the age of 28.
Click Here to Purchase
That is the story of the three mares who make up Secretariat’s distaff dynasty. They not only have kept Big Red’s name alive in today’s pedigrees, they have ensured that his blood will continue to flow though champions and classic winners for generations to come.
Weekend Suprise, Terlingua and Secrettame photos courtesy of Patricia McQueen.
Read more about these three renowned mares, and learn about the many other descendants of Big Red in McQueen’s acclaimed coffee-table book Secretariat’s Legacy.
Travers a Tale of Two Heroes
The only thing missing following Saturday’s Travers Stakes was the same love fest we saw in 2010 when hundreds of star struck admirers lined up to get their picture taken with Zenyatta. It was the day after her gut-wrenching defeat in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, in which she just failed to catch the courageous and for the most part disrespected Blame, who was an overlay at 5-1, having won three Grade 1 stakes including the Whitney.
But just as Zenyatta deserved all the love and praise for her gutsy performance, so did Thorpedo Anna, who like Zenyatta boosted her reputation and gained more fans in defeat. Both had run the race of their lives and come within inches of making history and sending the crowd into a joyous frenzy.
Although the defeats of both fillies commanded the headlines and story leads we hope Travers winner Fierceness does not suffer the same unfortunate fate as Blame, whose name still evokes memories of heartbreak for many racing fans.
As great a race as Thorpedo Anna ran, and as crushing as her defeat was, Fierceness still was a deserving winner who was finally exorcising the demons that made him the most polarizing, frustrating, and disrespected horse of his generation due to his strangely predictable pattern of inconsistency. Because of that he was totally dismissed by the experts, who were of the firm belief he wilted when pressured in big events, despite the spark of competitiveness he lit when turning back the challenge of the powerful closer Sierra Leone in the Jim Dandy Stakes.
Like Zenyatta’s Classic, the Travers was an agonizing defeat for Thorpedo Anna’s fans, who came to the track dressed in pink to support the filly and were given posters of racing’s newest heroine who dared to defy 109 years of history. The loss was especially bitter considering she would have accomplished it in another two jumps past the wire, as was the case for Zenyatta. But let’s remember that Fierceness had to fight for the victory against a top-class field that included one superstar female and found a way to dig in just enough in the final strides to get his head in front when it counted.
Two columns back I compared the uncanny similarities between the careers of Holy Bull and Fierceness, virtually race by race. And now to add to that, how similar was the finish of Holy Bull’s Travers to this year’s finish? There are just some things you can’t explain.
What can be explained is what racing fans felt on Saturday, and that was a massive and much neede jolt of electricity that stirred our emotions and awakened our senses to the wonders that horses and racing in general can provide. There is no greater compliment we can give an athlete than to call him or her a Thoroughbred. And we saw the finest examples of a Thoroughbred in all its glory on Saturday. These two gallant horses showed that whether they are male or female, when they look each other in the eye the fire burns equally as bright.
Fierceness and Thorpedo Anna will now go their separate ways, but their heart-pounding finish in the Travers Stakes will remain frozen in time as long as that bell keeps ringing before each race at America’s most historic racetrack.
Racing historian, author, and award-winning retired journalist for the Daily Racing Form and The Blood-Horse, Steve Haskin was inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame’s Media Roll of Honor in 2016. Known for his racing knowledge and insightful prose, he has been an exclusive contributor to Secretariat.com since 2020.
Terlingua was out of Crimson Saint, one of the fastest horses I ever saw, a 3yo filly who beat older at Hollywood Park by five lengths—she lived a long life and was greatly loved….Terlingua was the reddest chestnut I ever saw! She beat Flying Paster once, I think in the Del Mar Futurity—she was Lukas’s first young star, in Thoroughbreds, she also lived a long life, dam of Storm Cat–a sire of sires….very influential female lineage….
I’m not sure why I didn’t see this earlier but I’ve been saying the same thing about these ladies for years, unbelievably influential on the breed. Every year, I check Kentucky Derby entries for one or more of these ladies in their pedigrees. Thank you for telling their stories and giving information about their later years.
Hi Steve,
I’m reading this piece in Feb. 2025 and thank you very much, as I am very happy that these daughters of Secretariat have been paid their long overdue recognition for their immanent influence in today’s champion lines. When I followed and attended races, former New Yorker, I always – and to this day – check the blood-lines in the Post Parade and your Derby Dozen column for those descendants whose bloodlines went back to Secretariat through his daughters and their off-spring. As you illuminated for your readers in this wonderful article, all three – Week-end Surprise, Terlingua and Secrettame are consistently represented in the breeding of current generation of winning thoroughbreds.
Thank so much for continuing with insightful writing and love for the thoroughbred and racing.
Wow!! Thank you Steve for this excellent article about these 3 famous ladies & how much they contributed to the famous Thoroughbred bloodlines. Many times when studying the pedigree charts in Blood-Horse I would see these mares over & over. The sires are always in the limelight but they need to mention the famous successful dams too just as you have so brilliantly done! This was very informative because I knew these mares were successful but I wasn’t aware of the major extent of their victories & earnings. Of course I was one of many females pulling for Thorpedo Anna in the Travers Stakes & she ran a fantastic race placing just about a head short of winning to the underestimated Fierceness. I just hope her fans don’t threaten & disrespect Fierceness like the notorious Blame was treated with in 2010 when he beat the phenomenal Zenyatta & believe me I am a major Zenyatta fan but I had much respect for Blame. I just came across this article today & enjoyed it immensely as I do everything you write! 🏇🏇🏇
It would be interesting to see whether there were any further good results by crossing Secretariat with a Buckpasser mare. Two of the top broodmare sires in American racing history. Thank you Steve for featuring the matriarchs. Super article.
I see Steve has already posted a new column, but I’ll briefly mention how thrilled I was that Chancer McPatrick overcame a slow start to win the Hopeful over Ferocious. Both have very bright futures!
You’re the man, Nelson. You picked Chancer McPatrick to win the Hopeful.
Thank you dear Bill… I was lucky that Ferocious was sort of “skidding” in the homestretch and struggling to make ground ….
But Chancer McPatrick will likely be better at two turns… hope Chad Brown can keep him healthy and in good form for a long time.
The satisfaction of being right about Chancer’s greatly supersedes the payouts in the Hopeful…
Let’s see what is coming from the West in route to the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile….
You’re welcome, Nelson
Recently, someone on this blog mentioned how successful Bernardini has been as a broodmare sire. Bernardini is the broodmare sire of Chancer McPatrick, so you add another breeding success story to his legacy.
BTW, Immersive, recent winner of the Spinaway Stakes, has Bernardini as her broodmare sire.
With the respect to the BC Juvenile, I like Getaway Car.
If turf races are your thing, look no further than Kentucky Downs’ Saturday card. The entire card is made up of big money turf races.
Disappointed Arthur’s Ride couldn’t pull off the Grade 1 double, but thrilled that Muth came back so well. And I agree with Katy — Highland Falls comes from a brilliant female family. Consoled myself after Arthur lost by exploring it. Highland Falls’ third dam, Coral Dance, produced Pennekamp (2,000 Guineas winner and champion in England), Black Minnaloushe (Irish Guineas) and the multi-talented Nasr El Arab, a Grade 1 winner in the U.S. on dirt AND turf.
Cautious excitement with Highland Falls.
Muth has just won the Shared Belief Stakes after 5 months on the bench.
