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.