Breeding Digest: A Priceless Combination That Did Not Come Dear

[Wandering Eyes]

It is called the Breeders' Cup for a reason. Yes, the commercial sector revolves to a neurotic degree around stallions, which is why the stakes are so high for the colts at Del Mar this weekend. But breeding those horses in the first place was at least as much about the mares, meaning that many of us will be no less engrossed by the auctions staged in Lexington immediately afterwards.

By the same token, our curiosity about Incredibolt–who last weekend stole a march on his peers lining up for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile–is certainly not confined to his sire. True, Bolt d'Oro finds himself at an interesting crossroads, with the upgraded mares he secured as champion freshman of 2022 still cycling through. Incredibolt belongs to his bubble crop, sired at $20,000 as his first runners approached the gate, whereas his current weanlings were conceived at $60,000. As such, his reversion to $25,000 for next spring could prove fairly temporary–especially if he turns out to have a Derby colt on his hands.

Yet two other things immediately leaped out from Incredibolt's Churchill reconnaissance in the GIII Street Sense Stakes. One was a mare; the other, a mare.

The first of these was Globe Trot (A.P. Indy), dam not only of Bolt d'Oro but also of Global Campaign, here denied a first graded success by his own half-brother. Global Campaign is the sire of Universe, who started favorite and led at the eighth pole, only to be run down late by Incredibolt. As it happens, the game is already up for Global Campaign as a Bluegrass stallion. But those who have welcomed him to Korea only had to wait a couple of hours for the breakthrough instead to be made by Warming in the GIII Autumn Miss Stakes at Santa Anita.

We'll return to Global Campaign below, but the fact that Globe Trot was by A.P. Indy requires us first to consider the mare who stands opposite in the pedigree of Incredibolt: his granddam, Sapphiresndiamonds (Mineshaft). For here we may have one of those mares that turns out to have smuggled through some very special genes, even though they did not help her own cause in either her first or second careers.

 

She arrived in the Saratoga sale ring in 2006 with an extraordinary pedigree, her grandsire and granddam together richly condensing one of the most potent brands in the modern breed. Mineshaft's sire A.P. Indy was of course by Seattle Slew out of Weekend Surprise, herself by Secretariat out of Lassie Dear (Buckpasser). And the dam of Sapphiresndiamonds–a mare named Unbridled Lassie (Unbridled), a legitimate stakes performer albeit flattered by a catalogued Grade I podium (beaten 29 lengths into third)–was out of Lassie Dear's daughter by Seattle Slew, Lassie Connection.

It feels scarcely necessary to reprise the dynasty spreading beneath Lassie Dear: besides Weekend Surprise with her two Classic winners, among others she produced Group 1 winner Wolfhound (Nureyev); the dam of Lemon Drop Kid (Kingmambo); and the granddam of G1 Derby winner Ruler Of The World (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and his half-brother Duke Of Marmalade (Ire) (Danehill), winner of five consecutive Group 1s.

Next to that lot, Lassie Connection must be acknowledged one of the matriarch's lesser achievers, albeit she did produce three graded stakes performers plus the hard-knocking gelding Winning Connection (St. Jovite), whose 21 wins in 74 starts included a couple in black-type company. But you can certainly see why Courtlandt Farm might have viewed her daughter by Mineshaft–himself bringing another noble family into play, as a grandson of Up the Flagpole (Hoist the Flag)–as a future broodmare worth every cent of $1.45 million, whatever she might achieve on the racetrack.

In the event, Sapphiresndiamonds made nine starts without winning, though placed several times. But nor did she particularly repair matters as a broodmare, before sadly disappearing from the record after six named foals. None brought a major dividend in the ring, while only a retained son of War Front managed to scrape third in a stakes race.

Yet nobody could yet have formed a judgement when her third foal, by Awesome Again, failed to meet her reserve at just $45,000 at the 2014 September Sale. Some kind of deal must have been struck, however, and more than once: the three wins Sapphire Spitfire eventually managed at minor tracks came in one name; her first two foals were registered to another; and ditto her third.