He stalked comfortably the speedy Pony Express during the first 5 furlongs, then led the field at the 6 furlong mark clocking 1:10 flat under pressure from Imagination and finished the mile in 1:35.3/5 closing the last quarter in 25 3/5. Muth won easily defeating longshot Indispensable by 2.5 lenghts with Imagination half lenght behind in third.
The Shared Belief Stakes is an excellent springboard for the 1-million-dollar California Crown on September 28 at Santa Anita.
If Muth does well agains older horses then his (eventual) rematch with Fierceness with be for the ages…
Nelson,
I agree that Muth took a step forward today. He should improve in his next race but will it be enough to beat older horses but the timing is good . I have been let down so many times this year I am not going to hold my breath. Just like Highland Falls today can they do it back to back!!!
For the California Crown on September 28 I do not see any exciting older horse (dirt horse based in California) who could beat a Muth on top form at 9 furlongs. Talking about consistency, Muth has won his 3 starts this year and got 5 wins and 2 seconds in 7 starts… Baffert has done a good job with Muth and the son of Good Magic seems to be his best card from his 3-year-old lineup…
Perhaps Senor Buscador will be among the favorites (in the California Crown) but the likes of Mixto, Full Serrano, Reincarnate, Subsanador or even Dr Venkman are not faster than Muth the authoritative winner of the Arkansas Derby.
And Newgate (also for Baffert) would not be in full shape after a 6-month layoff and coming off a debacle in Dubai…
As you said, many things can happen in 27 days though…
Wow, quite a race by Highland Falls. Chewed Arthur’s Ride up and spit him out. Always liked him I guess Cox’s couldn’t keep him together. Will see if he stays consistent or if he is a one trick pony.
Thanks for update on MV last week.
No problem … was hoping he would run better today but still got 4th. Wish he would have gotten an outside post
Yes.
He and Flavien really had something to say about it, didn’t he? Kind of naughty of him to win this week, sans any Secretariat (OR Slew) in the pedigree!
In case anyone cares: Highland Falls is out of BC Distaff and Acorn winner Round Pond, and he is her second G1 winner. She also has two unraced fillies by the late-great Bernardini. One of them, Tyburn Brook, has already produced two GSW of her own. Purty nice family, methinks!
I thought the rides on both Pyrenees and Disarm were very good, too.
KATY
Big question can Highland Falls do it back to back!?!?
I hope he stays healthy and we get to find out! Got to try another track next. Some horses just love Saratoga, don’t they?
RE: Del Mar, 1st race, 6F, MSW
Bullard, by Gun Runner, out of a Warrior’s Reward mare, closed impressively to run down Baffert’s highly regarded Kalea Bay. Bullard drew off by 1 1/4 lengths in a good time of 1:10.32.
It’s probably too late to consider the Del Mar Futurity, but Bullard is certainly a 2yr. colt to keep an eye on moving forward.
BTW, his sire line leads directly to Mr. Prospector, and his broodmare sire line leads directly to Northern Dancer. This mating cross has been highly successful in producing winners of Triple Crown races, 19 at last count.
Bullard received an Equibase Speed Figure of 93, for his maiden win.
Certainly, an impressive number for his first career start. Look for McCarthy to stretch him out in his next outing.
FanDuel hosts made some valid points prior to the Pacific Classic: all three favorites (Il Miracolo, Dr. Venkman, and Reincarnate) were significant underlays; Mixto’s speed figures weren’t that much lower than the others; and Simon Bray was emphatic that Reincarnate doesn’t like to pass horses and must shoot to the early lead to have any chance of winning.
Reincarnate’s jockey must have thought that making Dr. Venkman change course in the stretch was the key to victory, but it wasn’t.
And as Matthew W said, 45-1 at the gate and 22-1 at the wire! Wow.
The Green Flash was a thrilling race, as No Nay Hudson explodes to the front, winning by daylight, but no, here comes Motorious with a sensational run, followed by Johnny Podres.
Davids Del Mar is a kickers turf course, A guy bets No Nay Never win/place ….”YES”!…Notorious explodes past–“OH well, I got the place money..”….Reminded me of the Orb Derby….I cannot remember the horse’s name, was trained by Chad Brown, I placed a big wager across the board, am like “YES! I’m going to WIN”…..(gets passed) “OH well, I got 2nd”!…(gets passed) “Well…at least I’m going to get THIRD money…”…(ah—no..)…Normandy Invasion?…
A tip of the hat to jockey Kyle Frey, winning the Pacific Classic on longshot Mixto yesterday. That’s not the first time he’s scored with a high-odds horse in a stakes race; back in 2017, he won the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields on Zakaroff, easily the biggest longshot in the field at nearly 50-1.
There was a popular weekly feature show broadcast in Southern California, hosted by John Forsythe and Bill Shoemaker, someone posted one on you tube, of the 1971 Hollywood Juvenile, back then a huge purse of $160K…the show featured interviews with Laffit Pincay and Jimmy Durante…the race was dominated by some good Cal breds Royal Owl and MacArthur Park…it also featured Solar Salute–winner if the 1973 Santa Anita Derby…and Tri Jet–winner of the 1974 Whitney in a record 1:47 flat—a third host was legendary track announcer Harry Hensen, and it was a delight to view him! Brought back great memories, Bill Shoemaker was a terrific co-host, and of course John Forsythe was second to none! Recommended viewing! Look up “Royal Owl wins Hollywood Juvenile”…..One of Royal Owl’s last stakes races was a third at Belmont to Forego and Rule By Reason, he eventually suffered a catastrophic breakdown….
Two big races of note, with huge win pools, run Saturday—AG Bullet—6-1 odds IN THE GATE—Won easily—paid 5/2…..Mixto–45-1 IN THE GATE—Won and paid 22-1…..Horse Racing needs to clean itself up! Both horses left there at twice the price that they paid..
Thank you Steve for this wonderful article and for the remarkable research that went into creating it. So good. When I saw that Weekend Surprise was one of your three” magnificent matriarchs” it reminded me that her last foal was Mystery Trip who passed away at Old Friends in Kentucky last year at 22. Thanks again Steve for telling the story of these three grand dames of racing.
I appreciate it Diane and thanks for the info on Mystery Trip
I had my best exacta -Immersive over Quietside
I was rooting for Quietside because this must be the last or next to last crop from Malibu Moon, but no one loves Bernardini more than I do, and he’s a phenomenal broodmare sire
Congrats Betsy … another Grade 1 for Godolphin easily on its way to win a fourth consecutive Eclipse award as outstanding owner. It would be Godolphin’s seventh eclipse award…
Let’s see how Chancer McPatrick performs in the Hopeful for the top broodmare sire Bernardini…
Oh I didn’t bet, rarely do – these were just my faves!
I’m really rooting for Ferocious tomorrow, but if Chancer wins, what a weekend it would be for Bernie as a BMS!
Betsy, get Ferocious on Monday haha tomorrow it’s the battle of the two big grey Tapits in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.
Oops!
Let’s not put the cart before the horses after what happened in the Flower Bowl!
Betsy, the 2 year olds this year are the last crops of both Bernardini and Malibu Moon. Dapper Moon was a nice 2 year old colt winner for Malibu Moon in race 8 at Saratoga today. The Tapit colt Tap Into This was an extremely unlucky third in the same race.
Quietside must have run an extra furlong than Immersive did, she was so unlucky not to hold on. Good for you though.
