Pedigree Look: Frankel

Normally, Pedigree Look is a bi-weekly post where I look at the pedigree of a horse through their sire and dam. However, tomorrow is the Juddmonte International at York in England. 8 horses are going in the race including defending champion Twice Over, BC Turf winner St. Nicholas Abbey and Sri Putra who defeated Arlington Million runner up Afsare in his last race. However, all eyes will be on Frankel as he steps up in distance for the first time in his career. Lets take a look at the undefeated colt's pedigree.

Name: Frankel (GB)

Year Born: 2008

Color: Bay

Sex: Colt

Sire: Galileo (IRE)

Broodmare: Kind (IRE)

Broodmare Sire: Danehill

Behind his name Profile: Despite his very European pedigree, Frankel is actually named after an American. Juddmonte's US trainer was none other then Robert Frankel. Which made for an interesting combo, because Juddmonte's owner Khalid Abdullah is a prince from Saudi Arabia and Bobby of course was a Jewish boy from Brooklyn. Still they where able to work together and had great success. Among their top horses where Belmont winner Empire Maker (which despite him being an amazing sire (and yes I wish he was in the US), it still rubs me the wrong way, then again I was rooting for Funny Cide), Sightseek, Ventura (who holds a special place in my heart as I feel like she should have been an Eclipse Champion. Also it was his last request that she go to the Matriarch, which she won with longtime asst. Humberto Ascanio as the trainer of record) and the Hasili siblings (Intercontential, Banks Hill, Heat Haze, Cacique and my personal favorite Champs Elysees). Some none Juddmonte horses that Bobby trained include Peace Rules, Midas Eyes, Medaglia d' Oro, Ginger Punch (whose Distaff win he missed as he was home with his late Australian sheppard Happy, he would then get two other dogs who where named after her, one named Ginger and the other named Punch), and little Megahertz. Bobby Frankel passed away shortly after the Breeders' Cup in 2009 from cancer, he was 69 years old.

Racing Profile: Frankel (GB) (Galileo (IRE)) has yet to lose a race in his career. He is a two time winner of the Cartier Award for his age group (2 years ago as a two year old and last year as a 3yo) as well as Europe's reigning Horse of the Year. He won the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket by a outstanding margin and took down older males in the Sussex before ending his season winning the QEII at Ascot. This year he has destoryed every challenger he has faced and moves up to a mile and a quarter distance tomorrow.

Sire

Galileo (IRE) (Sadlers Wells) was one of the best racers in the early 2000's. Like his son, he was named a Champion of his age group at 3.  As a sire, he's been able to pass along his winning approach. Among the foals are: recent Eclipse Turf Male winner Cape Blanco (IRE), the formentioned Red Rocks, Secretariat winner Treasure Beach (GB), French G1 winner Galikova (FR) (who is a 1/2 sister to the great Goldikova (IRE) (Anaaba) who saw Galieo this year), Keenland's QEII winner Together (IRE), St. Leger winner Sixtie's Icon (GB) and Melbourne Cup runner up Purple Moon (IRE).

His sire Sadlers Wells (Northern Dancer) won the English 2,000 Guineas, and Eclipse Stakes. As a stud, like Galileo he would be unmatched. Among his top horses include BC Turf winner Into the Wings (GB), 4 time Ascot Gold Cup winner Yeats (IRE), Irish Derby, and Arc winner Montjeu (IRE) and multiple G1 winner in England and Ireland Alexandrova (IRE), among many others.

His dam Urban Sea (Miswaki) is one of the most beloved broodmares of all time. She would win the Arc at the age of 4, and would go onto a very successful broodmare career. Other then Galileo, she is the dam to Italian G1 winner Black Sam Bellamy (IRE) (Saddlers Wells), one of my personal favorite fillies G1 winner My Typhoon (IRE) (Giant's Causeway) and the two English TC race, Arc winning superstar Sea the Stars (IRE) (Cape Cross (IRE)). 

Dam

Frankel's dam is Kind (IRE) (Danehill). A stakes winner sprinting, Kind is also the dam to G2 placed in  England Noble Mission (GB) (Galileo (IRE)). The oldest of the three brothers, Bullet Train (GB) (Saddler's Wells) is a G3 winner and the pacesetter for Frankel. 

Kind's sire is Danehill (Danzig), G1 winner in England he became one of the top sires in the World. Other then the Hasili foals (with the exception of Heat Haze who he is not the sire of), he is the sire of G1 winner in Australia Al Maher (AUS), G1 winner Danish (IRE), as well as G1 winner in England and France, G1 placed here in US Rock of Gibraltar (IRE).

Her dam Rainbow Lake (GB) (Rainbow Quest) is a G3 winner in England. She is also the dam to G1 winner in Ireland and the US Powerscourt (GB) (Sadlers Wells) and G1 placed in France Last Train (GB) (Rail Link (GB)). Her dam Rockfest (Stage Door Johnny) is G3 placed in England and is the dam to jumps winner Rock Falcon (IRE) (Polar Falcon).