August '96

If Her Daughter Don't Do It...Her Grand-daughter Will

    I remember a number of years back, penning an article for the Standardbred entitled if She Don't Do It...Then Her Sister Will. Somewhat risque, if taken out of the context of standardbred breeding. In that article, which focused on buying broodmares, I put forward the argument that many of the great race-mares in the sport fail to reproduce their own ability in their offspring. But, often their lesser sisters do...you've seen it time and again... So-and-so, out of the unraced FULL SISTER to Whodat...no big deal when it happens, but you can bet the full-sister can be bought as a broodmare for significantly less than her awe-inspiring sibling.

    And so it is with the daughters of great mares. Sometimes, they will produce to the same level as their mother. More often, they will not. But take heart...don't give up too soon. What they don't do, their daughters will. To illustrate this point, we don't need to go back any further than Saturday, August 10, 1996, and the winners of the Woodrow Wilson and the Sweetheart...Jeremys Gambit...and Stienam's Place.

 

 

 Jeremys Gambit
Jeremys Gambit photo by Monica Thors

 

 Stienamn's Place
Stienam's Place photo by Monica Thors

    I've been watching horses for awhile, and although I admit never having seen Jeremys Gambit up close (having only seen him on the Off-track screen), I have been a fan of his since the Woodrow Wilson eliminations. Even before that race, the son of No Nukes had already tied the 2-year-old World Record (1:51.4), and won his first four engagements. I honestly thought that the eliminations would find him in the loss column for the first time...he had the nine-hole, and had never shown real gate-speed. Sure enough, he was fifth by four at the half (parked), and still parked and fourth by two at the 3/4's, as a good group of 2-year-olds turned for home. Jeremys Gambit simply blew by the competition, flashing a :27 final panel in the 1:52.1 clocking.

   Since that race, I have been saying that Jeremys Gambit is as good a 2-year-old as I have seen. I can't remember the last favourite to win the Woodrow Wilson final (Nihilator??) before Jeremys Gambit's win last night...but for me the race was an absolute foregone conclusion...anti-climactic...icing on the cake. Lots of icing ($400,000 worth). We'll see how Jeremys Gambit holds up to the freshman racing wars to come. It's a long year, with a host of fresh challengers every week, and others who will reach top form as the season goes. We'll see..

   ...But this column is about bloodlines, and the story for both of the headliners this month begins with their respective THIRD DAM. In the case of Jeremys Gambit, the third dam is Savilla Song, p, 2, TT2:04m. This great daughter of Victory Song produced six in 1:59.1 or better, including the top Free-For-All stars Super Wave, p, 1:57f ($481,370) and Springfield, p, 1:57.3 ($402,746). In all, her 16 foals, ten of which were race-winners, earned over $1.23 million.

   So, it was not a bad bit of business when Witsend Breeders purchased Sable Almahurst (by High Ideal) for $22,000 at the 1977 Tattersalls sale. Never raced, Sable Almahurst has produced 11 foals of racing age (including seven in 2:00), with combined earnings of a modest (by todays standards) $420,000. The lions share of these earnings was accumulated by Spectre Almahurst, p, 6, 1:52.1 ($262,477)...the dam of Jeremys Gambit. Suffice it to say that Sable Almahurst has not been a great broodmare. A number of her sisters produced well: Suave Almahurst (Salute Hanover & Lon Todd Hanover); Savilla Almahurst (Savvy Almahurst & Silky Almahurst); Swinging Mood (Revelry Bay) and Starfire Almahurst (Galactic Bomber)...but Sable Almahurst's foals fell far short of sales-topper status. Yeah...but if the daughter don't do it, the grand-daughter will!!

   Spectre Almahurst sold in the 1996 North American yearling sale for $3,200. Her sale price did not stop her from taking a 1:57.1f mark at Pompano as a 2-year-old, and earning just under $45,000, racing against the likes of Storm Tossed, Trini Hanover etc. As a 3-year-old, the battles became tougher, with the addition of Kittiwake, Three Mile Island, Conquered Quest and Lightning Loops, but still the daughter of Justin Passing / Sable Almahurst managed to grind out another $47,000.