West Ham 1 – Manchester City 3. City remain unbeaten. Now for the Jockey Club Gold Cup and the Hopeful Stakes.
Davids, thanks for pointing out these are the last of the Bernardinis and Malibu Moons. I was impressed with both Dapper Moon and Tap Into This in race 8 at the Spa. Tap Into This “dwelt at the start” according to the chart. I’ll say! He stood there, and then caught up to the field in just a few breathtaking strides. He’s definitely one to watch.
Sat down to watch the Prioress and Spinaway after a day of chores and thanks so much FS2, both were blanked out by a Nebraska football game. on my recording. Grrrrrr. Insult to injury: My husband is a graduate of Missouri.
Ms. Blacktype, watch Saratoga Live on YouTube you ‘usually’ get to see the entire card but ‘sometimes’ FOX blocks the feed.
‘America’s Day at the Races’ on YouTube shows all the other NYRA races throughout the year.
Tap Into This certainly impressed as he endeavoured to win but at an impossible situation.
I live in New York where we get an all-Saratoga feed on network TV (as well as America’s Day at the Races), and I typically record it so I can watch the races later. Today was just weird, but network programming has become increasingly undependable. No worries. There are many ways to watch races I want to see later. I’m just a lazy TV baby.
PS: Ms Blacktype you can watch the whole card on YouTube, besides watching it live, they have the entire card available to watch at anytime.
UPDATE: Yesterday may have been weird, but FS2 did it again, blacking out the premiere races for some basketball game, presumably to drive traffic to the app. Found the Saratoga YouTube feed, have it rolling and multi-tasking with US Open tennis on the TV. And posting here. LOL.
Davids, THANKS FOR THE TIP!!
Worked like a charm UNTIL time for the last two stakes on the card. I guess I’ll keep dial spinning.
Even tried the FS1 App. Showing the same darn women’s VOLLEYBALL game. Puh-leese!
And now . . . it’s back on Youtube. Just in time.
I too appreciated the tip about You Tube. I always try to catch the races on FS2, but I never liked watching them online, and I usually couldn’t find them, anyway. When FS2 signed off around 3:45 and said they’d be back at 5:00, I chose to do something else and catch the races later. But when they didn’t come back at 5:00, I decided to try YouTube. It worked out fine. Around 6:00 they came back on FS2 so I watched and taped the Jockey Club Gold Cup on TV. All the switching was a pain, but I appreciated knowing where to look.
Oh geez, already? 😭😭😭😭
I saw Dapper Moon replay – looked really good
I’ll keep an eye out for the Tapit colt
Todd has an HAP colt named AP Kid who I love. His most recent work is on XBTV – take a look, he looks good. He’s a big, solid colt, with a lovely stride – he was much better than his workmate, and galloped out strongly.
Third dam is Versailles Treaty – it’s a brilliant pedigree
RE: G1 Spinaway Stakes (R11)
The Queens M G sold for $3,500 at auction and has already earned over $254K in four career starts. She’s the one the field will have to beat in the Spinaway, IMO.
I am leaning towards this Tri BOX for the Spinaway to be run in 70 minutes
8- The Queens M G
9- Strong State
10 – Bellacose
11- Quietside
Good luck, Nelson.
Likewise dear Bill
For those that didn’t see Showcase’s winning effort in the Saratoga Special Stakes, I would strongly suggest viewing the video replay of the race. He was pinned against the rail in the late stretch run, but Irad Ortiz Jr. managed to guide him through a hole that opened up about 1/16 from the wire. He quickly collared the leader (First Resort) and drew off by 3 1/2 lengths, in an excellent time of 1:16.40. I never seize to be amazed by Irad Ortiz Jr.’s riding skills which was on full display in the race.
Showcase could be the best 2yr. colt in the Todd Pletcher barn moving forward.
On a side note, for those that give credence to Dosage Index Figures, Showcase has a DI of 19.00. Just something to ponder.
Hey Bill, I saw the Saratoga Special and was so impressed that I added Showcase to my Stable mail. As you say, he was hemmed in on the rail in deep stretch before Irad was able to surge through a narrow opening to pull away in grand style.
Showcase is special and it’s somewhat disappointing that he won’t face Ferocious in the Hopeful. I don’t know what Pletcher has planned for his next race. We’ll just have to wait and see. Just two months to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
As for the DI of 19.00, these pedigree numbers haven’t been up to date in recent years, so I wouldn’t place much emphasis on them. Not sure if Showcase is Derby material, but he’s sure to make a lot of noise along the way.
Enjoy the last weekend of Saratoga and the appealing boutique meeting at Kentucky Downs. KD has full fields and produces good wagering value.
I lost a half of a Franklin on First Resort. I am of the opinion he was poorly handled and should have run out a narrow winner.
Why allow a 2YO to run such fast fractions whilst being pressed on the led by a 52/1 longshot. Fractions of 21.85; 44. 78 are no joke. Such fractions will cause even the most talented lack the requisite energy to repel late challenges.
Can First Resort carry his speed beyond 6Fgiven his pedigree/ Probably not. However, young horse can change, and speed is always the most potent weapon in a horse’s offensive arsenal.
SPINAWAY –
Take a look at Sherbini.
I like Strong State, in the Spinaway…odd Saratoga graded 2yo stakes, with so many bought/bred on the cheap, and this filly did not cost much—she encountered trouble against your Sherbini in her debut, then at Saratoga she found herself inside of a pace battle, not too fast of a pace battle so she’ll settle behind today—but when a Cox/Prat filly came to her looking like a winner—Strong State was strong, and as Frank M called it—-it was a block, to third, that day….her maiden win was on the same Saratoga card as Sherbini’s good 2nd in the stakes—and with Irad she’s 12-1 ML….
Edit to my post.
Spelling was never my long suit. I should have said, “I never cease to be amazed at Irad Ortiz Jr.’s riding skills”, instead of seize. Please excuse.
Another great article, Steve! Thank you! I learn so much from your blogs!
Thank you very much Joanne,
Adare Manor out of PC. Tied up after gallop yesterday, still somewhat stiff this AM per BB.
Hi Lynda
A wise decision by Baffert.
Well, shucks. I’m glad they are looking out for her. Any time he talks about her, Bob says how much he and Jill love her. She’s been so consistent for them (until now), in a year when “plan” has been a four-letter word for the Baffert Barn.
Zulu Kingdom, winner of yesterday’s With Anticipation Stakes, at Saratoga, could be headed for the BC Juvenile Turf. Bred in Ireland, this Ten Sovereigns colt beat the favorite, Tenacious Leader by a neck, in a good time of 1:41.79 for the 1 1/16-mile distance.
He earned an Equibase Speed figure of 90 for his impressive winning effort.
It appears Chad Brown has another turf prospect moving forward.
Mechaya won her debut yesterday, at Kentucky Downs….broke half step slow…rushed up inside….opened up and drew off comfortably….trainer said next stop is stakes company…..
Matthew, are you still going to Del Mar now that Adare Manor has been scratched from the Pacific Classic?
I really wanted to see Adare Manor in person ..not because I wanted to bet on her—I like Katonah–I wanted to see her double-sized ears!….But I am still probably going—my once-a-year Del Mar adventure….
Yes, Matthew, I know what you mean. Nothing Like You is a filly that always impresses and looks beautiful on the internet so there’s a bonus to go.
