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Thursday, January 22, 2009

Teuflesberg's First Foal Arrives

Like most babies, newborn foals are irresistible, and not just for their general cuteness. More than anything they represent tantalizing potential, and all that excites about the great unknown. With they fail or succeed as a race horse? Can they live up to their breeding and ride the wind? Or is their fate not so fortunate? Obviously, only time will tell.

As a pedigree geek, I love exploring the genealogy of these newborns, particularly those by my favorite horses—those that were not necessarily recognized as champions, or even totally fulfilled their potential, but did strike me as gutsy, tough horses that always tried. Teuflesberg was that kind of horse on the track, so I was especially pleased to read of his first progeny’s arrival, a bay filly born on January 17, out of the Jack Hylton mare City Hylton.

Who?

Talk about obscure breeding, or so I thought. While this Argentine-bred G2 winner in Chile doesn’t have much to recommend her via her sireline, the damline is more promising. Turns out City Hylton is a half-sister to City West (Candy Stripes), a multiple G1 winner in Argentina who won two of the three legs of the Argentinean Triple Crown. Another half-sister Candy Girl (Candy Stripes) was unraced, but produced five starters, all winners, and the best of them was champion miler Candy Ride. Considering the promising first-year crop he has produced (California Derby winner Chocolate Candy, G3 Sorrento victress Evita Argentina, G3 Iroquois winner Capt Candyman Can, G1 Hollywood Starlet runner-up Wynning Ride, and last weekend’s Dania Beach victor Jack Spratt), this may be a promising family.

And Shaker Ridge Farm, Inc. may have also gotten a bargain due to the current uncertain financial times—City Hylton (and her as-then-unborn filly) was purchased by them at the recent January Keeneland sale (Hip #1512) for a paltry $1,200. Considering her daddy’s heart, here’s hoping this young filly makes a big splash.

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

Candy Ride is going to prove to be a very useful sire. Although a "champion miler," in ARG, he was able to hold onto that form after importing to the States, and Julie Krone's magnificent ride in the Pacific Classic still ranks as one of the most devastating classic distance races in SoCal.
Looks like they got a huge bargain for $1200!
As Candy Ride makes a name for himself in the future, what do you think about him as a broodmare sire? Often these speedy miler types who can get the distance tend to pass on that balance of speed and stamina when nicked accordingly...another young sire comes to mind: Kafwain...