Pedigree Look: Bayern

PL's are back! This week it's this year's Classic winner


Name: Bayern
Year Born: 2011
Color: Dark Bay/Brown
Sex: Colt
Sire: Offlee Wild
Dam: Alittlebitearly
Broodmare Sire: Thunder Gulch

Profile: Named after the German soccer team, Bayern Munich (where seven of it's players where part of Germany's World Cup championship team this year), Bayern (Offlee Wild) didn't race at 2. However after breaking his maiden in early January, he turned some heads finishing when he finished 3rd in the Arkansas Derby (which was won by eventual KY Derby 3rd place finisher Danza) and crossed the wire first in the Derby Trial only to get DQ'ed to 2nd. He then went to the Preakness where he could only finish in front of the filly Ria Antonia. He would then go onto win his first stakes race in the Woody Stephens. One would expect he would remain 1 turn, but in his next race he would go gate to wire in the Haskell. Among those he defeated that day was KY Oaks winner Untapable who was trying to emulate Serena's Song and Rachel Alexandra.



After a last place finish in the Travers, he would go to the PA Derby. That would be the first start of California Chrome's fall season after being denied the Triple Crown at Belmont. Bayern had dusted him and everyone else that day to go into the BC Classic as a strong contender. After impeding the formally undefeated Shared Belief at the start of the race, he held of the European Toast of New York to win the Classic with California Chrome finishing in third. He was not dq'ed this time though and gave his trainer Bob Baffert his first Classic winner.

Sire

Offlee Wild (Wild Again) could be considered "a thorn in Funny Cide's side" along with Peace Rules, he defeated the 2003 Derby winner several times. His biggest win came in the Suburban Handicap. As a sire he was the Top Freshman Sire of 2009 in earnings, although most of those earnings where off a Breeders' Cup winner (She Be Wild). He is also the sire of stakes winner Hogy and G3 winner Acting Naughty.

His sire Wild Again (Icecapade) won the first Breeders' Cup Classic and Meadowlands Cup. He is the sire of G1 winner A Wild Ride, BC Sprint winner Elmhurst, and G1 winner Shine Again among others. His dam Bushel-n-peck (Khaled (GB)) was a stakes winner. Wild Again was her highest earner, but is also the dam to stakes placed Coed (Ribot (GB)). She is also a full sister to stakes winner Free Copy (Khaled (GB)).

His dam Alvear (Seattle Slew) won twice in nine career starts. She is also the dam to G2 winner Sangria (Mr. Greeley). Her 1/2 brother is the legendary Dynaformer (Roberto). Their dam Andover Way (His Majesty) was a G1 winner in her own right and is the 2nd dam to G2 winner Lines of Battle (War Front) who is now racing in Hong Kong under the name Helene Super Star. This is the same female family as G1 placed Darby Creek Road (Roberto), a thorn in a legendary gelding's side as well... John Henry.

Dam

As her name suggests Alittlebitearly (Thunder Gulch) was well... early. Thus the December born mare went unraced in her career. However she has made up for in the breeding shed. Bayern is her only stakes winner to date though.

Thunder Gulch (Gulch) is a Derby/Belmont winner. He is also the sire to Hall of Famer Point Given, BC Distaff winner Spain, G1 winner Balance among others. His dam Line of Thunder (Storm Bird) is G1 placed in Europe. She is also the dam to JPN-1 placed Battle Line (Ogygian). This is the same cross as BC Mile winner Court Vision (Gulch).

Her dam Aquilegia (Alydar) is a G2 winner. This makes Alittlebitearly a 1/2 sister to Amelia (Dixieland Band) the dam to G3 winner Assateague (Stormy Atlantic), G1 placed Kindergarten Kid (Dynaformer) and BC Juvenile runner up He's Had Enough (Tapit). Aquilegia is also the dam to G1 placed Bertolini (Danzig). She was a full sister to G1 winner Althea (Alydar) the granddam to Arch (Kris S.) who sired Blame the only horse to defeat Zenyatta. Courtly Dee (Never Bend) their dam was named the Broodmare of the Year in 1983.