Oh well I’m not going! I waited too long, and the trains are sold out….I don’t know what I was thinking! Last two years I bought passage earlier in the week, so I’ll be watching on my phone—which is pretty amazing, when you think how things were not too long ago—younger people don’t know how amazing that is, but we do!…
Bad luck, Matthew. You are so right about the technology though. The best thing that ever happened to racing if you couldn’t get to the track.
Equibase has listed the winners of the With Anticipation since 2005. Subject to correction, none are listed as BCJ Turf winners.
David, FYI – Filoso, the winner of Spurgeon’s MSW, got 76 BSF – Spurgeon got a 70….so very solid race
And yes, I’m hoping Ferocious distances the field!
Thanks, Betsy. Spurgeon should only improve with distance going by the pedigree which I like. The Pacific Classic has turned into a damp squib now that Adare Manor is out of the race. Bummer.
Who do you like in the Spinaway Stakes? Quietside was so impressive on debut but has an awful post, I like Salted to keep improving, and the heart would like Tiz Purple to win giving Tiz the Law his first Grade 1.
Good luck.
Oh I know, that would have been exciting – but I’m glad she’ll be ok
Yeah, and interestingly there’s a double dose of Indy through Honor Code and his dam – his dam is by Indy. A girl on another board I post at worked at the farm that Spurgeon was born & raised at. She said the farm manager thought it was funny that he was the best looking of the mare’s foals even though he was by the cheapest stud. The first two foals were by Candy Ride Constitution – but I’m not surprised because HAP is magnificent
I adore Malibu Moon, so I’d love her to win, but damn – post 11 sucks
I haven’t had a chance to really look beyond Q, but good luck to you as well!
Puckered, the Constitution – Lipstick City filly, has only raced twice with one win. She went for $90,000 at the September, 2022 yearling sales. There is a photo on Pedigree Query.
Yes, I adored Malibu Moon as well. He could have been anything.
It looks like she’s raced 8 times – mostly in claimers; Pedigree Query isn’t good about updating records
MM was incredibly talented, and an outstanding sire…he started out in Maryland, but moved to KY pretty quickly
Interesting to see Mentee’s performance in the Hopeful after healing surprisingly fast (10 days) from an acute laminitis. The full brother of Fierceness has 5 workouts since and
Ferocious seems to have the upper hand in the 7-furlong contest…
Not many 2-year-olds are able to win their debut in 1:09 3 with an impressive gallop out as well.
Talking about impressive debuts, you seldom see one more encouraging than Chancer MckPatrick ‘s … the son of McKinzie should be more professional this time and is my pick to win the Hopeful.
The connections of Fierceness, Mage and Sierra Leone are well represented in the Hopeful Stakes on Labor Day.
The horses behind Chancer ran terribly in that MSW yesterday that I referenced below…..not sure if that means anything, but it could be tearing
Hey Nelson
The $1.3 million dollar colt, Ferocious, certainly appears to be the likely winner of the Hopeful Stakes, on Labor Day. He earned an Equibase Speed figure of 102, in his maiden win, which I believe is the highest figure recorded by a 2yr. old colt to date.
His pedigree reflects are good mix of speed and stamina, and his connections are top notch.
With respect to Chancer McPatrick, his maiden win was not that fast, going 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:17.99. He earned an Equibase Speed figure of 82, which was well below the speed figure of 102 that Ferocious earned.
I seriously doubt Chancer McPatrick will be able to close on Ferocious like he did against the competition he faced first out.
Just my opinion Nelson.
BTW, Nelson, I failed to mention that Ferocious earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 96, which is the highest figure of any 2yr. old colt to date.
You are right about Ferocious superiority speedwise and that he should be the rightful winner of the Hopeful for connections I really cheer for.
And yes … It would be a tall order for Chancer McPatrick this time. .. But I was really impressed by his debut because he showed great raw talent despite being very very green the whole race.
I picking him to win/place just because of the value he offers against at least four other contenders who indeed got better speed figures.
My point is that I really do not know how much Chancer would improve w.r.t. his debut … it could be anywhere from one second to two seconds if he runs more focused this time… which could be just enough to be in the exacta…
Anyway the Hopeful on Labor Day will be a splendid spectacle …
Bill I just saw the morning line for Chancer Mck Patrick … and as the second choice at 5 / 2 it won’t be delivering the huge payout I was hoping for… seems like the oddsmaker is (like me) expecting great improvement in his second start…
Good luck, Nelson.
Yikes, Nelson — Mentee was suffering from laminitis!? I hadn’t heard that. Please share if you have any more details.
I didn’t know that either. I like Mentee because he’s Fierceness’ brother, and I wish him well–healthwise and in the Hopeful.
Hi Ms Blacktype… You can listen to Mike Repole himself at TDN Writer’s room (at 24 minutes 40 seconds mark) talking about the issues suffered by Mentee …
They are confident Mentee is in excellent shape for the Hopeful…. but as Davids said, laminitis could be sometimes kind of deceptive…
Hope the son of City of Light remains perfectly healthy for long time now…
Thanks, Nelson — that would be from the horse’s mouth, no joke intended.
Ms B,
Mike Repole said he had a puncture wound that evolved into laminitis.
If you recall Lady Eli stepped on a horseshoe nail that caused an abscessand then a severe case of laminitis. It was touch and go for her and they almost her. She did recover and return to racing before she was retired as a broodmare.
Lynda and Nelson: I thought I was a racing fan, but clearly I am not spending enough time following this sport! Thanks for the in-depth information.
Ms B, I receive alerts from different racing sites such as TDN and I am back on X (Twitter) now that it has new ownership and follow the farms, trainers, owners and other connections in addition to the same on FB.
Yes, Nelson, when I read Mentee’s history in The Blood=Horse I was somewhat surprised he was running in the Hopeful Stakes. It’s always a concern with laminitis.
Japanese trainer Yoshito Yahagi is not short of ambition. He has sent Shin Emperor, a full to Sottsass, to Chantilly in preparation for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe using the Irish Champion Stakes on September 14, as a prep race.
Meanwhile, Forever Young will attempt the Japan Dirt Classic on October 2 as a prep for the Breeders’ Cup Classic. What a triumph should he succeed.
Steve, how did they pronounce Secrettame? Is it “secret tame” or “secret to me” or “secret Tammy”?
Thank you so much for the wonderful article about Secretariat’s spectacular daughters. He was my favorite horse ever, and I love that through Secrettame he has a connection to Tim Tam. I remember watching TV with my parents when Tim Tam won the Derby.
I always looked at it and thought it was Secre-tem, like a French word, and now realize I didn’t have any reason for thinking that. I would like to know the correct pronunciation, too!
I still can’t pronounce Aristides. I always choose the wrong way.
Thanks David. As far as I know Its Secret tame.. i remember the name Tim Tam when i was a kid because we used to have cracker in Brooklyn called Tam Tam .
Getting back to Secrettame she has two “t’s” in her name because her dam is Tamarett
Thanks Steve. I never have been sure as to how to pronouce her name.
Thank you for the information. I always pronounced the first two syllables as in Secretariat–Sec-ra-tame. I never thought about the other pronunciations, so I learned something.
David D, did you know that Australia’s favorite chocolate biscuit, Arnott’s “Tim Tam” was named after the 1958 Kentucky Derby winner? They used to be fabulous biscuits in the 70s, two rich chocolate biscuits encased in rich chocolate.
Alas, they have shrunk in size and quality like everything has but still enjoyable. They are constantly developing a new variety every year or but nothing beats the original. Dunked in tea or coffee. As a kids we used to bite ends off then suck up milk, coffee, or tea to soften the biscuit then gulp down the whole biscuit. lol
You can tell it’s Friday afternoon here.
