Pedigree Analysis: Wise Dan

America's favourite horse returned this evening with a battling victory over the progressive Optimizer in the Grade II Bernard Beruch stakes at Saratoga. This was Wise Dan's first racecourse appearance since his colic battle. The seven-year-old superstar showed he still retained his ability battling to a narrow win, and all roads lead to a third victory in the Grade I Breeders Cup Mile. 

Wise Dan has won the last two consecutive runnings of the Grade I Breeders Cup Mile & Woodbine Mile, when he won them in 2012 & 2013. He is the first horse ever to win Eclipse Awards in consecutive years with titles including American Horse Of The Year, Champion Older Male & Champion Male Turf Horse in 2012 & 2013. Wise Dan has won over ten Grade I races and amassed prize money of over $6,000,000. 

Wise Man never went through a sales ring as he is owned & bred by business man Morgan Frink. He is the best horse sired by Graded winner Wiseman's Ferry, a son of Hennessy. Wiseman's Ferry began his racing career in Ireland winning his maiden & being placed in the Group 1 Pheonix stakes behind his paternal 1/2 brother world champion 2yo Johannesburg. Wiseman's Ferry was transfered to the states where his biggest success came in the Grade II Virginia Drrby. He has had a reletive career at stud. 

Wise Dan is out of the winning Lisa Danielle, named after Morgan Frink's grand daughter. She is by South African champion Wolf Power & out of the unraced Askmysecretary, a daughter of Triple Crown winner Secretariat.

 Wise Dan is a half brother to multiple Graded winner Successful Dan, while his half sister is the stakes winning Our Royal Dancer, also dam of Argentinian stakes placed Bailando Boy. Lisa Danielle has a 2yo half sister by Afleet Alex named Afleeting Lisa. 

The second dam Askmysecretary is the dam of Grade I Hollywood Oaks placed Carsona, herself dam of dual Graded winner Siphon City. Another of Lisa Danielle's half sisters include Sunup, dam of Amistad, who was champion 3yo filly in Panama. 

The third dam is French stakes winner Liquoila, a full sister to Group 1 French Derby winner Roi Lear. 

It is quite unfortunate that Wise Dan is gelded as we will never get the pleasure of seeing this champions progeny on the track. But in a way his loyal fans can be guaranteed to see him racing for a few more seasons providing he is 100% sound. An exciting season lies ahead with this outstanding horse known affectionaly by some followers as "Dan The Man" 

Broodmare Focus: Talent

Talent's name always indicated that the daughter of derby winner New Approach was out of the ordinary & she certainly proved that she very talented. Trained by Ralph Beckett, Talent was a homebred of Ashbrittle Stud. 

The filly started out her career in a maiden at Newbury as a 2yo. She came third that day. She was seen out a few weeks later in a maiden at Kempton. She duly obliged winning by a neck. She was then put away for the season. Talent made her 3yo debut in the Listed Pretty Polly stakes, a trial for the Epsom Oaks. In her stakes debut she won comfortably enough. Talent was then put away for the following months Group 1 Epsom Oaks with connections quietly confident that she would play a massive role in the race. Talent lived up to her billing when running out a 3 length winner of the fillies classic at 20/1. She performed dissapointingly in the Irish Oaks before producing a career best in the St Leger. It is fair to say Talent hasn't performed as credibly this year & after a dissapointing few starts the filly was retired to stud. 

Talent is the second foal out of the stakes placed mare Prowess. She has also produced Skilful, a stakes placed 1/2 brother to Talent. She has a 2yo unraced full sister to Talent named Forte & a yearling colt by Fastnet Rock, who sold to Coolmore for 320,000gns as a foal last year.  

Prowess, a daughter of Peintire Célèbre is a 1/2 sister to a pair of stakes performers/producers in Genoa & Clipper, the dams of stakes winners Brindisi & Mister Tee, who was also placed in the Group 2 Futurity stakes. They are out of the Group 3 Rockfel stakes Yawl. 

