Note: Yes today (Weds) is a double post day. The reason being is that these two horses will remain connected throughout the rest of their careers.
This is the tale of two horses. One horse is by a 3yo Champion Male, the other is by a Champion Sprinter. Their trainers both won the Belmont and hail from the state of Kentucky. Their jockeys one of them was a champion jockey born in Venezuela, the other was born in California whose biggest race win was in Dubai. The owners couldn't be more different, one of them was the ruler of Dubai, while the other where two guys from Billings, Montana. As I posted last year I called Alpha and Golden Ticket, the Prince and the Pauper. Today I will be looking at both of their pedigrees, Alpha is first and Golden Ticket's will be up tonight.
Name: Alpha
Year Born: 2009
Color: Bay
Sex: Colt
Sire: Bernardini
Dam: Munnaya
Broodmare Sire: Nijinsky
Profile: Alpha (Bernardini) started his career winning his maiden in his first start before finishing second to Union Rags in the Champagne. He then finished up track in the BC Juvenile. After winning the two prep races for the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, he would finish second in the Wood. That would lead to a start in the Derby where he would finish 12th before being put away for the rest of the Spring races. After winning the Jim Dandy, Saratoga's local prep for the Travers, he went into the 2012 Mid-Summer Derby facing a bit of an underwhelming field that was diminished by the injuries and subsequent retirements of I'll Have Another, Union Rags, Bodemeister and Hansen, plus the illness to Paynter.
The race though turned out to be a dozy with longshot Golden Ticket being a very stubborn foe and would not give way. Alpha was able to grind it out to dead heat with the Speightstown colt. Here is the race:
Sadly, that has been the last win for Alpha. In matter of fact his best finish since that race has been a fourth place finish in the 2013 Suburban.
Sire
Bernardini (A.P. Indy) won the 2006 Preakness, Jim Dandy, Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup before finishing second in the Breeders' Cup Classic. All of this took place in his lone year of racing. He also took home 3yo Champion Male honors. As a sire, Bernardini is the sire of G1 winners Stay Thirsty, Ruud Awakening (AUS) and To Honor and Serve among others.
A.P Indy (Seattle Slew) won the 1992 Belmont and BCC to be named Horse of the Year. He is a 1/2 brother to Preakness winner Summer Squall (Storm Bird) and the dams of Kipling, Court Vision (full brothers by Gulch). He hails from the same female family as Belmont winner Lemon Drop Kid (Kingmambo).
Cara Rafaela (Quiet American) won the Hollywood Starlet and before that was second in the BC Juvenile Fillies. Other then Bernardini, she is the dam to G1 placed Ill de France (Storm Cat) who is the dam to G1 winner Love and Pride (A.P. Indy). Her dam Oil Fable (Spectacular Bid) is the dam of G3 winner Abaginone (Devil's Bag) along with Cara. Northern Fable (Northern Dancer) the dam to Oil is a G3 winner herself. This makes Bernardini from the same female family as G1 placed Blue Burner (French Deputy).
Dam
Munnaya (Nijinsky) was won the Oaks Trial and was third in the Pretty Polly both races in England in her career. Other then Alpha, she is the dam to stakes placed in the UAE Numaany (A.P. Indy) and G2 placed Lavender Sky (Mt. Livermore).
Nijinsky (Northern Dancer) was the Triple Crown winner in England. He sired among others HOY Ferdinand, Epsom Derby winners Lammtarra, Golden Fleece and Shahrastani (Ferdinand and the latter won the KY Derby and the Epsom Derby the same year), as well as BC Mile winner Royal Academy. His dam Flaming Page (Bull Page) was some filly herself. Not only did she finish 2nd in the KY Oaks, but she won the Canadian Oaks (now the Woodbine Oaks) and the Queen's Plate. She is also the dam to G1 placed Minsky (Northern Dancer) and stakes placed Fleur (Victoria Park) who is the dam to Epsom Derby winner The Minstrel (Northern Dancer). This is the same female family as stakes winner All for Victory (Victoria Park).
