Early incentives

Sire of champions Smarty Jones, Raven's Pass and Maryfield, world record holder Elusive Quality (pictured) continues to produce horses with his amazing turn-of-foot that run hard regardless of the surface. Quality Road showed his mettle earlier in the year in the G1 Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park, scoring a 124 Beyer figure while lowering his own track record to 1:47.49. He is arguably the best miler in the country following his explosive win in the G1 Metropolitan H. Starfish Bay, the winner of three turf sprint Stakes races this year on the East Coast, set a new mark over Monmouth's turf course when zipping five-and-a-half furlongs in 1:00.76. Roan Inish, a Stakes winner at two and three on polytrack, captured the prestigious Woodbine Oaks and was third against the boys in the Queen's Plate.

At the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale, Elusive Quality's colts averaged $380,000. The $1.2 million sales topper was the first foal from his G1 Ballerina star Maryfield - a $1.2 million earner herself - and A.P. Indy. Forthcoming, Claiborne Farm is offering a full brother to Darley Stable's near half-million dollar earner Elusive Warning, runner-up in the G2 Godolphin Mile, from a one-hundred-percent-producing mare. Within two generations, the colt's pedigree (hip 226) also features two-year-old champion Gilded Time.

A pair of well-developed fillies will sell under the banner of Taylor Made Sales Agency: hip 186, a full sister to G2-placed Smart N Pretty and hip 387, out of Bandeau (Quiet American) with a magnificent extended pedigree. Bandeau has two winners already. She is a half-sister to highweight older horse in Italy, Ancient World, and Godolphin's G1 CC American Oaks winner Jilbab. The latter filly's third dam is sister to Derby winner Bold Forbes, the dam of Saratoga Six and Dunbeath, and granddam to Lakeway - all of whom are G1 winners.

The tenacious Eclipse champion distaffer Ginger Punch was exported to Japan upon her sale of $1.6 million while in foal to Bernardini. Remaining stateside is her Touch Gold three-quarter sister whose first foal, a filly (hip 768) goes under the hammer for Four Star Sales, as agent. In the same consignment is a chestnut filly (hip 162) out of a young winning Polish Numbers mare, a half sister to G1 Woodward runner-up Second of June and Weekend in Indy - dam of fellow Darley stallion Any Given Saturday and graded winner Bohemian Lady.

Medaglia d'Oro, a G1 winner at three, four and five, established himself as the leading second crop sire of 2009 with $7.7 million in earnings, and now retains the leading third-crop sire spot while boasting impressive percentages (per distinction) on or near the top of the General Sire list. Since 1 January, 7.75% of his runners have been victorious at Stakes level. Medaglia d'Oro's progeny statistics make very good reading when they are out of daughters of the mainstay American stallion lines, namely Seattle Slew and Northern Dancer. Over and above, he has shown a distinct propensity to cross well with mares tracing to Raise a Native. Of his 11 2010 Stakes winners, reigning Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra (Roar); his brilliant sophomore Champagne d'Oro (Saratoga Six), who challenged the G1 Acorn and Test Stakes with success; G1 Carter handicapper Warrior's Reward (Seeking the Gold); Payton d'Oro (Jade Hunter); and Laus Deo (Alysheba) were all foaled by mares with direct paternal links to Harbor View Farm's unbeaten aristocrat.

Given that the above named were also graduates of the Keeneland Yearling Sale, horsemen may well consider hip 106, Bluewater Sales' filly out of User History (Mr. Prospector) to add to their September shortlist. The previously Hokkaido-based first dam is the daughter of England's brilliant Horse of the Year User Friendly.

At Saratoga's Select Sale, Medaglia d'Oro had five yearlings sell upward of $450,000. The upcoming consignment of Woods Edge Farm includes the half-brother of G2 San Clemente winner and G1-placed Sweet Win. The colt was previously hammered down as a weanling for a robust $280,000. His dam is Win for Juno, a daughter of European Horse of the year St. Jovite and Special Team, a race filly that gifted her esteemed breeder Fred W. Hooper with his second Acorn trophy and later threw the French classic competitor, Triteamtri.

Another strong exchange last November was a $290,000 filly out of the G2 Wilshire H. grass specialist Blushing Heiress, by Blushing John. Delightfully, Medaglia d'Amour - a filly deriving from this very nick - stretched her win streak to three in 2010 with a triumph in G3 Wilshire on turf. Blushing Heiress, who already has a Stakes winner in Winsome, is the granddam of Exceed and Excel's exciting young Listed winner Shamandar. Seventh Street, Street Cry's second G1 Apple Blossom winner, is also part of this family. The filly, now consigned by Warrendale Sales as agent, goes through the ring as hip 123.

Worldwide, Street Cry's top four runners collectively have brought home the US equivalent of $15.9 million. Top tiered Victor's Cry and the matchless Zenyatta head up a half dozen runners that have scored at Graded level in 2010. Street Cry is represented by an exceptional assemblage of yearlings from an eclectic mix of families including 27 Stakes-winning or Stakes-producing first dams catalogued in the first two books.

Multiple Stakes-producing Dance Swiftly - sister to thrice champion and Broodmare of the Year Dance Smartly - is the dam of a precious Kentucky-bred filly (hip 568) consigned by Four Star Sales. The legacy that her granddam Classy 'N Smart and her third dam No Class endowed before her is huge. No Class was the foundation mare of Ernie Samuel's world renowned Sam-Son Farm and is the dam of four Sovereign Award winners: Sky Classic, Regal Classic, Classic Reign and Classy 'N Smart. Besides Dance Smartly - the leading money-winning thoroughbred in Canadian history - Classy 'N Smart produced three other top level winners. The sky is the limit for this yearling Street Cry filly. Lest we forget, the Dubai World Cup champion's $60,000, first-crop Keeneland filly Zenyatta is rapidly closing in on Ouija Board's worldwide female earnings record of $6,311,362.

A number of dynamic maiden mares were introduced to Street Cry in 2008 on early covers. Several of the resulting first foals are being offered up including a bay filly (hip 101) from Ticker Tape, the winner of the G1 American Oaks Invitational and the G1 QEII Challenge Cup Stakes. Ticker Tape's near relative is G1 Trophy Cup winner Crowded House. Palais Versailles, the Pulpit half-sister to G2 Remsen-conquering Saarland, sends forth a chestnut filly (hip 82). The second dam is the late Cynthia Phipps' homebred Versailles Treaty - a quadruple winner at the highest level and runner-up to Dance Smartly as champion three-year-old filly of 1991.
Also a pair of colts for first-time mares: G1 Humana Distaff victress My Trusty Cat, by Tale of the Cat (hip 1083) and royally-bred Mama Nadine, the Stakes-winning offspring of champions A.P. Indy and Countess Diana (hip 1000).

In response to Street Sense's rise to Breeders' Cup and Derby prominence, broodmares sired by Dixieland Band have been measured up for the court of Street Cry. Heading to Keeneland, a relative of G1 Sussex Stakes winner Posse (hip 174) is a daughter of Dixieland Band's G1 winner Menhoubah. As well, a colt (hip 175) whose family branches to Holy Bull's G1 son Flashy Bull and Canadian champion and Irish-bred Perfect Soul, is out of a decent sort, Moon Indigo, also sired by the influential Northern Dancer son.

Mill House's new Listed winner and G1 Haskell runner-up Trappe Shot adds an exciting update to the page of Street Cry's filly on view as hip 90. Add "Trappe Shot - four wins in six starts at three, 2010, $387,050" under the first dam. Shopping (Private Account) has now foaled five Stakes horses plus three additional winners including G1 Personal Ensign heroine Miss Shop.