Coolmore America Handbook 2020

MATING SUGGESTIONS: When the voters nominated their 2016 Eclipse Award champions, Classic Empire took the 2YO male title with a landslide 248 votes out of a possible 248. He dominated his generation throughout the year, from the moment he made a winning debut three days before the Kentucky Derby. Fast enough to take the Gr.3 Bashford Manor Stakes over six furlongs in early July, Classic Empire was much the best in the Gr.1 Breeders’ Futurity and showed courage, as well as class, in repelling Not This Time’s challenge in the Gr.1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Classic Empire trained on well too, notably taking the Gr.1 Arkansas Derby and being beaten only a head in the Gr.1 Preakness. He has the pedigree of a potentially high-class stallion. He is bred along similar lines to Triple Crown hero American Pharoah (both by Pioneerof The Nile from grand-daughters of Storm Cat). He also shares the same sire as Cairo Prince (five black-type winners in a first crop sired at only $10,000). Like American Pharoah, Classic Empire enjoys the significant benefit of having a pedigree free of such as A.P. INDY , SEATTLE SLEW , DANZIG , SADLER’S WELLS , DEPUTY MINISTER , ROBERTO and HALO . Mr Prospector will be no closer than the fifth and sixth generations of his foals’ pedigrees. Storm Cat will be back in the fourth generation and Fappiano the fifth, allowing a second line to either. Empire Maker sired Gr.1 winners from mares by three different sons of SEATTLE SLEW , including champion Royal Delta from an A.P. INDY mare. Empire Maker’s son Bodemeister has sired the fast Gr.2 winner American Anthem from an A.P. INDY mare and a Gr.3 winner from a MINESHAFT mare. Classic Empire must be a prime candidate for daughters of A.P INDY and his sons, such as PULPIT , MALIBU MOON and MINESHAFT . The similarly-bred American Pharoah had high-priced second-crop yearlings out of daughters of MALIBU MOON , A.P. INDY and TAPIT . BERNARDINI mares have 13% black-type winners with Pioneerof The Nile. Empire Maker sired 14% black-type winners from daughters of SEEKING THE GOLD . There are numerous other options from this MR PROSPECTOR male line, including KINGMAMBO , CARSON CITY , SMART STRIKE , CURLIN , DISTORTED HUMOR , SPEIGHTSTOWN and STREET CRY . American Pharoah’s first Group winner, the speedy Maven, is out of a grand-daughter of DISTORTED HUMOR . American Pharoah has made a bright start with SADLER’S WELLS line mares. The Gr.1-placed Monarch of Egypt is his first runner out of a GALILEO mare, while the Saratoga black-type winner Another Miracle is his first starter out of a MEDAGLIA D’ORO mare. Classic Empire should therefore suit mares by GALILEO , EL PRADO , MEDAGLIA D’ORO and KITTEN’S JOY . The Champion 2YO MARIA’S MON sired the dam of American Pharoah’s Gr.1-placed son American Theorem and Maria’s Mon’s son SUPER SAVER is broodmare sire of a second-crop American Pharoah colt which sold for $800,000. Pioneerof The Nile did well with the HAIL TO REASON line as Vinceremos is from a MORE THAN READY mare and Social Inclusion is from a SAINT BALLADO mare. American Pharoah is now replicating Pioneerof The Nile’s success, siring the ‘TDN Rising Star’ Princesa Caroline from a SAINT BALLADO mare and the Gr.2 winner Four Wheel Drive from a daughter of MORE THAN READY . Mares by GIANT’S CAUSEWAY and other sons of Storm Cat create only 4x3 to STORM CAT . This is a likeable option, as Empire Maker sired Bodemeister and In Lingerie from daughters of STORM CAT and the 2019 2yo Gr.1 winner Eight Rings from a grand-daughter. American Pharoah has already sired a Gr.2 winner from a mare by DISCREET CAT . Empire Maker sired a Gr.1 winner from a mare by Danzig, plus Gr.2 winners from mares by Danzig’s sons BELONG TO ME and PINE BLUFF . This suggests Classic Empire could thrive with mares by other dirt performers by DANZIG , such as WAR FRONT , HARD SPUN and EXCHANGE RATE . Empire Maker and Pioneerof The Nile have both sired black-type winners from a daughter of TOUCH GOLD . This suggests daughters of AWESOME AGAIN , DEHERE and GHOSTZAPPER , especially when Pioneerof The Nile has a Gr.3-winning juvenile with a dam by GHOSTZAPPER . A daughter of IN EXCESS produced the Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming to Bodemeister and the Gr.2 winner Positive Thinking to Pioneerof The Nile. In Excess’s son INDIAN CHARLIE sired the dams of American Pharoah’s $2,200,000 first-crop colt. This suggests that daughters of UNCLE MO are well worth trying with him. HOLY BULL is the broodmare sire of Cairo Prince, another of Pioneerof The Nile’s best sons. 19