BREEDING INSIGHTS: New Mexican star shines in the Kingdom 01 March 2024 Free

WHILE it could hardly be described as a rags to riches story, victory for Señor Buscador in the $20-million Group 1 Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia last weekend did have some fairytale elements to it.

The six-year-old is a son of Mineshaft (A.P. Indy) who stands for a mere $10,000 at Lane’s End, where he has just turned 25. He is the sire’s eighth Grade or Group 1 winner, and he won in a thrilling finish to deny the seven-year-old Japanese challenger Ushba Tesoro by a head. Señor Buscador was bred in Kentucky by Joe Peacock senior and junior, and was the last horse they bred together.

Joe Peacock senior died during Señor Buscador’s sophomore year without realising his dream of having a runner in the Kentucky Derby. The colt had become a live hope when, after he won on his juvenile debut at Remington Park in November 2020, Señor Buscador returned the following month to take the Springboard Mile by almost six lengths.

A disappointing start to his three-year-old season was compounded when Señor Buscador injured a suspensory ligament in his right fore and didn’t race again for well over a year. During this enforced layoff, Joe Peacock senior died. Things started to look up when, on his return to the track in July 2022, Señor Buscador won an allowance at Lone Star. Later that season he added the Grade 3 Ack Ack Stakes at Churchill Downs, a prep for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland where he finished eighth.

Limits exposed

That result would have appeared to demonstrate that Señor Buscador had his limits exposed, but the colt’s owner and trainer never lost faith. Señor Buscador began 2023 with a long odds-on four-length success in the Curribot Handicap at Sunland Park in New Mexico, and he had another win later in the year in the Grade 2 San Diego Stakes.

His trainer Todd Fincher said: “Something bad always happens to him,” and if any horse racing presently has suffered as much bad luck as Señor Buscador, let me know. That said, since an unplaced run in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic, he was runner-up in both the Grade 2 Cigar Mile to another son of Mineshaft, Hoist the Gold, and to National Treasure in the Grade 1 Pegasus Invitational.

This was the seventh career win for Señor Buscador, and took his earnings to $11.5 million (€10.6 million), and makes him by a distance the leading money-winner for his sire. He is a half-brother to three other stakes winners, including Runaway Ghost (Ghostzapper) who won the Grade 3 Sunland Derby. Their dam, Rose’s Desert (Desert God), won 10 of her 15 starts, and she was a multiple stakes winner in New Mexico where she did all of her racing, at Sunland Park and Zia Park.

Leading sire

Rose’s Desert’s sire Desert God (Fappiano) was leading sire in New Mexico on multiple occasions. It is highly likely that Rose’s Desert will add to her haul of stakes winners.

Her three-year-old daughter Aye Candy (Candy Ride) won on her debut at Zia Park last November, she has a two-year-old filly, Rose A (Hard Spun), and a yearling colt, The Hell We Did (Authentic), and she was covered by Into Mischief (Harlan’s Holiday) last year. Plans for this season are to have her visit Uncle Mo (Indian Charlie).

Mineshaft was Horse of the Year in 2003 and is one of the last surviving sons of Horse of the Year A.P. Indy (Seattle Slew). He is responsible for 60 stakes winners and his progeny earnings are nudging closer and closer to $100 million.

Vadamos’ New Zealand star does it again

THE New Zealand-bred mare La Crique doubled her Group 1 tally when she won the weekend’s Otaki Maori WFA Stakes, adding to a previous success in the Matamata Arrowfield Stud Plate. She is the outstanding runner to date for Vadamos (Monsun) who is at Coolmore’s Grange Stud in Fermoy. His fee this year is €5,000.

This was a seventh career win for La Crique, and her stakes victories also number a win in the Group 2 Avondale Guineas. With earnings now over more than $900,000 in New Zealand, she has also hit the crossbar on a number of occasions, being runner-up in both the Group 1 New Zealand Derby and Otaki Maori WFA Stakes.

There have been a number of parts to the stallion career of Vadamos. He spent several seasons at Tally-Ho Stud, shuttled to New Zealand, and now is a member of the National Hunt team at Grange Stud where he moved to for the 2021 season, one that saw him attract 244 mares. His popularity hasn’t lessened and last year his book stood at more than 270 mares.

Vadamos’ New Zealand progeny also include the Group 3 winner Devastate, while the best of his performers on the flat in Europe is the Group 3 winner Spycatcher who was runner-up in the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest. He is also making waves with his National Hunt performers, led by King Of Kingsfield, a point-to-point, bumper and maiden hurdle winner at Leopardstown for Gordon Elliott and Gigginstown House Stud. His placed efforts include finishing second in the Grade 1 Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse.

The stallion also has winners and horses in training with Noel Meade, Willie Mullins, Venetia Williams Gavin Cromwell, Harry Fry and a number with Gordon Elliott. These results demonstrate that Vadamos can not only pass on speed and class to his progeny, but we know they can jump too.

