Alan Porter Breeding Analysis for Line of David

A grandson of Storm Cat’s spectacular son, Tale of the Cat, Line of David demonstrated the brilliance of his heritage leading throughout to capture three straight races, including the $1,000,000 Arkansas Derby (gr. I), defeating Super Saver, winner of the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) on his next start.

By Lion Heart, the fastest two-year-old his crop, and winner of the Hollywood Futurity (gr. I) and Haskell Invitational Stakes (gr. I), Line of David is from the immediate family of Mr. Prospector.

Line of David’s nearest inbreeding or linebreeding is Gold Digger, the dam of Mr. Prospector.  This suggests trying mares descending from Roberto (dam a close genetic relative to Gold Digger). We can note that from this line Tale of the Cat is sire of three stakes winners out mares by Red Ransom. Other branches of Roberto that have done well under Storm Cat include Kris S., (sire of Arch, Prized, You and I and Rock Hard Ten), Dynaformer, Darby  Creek Road, Lear Fan and Major Impact.

Roberto is from the sire line of Hail to Reason, and from the same sire line Storm Cat is good with Cure the Blues (including a graded stakes winner by Lion Heart), who could be brought in through American Chance. From the Halo of the Hail to Reason line, , Lion Heart is sire of a stakes winner out of a mare by Saint Ballado, which also suggests trying mares by Devil’s Bag and his sons. Another Halo line stallion that might work well here is More Than Ready, a son of Southern Halo (broodmare sire of Lion Heart’s undefeated juvenile sensation, Kantharos). It is also worth considering introducing Halo through Rahy (broodmare sire of a Lion Heart stakes winner), who is out a sister to Saint Ballado and Devil’s Bag.

There are at least ten stallions who are out of Seattle Slew line mares (as here), and who have sired stakes winners out mares from the Seattle Slew line (and of course Lion Heart has grade one winner Dangerous Midge out of a Seattle Slew mare). The A.P. Indy branch has particular appeal here, including A.P. Indy sons out of Mr. Prospector mares, such as Pulpit (who is out of a sister to the dam of Tale of the Cat), Malibu Moon, Mineshaft, Congrats and Flatter . Other sons that might work well include Golden Missile, Aptitude, Stephen Got Even, Old Trieste and Jump Start. It would also be worth experimenting with sons of Pulpit, such as Tapit and Sky Mesa.  Other sources of Seattle Slew worth considering here include Boston Harbor, Septieme Ciel, Vindication and Williamstown. From the same  Boldnesian line as Seattle Slew comes Bold Ruckus, who has been also been good under Storm Cat, including through Beau Genius.

Tale of the Cat sired a graded stakes winner out of a mare by a son of In Reality, and Lion Heart has graded stakes winner out of a mare by Valid Appeal, a son of In Reality. Among the sons of Valid Appeal  are Successful Appeal, Valid Expectations and Valid Wager.  Mares descending from In Reality through Relaunch who might be introduced through Skywalker/Bertrando/Officer, Honour and Glory/Put It Back, Cee’z Tizzy/Tiznow and Bright Launch.

Both Lion Heart and Tale of the Cat have stakes winners out of mares by Damascus son, Time for a Change (who could also be brought in through Fly So Free and Time Bandit). Tale of the Cat is also sire of a grade one winner from this line out of a mare by Private Account (particularly interesting through Unaccounted For, whose dam is by The Minstrel, a genetic relative to Storm Bird, and a three-parts-brother to Nijinsky II, who are both in the pedigree of Tale of the Cat). Afternoon Deelites is a Damascus line horse who is out of a mare by Medaille d’Or, a horse bred on a reverse cross to Storm Cat. Gilded Time is another Damascus line horse that appeals, as he crossed very well with Mr. Prospector.

There are five stakes winners bred on a Storm Cat cross over mares by Broad Brush. This is potentially especially interesting with Line of David, as Broad Brush is out of a half-sister to the dam of Capote (broodmare sire of Line of David). Broad Brush son, Include, is particularly interesting, as he is inbred to this family, also carrying Capote’s half-brother Baldski. The Storm Cat line cross with mares by Meadowlake has produced seven stakes winners, three graded, including grade one Henny Hughes, as well as grade two winner Soul Warrior (by Lion Heart).

Northern Dancer will be in the sixth generation of Line of David’s foals, so there is little prevent crossing Line of David back over Northern Dancer line mares. El Prado is by Sadler’s Wells, a product of a similar cross to Lion Heart, and is sire of Medaglia d’Oro, Kitten’s Joy and Artie Schiller). There are 31 stakes winners by sons of Storm Cat out of mares from the Danzig branch of Northern Dancer, and Lion Heart has stakes winners out of mares by Boundary (sire of a Champion out of the dam of Tale of the Cat) and Eagle Eyed (a brother to Danehill). Tale of the Cat has stakes winners out of mares by Pine Bluff and Polish Navy (sire of Sea Hero) and Honor Grades. It could also be worth considering mares by Ascot Knight, Belong to Me and Chief’s Crown. The Storm Cat cross over mares from the Deputy Minister line has also done well, and might be particularly good through Awesome Again, Dehere, French Deputy, Salt Lake, Forest Camp and Silver Deputy. Other Northern Dancer sources to consider are Dixieland Band and his son Dixie Union, and Nijinsky II, particularly through Shadeed, Sword Dancer, Strawberry Road and Royal Academy.

In general, Tale of the Cat, who is out of a mare by Mr. Prospector, has a below opportunity stakes production rate with mares from the Mr. Prospector line (although the cross has produced nine stakes winners). Line of David, significantly further removed from the Mr. Prospector inbreeding, and with the background of Mr. Prospector’s family (including a three-parts-sister to that horse), Line of David may prove much more successful with that strain.  Branches of Mr. Prospector to consider include Fappiano through Unbridled’s Song and Quiet American, and Forty Niner, including Distorted Humor. Thunder Gulch, Seeking the Gold and his sons, and Carson City (broodmare sire of a Lion Heart stakes winner) and sons are other promising options.