   I remember Spectre Almahurst well throughout the rest of her career, because at four, five and six, she campaigned primarily on the OJC (my home turf). In the Fillies Open, as a 4-year-old, she had the misfortune of meeting the likes of Armbro Feather, Storm Tossed and Jillian D (also a $200,000+ winning Justin Passing mare!), and earned another $40,000, while lowering her mark to 1:56f. At five, Spectre Almahurst added $54,000 to her bankroll, while finding her way as low as a $25,000-claimer (ah...hindsight). As a 6-year-old, Spectre got right in the spring of 1991, having moved her way up to the$40,000 claimers, and lowering her mark to 1:55.2f. She changed ownership shortly thereafter (Steven A. Burn of New York), and proceeded to earn $33,000 in seven races at the Meadowlands, four of them wins in 1:53 or better!! She also finished third and fourth to Caesars Jackpot and Delinquent Account after finding herself back in Open company.

   I can't find any record of Jeremys Gambit having sold anywhere last year, and don't know who comprises Gambit Stables, but if any of you readers know them, wish them all the best from this corner...that's some kind of horse they've got there. And a COMPLETE OUTCROSS TOO (4x5 Tar Heel and 5x5x5x5 Good Time, with only the one Meadow Skipper connection)...wide open, as they say. Savilla Song's daughter couldn't do it, but her grand-daughter sure has.

* * * * * * *

   In the case of Stienam's Place, there is a slight variation on the same theme, this time beginning with her third dam, Margaux, p, 2, 2:07. Margaux, by Columbia George has been a tremendous producer since her first foal of 1979, and her latest offspring, an Artsplace filly selling this year, was foaled when the venerable mare was 23 years old. From 10 foals of racing age, Margaux has given the sport six in 1:56.4, including four in 1:55, good for aggregate earnings of $2.5 million. The greatest of these performers was the Falcon Almahurst filly Stienam, p, 2, 1:55.2; 3, 1:53.4 ($1,355,474), the grand-dam of Stienam's Place.

   Before we get to Stienam, we'll note what Margaux's other four daughters, with foals of racing age, have accomplished. First, Bola, p, 4, 1:56.4h ($76,654) produced Raque Bogart, p, 2, 1:52.1 ($453,500) and Touch Of Silk, p, 3, 1:54.2 ($147,022) among her five 2:00 performers...L'Eggins, p, 3, 1:54.2 ($188,882), herself a World Champion, produced No Escape, p, 3, 1:54.3 '96 and two other 2:00 offspring from her first five foals...Danalove has produced four in 2:00, the fastest of which is Our Laag Cabin, p, 5, 1:52.4 ($130,000)...and Magnetic Almahurst is the only foal of racing age is Magnetic Killean, p, 2, 1:58 '95.

   So one would expect that Stienam would produce far greater performers than her less illustrious sisters. In fact, of her seven foals of racing age, Stienam has produced five in 2:00, for total earnings of $250,000+. Not bad for a regular mare...but Stienam?? When you consider that her six foals to sell at public auction fetched a total of $659,000, it becomes clear that the wounds may take a while to heal. And when you add to that the observation that Stienam's fastest and richest foal, Stienam's Girl, p, 2, 1:56.3; 3,1:53.2 ($102,282) was retained...well...if the daughter can't do it, the grand-daughter will!!

   Stienam's Place paced to a new life-time mark of 1:53.4 in winning the Sweetheart final, her third victory in four lifetime starts. Inso doing, she raised her bankroll to over $360,000 on the young season. From the first crop of Artsplace, Stienam's Place brought $62,000 when she sold (as Tranquil Sands) at the Kentucky Standardbred sale last fall. She was the second-highest priced Artsplace filly to sell, and brought more than twice the filly average ($26,755). She looks like a bargain now.

   Unlike Jeremys Gambit, Stienam's Place is highly inbred. Her mother is by the 3x3 Meadow Skipper sire Nihilator, with another Meadow Skipper cross through Falcon Almahurst (sire of Stienam).Nihilator is also the grand-son of Albatross, and Artsplace is out of an Albatross mare, making Stienam's Place 3x4 Albatross, and 4x4x5x5 Meadow Skipper. Hmmmmmmm. I wonder if a few years from now, we'll see a 2-year-old tearing up the track, with the memorable name of...............Gambit Place?????

   Remember, when you're pouring through the sales catalogues this fall, to search beyond the obvious. Every year, great prospects get over-looked, often because they are out of the unproven daughter of a non-producing champion, and become prey to the fickle what have you done today attitude that seems to pervade the 1990's. If the mother didn't do it....her daughter will.

 

As always, I welcome comments, observations and suggestions from any interested readers...see you next month.

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