The influence of Claiborne Farm's prominent sire Danzig continues to be felt at the highest level of racing in North America.
The son of Northern Dancer, who led the general leading sires list three consecutive years in 1991-93 and died at 29 in 2006, can be found within the first five generations of nine graded stakes winners during the stakes-heavy cards June 3-5 at Belmont Park.
Two of the graded winners—Jackpocket Jaipur Stakes (G1T) winner Casa Creed and Woody Stephens Stakes Presented by Nassau County Industrial Development Agency (G1) winner Drain the Clock —are inbred to Danzig. With both horses, their sires are by WinStar's stalwart Distorted Humor, for whom Danzig is his broodmare sire. Casa Creed is by Spendthrift Farm's Jimmy Creed , and Drain the Clock is by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa's Maclean's Music . Both first-time grade 1 winners also have pedigrees with multiple lines of Mr. Prospector.
Drain the Clock is inbred 4x4 to Danzig with the other line of Danzig coming through his broodmare sire Arch. Danzig is the broodmare sire of Arch, through his daughter Aurora, who hails from the important female family of Courtly Dee. Additionally, Maclean's Music is inbred 3x4 to Mr. Prospector, the grandsire of Distorted Humor and the sire of Gone West, who is the broodmare sire of Forest Music, dam of Maclean's Music. Drain the Clock was bred in Kentucky by Nick Cosato and is raced by Slam Dunk Racing, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables, and Michael Nentwig.
Drain the Clock is the second grade 1 winner representing the cross of Distorted Humor and his sons with daughters of Arch. The other is 2012 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner I'll Have Another, a son of Flower Alley.
Casa Creed is inbred 4x5 to Danzig. His broodmare sire Bellamy Road traces tail-male back to Danzig through Concerto and Chief's Crown. The 5-year-old horse also is not inbred to Mr. Prospector but Jimmy Creed is 3x4 through Distorted Humor's sire line (Mr. Prospector is Distorted Humor's grandsire) and through his dam Hookedonthefeelin, whose broodmare sire Allen's Prospect is a son of Mr. Prospector. Casa Creed was bred in Kentucky by Silver Springs Stud and is raced by Lee Einsidler's LRE Racing and Mike Francesa's JEH Racing Stable.
Casa Creed is the first graded stakes winner representing the cross of Jimmy Creed with mares by Bellamy Road. The four foals of racing age representing this cross, however, includes two black-type winners so far. The other is Imnogood, who won last year's Clasico Accion de Gracias Stakes, which is recognized as a grade 2 in Puerto Rico but internationally recognized as a non-graded black-type stakes.
Other graded stakes winners with Danzig as an up-close ancestor include:
- Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap (G1) winner Silver State (Hard Spun —Supreme, Empire Maker), whose grandsire is Danzig. He is inbred 3x5x5 to Northern Dancer, the sire of Danzig, and 4x5 to Roberto.
- Resorts World Casino Manhattan Stakes (G1T) winner Domestic Spending (Kingman —Urban Castle, Street Cry) is inbred 4x5 Mr. Prospector and 5x5 Northern Dancer, with one line tracing tail-male to Danzig through his son Green Desert.
- Longines Just a Game Stakes (G1T) winner Althiqa (Dark Angel—Mistrusting, Shamardal) is inbred 3x4 to Machiavellian. Danzig appears in the pedigree of her second dam through her sire Oasis Dream, a son of Green Desert.
- Brooklyn Stakes Presented by Northwell Health (G2) winner Lone Rock (Majestic Warrior—Ruby Lips, Hard Spun) is inbred 4x5 to Northern Dancer, with one line through Hard Spun, who is the sire of Ruby Lips. Lone Rock also is inbred 4x5 Mr. Prospector.
- Belmont Gold Cup Stakes (G2T) winner Baron Samedi (Harbour Watch—Dame Shirley, Haafhd) is inbred 5x5 to Northern Dancer. Green Desert is the sire of Baron Samedi's third dam, Khubza.
- Bed o' Roses Stakes (G3) winner Estilo Talentoso (Maclean's Music—Bazinga Baby, Afleet Alex) is inbred 4x5x5x5 to Mr. Prospector, 4x5 to Fappiano, 4x5 Caro, and 5x5 Northern Dancer. Danzig appears only as the broodmare sire of Distorted Humor.
- True North Stakes (G2) winner Firenze Fire (Poseidon's Warrior —My Every Wish, Langfuhr) is inbred 4x5 to Mr. Prospector. Danzig appears once in five generations as the sire of Langfuhr, who is the sire of Firenze Fire's dam, My Every Wish.