The third dam Bireme, was also successful in the Epsom Oaks. She went on to produce Group 2 placed Sambuk & is the grand dam of listed winner & Group placed Staying On. This is also from the family of Group 1 winners Nannina, Mail The Desert & Norse Dancer. 

Talent's pedigree means that she is open to some top class sires like Oasis Dream, Dubawi, Invincible Spirit & Dansili. Being a grand daughter of Galileo, she could be given the option of going to a son of Galileo which has been practised widly in breeding. If she were mated with a son of Galileo for example Frankel, the resulting foal would be inbred 2x3 to the exceptional sire and 4x4 to champion broodmare sire Rainbow Quest. A mating that sounds fascinating would be with Galileo's 1/2 brother the brilliant Sea The Stars, he shares the same sire line as Invincible Spirit & Oasis Dream plus he is having an exceptional year at stud. 

Talent is without doubt a very valuable asset to Ashbrittle Stud's broodmare band.  

Broodmare Focus: Marvellous

Marvellous confirmed she was a talented filly when winning the Group 1 Irish 1000G. She later started favourite for the Oaks but finished sixth behind Taghrooda. Her last race was in the Irish Oaks where she again dissapointed when finishing in eighth. She has since been retired by Coolmore. 

Marvellous is bred on the same Galileo/Storm Cat cross as multiple Group 1 winner Misty For Me. Marvellous is the first foal out of 2yo Group 2 Cherry Hinton stakes & Group 3 Swordlestown stud stakes winner You'reSoThrilling. She is a full sister to multiple Group 1 winner & champion sire Giants Causeway. Her other full siblings include stakes performers Freud, Roar Of The Tiger, Tumblebrutas & Tiger Dance, each of them were Group placed. 

Marvellous second dam is the ultra tough mare Mariah's Storm. A daughter of Rahy, she was a multiple Graded winner & was also Grade 1 placed. Mariah's Storm has made a huge impact as a broodmare with Giants Causeway being one of North America's most successful sires. Mariahs Storm herself is a half sister to Panoramic, a Group 2 winner in France, he was later placed at Grade 1 level in America. They are out of Grade 3 winner Immense. This is also from the immediate family of Grade 1 placed Quest Star. 

You'resothrilling seems to be following in her dams hoofprints as a successful broodmare. Her second foal is 2yo maiden winner Gleneagles, a brother to Marvellous, there have been good reports about his ability from Ballydoyle & he is clearly one to note. He has some Group 1 entries later on in the year. You'resothrilling's yearling is a Galileo sister to Marvellous & Gleneagles.  

Pedigree Analysis:Tapestry

Tapestry produced a career best performance today when gunning down the previously unbeaten Taghrooda in the Group 1 Darley Yorkshire Oaks. Tapestry was a leading 2yo last year, winning the Group2 Debutante stakes. She was always highly regarded at Ballydoyle. A a result of the high regard for the filly she was made favourite for the 2014 1000 Guineas. Making her seasonal debut Tapestry trailed in a dissapointing last. The filly wasn't seen out till June that year when running a good race in the Group 1 Coronation stakes at the Royal Ascot meeting. Tapestry then found her stable mate Bracelet, too good in the Irish Oaks before winning this Group 1.

Tapestry has got a beautiful pedigree. She is a daughter of leading sire Galileo & is out of dual Group 1 winning 2yo Rumpelstiltskin. Tapestry is bred on the same Galileo/Danehill cross as Group 1 winners Frankel, Maybe, Teofilo, Roderic O'Connor, Nobel Mission & Golden Lilac. 