No, I didn’t know that! Sounds like my kind of treat. How cool that Tim Tam got a biscuit named after him. Considering that he finished second in the Belmont even though he was injured, he was almost a Triple Crown winner.
Steve, thanks for the help pronouncing “Secrettame.” That Gone West line is amazing since it produces short or long, dirt or grass.
David, there is an US copy of the Aussie Tim Tam. In 2021, Trader Joe released “Aussie-style Chocolate Crème Sandwich Cookies” but I can’t vouch for the quality. In the US, biscuit often have a lot more salt and sugar than they have In Australian cookies/biscuits.
David, I have my Derby horse. He didn’t win, but he ran a very good second in the 6th at the Spa
His name is Spurgeon. I felt he was a ridiculous overlay because of the horses coming out of the Chancer McPatrick race, and because his debut on turf was sneaky good
Unlike in his debut, Spurgeon was well back – behind a very slow place. He closed strongly and steadily, showing a willingness to go inside. The winner had already spurted away, but Spurgeon put distance between him and the 3rd place horse, and he galloped out very well. He’s got a huge stride, too.
He only had one work in the last month, so Kenny didn’t have him fully tightened for this
I think he was far back because it looks via the head on that he nearly stumbled out of the gate
Good luck with Spurgeon, Betsy. Overall, the Honor A. P.s have been quite impressive and you would expect the further the better. The start was a car crash for quite a few but I like how the Honor A. P.s keep trying no matter the inconvenience in a race. Having Kenny McPeek as a trainer is a bonus as well.
Ferocious, in the Hopeful Stakes, is the most interesting 2 year old colt for me, thus far, but it’s too early to pin your hopes on anyone really. Unless your heart has been taken by someone special. Fingers crossed for you.
The Jockey Club Gold Cup on Sunday is THE race for me this weekend, I can’t decide on who I want to win Tapit Trice or Arthur’s Ride – dead heat for first is my best solution. Ha ha Racing gods, be good!!
Thanks!
I only realized that when I read the chart, lol. I think had Spurgeon not bobbled, things could have been different, but he got an education today so it was certainly beneficial
They really are very competitive. You know how much I love Honor Code, but I think he often passed on his quirky and personality. HAP wasn’t like that….and his dam had a reputation also for toughness
Kenny is great – Spurgeon is in wonderful hands
The Hopeful looks like a good race – all eyes will be on Ferocious, but there are other very talented colts in there, so it will by no means be easy. It’s a long sprint, so I don’t know that the Hopeful is always a great barometer of future Classic success, but it has been -we’ll see. I think you’re probably right that it’s too early to pin your hopes on one -too many good horses haven’t even debuted. But that’s what’s exciting about babies – so much promise
That would be awesome ! I’m down for any Tapit winning!
Betsy, a win by Ferocious in the Hopeful is a bonus but I’m just ‘hopeful’ that Ferocious puts in a good performance. Hopeful Stakes winners tend to turn out to be milers/sprinters so just a good performance may be the best result. Ha ha
Nah, if Ferocious distances the field. 🙌 ha ha
Gutsy move by Baffert in putting Adare Manor in the Pacific Classic but it looks to be a good move as others have pointed out below. Not a particularly strong field in there and she has proven herself to be a strong runner especially since she looks like she can be rated. I like her chances.
Todd Pletcher with Fierceness looks to be stuck between a rock and a hard spot. He announced that he will training him up to the BCC. I personally would like him to put a race in him before but it doesn’t look like there are many options available to him. I definitely would not run him in Penn Derby. I think the race would be too tiring for him as that track seems to run “dead” fast. But without a race will Fierceness come into the BCC “too” fresh. Before the Travers with only one month between races he had a calm confidence about him. Were as before the Jim Dandy he was pretty hyped after the long layoff. Will exert too much energy before the race ?!?!?. Again Jim Dandy was ! 1/8 and Travers 1 1/4.
Chad Brown has also said he will train up to the race with Sierra Leone Personally I think he should run in the Penn Derby. First, it is a big purse and a Grade 1 race and would look great on his resume. I feel he would have a great chance of winning it. And as a closer that running style a horse can recover quicker than a front running style and even a stalker. I don’t feel the Travers took too much out of him. He would have 6 weeks to recover from the Penn Derby. He is being too cautious with him and again I feel missing a great opportunity to a get a Grade 1 win under his belt.
Oh how i yearn for the olden days !!!
I think Bob Baffert may have the Pennsylvania Derby pencilled in for either Muth or Wynstock depending on how they perform in the Shared Belief Stakes on Sunday.
Parx is usually quite favorable to speed and running in the middle of the straight which would suit the Baffert colts.
Thanks for update last week on MV. Away in Fla,returned yesterday.
I’ve been looking for Mechaya—a 2yo filly by Liam’s Map–to debut, she’s been scratched before a while back and now surfaces at Kentucky Downs at 6 1/2 over that distinctive turf layout…a $170,000 maiden purse! You-za!….
Let’s dream that Mc Vay puts it all together in the Shared Belief Stakes on Sunday and finally breaks through for a stakes win.
I’m betting on him…
More power to you, Matthew. ‘Beat the house’!!
…..She won for fun….
There’s a nice piece on Ruffian posted at drf today, commemorating the 50th anniversary of her Spinaway win. Lovely photo of her in full stride, too.
Anyone here remember Foal Patrol? Tomorrow (Friday) at Saratoga, one of the foals born in what I think was the series’ last year will make her debut! Moonlight Gal (Vekoma–Floripa, by Tapit) is running in Race 9, a maiden special weight. I saw her being born, so I will be cheering her on!
Pink Power might be the order of attire at Del Mar on Saturday for the Pacific Classic with the Amazonian Adare Manor taking on the boys and probably beating them as well. Good luck to her – Horse of the Year is wide open.
On Sunday, at Saratoga, it’s all about blue boys with the two strapping grey Tapit colts book ending the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Too close to call between Tapit Trice and Arthur’s Ride on a hot Sunday at the Spa. Wish I was there. Enjoy the races.
Her trainer must be encouraged by the performances of Caitlinhergrtness and Thorpedo Anna against the boys last week…
Adare Manor seems in better position than the fillies as she not only is faster than those male rivals but also is bigger than the majority of colts and older horses.
The Argentinian Full Serrano is the intriguing one given the outstanding early speed he showed in his American debut…
Baffert thought Adare Manor showed a new dimension to her style in her last race which gives him an option to take on the males at 10f. Instead of being constantly pressed on the lead she can wait then pounce when the time is right. Moreover, this is a weak field so, why not.
A win by Adare Manor in the Pacific Classic would probably cement her the Eclipse for Older Dirt Female, and, should she win the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, Horse of the Year is quite possible.
Winning in open company is a notch higher than winning restricted races due to age or gender restrictions.
Davids I think I will be training it down to ‘Ol Del Mar this Saturday, I have made it a day there the past two years, it’s a long day but I love the train ride down, and back—Adare will have to deal with Dr Venkman, who is talented…I like a son of Klimt named Katonah, I don’t intend to back Adare Manor, and her large ears—but I will be rooting for the dark bay Amazon….
Sounds perfect, Matthew. Long train trips are an absolute pleasure, free to dream for a while as you watch the world go by. If ever you can, train trips through the Swiss Alps are just magical, going in and out through the tunnels in the mountains then out in the snow caps encasing you. Dreaming….
