While many of the Triple Crown winners made at least a dent at stud with their first generations, their names can still be found in the pedigrees of today’s notable runners – some of them front and center, and others buried deep within the bloodlines.
As the Mr. Prospector male line has expanded rapaciously over the last 30 years or so, it has remained an almost entirely American phenomenon in the eyes of the international breeding community. Although scions of Mr. Prospector account for almost as many American graded stakes winners each year as those of Northern Dancer, his male-line descendants are far less prolific in Europe, the Antipodes, South America, and Japan. What then are we to make of the results of the two major international classic races run on May 31 in two different hemispheres?
It is an accomplishment just to have qualified for the Grade 1, $750,000 Ruidoso Quarter Horse Futurity on Sunday. The field of 10 was determined after 32 trial races were conducted over two programs in May. Of the record 311 horses entered in the trials, Fine Oak Corona and Memphis D Nasty emerged as the fastest qualifiers and figure to start as the top choices in the finale Sunday.
Kikisoblu, a romping winner in her Emerald Downs debut, will be a much shorter price Sunday when she headlines the $50,000 Washington State Legislators Handicap for fillies and mares.
A New York girl proved best in the $150,000 Jersey Girl Stakes, as Cavorting, the only prior winner at Belmont Park in the field, rallied on the outside to win the six-furlong event for 3-year-old fillies Friday.
Protonico, a multiple graded stakes winner, became the latest horse to be impacted by a virus running through trainer Todd Pletcher’s barn, and he was removed from consideration for next Saturday’s Grade 1 Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs.
Cliff Berry’s talent, work ethic, professionalism, and honesty have helped him notch more than 20 riding titles in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas over the course of his 35 years in the saddle. But come December, the 52-year-old journeyman plans to call it a career. Berry presently is riding at Lone Star Park near Dallas, and when the meet ends in July, he will head to his home track of Remington Park in Oklahoma City.
Real Impact, the Japan-based runner who won the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes in Australia on March 21, will have his third start of the year in Sunday’s $1,554,918 Yasuda Kinen at a mile on turf at Tokyo Racecourse in Japan.
Conspicuous by his absence from Saturday’s Grade 1 Manhattan at Belmont Park was Imagining, who was held out of that race to point for the Grade 1 United Nations at Monmouth Park on July 5.
Michael de Kock has been an extremely successful trainer in South Africa and Dubai, and he’s strongly considering opening up a stable in North America in the next few years.