Tapestry's dam Rumplestiltskin was a leading 2yo filly at Ballydoyle in 2005. Her wins including the Group 1 Moyglare & Prix Marcel Boussac. At stud Rumplestiltskin has produced five living foals all by Galileo. Her produce record stands at four runners, four winners. Tapestry is her first Group 1 & blacktype winner. Rumplestiltskin's other winners included maiden winner Why, ill-fated 2yo maiden winner Theatre, Tapestry & recent  five length maiden winner John F Kennedy. Rumplestiltskin has a yearling colt by Galileo. 

Tapestry's second dam is Monevassia, an own sister to champion miler & Group 1 sire Kingmambo & Group 3 winner Miesque's Son, while she is a 1/2 sister to Group 1 French 1000G winner East Of The Moon. They are out of the brilliant ten time Group 1 winning mare Miesque.

Rumplestiltskin is Monevassia's best progeny to date but in 2014, her 2yo daughter I Am Beautiful by Galileo's Group 1 winning son Rip Van Winkle won the Group 3 Grangeown stud stakes. Monevassia has a yearling colt by champion Australian sire Fastnet Rock. 

Tapestry will be sure to take her place in Coolmore's broodmare band. Future targets have not yet been discussed, but with her improving all the time she is defiantly a filly to keep an eye on as the season progresses. 

Arqana August Yearling Sale: Top Five Lots

Lot 1 Bay Filly by Monsun x Sesuela (Dashing Blade)

Price: €1,200,000

Buyer: Tony Nerses

This filly was the star attraction of the sale and rightly so. She is a full sister to German Oaks winner Soberania, while her half brother Seismos was also a Group 1 winner & another half sister Samba Brazil is a dual Group winner. Their dam Sesuela, herself is a half sister to five times Group 1 winner Sciapperelli, whose wins included the German Derby, dual Group 1 winner Samum, who also won the German Derby & German Oaks winner Salve Regina, who was second in the German derby. Sciapperelli, Samum & Salve Regina are also all by Monsun, making them 3/4 siblings to this filly. Another of Sesuela's 1/2 sisters is the unraced Sanwa, the dam of unbeaten German Derby winner & Arc favourite Sea The Moon. Sasuela's 2yo is a full brother to this filly named See The White, he is owned by Godolphin. 

Lot 178 Bay Colt by Invincible Spirit x Prudenzia (Dansili)

Price: €1,100,000

Buyer: Peter & Ross Doyle

This colt was also has star quality written all over him. He is a 1/2 brother to Ish Oaks winner & Goffs record breaker Chicquita, who cost €600,000 at this sale in 2011. While his other 1/2 sisters include 2yo winner Sinnamary, who sold at this sale for €1,000,000 in 2012. They are out of the LR winning Prudenzia, herself a 1/2 sister to Group 3 winner Pacifque, also by Montjeu. This is from the immediate family of Triple Oaks winner Alexandrove, Group 1 winning 2yo Magical Romance & Group 2 Lancahsire oaks winner Pongee. Prudenzia has a 2yo full sister to Sinnamary named Truth, who was sold in 2013 for €1,000,000 at Arqana. She is in training with Aidan O'Brien. 

Lot 81 Bay Filly by Galileo x Dance Secretary (Danehill Dancer) 

Price: €1,000,000

Buyer: Anthony Stroud B/S

This filly is the first foal out of Group 3 Irish guineas trial winner Dance Secretary. She is a 1/2 sister to American Grade 1 miler Perfect Soul, as well as Grade 3 winner Dimonthia. This is from a well known American family of Stakes winners including multiple LR winner Sand Ridge, LR winner Grade 1 Placed StopShoppingMaria & Grade 1 winner Flashy Bull.

Lot 30 Bay Filly by Invincible Spirit x Tonnara (Linamix)

Price: €850,000

Buyer. MV Magnier

This filly looks Ballydoyle bound after being secured by Coolmore who know the family. Coolmore stand this fillies 1/2 brother Most Improved, who won the "sire making" St James Palace stakes he was also placed in the Dewhurst as a 2yo . This fillies other 1/2 brother Ectot, is also a Group 1 winner, when he won the Criterium as a 2yo last year. They are out of Tonnara, herself out of LR winner Mahalia. Tonnara is a 1/2 sister to Group 3 & LR winning Albisola, while another 1/2 sister is Group 3 winner Bufera. Tonnara has a colt foal full brother to this yearling filly. 

