The great French racehorse and sire Teddy, by Ajax, was unfortunate to be foaled in 1913 during World War I, and had few opportunities to race in France. Still he won six of his eight races in France and Spain, including the most important events available, and confirmed his genetic class by leading the French sire list in 1923. Teddy was imported to the U.S. in 1931 primarily because of the Triple Crown sweep in 1930 of his paternal grandson Gallant Fox, whose sire, Sir Gallahad III, led the sire list in 1930, 1933, 1934, and 1940. Sir Gallahad’s full brother Bull Dog was also imported and led the American sire list in 1943, and Bull Dog’s son Bull Lea topped the same list five times, most recently in 1953, ending a 23-year period where male line descendants of Teddy led the American sire list 10 times. The Teddy male line was then overwhelmed by the Phalaris revolution. Every leading American sire since Nasrullah’s first title in 1954 has been a male line descendant of Phalaris except Ambiorix (by Tourbillon) in 1959, Dr. Fager (Plaudit) in 1977, Nodouble (Hyperion) in 1981, and Broad Brush (Domino) in 1994. That left little room for the last great representative of the Teddy male line in America, 1967 Horse of the Year Damascus, who was Sword Dancer, by Sunglow, by Teddy’s American-bred son Sun Teddy. :: DRF BREEDING LIVE: Real-time coverage of breeding and sales Damascus climbed as high as second on the sire list (to What a Pleasure) in 1975, and his sons Private Account, Confidential Talk (in Argentina), Cutlass, and Time for a Change were all good sires, but none sired a viable successor. The last great runner from the Teddy male line in America was 1996 champion 3-year-old male, two-time champion older male and 1998 Horse of the Year Skip Away, by Skip Trial, a son of Damascus’s second-rate son Bailjumper. Though he was tough, game, and talented, Skip Away’s unfashionable pedigree and problematic conformation worked against him as a sire, and he sired only 21 black-type winners from 522 foals, the best of whom was probably Skipshot, who upset Sidney’s Candy in the 2010 Grade 2 Swaps Stakes. Skipshot has enjoyed very sparse opportunities at stud, siring only 30 foals from his first two crops, but one of them, Vasilika became the first American-bred Grade 1 winner for the Teddy male line since Skip Away in the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive at Santa Anita last Saturday. Bred in Kentucky by Summer Wind Farm, Skipshot was a full brother to Grade 3 winner Skip Code, out of stakes winner Heavenly Note, by Sunny’s Halo, from a solid but mostly middle-class female family. Sold for $62,000 to Burr Travis at the 2008 Keeneland September sale, he was resold for $120,000 at the 2009 OBS March sale to Miroslava Dorochenko and Muratbiy Karakotov in the name of Raut. Skipshot did not win in three starts at 2, both for trainer Bruce Dillenback, but captured his first three starts at 3 when transferred to Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. Fifth in the Santa Anita Derby and Laz Barrera, he improved to run second to Golden Itiz in the Grade 2 Affirmed before his upset of 2-5 favorite Sidney’s Candy in the Swaps. Skipshot remained in training for two more years, but never regained that form, winning only an allowance race at Golden Gate. Skipshot stands at Considine Farm near Paris, Ky., and is also sire of listed stakes winner Chance of Luck (by Winning Chance, by Alphabet Soup). Bred in Kentucky by Michael Yanakov, Vasilika is the fifth foal to live and first stakes winner out of La Belle Marquet, by Marquetry. La Belle Marquet has since produced three full siblings to Vasilika, the winning 3-year-old colt Golden Dragon, the placed 2-year-old filly Vasilisa, and a weanling colt. A maiden winner from two starts at 2, La Belle Marquet is full sister to multiple stakes winner Chris’s Bad Boy, who placed in the Grade 2 Nearctic Stakes. Their dam Good for Her, by Topsider, won six of 11 starts, including the Sweet Patootie Handicap at Detroit, and was half-sister to stakes-placed Sweet and Steady, by Steady Growth, dam of Grade 2 winner Sweet and Ready, by El Prado. Third dam Please Try Hard, by Nashua, was a graded-placed granddaughter of Bwamazon Farm foundation mare Nato, by Court Martial, grandam of Quack, It’s Freezing, and To The Quick. Vasilika began her career in claiming company, and was claimed by Hollendorfer from her 18th start. As with Skipshot, her transformation under Hollendorfer’s care has been little short of miraculous. She has reeled off seven consecutive victories, culminating in the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive, which followed a breakthrough graded victory in the Grade 2 John C. Mabee at Del Mar. She now races for All Schlaich Stables, Gatto Racing, George Todaro, and Hollendorfer.