Download Mating Recommendations

By: Alan Porter

The most brilliant two-year-old son of sire of sires, Giant’s Causeway, Not This Time was also arguably the fastest and most spectacular two-year-old of his crop. In addition to being by Storm Cat’s leading sire son, he is out of record-breaking graded and multiple stakes winning Miss Macy Sue – also dam of brilliant Breeders’ Cup Mile (gr. I) victor Liam’s Map – and descends from Ta Wee, a two-time Champion Sprinter who is half-sister to the legendary Dr. Fager.

Giant’s Causeway has demonstrated an affinity for the Fappiano branch of Mr. Prospector, and Fappiano is particularly interesting here, as he is out of a mare by Dr. Fager, which should work extremely well with remarkable strong Tartan Farm/Genter heritage in the dam of Not This Time (which includes inbreeding to Dr. Fager’s brilliant half-sister, Ta Wee). We can note that Unbridled’s Song – a grandson of Fappiano – is the sire of Not This Time’s brilliant half-brother Liam’s Map. The Giant’s Causeway/Unbridled’s Song cross produced multiple grade one winner Carpe Diem, and Unbridled’s Song could be introduced through Songandaprayer, First Defence, Old Fashioned, Zensational, Rockport Harbor, Political Force (who appears particularly interesting), Even The Score and Dunkirk, as well as Half Ours and Buddha – both out of mares by Storm Cat, the grandsire of Not This Time – and Eurosilver (out of a mare by Nijinsky II, a close relative to Storm Bird, the sire of Storm Cat). Unbridled, the sire of Unbridled’s Song can also be brought in through Broken Vow, Grindstone (broodmare sire of a stakes winner by Giant’s Causeway), Birdstone (giving inbreeding to Storm Bird), Empire Maker and Pioneerof the Nile.

From other branches of Fappiano, there are Giant’s Causeway grade one winners out of mares by Cryptoclearance (sire of Victory Gallop; grandsire of Candy Ride),and Defensive Play, and stakes winners from mares by Quiet American (who is inbred to Dr. Fager, and who is grandsire of Midnight Lute, who could be interesting here), Rubiano and Roy.

The cross of Giant’s Causeway and sons with Mr. Prospector line mares in general has been a tremendously successful one. Not The Time is a product of a version of this cross, but should work well bred back over mares from this line. Carson City has also been good with Storm Cat in general and is sire of City Zip (who particularly appeals here), Boone’s Mill, Cuvee, Five Star Day, Good And Tough, Pollard’s Vision and Lord Carson. There are four grade one winners by Giant’s Causeway out of mares by Seeking the Gold, and he can be introduced through Mutakddim, Petionville and Cape Town. The cross with mares by Gulch and his son, Thunder Gulch, has been a graded stakes winner producing one. There are Giant’s Causeway line stakes winners out of mares by Gone West and his sons Elusive Quality, Grand Slam and Mr Greeley, which would also suggest mares by Speightstown (giving inbreeding to Storm Cat), and Proud Citizen. Giant’s Causeway’s outstanding son, Shamardal, is out of a mare by Machiavellian, and there is also a grade one winner by son of Giant’s Causeway out of a mare by Machiavellian son, Vettori, which also suggests mares by Street Cry and Street Sense. We can also note three grade one winners out of mares by Kingmambo, and a stakes winner out of a mare by his son Lemon Drop Kid, suggesting the similarly-bred Northern Afleet (sire of Afleet Alex); a grade one winner out of a mare by Miswaki (sire of Black Tie Affair and grandsire of Formal Gold); graded stakes winners out of mares by graded winners out of mares by Smart Strike; Woodman and his son, Hansel; and Crafty Prospector (who should be good here and is sire of Crafty Friend, Prospectors Gamble, Prospect Bay and Robyn Dancer); and stakes winners out of mares by Distant View, Jade Hunter and Fusaichi Pegasus and his son, Roman Ruler. Not This Time is out of a mare by Trippi from the Forty Niner branch of Mr. Prospector, but Trippi himself sired a grade one winner out of a mare by a son of Forty Niner, so it could be worth reintroducing this strain through mares by Distorted Humor, Ecton Park and Gold Fever - all broodmare sires of Giant’s Causeway line stakes winners – as well as Gold Case, Editor’s Note, Coronado’s Quest, Bankers Gold, Roar, Jules, Luhuk and Twining.

Bringing in more In Reality should work well here, and we can note that the Giant’s Causeway line has done well with a number of Relaunch (by In Reality) line broodmare sires, including Honour and Glory (sire of Put It Back), Cee’s Tizzy, Tiznow, Slew Gin Fizz and Bertrando (sire of Officer). Bringing in Valid Appeal also looks appealing, particularly through Successful Appeal, with Valid Wager and Valid Expectations offering other options.

