Very few stallions are pre-potent enough to make their mark as a breeding stallion. Many Grade 1 winning stallions go to Kentucky and languish into obscurity after their progeny fail to live up to expectations or just don't get the mares they need to be successful. Some stallions do get the mares they need but still don't deliver. Then there are stallions that come from almost nowhere and stamp their progeny with genetic gifts that could not have been predicted by any breeder of average knowledge... stallions like Alibhai, who, while unraced, still managed to be a top 10 stallion in 11 different years at stud.
Beau Ridge Farm stallion Fiber Sonde is just such a stallion. Purchased for just $8,000 as a 2 year old stallion prospect at the 2007 Keeneland November sale, Fiber Sonde has made a mark as a stallion that few can deny.
Fiber Sonde is a half-brother to influential sprint sire Speightstown through the female line of Hildene, a mare that wasn't much of a runner herself, but proved to be a taproot mare of the highest order for Chris Chenery and Meadow Stud. Getting a 5-generation view of the pedigree, Fiber Sonde's dam, Silken Cat, shows inbreeding only to Bold Ruler, which is to say, 2 X Discovery, damsire of Bold Ruler. Discovery is not only damsire of Bold Ruler, but also Native Dancer, Intentionally, Hasty Road, and Traffic Judge (by the aforementioned unraced Alibhai, out of the Discovery mare Traffic Court).
Backing up to a 6-generation view quickly reveals the secret sauce behind the pedigree of Fiber Sonde, which reveals 3 X stamina influence Princequillo, 2 X Bold Ruler, 2 X Native Dancer, 2 X Flushing (found in the tail-female lines of both the sire, Unbridled's Song, and the dam, Silken Cat), and a line of In Reality (by Intentionally, adding another Discovery for a total of 5 X Discovery).
Two critical families are at play in this pedigree. family 16, the female-line descendants of Agnes, and family 23-b, the family of the immortal Domino. La Troienne is also present 4 times and was never bred to a stallion free of Domino once she was imported into the U.S. Discovery does not have any Domino, but has more of Domino's own family 23-b than Domino himself, which makes Discovery a critical element in linebreeding to Domino and La Troienne. La Troienne was inbred to the full siblings Ormonde and Ornament who hail from family 16. Support from other sources of family 16 is important, and Fiber Sonde receives this support in the form of the double of Flushing, as well as from Roman, who also carries full siblings Ormonde and Ornament with him. Flushing carries Buchan and Martagon, also brought in through close kin Nasrullah and Royal Charger. Martagon is a close relative to Ormonde and Ornament. Caro is also present in the pedigree of Fiber Sonde and brings to the party 4 lines of Kendal, also a close relative to Ormonde, Ornament, and Martagon. Genetic heavyweights Bull Dog, Sir Gallahad III, and Admiral Drake, all out of Plucky Liege, also hail from family 16.
The flawless Buckpasser is present twice within 6 generations as well and sets up invites of A.P. Indy very nicely, especially with A.P. Indy's dual classic-placed and Jockey Club Gold Cup-winning son, Aptitude, adds yet another line of Buckpasser and also gives a 7 X 7 tail-female cross of Hildene via full siblings Hill Prince and First Flush. Daughters of Sea of Secrets will also set up similar returns of Hildene and La Troienne. Mares from the lines of Pulpit - Tapit, Ice Box, and Corinthian are also set up to return Nijinsky II to the two lines of Buckpasser present in Fiber Sonde. Malibu Moon will also provide this vital cross as well. Mares from the Nijinsky II sire line have also produced top-quality results when bred to Fiber Sonde. It should be noted that Nijinsky II has a close relative in The Minstrel, who should be considered as well. The Minstrel is out of Nijinsky II's half-sister, Fleur.
Any stallions with Caro - including the Caro sire line - are also in-play, and has already had great success with Fiber Sonde. Mares carrying Roberto will also be able to take advantage of a superior cross between Buckpasser and Roberto. Fiber Sonde is already carrying at least 4 lines of La Troienne but is beautifully set up for more La Troienne invites, as well as two horses who have proven to be willing partners in her success, like Forty Niner, whose dam File carries 4 lines of Ornament. Danzig is also a known accomplice to La Troienne who also carries a line of Olympia, also found in Fiber Sonde through his sire Unbridled's Song. Danzig also carries Petition, yet another member of the family 16 clan.
Other angles to consider are any sources of Blue Eyed Momo. Blue Eyed Momo is a full sister-in-blood to Busanda, dam of Buckpasser, who is present twice in Fiber Sonde. Crossing Blue Eyed Momo and Busanda has consistently produced some top horses over the last several years. Sources of Blue Eyed Momo include Johannesburg, Catienus (both of these get you 2 x Storm Cat when crossed with Fiber Sonde), Cherokee Run, and Honour and Glory. Holy Bull is also a potent source of La Troienne and Maggie B.B. and should do very well with Fiber Sonde.