Racing career

Vadamos was based in France throughout his racing career and began on a middle-distance trajectory, winning at up to listed level. In September of his four-year-old season his new trainer, André Fabre, brought him back to a mile and the result was a five-length Group 2 success in Germany.

Vadamos trounced classic star Ervedya in the Group 2 Prix du Muguet over the trip the following spring and added a three-length defeat of classic-placed Mr. Owen in the Group 3 Prix Messidor before completing his career with a sequence of four Group 1 performances.

He was a half-length runner-up to Ribchester in the Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville, beat Spectre by a length and a quarter to win the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp at Chantilly, and he then headed down under where, having finished fourth behind the great Winx in the Cox Plate over 10 furlongs at Moonee Valley, Vadamos then filled the same position in the Group 1 Emirates Stakes over the same trip at Flemington.

Vadamos is by an outstanding classic sire in Monsun (Konigsstuhl) whose sons have had tremendous success at stud. He is out of a half-sister to Group 1 scorer Valixir (Trempolino) and her relations also feature Grade 1 winner and classic sire Val Royal (Royal Academy).

Irish connection to latest Derby winner

LADY Christine Laidlaw’s Khaya Stables-homebred colt Green With Envy won Saturday’s Group 1 SplashOut Cape Derby over 10 furlongs at Kenilworth in South Africa.

The Dean Kannemeyer-trained Gimmethegreenlight (More Than Ready) colt came from the back of the field to win the classic under Craig Zackey, a tactic they had employed successfully to land the nine-furlong Group 3 Schweppes Politician Stakes.

The slowly-run race turned into something of a sprint. The time was nearly seven seconds slower than that recorded for the Met, the pace did not suit Green With Envy, yet he won by two and three-parts of a length from the only Group 1 winner in the field, Beach Bomb

Green With Envy won in the manner of a top-class horse, though critics point to the fact that the three-year-old crop does not appear to be a vintage one. Green With Envy has progressed since he finished fourth in the Group 1 Cape Guineas and is maturing into a high-class racehorse. He has shortened into 7/1 for the Hollywoodbets Durban July, and three-time July-winning trainer Dean Kannemeyer said he rates Green With Envy higher than his most recent three-year-old July winner Eyeofthetiger.

Green With Envy has a strong Irish connection. He is the third winner out of the Galileo (Sadler’s Wells) mare Miss Coco, and she won her only start in the colours of Lady Laidlaw Of Rothiemay when she landed the odds in a three-year-old maiden over 11 and a half furlongs at Wexford, trained by David Wachman. Bred by Kevin Molloy, Miss Coco sold as a foal through Kirsten Rausing’s St Simon Stud to Kennycourt Stud for 230,000gns, and was a profitable pinhook for Eugene McDermott when realising 360,000gns as a yearling to Charlie Egerton.

Honourable record

Miss Coco is out of Mohican Princess (Shirley Heights) who compiled an honourable record of having 13 foals, 11 runners and nine winners. She is a full-sister to Eye Of The Storm (Galileo), and his seven wins at up to two miles included the Group 3 Ballyroan Stakes at Leopardstown and three listed races. Mohican Princess is also dam of the dual Group 3 winner Satchem (Inchinor), a five-time winner.

Also out of Mohican Princess is Mohican Heights, by Galileo’s son Australia, and this dual juvenile scorer won five times in all, and in addition to landing a listed race at Salisbury he was placed in the Group 1 King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot. His siblings include three stakes-placed winners, Curbyourenthusiasm (Mastercraftsman) who was runner-up in the Group 2 Yorkshire Cup, Oui Say Oui (Royal Applause), second in the Group 2 Debutante Stakes, and Eastern Express (Fastnet Rock) who was group-placed a few times in Hong Kong.

Another own-sister to Miss Coco is Livia Galilei (Galileo) who won at the Curragh, Gowran Park and Sligo for Kevin Molloy when trained by Jim Bolger. She is the dam of winners and grandam of Rhea Moon (Starspangledbanner), winner of the 2022 Grade 1 American Oaks at Santa Anita, and her full-sister There’s the Door (Starspangledbanner) who chased home the subsequent Group 1 Irish Oaks winner and Group 1 Oaks second Savethelastdance in last year’s Listed Cheshire Oaks.

Champion sire

The Varsfontein Stud stallion Gimmethegreenlight commenced stud duties in South Africa in 2012. He started well and was the leading first season sire there in 2015/16. Consistently among the top rank, he has been champion sire twice, in 2020/21 and 2022/23. The Australian-bred raced in South Africa and was the best of his age there at three.

He won six races over two seasons from five furlongs to a mile. At two Gimmethegreenlight was successful in his first four starts, notably winning the six-furlong Listed Somerset Stakes, and placed at a mile in the Group 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes.

