STALLION OF
THE WEEK
AUGUST 6
Seducer’s Song makes it five
by James Scully
UNBRIDLED’S SONG (Unbridled) has established his place among
the top sires in the world and was represented by his fifth
graded winner this year when Seducer’s Song captured Monday’s
Lake George S. (G3) at Saratoga. The 11-year-old stallion was
successful on the track, capturing the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile
(G1), Florida Derby (G1) and Wood Memorial (G2) over three
seasons of racing, and appealed to breeders with his pedigree
when he headed to stud.
His bloodlines feature strong sire influences of Mr.
Prospector, In Reality, Dr. Fager and Caro (Ire), and his progeny
produced right away on the track with Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1)
heroine Unbridled Elaine and Fountain of Youth (G1) winner
Songandaprayer in his first crop (1998 foals). Unbridled’s Song
was an impressive youngster, bringing $1.4 million as a yearling,
and his offspring have been well received at auction. His
yearlings have sold for an average price of $257,653, and his
weanlings average $194,512.
The gray horse, who currently ranks 12th on the 2004 Leading
Sires by Earnings list, counts Even the Score, Domestic Dispute,
Last Song and Forest Music as his other four graded stakes
winners this year. Even the Score captured a pair of Grade 2
events, the Californian S. and Mervyn LeRoy H., prior to
finishing third as the 3-5 favorite in the Hollywood Gold Cup
(G1) last out. Unbridled’s Song’s most heralded son entering 2004
was Eurosilver, who easily captured the Breeders’ Futurity (G2)
last fall but bypassed a very legitimate shot at an Eclipse Award
when skipping the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1). That strategy
backfired, but Eurosilver is expected to return to training later
this season and could be a force next year.
Wood Memorial (G1) winner Buddha, whose first foals were born
this year, is another prominent offspring. Unbridled’s Song is
also responsible for this year’s Florida Derby runner-up, Value
Plus, and Illinois Derby (G2) runner-up Song of the Sword.
An earner of more than $1.3 million himself, Unbridled’s Song
has sired 32 stakes winners from five crops of racing age. With
an average winning distance of 7.2 furlongs, his progeny have
proven adept at longer distances and he also throws a lot of
precocious two-year-olds. He owns a 17 percent win rate on off
tracks and is an 11 percent sire on the turf.
Unbridled’s Song stands at Taylor Made Farm near
Nicholasville, Kentucky, and commanded a 2004 live foal fee of $125,000.