With the impact of the great mare, Urban Sea (Miswaki), being well felt at the recent Glorious Goodwood meeting in the UK, another hugely influential matron of years gone by made her own presence felt in two major US Gr1 races this past weekend.
Arrogate wins the 2017 Dubai World Cup – but beaten on the weekend
Collected (City Zip) provided stable mate, Arrogate (Unbridled’s Song), with a second straight defeat when accounting for the champion by half a length in Saturday’s Gr1 TVG Pacific Classic at Del Mar.
Collected, who was picking up the first Gr1 win of his career , is out of a mare by former champion, Johannesburg (Hennessy), a great grandson of the mare, Narrate (Honest Pleasure). The latter is also to be found in the pedigree of champion US sire, Tapit, whose daughter, Dream Dancing, won the Gr1 Del Mar Oaks this past Saturday. Dream Dancing, whose granddam, Beautiful Pleasure, won the Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff and earned more than $2.7 million in prize money, is one of 23 Gr1 winners sired by Tapit, champion sire in the US for the past three years running. The Narrate connection here comes through Tapit’s sire, Pulpit, the latter being produced by Gr1 Frizette Stakes winner, Preach (Mr Prospector).
Tapit (Pulpit – Tap Your Heels)
Sire of Tapit apart, Pulpit has made his mark at stud through such Gr1 winners as Ice Box, Rutherienne, Stroll, Mr Speaker, and Lord Nelson, as well as the top class sire, Sky Mesa (who is responsible for more than 50 stakes winners). Another Pulpit son to make his mark is now deceased stallion, Lucky Pulpit, whose offspring include dual US Horse Of The Year and seven time Gr1 winner, California Chrome.
Johannesburg, unbeaten in seven starts as a 2yo back in 2001, is enjoying increasing success as a broodmare sire, with his daughters having produced the likes of Irish classic winners, Jet Setting and Seventh Heaven, as well as Gr1 Middle Park Stakes winner and KZN sire, Crusade. Coat Of Arms, a full-brother to Seventh Heaven and half to Crusade, ran second in Sunday’s Gr2 Futurity Stakes and looks capable of picking up a decent race this season. However, it is through the deeds of his brilliant son, Scat Daddy, that Johannesburg seems most likely to ensure his lasting legacy. Scat Daddy made his mark in an all too short stud career, with his plethora of Gr1 winners, including such European stars as Lady Aurelia, Caravaggio and current 2yo, Sioux Nation. Scat Daddy, whose daughter, Dacita, recently captured the Gr1 Beverly D Stakes, has an impressive tally of 21 Gr1 winners to his name, as opposed to the seven sired by Johannesburg.
Another Johannesburg son to make his mark was Teuflesberg, who is responsible for Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner, Trinniberg, while Johannesburg son, Red Jazz, currently ranks among the ten top first crop sires in Britain.
Narrate, granddam of champion racehorse but stud failure, Minardi (Boundary), is also the second dam of the top class racehorse and sire, Tale Of The Cat, whose offspring include more than 100 stakes winners to date. Winner of the then Gr2 King’s Bishop Stakes, Tale Of The Cat was champion 2yo sire in the US back in 2003 and has since consistently been responsible for a string of stakes winners. Covering large books of mares, Tale Of The Cat does not have the greatest percentage of stakes winners to foals but does have 10 individual Gr1 winners in both hemispheres to his credit. Tale Of The Cat’s tally of stakes winners also includes the Breeders’ Cup winner, Stopchargingmaria (Distaff).
His sons, Gio Ponti (sire of champion sprinter and Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Drefong), Lion Heart (sire of Gr1 winners Line Of David, Bradester and Dangerous Midge) and Tale Of Ekati (sire of this year’s Gr1 Haskell Invitational winner, Girvin), have all been responsible for at least one Gr1 winner.
Tale Of The Cat’s grandson, Kantharos (Lion Heart), went unbeaten, from three outings, as a two-year-old and, from relatively limited opportunities, has also made his presence felt at stud. To date, the Leading First Crop Sire in Florida back in 2014, Kantharos, who now stands at Hill ‘N Dale in Kentucky, has 12 stakes winners to his name (5% stakes winners to foals) and also upgrades his mares.
A daughter of Champion US 2yo and Kentucky Derby runner up, Honest Pleasure, Narrate was herself a top-class racemare, whose eight victories included the then Gr3 Falls City Handicap. All six of her foals to race won, with the best being Preach.
Narrate also has a South African connection, with her son, Lecture (Seeking The Gold) having spent his stud career at the Ascot Stud in the Eastern Cape. His best ‘get’ included champion filly, Rock Opera and multiple Gr1 winner, Copper Parade, with Lecture also damsire of Gr2 Richmond Stakes winner, Heavy Metal (Exceed And Excel) and recent Gr3 Final Fling Stakes winner, Silvan Star (Silvano).