Giant’s Causeway is a Northern Dancer line stallion, but he and his sons have done well with mares from some other branches of that line. There are nearly 50 stakes winners by Giant’s Causeway and sons out of mares from the Danzig branch, with grade one producing crossing including those with mares by Danehill, Anabaa, Polish Express and Bertolini (a three- quarters brother to Green Desert). In North America, stakes producing crosses include with mares by Belong To Me, Polish Numbers and Langfuhr, and it could be worth exploring the Northern Dancer/Secretariat cross – a parallel to Giant’s Causeway’s sire Storm Cat – found via Lost Soldier, Honor Code and Chief’s Crown (sire of Concerto and grandsire of Bellamy Road).

There are more than 30 stakes winners by Giant’s Causeway and sons out of Sadler’s Wells line mares, and in the U.S. options include El Prado, Medaglia d’Oro, Kitten’s Joy (sire of a grade one winner out of Giant’s Causeway mare), Artie Schiller, Perfect Soul (a Northern Dancer/Secretariat cross, like Storm Cat) and Sligo Bay (giving inbreeding to Champion Glorious Song and a sister). From mares descending from Nureyev – a three-quarters brother to Sadler’s Wells - there are stakes winners by Giant’s Causeway and sons out of mares by Stravinsky, Theatrical, Peintre Celebre and Pivotal, with Atticus (bred on the same cross as Storm Cat) and Spinning World also being possible sources. Out of mares from the Deputy Minister branch of Northern Dancer, Giant’s Causeway and sons have enjoyed success with Dehere (a Northern Dancer/Secretariat cross, and sire of Graeme Hall), Awesome Again (sire of Ghostzapper, who particularly appeals here), Silver Deputy (sire of Posse, Badge of Silver and Spring at Last) and French Deputy.

The cross of Giant’s Causeway and sons with mares from the A.P. Indy line has been a very productive one, stakes producing version including those with mares by A.P. Indy himself, but also by Jump Start (giving a double of Storm Cat); Olmodavor; and Pulpit and his sons, Tapit (out of mare by Unbridled, which appeals here) and Purge, which also suggests daughters of Sky Mesa (doubling Storm Cat) and Stroll. This cross might also work though such as Bernardini (especially interesting here as he is out of a mare by Quiet American), Malibu Moon, Mineshaft, Congrats, Flatter and Majestic Warrior. Giant’s Causeway also sired the grade one winning Eskendereya out of a mare by Seattle Slew, the sire of A.P. Indy, and a grade two winner out of a mare by Seattle Slew son, Capote (sire of Boston Harbor).

Out of mares from the Halo line, Giant’s Causeway and sons have three stakes winners, one grade one from daughters of More Than Ready. Giant’s Causeway also carries Halo’s Champion daughter, Glorious Song, a sister to Devil’s Bag (sire of Devil His Due and Diablo) and Saint Ballado (sire of Saint Liam, Yankee Victor, Captain Bodgit and Sweetsouthernsaint). It would also be interesting to introduce Cure the Blues, a relative to Halo, and out of a mare by Dr. Fager, the most likely source being American Chance.

Giant’s Causeway has two classic performers out of a mare by Siberian Summer, a son of Siberian Express, also sire of In Excess and grandsire of Indian Charlie, and from the Caro male line of Cozzene, sire of Alphabet Soup and Running Stag (broodmare sire of a Giant’s Causeway line stakes winner).

Maria’s Mon is out of a Caro mare, and he has worked under Giant’s Causeway. His son, Monarchos, is also broodmare sire of a Giant’s Causeway line stakes winner, and is also sire of Super Saver. It may also be well worth trying Not This Time was mares by Holy Bull (sire of Macho Uno and Flashy Bull).

NOT THIS TIME – POTENTIALLY OUTSTANDING CROSSES

• Iroquois S. at Churchill Downs (G3, 8.5f, by 8 3/4 lengths, defeating Lookin At Lee, Recruiting Ready, Honor Thy Father, Thirstforlife, Just Move On, Blame Will, Skinflint) 102 Beyer
• A maiden special weight at Ellis Park (8f, by 10 lengths, defeating Society Beau, Derecho Warrior, Patriot Drive, Giant Payday, Senior Investment, Colonel Swinson)

• Breeders' Cup Juvenile S. at Santa Anita Park (G1, 8.5f, by a neck to Classic Empire, defeating Practical Joke, Lookin At Lee, Syndergaard, Three Rules, Gormley, Klimt, Term of Art, Theory, Star Empire)