Hiaam (Alydar) was a stakes winner in England as well. Munnaya is her best foal. Her dam Kamar (Key to the Mint) also won the Canadian Oaks in her career. She is the dam to G1 winner Gorgeous (Slew O' Gold) (see this post that I did on Gorgeous and her race with Bayakoa (whose grandson I will be doing a PL post on soon!), G1 placed Key to the Moon (Wajima) and G1 winner Seaside Attraction (Seattle Slew) (the dam to Champion Golden Attraction (Mr. Prospector) and G1 winner Cape Town (Seeking the Gold), the latter is the sire to 3yo Champion filly Bird Town). This is the same female family as Swain (IRE) (Nashwan) and Fantastic Light (Rahy) both G1 winners in England with the latter winning the BC Turf and the former finishing third in it.
The race though turned out to be a dozy with longshot Golden Ticket being a very stubborn foe and would not give way. Alpha was able to grind it out to dead heat with the Speightstown colt. Here is the race:
Sadly, that has been the last win for Alpha. In matter of fact his best finish since that race has been a fourth place finish in the 2013 Suburban.
Sire
Bernardini (A.P. Indy) won the 2006 Preakness, Jim Dandy, Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup before finishing second in the Breeders' Cup Classic. All of this took place in his lone year of racing. He also took home 3yo Champion Male honors. As a sire, Bernardini is the sire of G1 winners Stay Thirsty, Ruud Awakening (AUS) and To Honor and Serve among others.
A.P Indy (Seattle Slew) won the 1992 Belmont and BCC to be named Horse of the Year. He is a 1/2 brother to Preakness winner Summer Squall (Storm Bird) and the dams of Kipling, Court Vision (full brothers by Gulch). He hails from the same female family as Belmont winner Lemon Drop Kid (Kingmambo).
Cara Rafaela (Quiet American) won the Hollywood Starlet and before that was second in the BC Juvenile Fillies. Other then Bernardini, she is the dam to G1 placed Ill de France (Storm Cat) who is the dam to G1 winner Love and Pride (A.P. Indy). Her dam Oil Fable (Spectacular Bid) is the dam of G3 winner Abaginone (Devil's Bag) along with Cara. Northern Fable (Northern Dancer) the dam to Oil is a G3 winner herself. This makes Bernardini from the same female family as G1 placed Blue Burner (French Deputy).
Dam
Munnaya (Nijinsky) was won the Oaks Trial and was third in the Pretty Polly both races in England in her career. Other then Alpha, she is the dam to stakes placed in the UAE Numaany (A.P. Indy) and G2 placed Lavender Sky (Mt. Livermore).
Nijinsky (Northern Dancer) was the Triple Crown winner in England. He sired among others HOY Ferdinand, Epsom Derby winners Lammtarra, Golden Fleece and Shahrastani (Ferdinand and the latter won the KY Derby and the Epsom Derby the same year), as well as BC Mile winner Royal Academy. His dam Flaming Page (Bull Page) was some filly herself. Not only did she finish 2nd in the KY Oaks, but she won the Canadian Oaks (now the Woodbine Oaks) and the Queen's Plate. She is also the dam to G1 placed Minsky (Northern Dancer) and stakes placed Fleur (Victoria Park) who is the dam to Epsom Derby winner The Minstrel (Northern Dancer). This is the same female family as stakes winner All for Victory (Victoria Park).
Hiaam (Alydar) was a stakes winner in England as well. Munnaya is her best foal. Her dam Kamar (Key to the Mint) also won the Canadian Oaks in her career. She is the dam to G1 winner Gorgeous (Slew O' Gold) (see this post that I did on Gorgeous and her race with Bayakoa (whose grandson I will be doing a PL post on soon!), G1 placed Key to the Moon (Wajima) and G1 winner Seaside Attraction (Seattle Slew) (the dam to Champion Golden Attraction (Mr. Prospector) and G1 winner Cape Town (Seeking the Gold), the latter is the sire to 3yo Champion filly Bird Town). This is the same female family as Swain (IRE) (Nashwan) and Fantastic Light (Rahy) both G1 winners in England with the latter winning the BC Turf and the former finishing third in it.
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