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Home , 2009 Epsom Derby, Artie Schiller, Authorized (horse)

Bill Oppenheim, October 23-Who’s the Daddy?

WHO’S THE DADDY? This is an exciting time of the racing season: the year-end championships. On Oct. 6, France hosted an outstanding day of racing culminating in the sensational victory by Treve () over a good field in the G1 Prix de l=Arc de Triomphe. Last weekend, British Champions Day saw outstanding soft-ground performances by Olympic Glory (Choisir)--like Treve, owned by racing=s newest high-profile star owner, Sheikh Sadler’s Wells Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani of Qatar-- in the G1 Queen Elizabeth S. at a mile; and by Godolphin=s Farhh (Pivotal), who bested the evergreen Cirrus des Aigles (Even Top) and G1 winner () in an exciting three-horse finish in the G1 S. In 10 days= time we have the world-class two-day Breeders= Cup meeting at Santa Anita, in which Andrew Lloyd-Webber=s 4-year-old , The Fugue (Dansili), could be the hottest favorite of the meeting to topple the boys in the GI Breeders= Cup Turf. It=s all happening. It=s the 30th anniversary of the Breeders= Cup this year, and one of the features will be a television program highlighting some of the great moments in Breeders= Cup history: Personal Ensign nailing Winning Colors in the 1988 GI Breeders= Cup Distaff; Sunday Silence defeating Easy Goer in the 1989 GI Breeders= Cup Classic; Awesome Again=s win in an epic 1998 edition of the Classic; Zenyatta beating the boys in the 2009 Classic, when the roof nearly came off Santa Anita. This month=s racing is memorable, not simply because it=s the best racing going on now, but also because we will consider today=s top racing in the context of the great performances of yesteryear. A decade turns out to be a long time in the game. For example, 10 years ago, at the end of the 2003 racing season, the Sadler=s Wells sire line was a question mark; the jury was out. Though he was racking up his 13th (and 12th consecutive) British and Irish sire championship (his 14th and last would come in 2004), and his 12th (and 11th consecutive) European sire championship, the prospects for his sire line were far from secure. In an environment where speed was already king, he was more a staying sire. At the end of 2003, Sadler=s Wells= standing as a sire of sires actually depended primarily on:

$ In The Wings (1986), from “’ October 2 sale last week achieved a remarkable clearance rate of Sadler=s Wells= 79.3% from the catalogue, meaning a sky-high four of every five yearlings first crop, was a catalogued were sold – like Keeneland September Week 2, though a remarkable Triple Group 1 clearance rate in North America seems to be 73%. October 2 was up 25% in winner at four in average, to 47,529 gns., which translates to just a hair under $80,000. High demand at that level is great news, but studmasters need to be careful that any 1990, including stud fee increases are kept to a little, not a lot.” - Bill Oppenheim the G1 Breeders= Cup Turf and G1 In the Wings breederscup.com . His first crop included Singspiel (1992), who was a four-time G1 winner at four and five, including the G1 Japan Cup and the second Dubai World Cup (in 1997, when it was still a listed Race), and ran second in the GI Breeders= Cup Turf. Singspiel was a successful sire, though if In The Wings survives as a branch of the Sadler=s Wells sire line, it is actually more likely to be through Soldier Hollow (2000), a four-time Group 1 winner in Germany and Italy who raced through seven, but is now the most expensive sire in Germany (i15,000 for 2014), and is the sire of 2012 G1 German Derby winner Pastorius (2009), who will himself enter stud in Germany in 2014. TATTERSALLS OCTOBER PART 2 (IN GNS) YEAR CAT RING SOLD %W/D %S/R %S/C GROSS AVG $ Barathea (1990) was second to Zafonic in the 1993 2013 965 878 765 9.0% 87.1% 79.3% 36,359,500 47,529 G1 English 2000 Guineas and won the Irish version; as 2012 1,043 937 788 10.2% 84.1% 75.6% 31,039,000 39,390 2011 833 750 635 10.0% 84.7% 76.2% 25,284,500 39,818 a 4-year-old, in 1994, he won the GI Breeders= Cup 2010 1,031 929 685 9.9% 73.7% 66.4% 22,241,900 32,470 Mile. He was a useful sire, but not a top-flight sire. He 2009 820 733 606 10.6% 82.7% 73.9% 20,565,500 33,936 didn=t make Sadler=s Wells a sire of sires. 2008 847 719 509 15.1% 70.8% 60.1% 19,672,700 38,650

