Notable sires represented in 2016 Breeders’ Cup

Galileo photo courtesy of Coolmore's Kevin Buckley via Twitter

The late Sadler’s Wells still holds the record as the sire of six Breeders’ Cup winners, but Tapit is closing in with five entering Friday. The late Unbridled’s Song, who could see his total rise from four, has a theoretical chance of the Distaff/Classic double – as does the 12-year-old Curlin. And Sadler’s Wells’ own son, Galileo, has a terrific squad who promises to add to his current tally of three Breeders’ Cup winners.

Here are the most notable stallions with multiple runners in the 2016 Breeders’ Cup, as well as a peek at further influences in the second generation.

Galileo’s team comprises Hydrangea (Juvenile Fillies Turf); Seventh Heaven and Pretty Perfect (Filly & Mare Turf); Mondialiste, Ulysses, Found, and Highland Reel (one-third of the Turf field); Alice Springs and Photo Call (Mile).

The influence of Galileo’s sire, Sadler’s Wells, extends even further. His sire line is also represented by Ectot in the Turf, and by the progeny of Kitten's Joy and Medaglia d'Oro (see below). Moreover, Sadler’s Wells factors as the broodmare sire of Turf threat Flintshire as well as Hit It a Bomb (Mile) and Point Piper (Dirt Mile).

Flintshire is by Dansili, who could kick off a double with Queen’s Trust (Filly & Mare Turf). And Dansili’s son Zoffany has a shot with Washington DC (Turf Sprint).

Dansili is just one vector of influence for Danehill, whose son Fastnet Rock has a pair of runners in Intricately (out of a Galileo mare) (Juvenile Fillies Turf) and Cougar Mountain (Mile). The Danehill male line is also responsible for the Turf Sprint duo of Obviously and Home of the Brave. And in one of the hottest crosses on the planet, Danehill appears as the broodmare sire for a few of the Galileos (Pretty Perfect, Highland Reel, Alice Springs). Juvenile Filles Turf hope Madame Dancealot is also out of a Danehill mare.

War Front (by Danehill’s sire Danzig) fields a numerous battalion of Intelligence Cross and Lancaster Bomber (Juvenile Turf); Lull and Roly Poly (out of a Galileo mare) (Juvenile Fillies Turf); With Honors (Juvenile Fillies); Avenge (Filly & Mare Turf); and Hit It a Bomb (Mile). Moreover, War Front’s son, The Factor, has morning-line Juvenile Fillies favorite Noted and Quoted in his first crop.

Tapit sends out Ticonderoga (Juvenile Turf), Sweet Loretta (Juvenile Fillies), A Lot (Turf Sprint), Ring Weekend (Mile), and Frosted (Classic).

Unbridled’s Song has Forever Unbridled (Distaff), Tara’s Tango (Filly & Mare Sprint), Arrogate (Classic). Himself the winner of the 1995 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Unbridled’s Song also appears as the paternal grandsire of Pure Sensation (Turf Sprint) and Irish Jasper (Filly & Mare Sprint) and the broodmare sire of the Juvenile Turf pair Made You Look and Intelligence Cross, Juvenile Fillies Turf draw-in Sweeping Paddy, Tourist (Mile) and Money Multiplier (Turf)..

Curlin relies on Stellar Wind and Curalina (Distaff); Valadorna (Juvenile Fillies); Texas Ryano (Turf); Keen Ice (Classic). Should any prevail, 2007 Classic hero Curlin would join the club of Breeders’ Cup winners to sire one.

English Channel, a son of Smart Strike like Curlin, also seeks to join the same club. As the 2007 Turf hero, he naturally has chances on the lawn through Channel Maker (Juvenile Turf) and Al’s Gal (Filly & Mare Turf).

Another Smart Strike champion, Lookin at Lucky, was unlucky not to win the 2009 Juvenile, but he bids for compensation with Accelerate (Dirt Mile), Lookin at Lee (Juvenile) and Money Multiplier (Turf).

Awesome Again, the 1998 Classic victor and sire of four Breeders’ Cup winners, could move up to five. But it would take an upset by Spelling Again (Filly & Mare Sprint). He'd also need a Classic upset as the broodmare sire of Keen Ice. Awesome Again's sire, Deputy Minister, is the broodmare sire of Frosted (Classic). Another Deputy Minister stallion, French Deputy, is in line for a double as the broodmare sire of Undrafted (Turf Sprint) and Tara's Tango (Filly & Mare Sprint).

Awesome Again’s Hall of Fame son, 2004 Classic romper Ghostzapper, is responsible for Gloryzapper and Paulassilverlining (Filly & Mare Sprint) and Shaman Ghost (Classic). If Shaman Ghost wins, he would become a unique third-generation Classic winner, and Ghostzapper would emulate his sire as the only Classic winner to sire one. Ghostzapper is emerging as a broodmare sire with Juvenile Fillies hope American Gal (by Tapit's son Concord Point) and Drefong (Sprint).

Ghostzapper’s half-brother by Carson City, City Zip, has three Breeders’ Cup winners, and his 2016 hopes are Catch a Glimpse and Zipessa (Filly & Mare Turf) and Finest City (Filly & Mare Sprint). City Zip is also the broodmare sire of Juvenile Fillies contender Noted and Quoted.