I hope Adare Manor wins, throwing down the gauntlet and triumphing will ignite the fans. Have a great day, Matthew.
I always thought it was rather sexist to always see a horse listed with the sire’s name, as if the horse had just sprung forth out of a test tube. It was great to read about how important moms are. Thanks, Steve.
That picture of Terlingua really captures her unique red Chestnut color! What a beautiful filly, she was Lukas’s first big one, then he got Effervescing…..eventually he hot Landaluce, I was listening to the Saturday feature race on the radio with Bill Garr, the worst race caller! But I loblved his show he was a great host—in the middle of his call, of the Hollywood Juvenile (like Terlingua another filly against boys)…he stopped his call and said “This is unbelievable”, she entered the home stretch 3 lengths in front—‘she hit the wire 22 lengths in front…
And Wayne didn’t just abandon his Quarter Horse stable, I remember going out to see some futurity trial races, around 1980, and Wayne had a pair of Chestnut fillies, from the first crop of (legendary) Dash For Cash—Justanold Love was beautiful—Dashingly took my breath away, I was awestruck, by her glowing golden coat—and she ran like she looked….
Hi Matthew W
You mentioned Landaluce, my all-time favorite filly, who was undefeated in 5 career starts. I was at Del Mar when she won the Del Mar Debutante Stakes, and was awe struck by her graceful elegance and beauty. After winning her next two graded races, she came down with Colitus X which caused her unfortunate death.
I’ve read that D. Wayne Lukas was holding her head in his lap and was crying as she passed away. Her passing took such a toll on Mr. Lukas that he stated, “I will allow myself to get that close to a horse again.”
So sad.
Edit to say, “I will never allow myself to get that close to a horse again”
The same disease that nearly killed her sire.
I wish I had seen her live. Her demolition of the Hollywood Lassie was breathtaking.
Theres a 2023 book on Landaluce – it’s very good. It’s heartbreaking reading about how devastated he was…😭😭😭
The east had Ruffian, a leggy filly with a tank like girth, that had intense speed and tremendous stamina, winning the Coaching Club American Oaks in faster time than Avatar’s Belmont….We were glued to our black and white TV set, Watching CBS Sports Spectacular and her match race vs Foolish Pleasure…Leroy Jolley was stand-offish, pre race, about the filly vs his Derby winner, himself a very good horse…(ironic, that his Genuine Risk would win The Derby)….49 years later and I’m still in shock, and as I was folding the Sunday papers on my paper route I read about how they tried to save her—but no way, Ruffian was high strung….
California had a couple of legends of its own, both 5 for 5—-Landaluce, who was brilliant, her Hollywood Juvenile was freakishly good—and there was the small grey Melair, the comet that kept on going, and though her biggest win was against Cal-breds, there’s no argument she beat a couple of good horses, and she ran a jaw-dropping performance….Ruffian broke down…Landaluce got Colitus X and Melair had a bad colic, which she survived—but colic came back to her, more than one time, I believe—finally defeating the undefeatable grey comet….
Steve,
Just got back last night from an out of town weekend trip and sat down this morning to read your column here. I just want to thank you for the work you do for keeping the legacy of Secretariat alive either through your own personal experiences , articles relaying stories of his personal feats or articles like this of his offsprings accomplishments.
Keep up your great work as you are very much appreciated.
Have a great rest of the week !!!
BTW …. Risen Star will always be my personal Secretariat favorite offspring. He unfortunately died way too young from the complications of the dreaded colic.
Thanks so mcuh. I really appreciate it. Risen Star would be in the Hall of Fame had he stayed sound
Yes, a very unfortunate injury. Who knows what heights he could have accomplished.
Steve, I would add two to the list.
Sister Dot, dam of Dehere and Chris Evert (one of your Travers triva questions who held the record for the highest place finish in the Travers until Anna and her foal Six Crowns.
Dehere was the sire of champion mare and Blue Hen, Take Charge Lady.
Six Crowns was dam to Chief’s Crown.
Unfortunately his best filly Lady’s Secret did not duplicate her success and 4 went to Japan.
I always look for the line back to Secretariat in the pedigrees.
Thank you for the stories on his best daughters and those great photos!
I already added them but it was decided to keep it to those three. The column was already very long
I saw that after I posted.
Just now getting around to reading all the comments.
Loved reading about these three great broodmares & the intertwined stories within their histories. And what a looker Gone West was!
I got into horse racing as a young girl in 1981 (as a horse, Timely Writer, from my local track got on the derby trail) and initially followed all the Slews (i am guessing because of the Black Stallion as others mentioned). What a double punch the losses of Landaluce and Swale were, and thank god AP Indy was still to come…
And how about Timely Writer?
Timely Writer’s tragic end devastated me. I’ll never forget him. Talk about a star-crossed life.
Steve, so many memories here to remember. I even went to YouTube to find “Terlingua: Secretariat’s Girl” to reinforce the memory. Seeing a youthful Wayne Lukas was a surprise as well. Golden years.
If you are still willing, a short history of Buckpasser’s influence as a broodmare sire would be another treasure to unravel of those who remember and those who have never heard of this great broodmare sire. I noted Princequillo was mentioned earlier as well.
Your enthusiastic, intrepid writing breathes life back into these often forgotten names of broodmares of long ago that are hidden away on a pedigree with little meaning to many. There is nothing more enjoyable than reading a Steve Haskin tribute to the great horses of the past.
For those interested, other influential broodmares by Secretariat include: Betty’s Secret, Six Crowns, Celtic Assembly, L’On Vite, Sister Dot, Ball Chairman, Lady Winborne, among others I’ve forgotten. lol.
Thanks again, Steve. Most enjoyable.
Thank you David. I really appreciate it. I actually wrote an addendum mentioning some of his other daughters but there just wasnt enough roo.m. Maybe another time.
I hope you do, Steve. There is always so much written about sires, sires of sires, but very little written about broodmares, broodmare sires, in comparison.
Blue hens are the creators of important families who, subsequently, dominate thoroughbred blood.
“Blessed are the broodmares”.
Thanks Steve for sharing invaluable insights around the best daughters of Secretariat in the breeding field. No one can deny that Secretariat did not need to produce a champion Sire to cement his immense genealogical legacy.
The influence of Secretariat via his daughters Weekend Surprise (mainly through A.P. Indy), Terlingua (through Storm Cat) and Secrettame (through Gone West) will live for a very very long time.
For instance, out of the 100 top two-year-old earners 96 show at least one of those brilliant Stallions in their pedigrees (5 generation). Six (6) got A.P. Indy, Gone West and Storm Cat togehter, 11 have Gone West and A.P. Indy, 21 show Gone West and Storm Cat and 31 have A.P. Indy and Storm Cat figuring in their first 5-generations.
If you also take the 50 fastest 2-year-olds you can see that 48 got at least Gone West, A.P. Indy or Storm Cat within their 5 first generations. Only Crazy Frazy and Shea Brennan do not have any of the three brilliant maternal grand sons of Secretariat in their pedigrees.
You may pick any of your favorite 2-year-olds this season and you will confirm the dominance of Secretariat in their families (by way of A.P. Indy, Storm Cat and Gone West).
For the sake of simplicity, I am not referring to the number of inbreedings or the combination of the pair of sires… It is also worth noting that other Secretariat mares like Tweak, Sister Dot and Lady Winborne have produced above average family of runners as well… but their legacy would take a whole column too.
