September 27, 2012

Weaving the Web - Part 1

Pedigree - Sire
Saarland, had a fairly successful career while racing, earning nearly $600,000 on the racetrack. At 2 he ran in the Champagne Stakes and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Coming out of the Breeders' Cup he got his first stakes win in the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes. While racing from age 3 to 5, Saarland ran in the Kentucky Derby, Stuyvesant Handicap and placed second in the Gotham Stakes (Grade 3), Metropolitan Handicap (Grade 1) & Westchester Handicap (Grade 3) and was third in the Brooklyn Handicap (Grade 2). He was owned and campaigned by Cynthia Phipps and was trained by Shug McGaughey.

In 2005 after Saarland finished his racing career, he entered stud at Darby Dan Farm in Lexington Kentucky. He sired 3 crops of racing age, 181 foals, 132 starters, 3 stakes winners, 1 champion, 99 winners of 274 races and earning $5,107,915 USA. Some of his top offspring include Collegiate, Jethro, Exclusive Scheme, Saarlight and Himynameissarah among others.


Sadly, in January 2009 Saarland was pensioned from breeding due to fertility problems and was moved to his owners farm and passed away in March 2009 after a paddock accident.


Saarland at Darby Dan - Photo (C) Tony Leonard

His sire, Unbridled (Fappiano x Gana Facil - Le Fabuleux) won the 1990 Florida Derby, Kentucky Derby and Breeders Cup Classic and was 1990 Eclipse Champion 3yo. He won $4,489,475 in his racing career and entered stud at the historic Claiborne Farm. 

Unbridled sired 292 runners that produced 183 winners. Ten of his offspring were Grade 1 Stakes winners, four were classic winner, and three were Eclipse Award champions. Unbridled is also the last Kentucky Derby winner to sire another Derby winner, Grindstone in 1996. Aside from Saarland and Grindstone, Unbridled's most notable offspring include Anees, Broken Vow, Unbridled's Song, Eddington, Unshaded, Wheelaway, Banshee Breeze, Halfbridled, and Exogenous.

Tragically at the young age of 14 and case after case of colic, Unbridled was euthanized and was buried at Claiborne Farm.


Unbridled at Claiborne

Left - Gana Facil  Right - Fappiano

Saarland's dam, Versailles Treaty (Danzig x Ten Cents A Dance - Buckpasser) was bred and owned by Cynthia Phipps and was born at Claiborne farm. As a racehorse, was a millionaire winning the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes, Gazelle Handicap, Test Stakes, Ruffian Handicap and Grade 2 Molly Pitcher Handicap. She also placed in the Breeders' Cup Distaff, Acorn Stakes, and Beldame Stakes. Out of 20 starts she won 9, second in 9 and third in 2 races, never finishing out of the top 3.

Versailles Treaty was part of the Keeneland November disbursement of Cynthia Phipps and was purchased by Gainesway where she now resides continuing her broodmare career.


Versailles Treaty at Keeneland Sale

Left - Danzig  Right - Buckpasser

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