Pedigree Insights
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Andrew Caulfield, August 1, 2006–Gaudeamus P EDIGREE INSIGHTS Gaudeamus=s price made her one of the cheapest yearlings by Distorted Humor at Keeneland last year, BY ANDREW CAULFIELD when the WinStar stallion achieved an average price of around $190,000 and a top price of $1,100,000. One Saturday, Leopardstown, Ireland possible explanation for her comparatively modest price ROBERT H. GRIFFIN DEBUTANTE S.-G2, i125,000, was her birthday of May 23. Only last week I Leopardstown, 7-29, 2yo, f, 7fT, 1:31.95, gd. commented in this column that Aalthough a late birth 1--@GAUDEAMUS, 124, f, 2, by Distorted Humor date certainly doesn=t help in the sales ring, it doesn=t 1st Dam: Leo's Lucky Lady (SP-US), by Seattle Slew automatically consign the youngster to failure.@ Gaudeamus s foaling date has clearly not been a 2nd Dam: Konafa, by Damascus = major handicap for her and she gained her first win on 3rd Dam: Royal Statute, by Northern Dancer May 17, six days before her actual second birthday. ($60,000 yrl '05 KEESEP). O-Mrs J S Bolger; Even so, her late birthday suggests that we still haven=t B-Manganard LLC; T-Jim Bolger; J-Kevin Manning; seen the best of this very tough filly, who is expected i81,250. Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-0, i128,953. *1/2 to step into Group 1 company on her next start. to Leo=s Luckyman (Woodman), MGSP-GB, $119,451. GAUDEAMUS, f, 2004 Click for the Racing Post chart or the free brisnet.com Raise a Native Mr. Prospector Gold Digger catalogue-style pedigree. Forty Niner Tom Rolfe File Continue Having spent more time during my schoolboy years Distorted Humor Northern Dancer studying form, rather than Virgil=s Aeneid as I was Danzig Pas de Nom supposed to, my recall of Latin isn=t nearly as good as it Danzig’s Beauty Mr. Leader should be. I seem to remember, though, that Sweetest Chant Agaudeamus@ means Alet us rejoice.@ Gay Sonnet Boldnesian Well, Mrs. Jackie Bolger, the owner of a two-year-old Bold Reasoning Reason to Earn Distorted Humor filly of that name, certainly has reason Seattle Slew Leo’s Lucky Lady Poker to rejoice. Her filly is now the winner of three of her My Charmer SP, 11-2-2-1, Fair Charmer five starts in Ireland, with her only losses coming $45,800 Sword Dancer against colts, and Gaudeamus=s wins include a Listed 10Fls, 1GSW, Konafa Damascus race and the G2 Debutante S. The youngster=s earnings 1GSP G1SP-GB, 8-1-2-1, Kerala $25,584 Royal Statute Northern Dancer already equate to nearly $130,000, which underlines 13Fls, 2Ch, 3GSW what a bargain she was when she was purchased for 11Fls, 1Ch, 3GSW Queen’s Statute (GB) only $60,000 from the Lane=s End consignment last September. Caulfield cont. www.coolmore.com Gaudeamus=s price is made all the more remarkable European turf performers than some of Mr Prospector=s by the fact that her dam, Leo=s Lucky Lady, is a other sons. However, he was represented by nothing half-sister to Korveya, who equalled the then-record better than the listed winners Island of Silver, Luhuk price for a broodmare of $7 million when she was and Ruznama from more than 20 runners in Britain, and offered at Keeneland in 1998. Korveya=s price reflected his only European group success came in a German the fact that this French Group 3 winner had become Group 3, via Miss Tobacco. one of the few mares with three individual Classic European buyers and breeders weren=t prepared to winners to her credit. take much of a risk with most of Forty Niner=s Korveya=s Classic winners--Hector Protector numerous stallion sons, one exception being (Woodman), Shanghai (Procida) and Bosra Sham Coronado=s Quest, who sired an ultimately (Woodman)--are by no means the only top performers disappointing Group 2 winner and a listed winner from from this outstanding family. The other Group his European representatives. 1-winning descendants of Gaudeamus=s fourth dam So why should Distorted Humor do any better? Queen=s Statute include Awaasif, Snow Bride, Perhaps the crucial factor is that his dam is a Grade II- Lammtarra, Brief Truce, Ciro, Mercedes Won, winning daughter of Danzig, a stallion to whom Passinetti, Sunstrach and Yearly Report. European racing owes a huge debt. It is also All three of Korveya=s Classic winners were by sons encouraging that Distorted Humor has sired the of Mr. Prospector, who himself sired Leo=s Lucky Lady=s occasional good turf horse in the U.S., such as the high-class half-sister Proskona, a sprinter with a lofty Grade I-winning Fourty Niners Son, and that he did Timeform rating of 127. In the circumstances, it is no quite well in the two seasons he shuttled to Australia. surprise that the Mr. Prospector male line has His 121 Australian foals included four local stakes dominated the broodmare career of Leo=s Lucky Lady, winners, headed by Rinky Dink (G1 Australasian Oaks) who was second in a five-furlong turf stakes race at the and Tirade (G3 Guineas Prelude). Hello Pretty, another Meadowlands as a three-year-old. Australian-bred son of Distorted Humor, won the G2 Woodman, Gone West, Seeking the Gold, Hong Kong Derby Trial in March. Kingmambo and Fusaichi Pegasus have all sired foals It will be interesting to see whether Honest from Leo=s Lucky Lady. Her three foals by Woodman Prospector, a two-year-old son of Distorted Humor--Star included Leo=s Luckyman, who filled the show spot in Nurse (Eastern Echo), can eventually add to his sire=s two group races as a juvenile in 2001 and was rated as reputation in Britain and Ireland. This $450,000 yearling high as 110 when he won over 13 miles as a six-year- is in training with Sir Michael Stoute. old. As her Fusaichi Pegasus filly wasn=t foaled until May 20, 2003, Leo=s Lucky Lady=s owners must have considered resting her. However, May 2003 had also seen the Kentucky Derby and Preakness S. fall to Funny Cide, a Distorted Humor gelding with a granddaughter of Seattle Slew as his dam. As a daughter of Seattle Slew, Leo=s Lucky Lady was given her chance with Distorted Humor, another incentive being that Distorted Humor=s sire Forty Niner had sired the stakes-winning Luhuk from this family. As Distorted Humor=s fee currently stands at $150,000, it is easy to forget that the services of this very good stallion had cost as little as $10,000 in 2002 before being doubled on the strength of his impressive achievements as a freshman sire. For me, Gaudeamus=s emergence as a group winner is reason to rejoice, as there have long been doubts about the suitability of the Forty Niner male line for racing on turf in Europe. This sort of theory tends to be self- perpetuating: with few breeders and buyers willing to attempt to buck the trend, the end result is that the theory gains added credence. Runners by Distorted Humor have been few and far between in Britain and Ireland--he had had only three runners and no winners to the end of last year--so Gaudeamus=s exploits should open a window of opportunity for her sire. The European prejudice against this branch of the Mr. Prospector male line started with Forty Niner. With a granddaughter of Ribot as his dam, Forty Niner theoretically had a better chance of siring high-class.