Moreover, 8 of the top 10 leading sires of 2024 descend from Secretariat…
On the other hand, there are important stallions who don’t show Big Red in their pedigrees (i.e. Curlin, Uncle Mo, Good Magic, Twirling Candy, Pioneerof the Nile, Ghostzapper, Hard Spun and Street Sense, and new sires like McKinzie, Thousand Words , War of Will and Omaha Beach ). The late Arrogate being a son of Unbridled’s Song and maternal grandson of Distorted Humor is devoided of Secretariat in his family.
Those active “Secretariat-free” stallions have been yielding excellent results when crossed with mares descending from Big Red… this will ensure his long lasting legacy.
Great information, Nelson. Thank you. You must have a very extensive database. Keep those stats coming 🙂
My pleasure Steve. I really appreciate your approval …
Excellent post, Nelson and you make a great point about crossing Secretariat-free mares with Secretariat-rich sires.
As for your 2YO stats: Are these from this year? If so, I’m doubly impressed! I hope Steve will post about the up and coming babies soon.
Yes Ms Blacktype… those are the stats of 2024… I won’t be surprised to see similar trends (Secretariat “omnipresense”) in previous crops …
Nelson, Storm Cat really stamped his progeny which makes it easy, for me at least, to say “that is a Storm Cat” before I look at the pedigree.
I think Steve said some time ago that the Storm Cat daughters are the gift that keeps giving.
Always thought he was a stunningly beautiful stallion. Guess one could say he was ” my Black Stallion”.
Great story this week Steve. I loved hearing all the comments from people who personally knew and handled these superb daughters of Secretariat — I felt like I got to know them as if I was right at the barn! Pretty mind-blowing that one mare could produce both A.P. Indy, Summer Squall AND Honor Grades; another could produce Storm Cat and major winning filly Chapel of Dreams, and the third, Gone West. It’s rare that any mare that produce such strong sires also produce high-class female families that string together stakes winners for generations. Terlingua and Weekend Surprise have done that as well. (Weekend Surprise’s daughter; Weekend Storm, is the dam of five stakes winners. Chapel of Dreams’ daughter If Angels Sang, is the dam of four, all graded.)
Also loved the way you lavished praise on Thorpedo Anna. I hope you will post the ThoroGraph numbers on Fierceness, Anna, and Sierra Leone when they’re available. All three got huge Beyers.
PS is my typing that bad? Or is it autocorrect? I sound so ignorant!
No problem with the typing. Glad you enjoyed the column, thank you. I will surely post the TG numbers
🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷
I saw Terlingua and Crimson Saint….Terlingua had a distinctive red-chestnut coat, I recall her winning the Del Mar Futurity over Flying Paster, who was one heckuva looking horse…she was well beaten by him in the Santa Anita Derby, Lukas tried her against males on several occasions…he put fillies against colts often, that was the norm in Quarter Horse Racing—Terlingua’s mama Crimson Saint was incredibly fast! I have read about Crimson Saint, she was beloved by her handlers, I think she lived a long life….tremendous producer and had a turn of foot like a cheetah….
Matthew, if you search for Terlingua: Secretariat’s Girl on YouTube there is a 5 minute tape of her with a youthful Wayne Lukas you may enjoy. Sweet memories.
Thank you David’s, it brought back memories, that is a younger Jon White, at the beginning of the video—I wish they had one on Terlingua’s mama Crimson Saint, who was a farm favorite and terrific producer, That was a very strong female line….
And I found out she didn’t beat Flying Paster in the Del Mar Futurity….she beat him in the 6fur Hollywood Juvenile….
Matthew, I left out not mentioning Jon White as a surprise. It was a surprise for me as well.
Three very influential mares. What a broodmare legacy for Secretariat. Great background on all 3 of the ladies. Amazing stakes results for Secretariat’s descendants this past weekend. All topped off by the Travers stretch run. Thank you for the great write-up, Steve.
I appreciate it Karren, thank you
What research. Thank you for both these articles. Richness of breeding history and so many memorable moments in racing history. I do have Patricia’s book. It’s a great read and wonderful photographs.
I do love the mares.
Travers 2024 was just amazing.
Thanks Delrene. A lot of research but a lot of fun.
Thanks for a marvelous history and commentary about Secretariat’s three very influential and breed shaping Blue Hen broodmares.
And thanks for your analysis and comparison of Holy Bull and Fierceness. There is another comparison to be made between Secretariat and Fierceness. After the Travers, John Velasquez, said he realized why Fierceness was inconsistent in his efforts on the racetrack. Fierceness, like Secretariat, wanted to run his own race. He resented when Johnny V wanted him to run or be steered a certain way before he was ready to run. Johnny V let him run his own race in the Travers and wow what a race.
Thanks Terry. It sure will be interesting to see if the “inconsistent” Fierceness can close out tjee year with three in row
Hi Steve
“Big Red’s Magnificent Matriarchs”, makes for excellent reading, one of your best articles, IMO. I’ve been reviewing the pedigrees of 2yr. old colts that have shown promise in the early going.
Getaway Car, recent winner of the Best Pal stakes at Del Mar, has Terlingua and Weekend Surprise in his 5th generation, on the dam side. His dam’s sire, Morning Line, won graded races sprinting and routing, so there’s a lot to like on his dam side.
His sire, Curlin, needs no introduction.
I’m looking forward to seeing how he performs in the Del Mar Futurity.
Bottom line, Getaway Car could be Baffert’s best Derby prospect moving forward.
Thank you very much Bill. Getaway Car is a fascinating name and certainly one to follow. I will have to dig deep into his pedigree
Steve, thank you for this wonderful, timely story. It would be hard to find a modern stallion with a trio of producers like this, for all we talk about Medaglia D’Oro, Distorted Humor, Indian Charlie, and others.
Your mention of Medina Spirit, along with the Swale discussion, got me thinking about the terrible loss of potential genetics – and a beautiful life – when MS died. He was so nicely bred, and he was a legitimately talented horse. It is tragic that he went the way he did, with his legacy tarnished and cut short so unfairly.
Medina Spirit’s Family:
Protonico was at Castleton Lyons, and I can’t find anything about where their horses are/will be. Do you know, or does anyone else?
His dam, Mongolian Changa, went with Yoshida to Japan, and has a ‘22 filly in-training by Not This Time. Her name is Tsagaan Sar (cool), if anyone wants to try following her.
On hot sire Not This Time: He has the Terlingua connection up top, like Protonico, but also has a more obscure, but darn cool, female family going back to Tweak (Secretariat x Ta Wee). So I wonder if new (old) names of Secretariat’s girls will continue to emerge, especially if they weren’t exciting runners, and go “hidden” for a few generations in the tail female family of a pedigree.
Your summary of the simply fantastic Travers was perfect, as was the Fierceness piece leading up. What a great day for horse racing! I didn’t want Anna or Fierceness to lose, but doubt the filly knows she was beaten. Best of all, it doesn’t look like goodbye to any of the top 3! If all goes to plan, the Distaff and the Classic look loaded. How does Ms Blacktype put it? Salty.
Thanks again, Steve! Have a great week, everyone!
Thank you Katy. Medina Spirit was a tragic loss and a tragic story all around. To me he will always be the Kentucky Derby winner
Katy I was on the track apron to view my beloved Express Train, when Medina Spirit won the Awesome Again by eight lengths over older horses, and was surprised, really—that Medina got such a big ovation in the post parade, and when he was returning to the winners circle he received a standing ovation, from the younger crowd—he had become a crowd favorite, and was a tragic loss…
Thank you for saying that Blame was for the most part disrespected.
