Rachel Alexandra Defeats Older Males

What can you say about this great filly. She has beaten the three-year-old colts in the Preakness Stakes and Haskell Invitational and has just become the first filly ever to win the Woodward Stakes at the same time beating older males. There is no doubt who is the Horse of the Year for 2009.

Often high indexed mares will produce their best runners late in their breeding careers (after their bodies have had time to recuperate from their hard racing careers) This years Hopeful Stakes winner Dublin is out of Classy Mirage who has a 21.93 index. I've been watching her for years due to the fact that she traces to a Matriarch.

Latest G1 & G2 winners

Woodward Stakes G1
Rachel Alexandra 69.01 Lotta Kim 12.71

Pacific Classic G1
Richard's Kid 15.71 Tough Broad 5.30

Pat O'Brien Stakes G1
Zensational 27.05 Joke 3.88

Del Mar Derby G2
Rendezvous 7.90 Halo Babe unr

Spinaway Stakes G1
Hot Dixie Chick 20.32 Above Perfection 14.54

Del Mar Futurity G1
Lookin At Lucky 27.42 Private Feeling .97

Pennsylvania Derby G2
Gone Astray 21.14 Illicit unr

Hopeful Stakes G1
Dublin 19.50 Classy Mirage 21.93

Summer Bird takes Travers Stakes G1

Summer Bird gave his sire another G1 win to add to the fact that he has sired 2 classic winners in his first crop. This group of Sophmore Stallions is exceptional including Birdstone, Medaglia D'Oro, Tapit, Sprightstown, and Candy Ride. It appears that the most important up and coming stallion in North America is Pulpit. This stallion has the unique ability, only possessed by leading stallions such as Bold Ruler, Bull Lea, Hail to Reason, etc, to breed fast mares up. Only a few elite stallions possess this characteristic. During the past two weeks Pulpit has sired two superior runners, Del Mar Debutante G1 winner Mi Sueno whose dam Madcap Escapade has a 44.94 index, and Forego Stakes G1 winner Pyro whose dam has an index of 12.50. If you look at Pulpit's son Sky Mesa his dam has an index of 10.60. Even if you breed a high indexed mare to Pulpit and she breeds down from her own index, you might still get a very valuable stallion. I'd like to make a prediction here; Mi Sueno will not win the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies. If she does her index will be above that of her dam Madcap Escapade and that is unlikely to happen. We will see!



Latest Major winners



Bernard Baruch Handicap G2
Justenuffhumor 18.35 Justenuffheart 6.50

Del Mar Breeders Cup Mile G2
Ferneley 9.35 Ambertide .20

Ballerina Stakes G1
Music Note 35.51 Note Musicale unr

King's Bishop Stakes G1
Capt. Candyman Can 18.67 Stormy Way 3.67

Travers Stakes G1
Summer Bird 70.25 Hong Kong Squall .57

Del Mar Handicap G2
Spring House 8.76 Spring Star 10.00

Molly Pitcher Stakes G2
Luna Vega 6.05 Donnavega 3.68

Personal Ensign Stakes G1
Icon Project 39.77 La Gueriere 14.31

Del Mar Debutante G1
Mi Sueno 20.72 Madcap Escapade 44.94

Forego Stakes G1
Pyro 34.21 Wild Vision 12.50