$ (1989) turned out to be a real surprise package at stud in North America. Winner of the G1 National S., Ireland=s most important 2-year-old race, he disappointed at three and was sold from Ballydoyle to Frank Stronach, with the Sangster family, which owned a piece of him at Ballydoyle, retaining an interest. He proved a big success, and was the second-best sire from the 1994 sire crop, behind a horse called A.P. Indy. Though El Prado was established as a very useful sire by the end of 2003, when Medaglia d=Oro had just run second in his second consecutive GI Breeders= Cup Classic and Kitten=s Joy and Artie Schiller were promising 2-year-olds, not that many experts would have predicted he was about to establish a bridgehead for the Sadler=s Wells sire line in North America. TATTERSALLS OCTOBER YEARLINGS TOTAL (IN GNS) $ Finally, there was Fort Wood, like In The Wings and YEAR CAT RING SOLD %W/D %S/R %S/C GROSS AVG Barathea either bred and/or raced by Sheikh 2013 1,778 1,587 1,320 10.7% 83.2% 74.2% 109,006,800 82,581 2012 1,886 1,680 1,405 10.9% 83.6% 74.5% 100,811,100 71,752 Mohammed. Fort Wood, who was out of the 2011 1,687 1,504 1,222 10.8% 81.3% 72.4% 78,783,000 64,471 off-the-graph blue hen mare Fall Aspen, won the 2010 2,230 1,957 1,418 12.2% 72.5% 63.6% 72,327,100 51,006 G1 Grand Prix de when it was still a 10-furlong 2009 1,962 1,754 1,372 10.6% 78.2% 69.9% 76,772,000 55,956 race and had become a leading sire in South Africa, 2008 1,943 1,665 1,190 14.3% 71.5% 61.2% 72,309,000 60,764 But that was it. Data compiled by Brianne Stanley The superstar racehorse was about to have He has been champion sire, both in Britain/Ireland and his first 2-year-olds racing in 2004, and Galileo was Europe as a whole four times, and is odds-on to be the about to have his first yearlings. But the whole champion sire for the fifth time this year. He=s also landscape for the Sadler=s Wells sire line looked a lot been leading sire of 2-year-olds twice, the years New different than it does now. Approach and were 2-year-olds. His celebrated Montjeu was champion sire in France the year he had cross with the Danzig line, especially Danehill, is one of his first 3-year-olds in the most powerful seen for a long time: Frankel, 2005, which has Teofilo, and Intello this year are all out of Danehill actually been his only mares. sire championship. He Galileo=s first two major sons at stud are both Darley has been runner-up to stallions, bought from owner-trainer and--in the case of Galileo on a quite a Teofilo--breeder Jim Bolger. Teofilo was the unbeaten few lists. What champion European Montjeu has done is 2-year-old of 2006, sired four G1 Epsom but unfortunately Derby winners in his never made it back to first nine crops of the races. He=s the Motivator lequesnay.com 3-year-olds. The first, leading North Motivator, from American/European Montjeu=s first crop and who won the 2005 Derby, third-crop (1st foals took a while to get going himself, but last year had the 2009, first 4-year-olds impressive G1 Prix de l=Opera winner Ridasiyna and this 2013) sire by progeny Racing Post year, of course, has the unbeaten >Arc= winner Treve. earnings this year. He=s a certainty to be champion sire in France this year. New Approach was similarly unbeaten as a 2-year-old Montjeu=s second Derby winner, Authorized, from his in 2007. Then, after losing twice at a mile to third crop, won the 2007 Derby and had his first foals Henrythenavigator in the G1 English and G1 Irish 2000 in 2009, so he has first 4-year-olds 2013. He was Guineas, he bounced back to win the 2008 G1 Epsom looking pretty shaky until midway through this year, Derby. New Approach=s first crop of 3-year-olds this but has since had two year includes two Classic winners: Dawn Approach, Group 1-winning from his first crop in Europe-- unbeaten European champion 2-year-old of 2012 and Ambivalent won the G1 Pretty Polly S. at The Curragh winner of this year=s G1 English 2000 Guineas; and this summer, and the lightly raced G1 winner Talent. won last weekend=s G1 British Champions Day Filly & Galileo is the sire of probably the highest-rated horse Mare S.