It’s no secret that Seattle Slew and Mr. Prospector have been combining well in pedigrees for a considerable amount of time (and probably no coincidence that both go tail-female to the Myrtlewood branch of the family of the great tap-root mare Frizette, who is incidentally doubled in Seattle Slew’s granddam...

As a grandson of Mr. Prospector, Distorted Humor has been given plenty of opportunity with Northern Dancer-line mares, even though he himself is out of a mare by Northern Dancer son Danzig. Some versions have proved better than others, but overall, the broad Distorted Humor/Northern Dancer cross gets...

There is no doubt about who is the early sensation amongst European freshman sires. One Cool Cat has already sired 10 individual winners, but more importantly, has three individual black type winners. His daughter Knavesmire captured the Hilary Needler Trophy at Redcar. Then the colt Icesolator captured...

One stallion that has been on the move, both physically and in terms of his stud fee, is Exchange Rate. The son of Danzig – Sterling Pound (by Seeking the Gold) retired to Padua Stables in Ocala, Fla., where he stood for as little as $7,500. However, after a flying start, the gray has earned [...]

Vision d’Etat retained his unbeaten record with a head victory in the Prix du Jockey-Club – French Derby (gr. I). Vision d’Etat has a pedigree that is obscure by almost any standard. Chichicastenango – the sire of Vision d’Etat - was one of only two stakes winners for his sire, Smadoun. A son of Kaldoun...

We are often asked the question on nick ratings — “do they work across multiple generations?” The answer ironically depends on the genuine strength of the affinity between the sire lines in question. Examples of nicks that seem to span generations and withstand the scrutiny of time...

With the ink barely dry on the announcement of their sire’s retirement from active stud duty, the race to assume the mantle of rightful heir to the great Sadler’s Wells in European breeding and racing is well and truly underway. With the classic winner Cima de Triomphe (IRE) (A++ TrueNicks...

Zenyatta (Street Cry (IRE) – Vertigineux, by Kris S.) further enhanced the burgeoning reputation of her sire on Saturday with a victory in the Apple Blossom Handicap (gr. I). The undefeated 4-year-old follows Street Sense, Tomcito (a Peruvian Derby winner, who was third in last week’s Florida Derby...

Previously in this blog we had commented about the strange fact that despite standing at the same farm in Australia, Giant’s Causeway never received as many Danehill mares as one would have thought reasonable. By our count, Giant’s Causeway has only 16 named foals out of Danehill mares, a...

Jeri from New York asked: I’m pleased to see Empire Stud signed up! Could you ask Alan Porter if there is any value to tying to inbreed to Alydar. I do not see his name come up in pedigrees anymore and I have mare by Western Expression whose bottom has Alydar mate of [...]