The key
question regarding the trotting breed in North America, as I see it, is whether
or not the line emanating from Stars Pride endures. It appears to be on shaky
ground. Viking Kronos, sire of European sensation Maharajah, as well as Order
By Fax, Going Kronos and Thai Thanic, has sustained it in Europe. He was born
in Italy to the Bonefish mare, Conch, who won the Oaks in 1985. So Viking
Kronos is a Yankee through and through, but he’s in Sweden. He relocated there
from Italy in 2007. He’s two years older than the NA patriarch of this line,
his paternal brother Credit Winner, who is also by the smooth and refined
American Winner, who has served as the extender for Stars Pride’s greatest
siring son, Super Bowl. Credit Winner seems to have a lot in common with his Blue
Chip stablemate on the pacing side, Art Major: He’s very successful in both the
restricted and open realms and popular with breeders and buyers, but like Art
Major, he hasn’t turned the trick when it comes to a line-extender.
Credit
Winner is seventeen-years-old and his eleventh crop hits the track this year. More
often than not successful sires produce an heir early. Credit Winner’s first
crop consisted of plenty of good trotters but no potential extenders in NA.
Chocolatier, who was not considered a notable stallion and was sold Swedish
interests in 2011, was from Credit Winner’s second crop. RC Royalty, the sire
of Royalty For Life and Here Comes Herbie, the half to Donato who sired Mister
Herbie, were also from that crop. All have attractive qualities but none of
them give us the impression they will carry Stars Pride into the future. Other
possibilities are Crazed, who has been moved from New York to Pennsylvania and
continues to struggle; Dejarmbro, who is just getting started in Ohio; and
Archangel, who is standing in New York.
The
fifteen-year-old Ontario stallion Kadabra, the sire of Bee A Magician, also
goes back to Stars Pride, via Nevele Pride. His best son, Daylon
Magician—there’s a big problem right there—has tried and failed as a stallion a
couple of times and is now back racing. Windsong Espoir is now standing in
Ontario. Knows Nothing has been sold to European interests, and Prestidigitator
is in the Witness Protection Program. Four-year-old Flanagan Memory, winner of
a divisional O’Brien for 2013, is a recent plus on the male side. Credit Winner’s son, Jurgen Hanover, was off to
a very promising start last year when his campaign was cut short by injury.
Perhaps he’ll go on. All in all, things are looking sketchy for the great Stars
Pride.
And Malabar
Man, who passed in 2011, went back to Stars Pride on top, but he never produced
a top line extender. He was born in 1994, the year his sire, Supergill, was
sent off to Italy. Supergill, a $500,000 yearling by Super Bowl and out of the
world champion Bonefish mare, Winky’s Gill, was very successful in Europe,
siring the likes of Toss Out and Promising Catch. Many bemoaned the fact that
he was exported after standing at Castleton for six years. As is the case with
Viking Kronos, Supergill represents another missed opportunity to extend Super
Bowl and Stars Pride in the Americas.
The Volomite
line, as is often the case, has not been extended from the expected
source—Noble Gesture. Balanced Image and Mystic Park have petered out on top.
It appeared that all was safe with ABC Freight’s son Garland Lobell and his
potent trio, Andover, Angus and Conway, but that’s no sure thing. Donato looked
like a cinch to extend but he’s better at fillies than he is at colts. With
four racing crops behind him there’s no likely heir in sight. Big Rigs is
standing in Ohio and a lot of folks like him, but he’s an unlikely
line-extender. And eighteen-year-old Angus is not a good bet to get it done
with Majestic Son, Cincinnati Kid or Winning Mister. It’s the little, older
brother, Conway Hall, who appears to be the best bet to carry the line forward
via his grandsons Lucky Chucky and Chapter Seven. Regardless, Bob Marks has
always privileged the Hall trio’s mama, Amour Angus, over Garland Lobell,
because Garland has thrown nothing faintly resembling a stallion in NA without
Amour Angus. That further complicates things for this line.
The
brilliant Self Possessed, a grandson of Valley Victory, is the modern day key
to the line running through Speedy Scot and Speedy Crown. Trainer Ron Gurfein
said he was the fastest standardbred—trotter or pacer—he had ever seen. Thirteen-year-old
Cantab Hall looks to be a snap to carry on this Line. His son Father Patrick
was outstanding last year. Then again, another son Wheeling N Dealin was also unbeatable
as a freshman. Eight-year-old Explosive Matter has met with some success in
Pennsylvania and Pastor Stephen has been retired to stud in Sweden. Dewey can’t
get out of his own way, however, while Muscle Hill has hardly been the diagonally
gaited answer to SBSW, he may keep Muscles Yankee going. Mr Muscleman, from
Muscles Yankee’s first crop, is still his richest son. Losing him as a stallion
prospect has been very unfortunate. Still, nine-year-old Muscle Mass, who was
very successful in the ONSS, has been relocated to Blue Chip in New York and
his little brother, Muscle Massive, is at Hanover. And Yankee Glide has lots of
promising young sons, like MOMM, Holiday Road, Guccio, Aperfectyankee and All
Laid Out.
Perretti
brought over Revenue S a decade ago and he hooked up with the Yankee Glide mare
Classical Flirt to give us the 2012 and 2013 division champion Market Share.
Obviously he will open new vistas for breeders when he is retired to stud. Revenue’s
seven-year-old son Break The Bank, a BC winner in 2010, is already standing in
Ohio.
Again, what
about Stars Pride and Super Bowl in NA? I can’t say I’m optimistic about them
having an extended run from this point forward, but it only takes one special son to
turn the tide in this game.
JF
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