King's Silver Son liable to flourish going long

Fair Grounds

Kings Silver Son won a one-mile maiden race on Jan. 21 add him to the growing list of lightly raced 3-year-olds on the Triple Crown trail. By a rising young star in the stallion ranks, Mizzen Mast, he is out of the Dynaformer mare River Dyna, and while bred strongly for turf, has shown ability on dirt. With Mizzen Mast on top and Dynaformer on the bottom, Kings Silver Son is inbred to the super broodmare Flower Bowl (dam of full brothers Graustark and His Majesty) and is bred to appreciate a route of ground and should only improve with maturity.

H Unbridleds Song, a known source of speed, is the sire of Eight Belles, a 3-year-old filly trained by Larry Jones who won a mile and-40-yard allowance on Jan. 21 by 15 lengths. Eight Belles is out of the stakes-winning Dixieland Band mare Away, who is from the classy female family of champion Straight Deal, one of the best racemares of the 1960s who descends from the immortal matron La Troienne. Eight Belless second dam is a half-sister to stakes winner and sire Belong to Me.

H Like distance, track surface plays a major role in pedigree handicapping, and on Jan. 24, Sax Appeal, a 3-year-old filly by strong off-track influence Successful Appeal, found a sealed, sloppy surface to her liking as she won a 5 1/2-furlong allowance by 3 1/4 lengths as the 4-5 favorite. Successful Appeal is from the Valid Appeal-In Reality-Intentionally sire line, which is well-known for its prowess on wet tracks.

Three races later on the same program, Nicksappealinglady, a 3-year-old filly by Successful Appeal, won a one-mile maiden race by 1 1/2 lengths after showing speed.

H Cactus Ridge is getting many winners from his first crop, including Cactus Tom, a 3-year-old gelding who won 1?1/16-mile maiden race by 7 1/4 lengths on Jan. 25. Cactus Ridge was undefeated in four starts as a 2-year-old, which included three stakes, the Arlington-Washington Futurity, James C. Ellis Juvenile, and Canterbury Park Juvenile. Cactus Ridge was injured and retired after his juvenile season, and his first crop enjoyed a successful season at 2. This son of Hennessy has a promising future. Cactus Toms second dam is a half-sister to 1959 Preakness Stakes winner Royal Orbit.

Aqueduct

American Whisper won a six-furlong maiden race by three-quarters of a length at 19-1 on the inner track on Jan. 27 after finishing ninth in her previous start on Nov. 2 on Aqueducts main track. American Whisper is a product of mating a sire (Quiet American) and a dam (Believe Indeed) who have the RF (Rasmussen Factor) as they each is inbred to a superior female. Quiet American is inbred to Cequillo and Believe Indeed is inbred to Kankakee Miss. Prominent Thoroughbreds descending directly from Cequillo include Dare and Go, Ruffled Feathers, Tequillo, Grand Splendor, Fappiano, Ogygian, Honour and Glory, Agacerie, Blue Finn, Dr. Patches, and Whos for Dinner. Kankakee Miss is the dam of Clever Trick and Bialy (dam of Alydeed). Stakes performers descending from Kankaee Miss include Secret Odds, Clever Power and Ajfan.

Golden Gate

On Jan. 21, Uncertain Heights, a 3-year-old gelding by the little-known but beautifully bred High Demand, won a one-mile maiden race by 5 1/2 lengths. High Demand is by Danzig and out of the Forli mare Jasmina, a half-sister to French champion and top European stallion Polish Precedent. Uncertain Heights is out of the Thunder Gulch mare Limbo Rock, and his fourth dam, Solar, is a half-sister to El Gran Senor, Try My Best, and Compliance. This is the female line of former Broodmare of the Year Best in Show which produced Rags to Riches, Jazil, Peeping Fawn, and Redoutes Choice.

Gulfstream

Lookalike, a 3-year-old Dynaformer filly out of the Mr. Prospector mare Hard to Copy, won a one-mile maiden race on the grass on Jan. 21 for Michael Matz, who, of course, trained another Dynaformer offspring, Barbaro. Lookalikes dam is a half-sister to stakes winner Behrens and Texas Tammy, the dam of current 3-year-old Cowboy Cal, winner of the Laurel Futurity and Tropical Park Derby.

H Mr. Greeley has been one of Gone Wests more successful sons at stud, getting winners on all surfaces, and on Jan. 21, Kentucky Bear, a 3-year-old colt by Mr. Greeley making his career debut, won a one-mile maiden race at 10-1, drawing off impressively to score by 6 1/2 lengths. Kentucky Bear is out of the stakes-winning Afleet mare Tate, a full sister to the multiple stakes winner Top Secret.

Three races later that day, Justin Rules, a 4-year-old son of Mr. Greeley out of the Vice Regent mare Victorious Vice, rallied to win a 1 1/16-mile allowance on turf at 8-1. Like many runners by hidden turf sire Mr. Greeley, Justin Rules has an affinity for grass.

H When a Nick Zito-trained 3-year-old colt wins a nine-furlong allowance in January, he gets noticed. On Jan. 21, Fierce Wind, who had won his previous start at Calder on Dec. 16, defeated seven other 3-year-old colts by 5 1/4 lengths in a wire-to-wire victory. Fierce Wind is by Dixie Union, the sire of Most Distinguished, whom Zito trained to win the Amsterdam Stakes last year. Fierce Wind is out of the A.P. Indy mare Post Parade, a full sister to stakes winner Parade Queen.

Santa Anita

Go Between became the latest turf runner to succeed on a synthetic surface when he won the Sunshine Millions Classic by two lengths on Jan. 26 for Bill Mott. Winner of the Virginia Derby and Palm Beach Stakes on grass, Go Between is by champion Point Given, who got off to a slow start at stud but whose offspring have recently had major success. In addition to Go Between, Point Given is also the sire of Air Commander, who won the San Fernando Stakes.