Pedigree Handicapping

PEDIGREE HANDICAPPING

APRIL 22, 2006

Two Improving Second-Season Sires

by Tim Holland

Prep races for the Kentucky Derby (G1) have taken much of racing's limelight

these past two weekends, but the results of some smaller stakes races should be

of interest to the pedigree-oriented horseplayers. Indeed, Victorina, winner

of the Meafara S. at Hawthorne on the Illinois Derby (G2) undercard, and

Electrify, who took Tampa Bay's Sophomore S. the same day, are both by the

second-crop sire Delaware Township. Meanwhile, across the country another

promising second-crop sire recorded a stakes win when Arson Squad, representing

Brahms, won the San Pedro S. the day after the Santa Anita Derby (G1).

A Florida-bred son of Notebook, Delaware Township was an improving individual

as a youngster, selling for $8,000 as a weanling and $24,000 a year later before

being purchased by New Farm for $110,000 at the 1998 OBS Two-Year Old sale.

After easily winning his first two starts as a two-year old, the chestnut colt

narrowly missed finishing first in the Tyro S. in his stakes debut, but was

awarded the victory in the stewards' room. After a dull performance as the

odds-on favorite at Calder that September, Delaware Township was not seen again

at the races for more than 18 months.

Although his four-year-old season was productive, with a win in the Forest

Hills H. (G2) being the highlight, Delaware Township really came into his own

the following season. After opening with three losing efforts in early 2001, he

captured the Damitrius S., recorded a second in the A.G. Vanderbilt H. (G2) and

then notched his first Grade 1 victory in the Forego H. at Saratoga. In the

latter, he made his usual late run and defeated the very talented Left Bank, who himself would go on to win the Vosburgh H. (G1) (in which

he beat that year's Breeders' Cup Sprint [G1] victor Squirtle Squirt)

and Cigar Mile H. (G1) later the same year. Delaware Township posted an easy win

in the Forest Hills H. (G2) next and finished a closing sixth in the Breeders'

Cup Sprint (G1), a race in which his lack of early speed proved, as had happened

on previous occasions, to be his undoing. In his final career start, the DeFrancis Memorial

Dash (G1) at Laurel, he rolled to an impressive three-length

decision, defeating Early Flyer and the very talented filly Xtra Heat while

earning a lifetime best BRIS Speed figure of 112.

While finishing in 10th place in the 2005 Leading First-Crop Sires list with

two stakes winners, Delaware Township got off to a solid start in his career as

a stallion. Electrify, whose wins included the Jack Price Juvenile S. was his

leading earner at $131,800, and Lizzy's Township was his other stakes winner,

taking the Mountaineer Juvenile Fillies S. This year has started well for the

young stallion with Victorina and Electrify and also with the promising colt,

Tilden, who was impressive when breaking his maiden at Gulfstream Park.

Delaware Township and his sire, Notebook, have much in common. While Notebook

did finish second to Forty Niner in the Fountain of Youth (G2) and third in the

Florida Derby (G1), he was better known as a late-running sprinter with his most

important career victory coming in the Best Turn S. (G3) over six furlongs at

Aqueduct. That was one of two victories, from two tries, over an off track, and

Notebook's offspring are known to relish wet conditions. Indeed, in the TSN Sire

Stats book for 2006, Notebook is rated an "A" in the mud starts

category, a rating that Delaware Township has already achieved in his young

career. Another similarity between the two stallions is that they are both rated

"C" with their first-time starters suggesting that their produce will improve

with time, a trend that has proved correct with Notebook and appears to be going

that way with Delaware Township.

One could say that Delaware Township came from modest beginnings, but that is

not the case with Brahms, who is by Danzig and out of Queena (Mr. Prospector), a

three-time Grade 1 winner who was named champion older mare at age five in 1991.

After selling for $1 million at the 1998 Keeneland July sale, Brahms was sent to

the stable of Aidan O'Brien in Ireland for whom he raced six times as a

juvenile. His best performances that year were second place finishes in the

Dewhurst S. (Eng-G1) at Newmarket and the Curragh's King of Kings S. (Ire-G3), where he

was runner-up to Giant's Causeway.

After a poor effort in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), Brahms was sold and

sent to the barn of Elliott Walden who had him ready to race at Saratoga the

following year. His first three races for his new connections all resulted in

victories, including the River City H. (G3) at Churchill Downs. For his last start in 2000, Brahms

was shipped west for the Hollywood Derby (G1), where he was second past the post

but was awarded the win via disqualification. Although his future appeared very

bright, this was to be his last

victory as his four-year old season turned out to be disappointing, with a

couple of third-place finishes in Grade 1 events being the highlights.

Retired to stud with five wins and $843,226 in earnings, Brahms stood his

first season for a fee of $12,500 and had 13 winners from 33 runners in 2005,

including two stakes winners. After Arson Squad's victory last weekend, Brahms'

number of stakes winners is now four and while the San Pedro was run on the main

track, his offspring's affinity for the turf should be noted. Indeed, his

leading earner of last year, Test Boy, won the Centennial S. on the grass and

the ill-fated Up an Octave recently captured the Forerunner S. over that same

surface. Meanwhile, Classical Ryder showed her liking for the Polytrack by

winning four consecutive races, including the Valdale S. at Turfway Park, and

the colt Archerfield Links showed promise in England by winning two of his four

starts on the turf last fall and recently returned with a stylish victory on the

all-weather at Kempton.

Brahms and Delaware Township do not share many similarities, but handicappers

should note that both of these sires' runners seem to improve as they get older.

Extra attention should be paid to starters by Delaware Township on off tracks

and Brahms on the grass.