by Les Brinsfield

Officer: Separate and Apart

by Les Brinsfield ©

Grunts comprise military organizations, for the most part. An officer is afforded rank and privilege to keep him separate and apart from said grunts. The same applies with thoroughbred horses, as it is about a 30 to1 shot to come up with a stakes winner.

The results of the first three outs for Officer set him separate and apart, as well. He is a son of Bertrando, best older male at four when he won the likes of the Pacific Classic as well as the Woodward Stakes on the other coast. The current star of the Man O'War sireline is a grandson of Breeders' Cup Classic winner, Skywalker who is by Relaunch, the best sire never to be appreciated for too long.

While separated by performance, Officer sure stayed close to home in three generations from Relaunch, who carries all the players necessary to exploit linebreeding to Domino, to wit: Lady Reel [5/8 sister to Domino and dam of Hamburg], Frizette [by Hamburg], Discovery [second dam quintupled to Galopade including a line of Hamburg] and the sisters to Domino, Mannie Himyar and Champion Correction, winner of 38 races.

Intentionally is out of a Discovery mare. Rough 'n Tumble has a line of Correction and Djeddah is doubled to Frizette. Little needs be said about the male and female strains of Domino as they are just about everywhere and are best used with strains of the above - the more the merrier.

Relaunch produced Skywalker from Bold Captive and her checklist shows 2X Discovery and Mannie Himyar and single lines of Mannie Himyar and Lady Hamburg by Hamburg. Bold Captive is by Bold Ruler out of a Native Dancer mare and they are both out of Discovery mares and that nets a 5X5X5 Discovery in the fifth generation of Skywalker. Home Port is by Count Fleet [Correction] out of mare by Occupy [Mannie Himyar] out of a mare by Ariel [Mannie Himyar] which is packing Lady Hamburg [Hamburg]. Note to file: Ariel has a son and daughter fo Sweep, he from Pink Domino lashed around Mannie Himyar. This makes Grey Flight a player in the Domino deal. Pop Quiz: go to Del Mar and find Correction, Discovery and Frizette in Mr. Prospector.

Tally: Discovery [3] Sisters to Domino [4]

To resume: Skywalker got Bertrando from Gentle Hands who contributes another Discovery from Hasty Road [1/2 to Traffic Judge - keep an eye out for Seven Corners, he a 3/4 bro to this pair and found in Gulch [Mr. P from pop quiz above]. Gentle Hands also has Wise Counsellor [Degage] on Haste [Count Fleet] and this pair are anchored by Mannie Himyar and Correction respectively. Now file this away under little know facts: Count Fleet is out of a Haste daughter of Stephanie and Bolero is out of a Wise Counsellor daughter of Stephanie. It will be no puzzle when Officer get a return of Bolero. Clever Trick, Ascot Knight and Proud Birdie have the Haste / Wise Counsellor cross.

Tally: Discovery [4] Sisters to Domino [6]

Bertrando got Officer from St. Helens Shadow, she by the modest sire, Septieme Ciel, he a son of the not so modest Seattle Slew. Now you may not believe this but this mare was evolving over the same time frame as Bertrando and outnumbers this star-crossed sire as far as Discovery goes with 5: from doubled Native Dancer we get two and two more from the cross of Hasty Road / Traffic Judge and the final one from Bold Ruler. Equally unbelievable is the fact the dam of Officer has just one sister to Domino and that is in Sun Again in Damascus.

Tally: Discovery [9] Sisters to Domino [7]

Now there is a new scenario to weave into the Domino play - that of Man O'War. Let's state up front that any War Admiral will work with Domino and his players, but the best is War Admiral / La Troienne and this mare, St. Helens Shadow, brings a trio of the latter. She is tail female to Busanda and gets the Striking / Busher pay for Seattle Slew. She also has War Admiral (sans Teddy's best daughter) from Swaps and Crafty Admiral.

The reason War Admiral is a play, is because his dam is by Sweep, he a unique, beautifully made horse from Pink Domino, a mare long overdue some respect. The reason La Troienne makes a formidable tandem with War Admiral is that she was never bred to a horse void of Domino - thus any horse carrying a War Admiral / La Troienne play is doubled to Domino - at least. Baby League is dam of Striking / Busher and she is by Bubbling Over: first dam by Sweep [Hello!], second dam by Hippodrome [2X2 Domino - Hello! Hello!] who is tail female to Editha, sister to Melton in La Troienne and to Bridget in Discovery, third dam by Hamburg. And way back, Relaunch is out of an Axe II mare and his second dam is a sister to Businesslike, dam of aforesaid Busanda.

Now if you believe all or any of this, maybe you will also believe there are 4 daughter strains of Man O'War in Septieme Ciel's cross of Green Dancer as his sire Nijinsky is tail female to one and his second dam, Sly Pola, is tripled in the fourth - look it up. And Hail to Reason has a couple in his dam to boot and they all help sex balance the War Admiral.

The best news yet is there is a full brother in the wings: where can I buy stock in this here Thoroughbred Corporation?