Lot 140 Bay Colt by Dansili x Mambo Light (Kingmambo) 

Price: €850,000

Buyer: MV Magnier

This colt is also Coolmore bound & it's also a family they know well. He is the third foal out of the stakes winning Mambo Light. She is a 1/2 sister to dual Group 3 winner & broodmare Dietrich. Her progeny include the Group winning Beauty Bright. The second dam Picqotnil was second in the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac. She is a full sister to dual Group 1 winner Chimes Of Freedom, who went on to become a successful broodmare. Among her progeny are Grade 1 winners Aldebaran & Good Journey. Among Picqotnil's other 1/2 siblings include four time Grade 1 winner Denon, Imperfect Circle dam of multiple Group 1 winner & sire Spinning World. This is from the immediate family of Group 1 2yo Pathfork. Mambo Light has a colt foal by Invincible Spirit. 

Broodmare Focus: Bracelet

The outstandingly bred Bracelet was always guaranteed a place at stud, even before she became a valuable stakes winner. Bracelet ran six times, winning four of them including at Gr1 level. Her biggest success came when she won the Irish Oaks from Gr2 winner Tapestry & Epsom oaks third Volume. Also beaten down the field was Epsom oaks runner up Tarfasha. 

Bracelet, on her pedigree alone was always worth a few bob, but with a valuable fillies classic added to her CV, she is estimated to be worth over €10,000,000. Bracelet is by the late champion sire Montjeu, an exceptional source of Derby winners, he also does get the odd talented filly. He is starting to make good progress as a dam sire. 

It is Bracelet's exceptional dam line that most likely makes up half of her estimated cost. She is a daughter of the Group placed mare Cherry Hinton. From her first three foals, she produced Wading, a 2yo Group 2 winning full sister to Bracelet, her second was Lake Michigan, also a full brother he was unraced due to injury & is standing as a dual purpose sire at Park House Stud. Bracelet was next and she now has a yearling colt by Australian champion sire Fastnet Rock, making this colt inbred 3x3 to exceptional sire Danzig & 4x4 to the breed-shaping sire Northern Dancer. 

Cherry Hinton is a half sister to four individual Group 1 winners including dual derby winner & world champion stallion Galileo, Guineas/Derby & Arc winner Sea The Stars, who is also a leading young sire, Black Sam Bellamy, a dual Gr1 winning brother to Galileo & also a Group 1 sire, LR winning 2yo & Irish derby placed Born To Sea and Grade 1 winner My Typhoon, who sold for a world record 1,800,000gns as a foal. Among Cherry Hintons other half sisters include Epsom Oaks runners up Melikah & All To Beautiful. Melikah is already the dam of Group winner & Group 1 placed Masterstroke, & is grand dam of Group 2 wining Khawlah. While All To Beautiful produced Epsom oaks placed Wonder Of Wonders, as well as Group 3 placed Sparrow. 

They are all out of Arc winner Urban Sea, who needs little introduction. Urban Sea's sons or daughters were responsible for this years Epsom/Irish derby winner Australia (Galileo), unbeaten Epsom Oaks & King George winner Tagrhooda (Sea The Stars), runaway German Derby winner & Arc favourite Sea The Moon (Sea The Stars) & of course Irish Oaks winner Bracelet (Cherry Hinton). 

Montjeu crossed with Green Desert mares proved very successful, while his daughters mater with Green Desert sires has also produced Group 1 winners most notably Charm Spirit, (By Invincible Spirit out of a daughter of Montjeu). Two high class Green Desert sons available in Europe are Oasis Dream & Invincible Spirit, however with Green Desert being Bracelet's broodmare sire I don't see those matings being tried as I feel it's too close inbreeding which I'm personally not a fan of. 

