Andrew Caulfield, February 22, 2005–Danzig Down Under P EDIGREE INSIGHTS Often, where close inbreeding is concerned, few breeders are prepared to experiment unless they can BY ANDREW CAULFIELD point to a successful precedent. This can become a Catch 22 situation and inbreeding to Danzig hasn’t been widespread. Its main successes have been the DANZIG DOWN UNDER Australian Group 1 winner Hit The Roof (inbred 2x3), Anyone trying to illustrate the impact Danzig’s the dual American Grade III winner Strolling Belle (2x3) descendants have made on Australian racing need look and the English Group 3 winner Foss Way (3x3). no further than the leading sires’ lists for the 2003-04 Hit The Roof is the most interesting of these, as he is season. The general sires’ table was headed by out of a Danehill mare and his win in the Victoria Derby Danzig’s son Danehill, who was recording his eighth of 2000 was very timely for Fusaichi Pegasus’ arrival in Australian championship in 10 years, and the Danzig 2001. male line accounted for six of the top 12 stallions, The 2000 Kentucky Derby winner covered 123 mares which featured four sons of Danehill. The dominance of in his first year in Australia (compared to “only” 87 in the Danzig/Danehill line was even more pronounced 2003 and 153 in 2004). Ninety-nine of those 123 among the sires of two-year-olds, accounting for six of first-season mares produced live foals and no fewer the top eight positions. than 22 of them were daughters of Danehill. Among So you can imagine that the arrival of Fusaichi these Danehill mares were the Group 1 winners Dane Pegasus--who is out of a Danzig mare--created Ripper, Danelagh, Danendri, Dashing Eagle and Joie something of a quandary for the many Australian Denise, together with the Group 2 scorers Precious breeders with mares by Danehill or his sons. Sending a Glitter and Cashier. Danehill mare to Fusaichi Pegasus would create 3x3 The list also included mares by Danehill’s sons inbreeding to Danzig, which some breeders would Danzero, Danewin and Flying Spur, as well as others by consider a bit too close for comfort. Danzig’s sons Chief’s Crown and Kashani. Inbreeding to The potential problem of inbreeding to Danzig, of Danzig is therefore going to receive a thorough testing via Fusaichi Pegasus’ Aussie offspring over the next course, was one of soundness, or the lack of it. few years. Remember, Danzig’s exciting debut victory in the June The experiment paid its first dividend at the end of of his two-year-old season was immediately followed last week when Flying Pegasus won the G3 by the discovery of bone chips. Away from the races Kindergarten S. over 5½ furlongs to put himself into for over 10 months, Danzig returned the following May the reckoning for the G1 Golden Slipper S. Another to record two impressive allowance victories. bred on the Fusaichi Pegasus-Danehill cross is Flying Unfortunately, X-rays taken after his third success Dansino, who was third in a Listed race on her debut. revealed that a slab fracture was developing in a knee Dr Green, the other promising Australasian stakes and Danzig was forced into retirement before he had winner by Fusaichi Pegasus, is out of a Last Tycoon mare. tackled stakes company. Flying Pegasus, who has also been second at Group 2 On the other hand, Danzig’s progeny have a level, appears to have his sire’s combination of plenty reputation for being sounder than their sire. Around of ability coupled with a hot temperament. I suspect three-quarters of his progeny have made it to the races that we will have to get used to this in some of and around 60 percent of his named foals have won. Fusaichi Pegasus’ progeny, as some of them give the More to the point, more than 18 percent of Danzig’s impression of being leery, highly strung types who will foals have become stakes winners, which is surely a require time to mature mentally. compelling incentive for trying to strengthen his But as long as any temperament problems are influence by inbreeding. balanced by above-average ability--as appears to be the All horses in the TDN are bred in North America, case--I don’t suppose the trainers will mind having to unless otherwise indicated work a little harder for their wages. Cont.

www.coolmore.com Flying Pegasus’ dam Cashier was also very effective as a juvenile, winning the G2 Silver Shadow S. It is good to see Danehill’s broodmare daughters beginning to come up with the goods. I can remember an American pedigree expert asking me years ago whether I had noticed that Danzig’s daughters were not doing particularly well as broodmares. I had to admit that the results hadn’t been impressive up to that point, but wondered whether the explanation had something to do with the standard of mare covered by Danzig in his early years. Of course, Danzig was never a bargain-basement stallion covering poor mares, but the overall quality of his mares surely rose significantly after his first runners propelled him to stardom in 1984. Danzig’s daughters from his later crops could therefore be expected to outshine those from his early crops. This has happened, with these mares producing Arch, Ecton Park, Distorted Humor, The Cliff’s Edge, Dancethruthedawn, Fusaichi Pegasus, Grass Wonder, Hula Angel, Soaring Free and Wonder Again. It is worth mentioning that Danzig’s daughters had five percent stakes winners among their foals up to November 1995, whereas that figure had risen to seven percent nine years later. I think that we can expect a similar improvement in Danehill’s record as a broodmare sire, at least in the northern hemisphere. His fee in Ireland slid over his first few seasons, sinking as low as IR9,000gns, so it would be wrong to expect the daughters from these early crops to fare as well as Danehill’s younger daughters. The situation may be different in Australia, where Danehill’s tremendous talents were recognised much sooner. Thorn Park, Hit The Roof, Barely A Moment, Sunday Joy and Unworldly have already become Group 1 winners in Australia for Danehill mares and Flying Pegasus could well develop into another.