Seeking the Gold has big broodmare influence

Claiborne Farm stalwart Seeking the Gold, who died last week at age 31, will have an enduring impact for generations thanks to his outstanding résumé as a broodmare sire, as evidenced by Lord Nelson’s victory in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes on Sunday at Del Mar.

Lord Nelson, who is by Pulpit and out of the Seeking the Gold mare African Jade, has developed into one of the better older sprinters on the West Coast, winning all three of his starts this season. He took last month’s Grade 1 Triple Bend Stakes at Santa Anita prior to winning the Bing Crosby.

Seeking the Gold’s best-known grandson is the champion Blame, who handed the champion Zenyatta her only loss in the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic. Blame, by the late Claiborne Farm stallion Arch, raced as a homebred for the historic farm and longtime partner Adele B. Dilschneider and took up residence in the stallion barn upon the conclusion of his own career. Seeking the Gold also sired the dams of Eclipse Award winners Take Charge Brandi, Questing, and She Be Wild.

In all, his daughters have produced 76 graded stakes winners with combined progeny earnings of more than $213.8 million. The group includes Grade/Group 1 winners Point of Entry, Pine Island, Excellent Art, Dancing Forever, White Moonstone, Majestic Warrior, Warrior’s Reward, Swift Temper, Good Reward, Carriage Trail, Lighthouse Bay, Pomeroy, Better Lucky, Mushka, Internallyflawless, Riskaverse, and Robe Decollete.

There are three yearlings out of Seeking the Gold mares cataloged for next week’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected yearling sale, including a Paynter filly out of Trappings, the dam of She Be Wild.