The following season he won the Group 1 Queen’s Plate, but found 10 furlongs a step too far in the Group 1 J&B Met. He became the first three-year-old in 42 years to win the Queen’s Plate, for the second time beating that year’s Horse of the Year, Variety Club.

At stud, Gimmethegreenlight has sired more than 100 domestic stakes winners, and in addition to the weekend’s classic winner, he is responsible for Group 1 winners Got The Greenlight (champion at two and three and winner of the Turffontein South African Classic, Champions Challenge, Horse Chestnut Stakes, Greyville Premiers Champion Stakes and Daily News 2000), Yulong Prince whose grandam was by Shirley Heights (Mill Reef), winner of the VRC Cantala Stakes and Greyville Daily News 2000 Stakes, Gimme A Prince (won Kenilworth Cape Flying Championship and Scottsville Golden Horse Sprint), She’s A Keeper (Greyville Garden Province Stakes), Lucky Lad (Scottsville Gold Medallion), Bless My Stars (champion filly, win Turffontein South African Fillies Classic), Sandringham Summit (champion juvenile colt, won Greyville Champion Stakes), and Gunner who won the Greyville Premiers Champion Stakes.

VALUED at a mere 10,000gns as a yearling, the Ben Sangster-bred Yellowbrick Road won on his only start for James Ferguson, over a mile at Kempton at the backend of his juvenile year. Yellowbrick Road then headed to Australia to join the stables of Patrick Kearney, and his 14 starts there have yielded three more victories, culminating in a Group 3 weekend success in the Lord Reims Stakes in Adelaide. The son of Golden Horn (Cape Cross) is just the latest big race winner for the stallion who is now standing for a fee of £10,000 at Overbury Stud.

Now Yellowbrick Road is one of eight pattern winners for Golden Horn, half of them being successful in Group 2 races; Trawlerman (British Champions Long Distance Cup), Gregory (Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot), Goldenas (Derby Italiano), and Botanik (Grand Prix de Deauville and second in both the Group 1 Critérium de Saint-Cloud and Group 1 Hong Kong Vase). In addition to the eight group winners, Golden Horn has had 14 other stakes winners on the flat.

National Hunt breeders are also appreciating Golden Horn for his ability to sire jumpers. While he is still waiting for a Group/Grade 1 winner under both codes, it will be interesting to see in which area the first one comes, as it surely will. Over hurdles Golden Horn is represented by Grade 2 winners Nusret (Adonis Juvenile Hurdle and placed in the Grade 1 Anniversary Juvenile Hurdle at Aintree), Stag Horn (Leamington Novices’ Hurdle), Grade 3 winner First Street (Gerry Feilden Handicap Hurdle and placed in the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle), and by the listed winners Pawapuri and Gold Charm.

Brilliant champion

Readers hardly need reminding that Golden Horn was a brilliant, 130-rated champion and classic winner who scored four times at the highest level as a three-year-old. He pipped Storm The Stars on his sole start at two and added the Listed Feilden Stakes at Newmarket, but though on course for Epsom, many doubted his ability to stay that distance.

That said, he was bred with the potential to stay, and improve for a step up in trip, so there was no real surprise when he followed his defeat of subsequent Irish Derby winner Jack Hobbs in the Group 2 Dante Stakes with a wider-margin victory against that colt in the Group 1 Derby at Epsom.

Golden Horn dismissed the Prix du Jockey Club-French Derby victor The Grey Gatsby in the Group 1 Eclipse Stakes next time, while his narrow defeat to Arabian Queen in the Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes was one of those results that can never be fully explained, but he bounced back with a memorable double, landing the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes and Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

He beat Found by a length in the former, Flintshire by two lengths in the latter, and although he didn’t win his final start, he lost nothing in defeat when a half-length second to Found in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland. Bred and raced by Anthony Oppenheimer, Golden Horn retired to stud at Dalham Hall at a fee of £60,000, but when early results with his runners did not match high expectations, that fee fell to £10,000 for his last year in Newmarket in 2022.

Introductory fee

Last season was Golden Horn’s first at Overbury, at an introductory fee of £8,000, and the owners of 180 broodmares thought this was value. With growing success and increasing popularity, his fee for this year has seen an increase.

Yellowbrick Road is the first foal out of Crystal Path (High Chaparral). This unraced mare is now the dam of three foals, Yellowbrick Road being followed by Sir John Monash (Sea the Stars) who was beaten half a length in a Limerick handicap last summer, and Bajan Blue (Masar), a three-year-old winner on her debut in January for Roger Varian.

Crystal Path is a daughter of the listed two-year-old winner Crystal Crossing (Royal Academy), and while only five of her 16 foals won, the list is headed by Rule Of Law (Kingmambo). Twenty years ago he won the Group 1 St Leger and was runner-up in the Group 1 Derby. Another of Crystal Crossing’s daughters, the Grade 2-placed multiple winner Dame Marie (Smart Strike), bred last year’s Grade 2 US juvenile winner Honor Marie (Honor Code).