BREEDING SUGGESTIONS FROM ALAN PORTER
JUMP TO
Tenpins is a millionaire and five time graded stakes winner by Smart Strike, one of Mr. Prospector’s most successful sons. Tenpins has already sired 11 stakes horses in his first two crops.
Out of a mare by Deputy Minister, Tenpins is bred on an identical cross to Curlin. He is a product of the Mr. Prospector/Northern Dancer cross, which has also produced outstanding sires Kingmambo, Distorted Humor, Elusive Quality, Speightstown, Grand Slam and Thunder Gulch. Stallions bred on this cross have done very well when bred back over Northern Dancer line mares, and as Smart Strike has sired the most stakes winners out of mares by Northern Dancer line stallions, this cross has great appeal here.
The cross of Smart Strike over Northern Dancer through Danzig line mares has been particularly good, with nine stakes winners, including Grade 1 winner Shadow Cast, Champion and Grade 1 winner Soaring Free, and 2009 Grade 1 two-year-old winner Lookin At Lucky (one of three stakes winners by Smart Strike out Belong to Me mares). Tenpins himself has a stakes winner out of a mare by Danzig son Foxhound. There are also five stakes winners by Smart Strike out of Nijinsky II line mares, including Grade 1 winner Fleetstreet Dancer. Smart Strike also has Champion English Channel out of a mare by Theatrical (by Nureyev), a Champion out of a mare by Gate Dancer (by Sovereign Dancer), and a two-year-old grade one winner out of a mare by El Gran Senor. Tenpins has sired a two-year-old stakes winner out of a mare by Northern Dancer’s son Northern Baby. Other branches of the Northern Dancer line which have proved successful when bred to Smart Strike include Dixieland Band; Storm Bird and Storm Cat; Lyphard; and Be My Guest. Tenpins’ dam is by Northern Dancer’s grandson, Deputy Minister. There has been little opportunity yet for inbreeding to that horse, but he could be well worth duplicating here through sons such as Silver Deputy, Dehere, Awesome Again, Touch Gold, French Deputy and Salt Lake.
Smart Strike is also sire of the top-class Strike Softly out of a daughter of Wild Again (by Northern Dancer’s three-quarters relative, Icecapade. Icecapade’s son, Clever Trick (sire of Phone Trick), is out of a sister to the third dam of Tenpins, and would be interesting.
Smart Strike has sired a multiple graded stakes winner out of a mare by Pleasant Colony, who is by His Majesty from the Ribot line. He also has a stakes winner out of a mare by Alleged (who descends from Ribot through Tom Rolfe and Hoist the Flag), and a stakes winner out of a mare by Lost Code (by Codex, by Arts and Letters).
In general, Mr. Prospector crosses well with Seattle Slew, and Smart Strike is no exception. He has a stakes winner out of a mare by Seattle Slew, and stakes winners out of mares by Seattle Slew sons Fast Play and Capote. Seattle Slew’s son, A.P. Indy, would give three crosses of Somethingroyal, dam of Secretariat and Sir Gaylord.
Smart Strike is beginning to show an affinity for the Blushing Groom line, particularly through Rahy, and he also has a stakes winner out of a mare by Grey Dawn II, and a Champion out of a mare by Mr. Redoy, a son of Grey Dawn II.
TRUE-NICKS, HYPOMATING and E-NICKS
| Please complete the fields below and click the VIEW TRUE NICKS button to access TRUE NICKS, a product of The Blood Horse and The Jockey Club |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| Please complete the fields below and click the VIEW eNicks button to access eNicks, a product of Werks Nick Ratings. |
 |
|
|
| |
|