But the breeders of her next two, both sons of Bolt d'Oro, are Deann Baer and Greg Baer DVM–and their choice of the Spendthrift sire has certainly paid off. The first of these colts brought $400,000 as a Keeneland September yearling, a steep increase on Sapphire Spitfire's previous returns. That reflected good work by both parents: the sire had just been champion freshman, while the mare's first foal, Fire On Time (Not This Time), had meanwhile won six of 13 starts, lately achieving two placings in graded stakes.

The second Bolt d'Oro colt didn't fare quite so well in the ring, sold to Pin Oak for $75,000 the following September. But Incredibolt has now proved himself a very alert buy. If consolidating from here, in fact, he could become an intriguing stallion prospect–not so much for the endeavors of his immediate family, as for the way he concentrates all those A.P. Indy vibes.

Because that cluster in his granddam, remember, is compounded behind his sire…

Global Campaign | Sarah Andrew

Campaign Derailed In The Primaries

To that extent, Globe Trot would be an interesting factor in Incredibolt's pedigree just as an anonymous “A.P. Indy mare.” But she was so much more than that.

Globe Trot ruptured a mesentery in 2016, delivering her third foal. Her first, by Distorted Humor, became the Grade II-placed, multiple stakes winner Sonic Mule; the second was Bolt d'Oro; and the third, Global Campaign. What a pity that she was not granted time to bequeath a filly, as well.

Her own dam Trip (Lord At War {Arg}) won three graded stakes and was a half-sister to the listed-winning dam of the flying Zensational (Unbridled's Song). Globe Trot was sold to WinStar in training, after her owner's death, and added a third career win (all on synthetic) in their silks without being able to extend the stakes success of her first four dams. WinStar sold her first two foals, including Bolt d'Oro for $630,000, but did then stay in for a stake in her last one.

Global Campaign reached his peak at four, winning the GI Woodward Stakes, and was welcomed back to his native farm with no fewer than 177 mares in his debut book. Incredibly, given that a horse of his profile can hardly be said to have looked at the pitcher with a single crop of juvenile starters, last spring he was down to four.

His syndicate was left with no choice but to let him seek pastures new. But perhaps Warming will not be the last maturing talent among that big first crop to restore the dignity of Global Campaign. His winners have actually come at a higher ratio than many second-crop peers who are perceived to be thriving. We wish him luck in his new home.

Time After Time

After his GIII Jessamine Stakes trifecta, last weekend Not This Time went one better with the superfecta in the GIII Bryan Station Stakes. Nearly as astonishing is that he had seven of the 12 starters. Again, of course, in a turf race. Which is why the most astounding thing of all, as I keep saying, is how long it is taking the top programs to try his stock in Europe.

And I'll keep saying it, until it appears somebody might be listening. Of six foals so far trained in Britain or Ireland, he has already had a G2 Norfolk Stakes winner at Royal Ascot.

Not This Time | Sarah Andrew

The horse who dominated his latest “crowd scene” on the Keeneland turf circuit, Troubleshooting, is out of a mare by Into Mischief. Hardly a noted turf influence! In fairness, however, she won her stakes on synthetic–on which terrain her own mother ran second in the GII Hollywood Oaks. The next dam Smooth Player (Bertrando) had won that same prize when contested on dirt, but was also a Grade II winner on turf. Evidently Not This Time was tapping into a pretty versatile seam here.

His stock's record on grass was hardly the principal driver behind the purchase this year of 17 seven-figure yearlings by Not This Time. These famously belong to his first crop conceived at more than $45,000, and the classy dirt mares he has since entertained will doubtless be diluting all this chlorophyll soon. But the fact remains that of nine Breeders' Cup entries for the year's leading turf sire, only two are on dirt. He actually has a shot at another trifecta in the GI Juvenile Fillies Turf!

Don't get me wrong: this is all to the good. If Not This Time ends up a reincarnation of his sire, he will not just be straddling surfaces, but oceans.

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