Return to the Sire the Best Blood of His Dam

The breeding maxim "Return to the sire the best blood of his dam" has been attributed to longtime Darby Dan Farm manager Olin Gentry. Gentry wasn't the first to suggest this breeding theory, indeed there is evidence to suggest that it first came into livestock management via the Bedouins in upgrading Arabian stock centuries ago. The theory is that when mating to a stallion, it is optimal to send him mares that reinforce the best ancestors within his dam. Gentry's coup de grâce, so to speak, was the champion Roberto, who is bred on this stated pattern. In the above pedigree you will note that Royal Charger and Nasrullah are three quarter brothers. Additionally, Bull Dog and Sir Gallahad are brothers and Admiral Drake is a half brother. Thus, Rarelea is bred on a Bull Dog/Blue Larkspur cross, while Nothirdchance is a Blue Larkspur/Sir Gallahad cross. In a somewhat similar fashion our own Alan Porter has been preaching the efficacy of what he terms the "parallel pattern," that is, combining horses that are bred on the same patterns closely within a pedigree. The ill-fated Devil May Care, a Pedigree Consultants mating by Alan for clients Diamond A Farms, is a good representative of this with Macoumba and Musical Minister being bred on the same Mr. Prospector/Northern Dancer cross, but in reverse of one another. This past weekend saw two grade/group I winners combining both of these pedigree theories. The first of these was the Spring Champion Stakes (Aus-I) winner Complacent. From the first crop of Epsom Derby (Eng-I) winner Authorized (IRE) (TrueNicks), Complacent is out of a mare by another Epsom Derby winner in Quest for Fame. The mating of Quest for Fame mares to Authorized was a very intentional move by Darley, for whom Complacent races. In Authorized's first Australian crop, Darley Australia bred eight foals on the cross (of 10 total foals that are bred on the cross to date) which are now current spring 3-year-olds. Only two of the eight foals have hit the racetrack so far, but with Complacent now a group I winner and firm favorite for the Victoria Derby (Aus-I) at the end of this month, the potential for the cross is certainly established. The close relationship of Quest for Fame, by Rainbow Quest out of a Green Dancer mare, and Authorized's dam Funsie, by a son of Rainbow Quest out of a three-quarter-sister to Green Dancer, should be noted. A little over 12 hours later and in another hemisphere, a second example of this pattern of upgrading for class could be found in the Middle Park Stakes (Eng-I) winner Astaire. Astaire is from the first crop of Intense Focus, a son of Giant's Causeway (TrueNicks) who stands in Ireland with his first runners just 2-year-olds. Astaire's broodmare sire is the leading sire Dansili, who is bred on the exact same Danehill/Kahyasi pattern as Intense Focus' dam Daneleta.