Mor Spirit: Mor of the Same

Mor Spirit has put himself on the radar as a potential Kentucky Derby hopeful, winning the Gr. 1 Los Alomitos Futurity. We shall dig in to the pedigree of this rising star in a moment. Before we get too far along, please read this piece on Mor Spirit's sire, Eskendereya, written by my pedigree mentor, Les Brinsfield.

One of my pedigree mentor Les Brinsfield's strongest statements that he ever put in his writing (paraphrasing from a post on the Pedigree Post, a site that has since been taken down, sadly) is the fact that crossing and re-crossing the same set of ancestors either produces good horses or it does not. When a cross as successful as the Domino / La Troienne cross is found and keeps producing good horses, it is not likely to suddenly stop producing these good horses any time in the near future.

This holds true with the pedigree of Gr. 1 Los Alamitos Futurity winner Mor Spirit. This pedigree features two genetically equivalent parents, with a dam inbred to a superior female family, that of Maggie B B (family 4-m), through the doubled Change Water. Maggie B B is a sire-source mare the likes of which are only rivaled by La Troienne herself. Whisk Broom is also from this family. Dixieland Band's 2nd dam is linebred to Maggie B B, and gets support from Dixie Union, who is also tail-female to Maggie B B. Unbridled's Song is also from this family, and Holy Bull is a result of build-ups of Maggie B B. The 2nd damsire Allens Prospect is from this same line, adding yet another line. The list of influential sires from family 4-m reads like a who's-who and I will either a) save it for another day or b) let you do some homework.

Sire Eskendereya and dam Im A Dixie Girl are both a result of a double of Northern Dancer combined with Seattle Slew and Raise A Native. Northern Dancer has Discovery (who has more of Domino's family than Domino himself) and various members of Family 16 (Agnes), all of whom I tout frequently, but, out to 9 generations, has Ormonde, his close kin Martagon (usually found in Blenheim II), plus Muncaster, Desmond, Sardanapale, Broomstick, and St Gatien. Family 16 representative Herbager is also present in Im A Dixie Girl.

Native Dancer and Raise A Native are laden with Domino. Seattle Slew brings La Troienne (inbred to full siblings Ormonde and Ornament, both of family 16) twice, and her granddaughters Striking and Busher present in Seattle Slew are each quadrupled to Domino from Bubbling Over and War Admiral. La Troienne was never bred to a sire free of Domino and the results speak for themselves. 3rd damsire Northern Fashion adds another two lines of La Troienne. Add another round of Ormonde and Ornament for Roman in Giants Causeway.

Potent influence Hail To Reason is present no less than four times and adds Plucky Liege twice for each line of Hail To Reason. Plucky Liege adds both variety and quantity to the family 16 carnage. Mr. Prospector in Im A Dixie Girl adds all the perks of Raise A Native and Native Dancer, plus he adds Lady Reel, stakes winning sister of Domino, plus a plethora of family 16.

Seems like I've heard this song before...

Should this wonderfully bred horse make it to the breeding shed - I have no reason to believe that he won't eventually breed on - I would like to see him get mares loaded with Djeddah and Johns Joy, Spend A Buck, and Friends Lake, who are all heavily loaded with Vandal blood that is critical for linebreeding to Domino. The latter two are also loaded with La Troienne. I would also like to see him get mares with Olympia and Prince John, both of whom also click really well with La Troienne.

Maggie B B was born in 1867 and Agnes was born in 1844. To those who say that nothing beyond the 3rd generation matters, I tell you to look closer, deeper, into the generations past and see how families are built, sustained, and revitalized - when necessary - through effective linebreeding. 

http://www.pedigreequery.com/mor+spirit

 

Stallion Profile: Talent Search - Search No More

From the family that gave us no less than the likes of Nasrullah and Royal Charger, breeders Ken and Sarah Ramsey struck gold again when they bred the talented Talent Search. Not only is the direct female line duplicated from Nasrullah and several lines of Mahmoud, but family 16 (Agnes) is also well represented in La Troienne, from Francis S. - from the female line of Catienus - and from every instance of Blenheim II, every Bull Dog and Sir Gallahad III, Sardanapale, Papyrus, and many other representatives of the Agnes clan.

What's noticeably missing is Royal Charger, who is the genetic equivalent to Nasrullah. Any royal Vharger in Talent Search's mates should be explosive, particularly if they're carrying more La Troienne or her main accomplices Roman, Prince John, Olympia, or Tourbillon (any Djeddah is worth two Tourbillon). The dam of Francis S., Blue Eyed Momo is a known full sister in blood to Busanda, dam of the peerless Buckpasser and tail-female ancestress of juvenile Grade 1 winner Officer. A.P. Indy brings in plenty of La Troienne, including Busanda, and Tourbillon, along with the much-needed strain of Royal Charger.

One of the most important invites for Talent Search's mates are mares out of daughters of Dynaformer. If you need any evidence of the importance of this cross, look no further than one of only two horses to finish the run for the roses in under two minutes, Monarchos. Monarchos 2nd dam is a full sister in blood to Dynaformer. Mares by Monarchos would be ideal here. Pairing Monarchos or Dynaformer with the dam of Talent Search would also give a double of Flower Bowl through full brothers His Majesty and Graustark, a double of influential mare Bleebok, and multiples of the important Bull Dog (or Sir Gallahad III) / Nogara cross. Dynaformer is also a representative Royal Charger sire line, giving much-needed diversity of the female line of the "Flying Filly" Mumtaz Mahal.

Here is the result of the Dixieland Band / Dynaformer cross:

Another critical cross for Dixieland Band is a lesser-known stallion named Always Run Lucky. The dams of both Dixieland Band and Always Run Lucky are both by Delta Judge and out of mares by Warfare. Always Run Lucky was not only a stakes winner as a racehorse, but was also deemed to be enough of a physical specimen and of quality enough demeanor that he was heavily used in the recent development of the Trakehner warmblood horse breed. Mares with Always Run Lucky are hard to find, but they're definitely out there.

Other lines that should be considered in-play are Seeking The Gold, Miswaki, and Kitten's Joy.

I will add other favorable matches for Talent Search at a later time, but this is enough to chew on for now. Talent Search is already off to a great start and deserves to be supported by Mid-Atlantic region breeders and buyers, both large and small.

Talent Search currently stands at Diamond B Farm in Mohrsville, PA.