--as well as a Group 1-winning 3-year-old in in European history, Frankel, who retired to stud this . Ironically, all four Northern Hemisphere year after an unbeaten G1 winners by Montjeu=s two Derby-winning sons are career of 14 starts for fillies, whereas Montjeu himself displayed a distinct colt owner-breeder Prince bias. Khalid Abdullah. The Montjeu=s other two Derby winners are Coolmore form of Frankel=s wins residents: , who won the 2011 Derby, has his has been advertised first foals coming up to the sales this year; and over and over again by , who won the 2012 G1 English 2000 Guineas horses like as well as the Derby, will Excelebration, Cirrus be settling in at Frankel Racing Post des Aigles, and Farhh, Coolmore as we speak. Montjeu still has two all of whom are top more full crops of Group 1 winners as 3-year-olds to come, long as Frankel=s not in including this year=s G2 the room. Beresford S. winner Coolmore=sRip Van Geoffrey Chaucer, so he Winkle, whose first might yet have another Camelot Racing Post yearlings have Derby winner up his averaged about sleeve. Montjeu, who died at the end of March 2012, $120,000 and was always a >top-five sire= in Europe, but the only impressed the >judges,= Nathaniel Racing Post horse we can actually compare the 2001 had similar experiences G1 Epsom and and >King George= winner with a certain , but away from him, he Galileo to is Sadler=s Wells himself. Galileo is was a Group 1 winner at eight and 10 furlongs and is indisputably the world=s number one sire. Galileo=s next major son due to have runners. Coolmore also has Cape Blanco, who won the G1 Kitten=s Joy was more typical of the Sadler=s Wells Irish Derby and G1 Irish Champion S. as a 3-year-old in line in that he won the Eclipse Award as champion turf 2010, came to the U.S. in 2011 where he won three male in 2004. His first crop arrived in 2007 and, though Grade I=s in three starts and was named champion male used primarily as a private stallion for the Ramsey turf horse. He stands at Ashford, Coolmore=s Kentucky family to begin with, at this writing he=s the leading sire arm, and has his first foals coming to the sales this in North America by progeny earnings for 2013 (just year. under $10 million), including 22 Besides Frankel, who stood for black-type winners and five Grade I ,125,000 (near enough US$200,000) winners this year. One of those, and whose first mares will be selling in- Stephanie=s Kitten, had been foal for no doubt astronomical sums this instrumental in propelling Kitten=s Joy to year, another top-class son of Galileo the 2011 North American leading sire of who retired in 2013 is Newsells Park=s 2-year-olds title with her win in that MG1SW Nathaniel. year=s GII Breeders= Cup Juvenile Fillies= Winner of the G1 >King George= as a Turf. A third son of El Prado, WinStar=s 3-year-old in 2011 and the G1 Eclipse S. Artie Schiller, upset none other than at four in 2012, Nathaniel also showed in the 2005 GI Medaglia d’Oro darleystallions.com incredibly consistent top-class form for Breeders= Cup Mile. owner-breeder Lady Rothschild and trainer John His best up until this month was the GII winner Mr. Gosden. He=s another son of Galileo to have a real shot Commons, but on opening weekend at Keeneland, he at being a top-class sire. The leader of the 2014 class had the winners of both Grade I 2-year-old races, My of retiring sons of Galileo must be Intello, winner of the Conquestadory (GI Alcibiades S.) and We Miss Artie (GI 2013 G1 Prix du Jockey-Club (French Derby) over 2100 Breeders= Futurity), so he goes into next weekend=s meters, and