More Than Ready, likewise the sire of three Breeders’ Cup winners, can enter rarefied territory with four. Made You Look (Juvenile Turf) and Tom’s Ready (Dirt Mile) go to bat on Friday.

Also sitting on three winners so far are Kitten’s Joy, who has Oscar Performance and the scratched also-eligible Kitten’s Cat in the Juvenile Turf, and Mizzen Mast, whose Green Mask drew into the Turf Sprint as the second also-eligible.

Medaglia d'Oro (like Kitten's Joy a son of the Sadler's Wells stallion El Prado) has a flagship runner in Distaff favorite Songbird, along with New Money Honey (Juvenile Fillies Turf) and Sentiero Italia (Filly & Mare Turf).

Scat Daddy, who died far too young last December, has three seeking to give him a posthumous laurel: Daddys Lil Darling (Juvenile Fillies), Celestine (Turf Sprint), and Kitcat (Filly & Mare Turf).

Another who left us too soon, Dixie Union, has left a legacy through his sons – hot freshman sire Union Rags, represented by Dancing Rags and Union Strike (out of a Smart Strike mare) (Juvenile Fillies); Gone Astray, sire of Three Rules (Juvenile); and Grasshopper, sire of Texas Chrome (Dirt Mile). Dixie Union is also the broodmare sire of Klimt (Juvenile) and Wonder Gal (Filly & Mare Sprint).

Similarly, the much-missed Harlan's Holiday sired Good Samaritan (Juvenile Turf). He's also the paternal grandsire of Dirt Mile hope Vyjack and Juvenile contender Practical Joke (both by Into Mischief) as well as Juvenile rival Syndergaard (by Majesticperfection).

The late Bernstein, sire of defending Mile champion Tepin, is also the broodmare sire of Gormley (Juvenile) and Champagne Room (Juvenile Fillies).

Giant's Causeway has Point Piper (Dirt Mile) and Not This Time (Juvenile). His son Heatseeker fields Ryans Charm (Filly & Mare Turf), and Giant's Causeway is the broodmare sire of Gun Runner (Dirt Mile).

Pioneerof the Nile, famous for siring American Pharoah, has another prospect in Classic Empire (Juvenile) as well as Mile contender Midnight Storm.

Speightstown, the 2004 Sprint winner, aims for a breakthrough as a sire with Tamarkuz (Dirt Mile). His son Munnings has two runners in I’m a Chatterbox (Distaff) and Om (Turf Sprint).

Tiznow, the Classic hero of 2000-01, likewise is exerting an influence into a second generation. Aside from siring Term of Art (Juvenile) and Tourist (Mile), Tiznow has four young sons with Breeders’ Cup competitors – Colonel John is the sire of La Coronel, who meets Tizway’s daughter Coasted in the Juvenile Fillies Turf; freshman sire Gemologist could pull off a double with Yellow Agate (Juvenile Fillies) and Theory (Juvenile); and Tiz Wonderful is involved via Wonder Gal (Filly & Mare Sprint). Tiznow is also the broodmare sire of another Juvenile Fillies Turf runner, Lull.

Distorted Humor has a Mile threat in Ironicus, but most of his influence is now appearing in the second generation. His son Any Given Saturday has Hoppertunity (Classic) and defending Turf Sprint champion Mongolian Saturday, who clashes with Calgary Cat, by another Distorted Humor stallion in Cowtown Cat. Furthermore, Distorted Humor is the broodmare sire of New Money Honey (Juvenile Fillies Turf), Practical Joke (Juvenile), Gloryzapper (Filly & Mare Sprint), and Arrogate (Classic).

Lemon Drop Kid has Da Big Hoss (Turf), and much more through his daughters, who have produced Tamarkuz (Dirt Mile), Forever Unbridled (Distaff), Yellow Agate (Juvenile Fillies), Ryans Charm (Filly & Mare Turf), and Finest City (Filly & Mare Sprint).

The late Pulpit has only Classic longshot Win the Space remaining after the scratch of Sprint threat Lord Nelson, but he frequently pops up in the second generation. His sire line is robust, particularly through the aforementioned Tapit, also via Sky Mesa (sire of Juvenile Fillies Turf runner Happy Mesa), and less expectedly, Lucky Pulpit, sire of Classic favorite California Chrome. As a broodmare sire, Pulpit has the Juvenile Turf duo of Good Samaritan and Rodaini, along with half-siblings Land Over Sea (Distaff) and War Story (Classic).

Malibu Moon has leading chances on both sides of the pedigree. He’s sired Gormley (Juvenile) and Carina Mia (Filly & Mare Sprint), while as a broodmare sire, his rooting interests are Coasted (Juvenile Fillies Turf), Stellar Wind (Distaff) and By the Moon (Filly & Mare Sprint).

Malibu Moon and Pulpit’s sire, 1992 Classic winner A.P. Indy, is everywhere. His male line also furnishes Classic hope Effinex (by Mineshaft); Flatter, sire of Favorable Outcome (Juvenile Turf) and Paola Queen (Filly & Mare Sprint); Congrats, sire of JS Choice (Juvenile Turf) and Haveyougoneaway (Filly & Mare Sprint); and Bernardini, sire of Jamyson ‘n Ginger (Juvenile Fillies). A.P. Indy mares are responsible for A.P. Indian (Sprint), Calgary Cat (Turf Sprint), and Ironicus (Mile).