I was at CD in a section about midway between the finish and the first turn. I didn’t look at the big screen during the race because Zenyatta was clearly in view all the way down the stretch. I heard Trevor calling her name but then the crowd was so loud that I couldn’t hear anything as they hit the wire. I assumed that she won, but as they went past me, Blame was more than a full body length in front.
On the TV coverage, he’s a length in front when they’re shown after the finish. I’ve never seen the moment that she passed him.
I absolutely adored Blame and he ran a great race with an injured jockey. Garrett Gomez had a broken bone in his shoulder that must have kept him from riding to the best of his ability. He’d been injured shortly before the BC.
Don’t get mad at me, Zenyatta fans! I just feel like Blame’s winning race was never the story, and he deserved more admiration than he got.
Having said all that, I love this article. The stories and history are fascinating. Thank you for all the time you put into writing these interesting articles for us.
I loved Blame then, and still do! I couldn’t believe the hate, when they were both so game. I love Arch in the pedigree anywhere.
Interestingly, neither Blame nor Zenyatta have Secretariat in their pedigrees. But they DO have Princequillo! Kris S was a gem.
Katy, Blame is doing extraordinarily well as a broodmare Sire 1.78 AEI compared to 1.50 Comp. Index.
Bernardini 1.53 to 1.34 and Tapit 1.51 to 1.36 are the broodmare sires of the future; Medaglia d’Oro 1.30 to 1.30 and Indian Charlie at 1.35 to 1.26 are good numbers also as you mentioned earlier.
The names of those good horses ALL make me smile.
I thought the post by Counter Point about Arch as a broodmare sire was interesting and gratifying as far as my love of that stallion. Blame is carrying on the tradition!
Re: the JCGC – Arthur’s Ride for me.
Do they have Northern Dancer? Or Mr. P?
Zenyatta actually has a very interesting pedigree free of Northern Dancer, and Mr P only appears once.
Blame has both ND and MrP.
Neither escapes the genetic bottleneck as you go farther back: Nashua doubles for both, Hail to Reason and Hoist the Flag for Zen, and Raise a Native via Alydar and Mr P for Blame.
I wish Zenyatta had been a more significant, reliable producer. I know why they tried the stallions they did, but it would have been nice to see her sent for the really interesting outcrosses – or Medaglia on repeat. Mizzen Mast or Alphabet Soup, as the last of the Caro sires, come to mind. Tiznow looked fun on paper, but the colt you’d have ended up with is basically a warmblood or warhorse. (How big could we make a TB?)
Zellda, by Medaglia D’Oro, is the most interesting of Zenyatta’s get to me. She was reported to have produced a Justify foal this year.
There is a possibility that Zenyatta’s influence on the breed has yet to be felt. She has three fillies alive, two already breeding. She could still end up a very important broodmare if these girls can live up to their genetic potential. Additionally, for a female’s mitochondrial DNA line to persist longterm, she needs at least 2 daughters, and we have 3.
What a race! Whether we won or not at the windows, I think we all got our money’s worth on Saturday. That big filly coming down the stretch like a freight train looked exactly like Zenyatta coming after Blame. This did nothing but enhance Thorpedo Anna’s reputation and kudos to her connections for taking on the Champ (not to mention some other heavyweights in the field), even if there was still a bit of tarnish on him beforehand. I agree Blame’s been disrespected, both before and after that BC Classic, but I don’t think that will happen with Fierceness. And fantastic analysis of Saturday’s card and the Secretariat connections. What a great read.
Steve, that was a great race. Fierceness answered his doubters and rewarded his backers. Can he get 3 in a row? he’s got the ammo to do it! As for Thorpedo Anna her running a very game 2nd didn’t tarnish her reputation in the least. I do wish her connections think about the Classic. The anticipation of that spectacle would be through the roof! It’s a shame that over here it’s rare when the girls take on the boys like they do in Europe and the ancient battle of the genders comes into play. I know I’m a little biased but that’s from a love affair with Genuine Risk 44 years ago. I would normally say it was the love affair with Ruffian but that still invokes tears.
Steve, what a wonderful write up of three remarkable mares
Slew is my Black Stallion – I was too young to see him race, but I think the Black is why I was drawn to him (Walter Farley said that all his life he looked for the Black Stallion, and Slew was him). So naturally I adored Indy.
When I went to the National Racing Hall of Fame and Museum, I saw a few photos of baby Indy ..he was so beautiful, and looked like he knew he was special. I couldn’t have dreamed that he’d be as influential as he was – a magnificent sire of sires and broodmare sire. What a legend – I’m only sorry I never got to see him in person and feed him the peppermints he loved so much
I’ll be honest – I’m a much bigger fan of the original Big Red, Man o’War, but I’ve loved your Secretariat articles. Somewhere up there, they are racing each other
And lastly – what a brilliant Travers. I was rooting for Anna all the way – but Fierceness was a deserving winner. He also traces to Indy through BMS Stay Thirsty.
Anna is remarkable. The race I think of is one that is underrated – Rags to Riches beating Curlin in the Belmont. It still gives me chills
Betsy, you would have adored Swale. Black, beautiful, and talented. Could have been a wonderful sire. A great loss.
David, I think Swale is the first racehorse I remember, not counting Man o’War, who I read about in Walter Farley’s bio. I remember being told Swale had died – and how sad I was. I didn’t follow racing everyday until Gulch, but I remember rooting for Slew o’Gold in the Classic, and following other Slews after that
Swale was stunning….magnificent. I always remembered that Claiborne was devastated – their first Derby winner- and they tried for so long to get a son of Slew. They never could, and that’s a large part of why Pulpit was born – they couldn’t stand a son of Slew, so they bred to Indy. I maintain that Pulpit may have been Indy’s most talented son
Betsy, Pulpit was an extremely talented colt but Bernardini was superior, both colts would have been better 4 year olds but that was never to be. Bernardini is just a shade under Flightline.
Pulpit is A. P. Indy’s best sire son, we can share the glory. Ha ha
I adore Bernardini – he was spectacularly talented, and I’m still upset they retired him early.
Yes he is/was, and a good turf sire, too.
Both died too young, but both will leave incredible legacies
Davids, Swale appeared to have unlimited potential. He seemed to have effortless power and speed that we rarely see anymore, which made the way he went even more shocking.
Running the Belmont in 2:26 and change..Swale was just coming into his own. Even so many years later, it’s tragic 😭
Slew lost several incredible talents early : Swale, Landaluce and Le Prince. The latter may have died much later, but he still ran just once. It’s a shame that there seems to be no video of him because he was brilliant. He made 1 start in 1990 – won by double digits in 1:22, faster than an allowance race later where Carson City defeated Rubiano. He was actually going to debut in the Gotham, but debuted instead in a MSW. He was later entered & scratched in both the Jim Dandy & Travers
Steve, do you remember Le Prince?
Burnished Bronze was another talented runner who left the arena too early.
Oh wow, that’s a name I haven’t heard in a dog’s age…I remember him
Yes, Todd, and don’t forget stamina. Swale had Forli, Hyperion twice, Nasrullah, among others on the dam side. What could have been, just sad.
Thanks very much, Betsy. I think a lot of people looked at Slew as their Black Stallion.