Bracelet was retired shortly after her Irish Oaks win. Her sister Wading produced her first foal in America, when producing a filly by world class War Front, a son of Danzig. Coolmore have heavily supported War Front with some other high class maiden mares including LR winner Kissed, who produced a colt by the champion American sire. War Front for me would be a big favourite although I wouldn't rule out Coolmore's own champion American sire Giants Causeway, the sire of My Typhoon as a potential candidate. 

"Value" sires with first Yearlings in 2014

(1) Roderic O'Connor

This dual Group 1 winner has been a long time favourite of mine. Roderic O'Connor was a tough 2yo winning the Criterium International & being runner up to Frankel in the Dewhurst stakes. He then won a weak renewal of the Irish 2000 guineas. Roderic O'Connor is by proven sire of sires Galileo & is bred on the same sensational Galileo/Danehill cross as leading sire Teofilo as well as champion Frankel. His first foals proved popular at the sales with some individuals fetching up to €50,000. Roderic O'Connor stands for around €9,000 at Ballyhane Stud. 

(2). Lilbourne Lad

Lilbourne Lad was a very consistent & high class 2yo and was unlucky not to win a Group 1 when he was second in the Middle Park stakes. He was a Group 2 winner, when winning the Railway stakes and also won the LR Rochestown stakes. Lilbourne Lad was mainly retired to help cover some of the mares that were originally booked to his sire Acclamation. Lilbourne Lad has the credentials to be a nice Freshman sire for 2015. His first foals were very warmly recieved with some fetching up to €100,000. He stands at Rathbarry stud for €7,500. 

(3). Dick Turpin

Dick Turpin ran six times as a 2yo winning four times including when successful in the Group 2 Richmond stakes. He came back as a 3yo establishing himself as a leading miler when winning the Group 1 Prix jean prat beating Group 1 winner Siyouni. He was also second in the French 2000 guineas, St James Palace stakes and the 2000 guineas. He came back as a 4yo to be crowned champion older horse in Italy, when winning the Group 1 Premio Vittorio di Capua, Milan. Dick Turpin's first foals were nice strong individuals with one foal fetching 70,000gns at Tattersalls. His first yearlings should do well and he looks a nice bargain for breeders at £4,000. He stands at the National Stud in the UK. 

(4). Frozen Power

Frozen Power ran six times as a 2yo winning three times including the LR Prix haras De la huberie. At three he won the German 2000 guineas and was also second in the Group 3 UAE 2000 guineas. Frozen Power has a great pedigree being a 1/2 brother to Group 1 winner Finsceal Beo, who was a European champion 2yo & 3yo. Frozen Power himself sold for €500,000 as a yearling. His first foals sold for up to €82,000. He stands alongside Roderic O'Connor at a fee of €3,500. 

(5). Zoffany 

Zoffany was a leading 2yo winning the Grouo 1 Pheonix stakes and Group 3 Tyros stakes. He will be best remembered as the horse who got closest to the exceptional Frankel, when beaten 3/4 of a length into second in the Group 1 St James Palace stakes as a 3yo. Zoffany is also a 1/2 brother to Group 3 winning 2yo Wilshire Boulevard. Zoffany's first crop were all the rage with some fetching up to 130,000gns. He stands at Coolmore for a fee of €7,500. 

(6). Elusive Pimpernel

Elusive Pimpernel was a high class 2yo wen second in the Group 1 RP trophy. He also won the Group 3 Craven stakes as a 3yo. Elusive Pimpernel shares his family with high class filly Snow Fairy & proven sire Big Bad Bob, whom he stands alongside. Elusive Pimpernel stands at just €1,000 at the Irish National Stud. His first foals sold reasonably well with some fetching up to €33,000. I am anticipating how is yearlings will fare in the coming weeks.