Innit

Innit

by Andrea Hoogendoorn ©

Looking Beyond Immediate Ancestry

On July 1st, a new female turf star emerged on the scene in impressive fashion. Innit, an Irish-bred daughter of the mediocre stallion, Distinctly North, was ridden masterfully by jockey Chris McCarron in the Honeymoon Breeders Cup Invitational Handicap (G2), to nip Live Your Dreams at wire for her first graded stakes win in America. Innit is also a graded stakes winner in Italy, having won the Dormello Stakes(G3) while on a three race win streak to cap off her last year in Europe. Her first start Stateside was in the 6.5 furlong La Habra Stakes where she finished third in a distance probably not to her liking. She followed this effort with two sharp second place efforts (one in G3 company) prior to her win in this year's edition of the Honeymoon Handicap.

Innit is a striking dark bay molded in the fashion of her broodmare sire, Kris S. She is the second foal of the young mare, Tidal Reach (1992) who was a minor winner at two. Tidal Reach is from the mare, Davie Lady, who produced 17 foals, nine winners, and one stakes winner. This stakes winner was Davie's Lamb, a 1984 filly by Unpredictable. Although not a graded stakes winner, Davie's Lamb did earn a respectable $549,695 and placed in graded stakes company. Ironically, she ran third in the Honeymoon Handicap, then a G3 event.

Over all, Innit does not have a very strong recent female line. While there are a few minor stakes winners (minus Davie's Lamb) in her immediate family, you have to go back to her fourth dam Mintairy (1927) to see any superior produce. Mintairy was the dam of 10 foals, all winners, including three stakes winnners and one stakes-placed runner. Her best was Rising Forces, a stakes-winning son of Hunters Moon IV who set track records at Golden Gate and Pomona. Mintiary was also the grandddam of Stranglehold (Stronghold), winner of 25 races that included the Bay Meadows Handicap, Santa Cantalina Handicap, and San Diego Handicap. He also had placings in the Los Angeles Handicap and San Luis Rey Stakes. Along with these wins Stranglehold also set a track record at Hollywood Park for six furlongs and equaled the records of nine furlongs and 8.5 furlongs at Tanforan. His earnings of $289,190 was a very respectable number for the early 1950's.

In the case of Innit, it seems, looking at the produce record of her immediate family and the mediocre stud record of her sire, that a graded stakes winner should not be the expected result. What is even more despairing is the fact that her paternal grandsire, Minshaanshu Amad, never won a race in 22 starts and his produce record is dismal, getting five stakes winners from 13 crops.

Distinctly North was Minshaanshu Amad's best runner. Winner of the Flying Childers Stakes (G2) at two, he went on to place in other group races including a second place effort in the Middle Park Stakes (G1). Distinctly North also has fared much better at stud than his sire, getting 10 stakes winners from six crops to race. Including Innit, he has sired Kahir Almaydan (G2 winner) and Polar Prince (G3 winner). His female line is a strong one. His dam, Distinctiveness, is a half sister to G1 winner Determined King and her full sister is Royal Ties, dam of the graded stakes winners On To Royalty and Meritocrat. Distinctiveness is also the granddam of Preakness Stakes winner Louis Quatorze and G1 winner Royal Indy. The third dam of Distinctly North is Stavroula, a full sister to the great Nashua.

Minshaanshu Amad, although a complete failure as a racehorse and sire, was regally bred. By Northern Dancer and from the G3 stakes winnning mare, Tappahannock, Minshaanshu Amad was a simple case of "breed to the best and hope for the best." Tappahannock, it must be noted, is the granddam of 1993 Fountain Of Youth (G2) winner Duc D'Sligovi. Minshaanshu Amad's second dam, Princess Ribot, was an outstanding and brilliant producer getting four stakes winners. She is also the immediate ancesstress of Glacial Stream (G3), Big Jag ($1,139,321), Exotic Wood (G1) and Captive Miss (G1). Tappahannock's full sister, Cascapedia, won the Vanity H (G1), Milady H. (G2), and, ironically, the Honeymoon H. (G3). She also finished second in the Hollywood Gold Cup (G1).

The only way to explain Innit's ability is just simply by looking at her pedigree. The first thing that jumps out is the 4x5 linbreeding to Nashua and his full sister, Stavroula. The daughter strain of Nasrullah in this pedigree is crucial since there are four additional strains through sons in every quartile of her pedigree. The balancing act comes in the form of Princequillo, who is duplicated much in the same manner of Nasrullah, except on the opposite side of the spectrum, through three daughters and one son. An interesting comparison should be made between Tappahannock and Tidal Reach. They are closely related, having Bold Ruler, two strains of Princequillo which are both over daughters of Beau Pere.

Distinctiveness, adds some other elements that must be noted. Her dam, New Love, is by Pardal and out of Nashua's full sister, Stavroula. The strain of Pardal is interesting since he is out of a three-quarter sister to La Troienne, and she appears in the pedigree of Never Bend through her son, Bimelech, the sire of Never Bend's second dam Be Faithful. This makes Distinctiveness 6x3 to the three-quarter sisters. The connection in Tidal Reach is through her broodmares sire, Bold and Brave. His third dam is Baby League, a half sister to Bimelech.

It is my opinion that the strains duplicated in this pedigree are the major reason that Innit is a much better racehorse than many in her immediate family. Her dam, Tidal Reach, although born in 1992, has a very "old" pedigree. Perhaps these ancestors being so close up in the pedigree of Tidal Reach tapped the superior blood lying dormant in the well-bred Minshaanshu Amad, while the Nashua and Baby League strains maintained the maternal strength of Distinctly North. Nevertheless, for those who do not believe that it matters beyond the first two generations, Innit is the perfect case of "you better look again."