For the results he has produced, Fiber Sonde is worth much, much more than his $1,000 fee. Though currently ranked #5 among active stallions on the West Virginia sire list, his percentage of stakes winners is far and away above any other stallion in West Virginia, even those with a fee 3.5 times greater than his. His potency with a wide variety of broodmare sires has made him extremely value to his owners, as well as any breeders that send mares to him. He will undoubtedly be a productive source for years to come and should always be a consideration for breeders across the Mid-Atlantic region, not just West Virginia.
Beau Ridge Farm stallion Fiber Sonde is just such a stallion. Purchased for just $8,000 as a 2 year old stallion prospect at the 2007 Keeneland November sale, Fiber Sonde has made a mark as a stallion that few can deny.
Fiber Sonde is a half-brother to influential sprint sire Speightstown through the female line of Hildene, a mare that wasn't much of a runner herself, but proved to be a taproot mare of the highest order for Chris Chenery and Meadow Stud. Getting a 5-generation view of the pedigree, Fiber Sonde's dam, Silken Cat, shows inbreeding only to Bold Ruler, which is to say, 2 X Discovery, damsire of Bold Ruler. Discovery is not only damsire of Bold Ruler, but also Native Dancer, Intentionally, Hasty Road, and Traffic Judge (by the aforementioned unraced Alibhai, out of the Discovery mare Traffic Court).
Backing up to a 6-generation view quickly reveals the secret sauce behind the pedigree of Fiber Sonde, which reveals 3 X stamina influence Princequillo, 2 X Bold Ruler, 2 X Native Dancer, 2 X Flushing (found in the tail-female lines of both the sire, Unbridled's Song, and the dam, Silken Cat), and a line of In Reality (by Intentionally, adding another Discovery for a total of 5 X Discovery).
Two critical families are at play in this pedigree. family 16, the female-line descendants of Agnes, and family 23-b, the family of the immortal Domino. La Troienne is also present 4 times and was never bred to a stallion free of Domino once she was imported into the U.S. Discovery does not have any Domino, but has more of Domino's own family 23-b than Domino himself, which makes Discovery a critical element in linebreeding to Domino and La Troienne. La Troienne was inbred to the full siblings Ormonde and Ornament who hail from family 16. Support from other sources of family 16 is important, and Fiber Sonde receives this support in the form of the double of Flushing, as well as from Roman, who also carries full siblings Ormonde and Ornament with him. Flushing carries Buchan and Martagon, also brought in through close kin Nasrullah and Royal Charger. Martagon is a close relative to Ormonde and Ornament. Caro is also present in the pedigree of Fiber Sonde and brings to the party 4 lines of Kendal, also a close relative to Ormonde, Ornament, and Martagon. Genetic heavyweights Bull Dog, Sir Gallahad III, and Admiral Drake, all out of Plucky Liege, also hail from family 16.
The flawless Buckpasser is present twice within 6 generations as well and sets up invites of A.P. Indy very nicely, especially with A.P. Indy's dual classic-placed and Jockey Club Gold Cup-winning son, Aptitude, adds yet another line of Buckpasser and also gives a 7 X 7 tail-female cross of Hildene via full siblings Hill Prince and First Flush. Daughters of Sea of Secrets will also set up similar returns of Hildene and La Troienne. Mares from the lines of Pulpit - Tapit, Ice Box, and Corinthian are also set up to return Nijinsky II to the two lines of Buckpasser present in Fiber Sonde. Malibu Moon will also provide this vital cross as well. Mares from the Nijinsky II sire line have also produced top-quality results when bred to Fiber Sonde. It should be noted that Nijinsky II has a close relative in The Minstrel, who should be considered as well. The Minstrel is out of Nijinsky II's half-sister, Fleur.
Any stallions with Caro - including the Caro sire line - are also in-play, and has already had great success with Fiber Sonde. Mares carrying Roberto will also be able to take advantage of a superior cross between Buckpasser and Roberto. Fiber Sonde is already carrying at least 4 lines of La Troienne but is beautifully set up for more La Troienne invites, as well as two horses who have proven to be willing partners in her success, like Forty Niner, whose dam File carries 4 lines of Ornament. Danzig is also a known accomplice to La Troienne who also carries a line of Olympia, also found in Fiber Sonde through his sire Unbridled's Song. Danzig also carries Petition, yet another member of the family 16 clan.
Other angles to consider are any sources of Blue Eyed Momo. Blue Eyed Momo is a full sister-in-blood to Busanda, dam of Buckpasser, who is present twice in Fiber Sonde. Crossing Blue Eyed Momo and Busanda has consistently produced some top horses over the last several years. Sources of Blue Eyed Momo include Johannesburg, Catienus (both of these get you 2 x Storm Cat when crossed with Fiber Sonde), Cherokee Run, and Honour and Glory. Holy Bull is also a potent source of La Troienne and Maggie B.B. and should do very well with Fiber Sonde.
For the results he has produced, Fiber Sonde is worth much, much more than his $1,000 fee. Though currently ranked #5 among active stallions on the West Virginia sire list, his percentage of stakes winners is far and away above any other stallion in West Virginia, even those with a fee 3.5 times greater than his. His potency with a wide variety of broodmare sires has made him extremely value to his owners, as well as any breeders that send mares to him. He will undoubtedly be a productive source for years to come and should always be a consideration for breeders across the Mid-Atlantic region, not just West Virginia.