placed in both the G1 Poule d=Essai des Breeders= Cup with two live chances to upgrade his Poulains (French 2000 Guineas) at a mile and the >Arc= rating. at a mile and a half. Bred and owned by the Wertheimer Following Galileo=s win in the 2001 G1 Epsom Derby, Brothers, it=s just been announced that he will do his followed up for Sadler=s Wells by first two seasons at Cheveley Park in England, then winning the 2002 version before also adding the G1 move to France for the 2016-2017 seasons at the Irish Derby, and scoring the first of his two wins (the Haras du Quesnay. On deck for 2015 we can expect second a dead-heat with Johar) in the GI Breeders= Cup this year=s G1 Epsom Derby winner Ruler of the World, Turf. High Chaparral has arguably been the best son of as well as a few others we don=t know about yet. So Sadler=s Wells in Australasia, where he has sired So You the story here is that Galileo is indeed going to have Think, bought into by Coolmore and winner of 10 some more serious chances to enhance his credentials Group 1 races, five in each hemisphere, and now a as a sire of sires, given he has made a very good start Coolmore dual-hemisphere stallion; and It=s a Dundeel, in that department with Teofilo and New Approach. himself now a five-time Group 1 winner in Australia. Now we must return to El Prado, 10 years on. Dirt High Chaparral=s best horse >up north= is the current horse Medaglia d=Oro closed out his career with another 3-year-old Toronado, winner of the G1 Sussex S. over second to Pleasantly Perfect (he=d been second to him Dawn Approach, and a very live contender for next in the previous year=s GI Breeders= Cup weekend=s Breeders= Cup meeting, should Classic) in the 2004 G1 Dubai World he make the trip. Cup. He retired to stud to Stonewall The last of Sadler=s Wells= 23 crops was Farm in 2005, had his first foals in foaled in 2008, so his story as a sire is 2006, and first runners in 2008. Once just about written: according to the TDN Rachel Alexandra beat the boys in the Lifetime Cumulative Earnings General Sire 2009 GI Preakness S., his status was List (click here), Sadler=s Wells has sired assured. Within a month, his move to 1,699 runners; 1,114 winners; a record Darley was announced, and since then 294 black-type winners (about 13% of his he=s been a $100,000 stallion who=s more than 2,200 foals); 167 group enjoyed fantastic support. He was an winners, of which 73 are Group 1 absolutely top-class racehorse--five winners. His almost 1,700 runners have times he ran Beyers between 117-120-- Kitten’s Joy ramseyfarm.com earned more than $133 million. Galileo is and he=s making a very good sire, already up to ninth on the list, with 33 indeed, through hardly typical of the Sadler=s Wells line, Group 1 winners and the earners of almost $84 million. which on the whole doesn=t really operate on dirt, or El Prado is 10th with the earners of more than $79 even very well on synthetic surfaces. million, and Montjeu ranks 13th with 22 Group 1 winners and the earners of more than $75-million in 10 crops. That=s $370 million in earnings right there, so it=s probably a pretty conservative guess to estimate the Sadler=s Wells sire line is responsible for the earners of over half a billion dollars. And the line is still expanding, not shrinking: a recent table showed seven of Timeform=s eight top-rated 3-year-olds in Europe in 2013 are by Galileo, his sons New Approach and Teofilo, Montjeu, and High Chaparral. And possibly the last son of Sadler=s Wells himself to stand in a major breeding center is Bullet Train, a Group 3 winner in his own right but much better known as thereafter the regular workmate for his 3/4-brother by Galileo, Frankel. Any horse getting Frankel to break sweat must be worth a look at his $7,500 fee, standing his second season this coming year at the McLean family=s Crestwood Farm near Lexington. Bill Oppenheim may be contacted at [email protected] (please cc TDN management at [email protected]). Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/billoppenheim.