Rinaldo Del Gallo, III
By: Rinaldo Del Gallo, III
I never thought I would see another one again. The Byerley Turk is done as a sire line—well, nearly done. I remember when CIRRUS DES AIGLES (FR) b. G, 2006 {9-h} was running, he was the last great Byerley Turk sire line horse. I submitted an article to a national publication dedicated to the thoroughbred, and they refused to publish it. Several years after my post, another author made the same observations a couple years earlier. As Facebook grew and there were more and more discussion, it became apparent that while Byerley Turk sire line studs were extant, they were both (1) rare and (2) from stallions that were not promising. Recently, I saw a horse that had a Byerley Turk sire line damsire, and even that is very rare today.
Which brought me to the undercard of the Arc this Saturday. There is a race, QATAR PRIX DU CADRAN-G1, has a purse of €300,000 and is for 4 year olds and up. It is run at 20fT, and that is not a typo on the distance. According to Wikipedia, “The Prix du Cadran is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 4,000 metres (about 2½ miles), and it is scheduled to take place each year in early October.” It is clearly one of the longest, if not the longest, graded stakes races in the world. It is a very old race, first run in 1837. They weren’t always run on the same weekend (I believe), and it is of note that LEVMOSS (IRE) b. H, 1965 {1-k} won both the Prix du Cadran and the Prix De l’Arc de Triomphe in 1969 when he was four. He also won the Ascot Gold Cup in England at Royal Ascot, also and 2 ½ mile race. Incidentally, a mile and half race in America is considered long, in Europe it is quite literally commonly called a “middle distance” race.
But what excited me about this year’s Prix du Cadran is an entrant by the name of ALMACADO GREE (FR) b. G, 2015 {9-e}, an entrant that was unfortunately gelded. You see, Almacado Gree is a horse that descends from the Byerley Turk sire line—he may just possibly one of the last Byerley Turk sire line horse entered into a graded race, or even a horse race for that matter. He is not a bad horse, having 25 Starts, with 7 wins, 5 places, and 2 shows to show for it. Almacado Gree has €120.895 to show for his efforts, but pedigreequery.com shows no stakes races he won or placed in. His sire is DOMEDRIVER (IRE) dkb/br. H, 1998 {8-f}, a horse that won the Breeders’ Cup Mile at age 4 in 2002. He beat a horse named ROCK OF GIBRALTAR (IRE) b. H, 1999 {10-a} who would be the world horse of the year in 2002.
Domedriver’s sire Indian Ridge had an excellent daughter, RIDGEWOOD PEARL (GB) ch. M, 1992 {14-a}, that also won the Breeder’s Cup Mile and did so in 1995. While no Sadler’s Wells, INDIAN RIDGE (IRE) ch. H, 1985 {3-e} was a heck of a sire. Unfortunately most of his better get, such as twice Grade 1 winning DAYTONA (IRE) ch. G, 2004 {20-a} were gelded. But there are some offspring of Indian Ridge, such as SLEEPING INDIAN (GB) b. H, 2001, that have some 2022 offspring. Indian Ridge had a Grade 1 winning son, DEFINITE ARTICLE (GB) b. H, 1992 {22-d} who sired a good horse by the name of VINNIE ROE (IRE) dkb/br. H, 1998 {19} who won 5 Group 1’s, including 4 Irish St. Legers. When he went for 5 Irish St. Legers, Vinnie Roe came in 3rd to a horse named COLLIER HILL G, 1998 {9-c}. Collier Hill is another gelded descendant of the Byerley Turk who won many races including the Canadian International, the Hong Kong Vase and was second in the Dubai Sheema Classic. Collier Hill’s sire DR DEVIOUS (IRE) ch. H, 1989 {1-t} may likely be the last Byerley Turk sire to win the Epsom Derby. Dr. Devious sire was AHONOORA (GB) ch. H, 1975 {1-m}, a great sprinter. Ahonoora is the common sire ancestor of Domedriver and Collier Hill, and probably any descent of the Byerley Turk sire line living today. Years ago, all the Beyerley Turk sire line horses descended from HEROD (GB) b. H, 1758 {26} as the common ancestor of them all with branches from there—but the necessity of going that far back for a common ancestor has long, long past.
According to attheraces.com on Jul 19, 2022, the 7 year old gelding Almacado Gree won a stakes race, the Vichycommunaute Handicap. But this is a race with only €31,500 for the winner—15 ran. Read an American racing form and see a European stakes winner and it is often for a stakes race with a small purse.
Almacado Gree dam is POLKA DE LA TOUR (FR) b. M, 2005 {9-e}, who also had another Byerley Turk son by the name of LAS DE GREE (FR) b. G, 2013 {9-e}, a son of INTREPID JACK (GB) b. H, 2002 {6-b}, who is a son of Group 1 winner COMPTON PLACE (GB) ch. H, 1994 {6-d}, who is a son of Indian Ridge.
A son of Indian Ridge named Indian Row stands in Texas. There was another, LEGAL JOUSTING (IRE) b. H, 1997 {1-l} who stood in Canada, but died in 2020.
(link, https://ivyroseequestrian.com/stallions/#final-row )
Yogi Barra once famously said “it ain’t over ‘till it’s over.” The BBC reports that “American baseball legend Yogi Berra first uttered the phrase about baseball’s 1973 National League pennant race.” One day, quietly, an unknown son of an unknown son might represent the last breath of the Byerley Turk sire line and it may truly be over. For the Lexington sire line (also of the Byerley Turk), it was a horse named CONQUERING ELK (USA) ch. H, 1987 {A2}, who’s 9th sire was Lexington. Fun fact, his fifth sire LANTADOS (USA) br. H, 1918 {A10} descended in tail female from the famous race mare LANTADOS (USA) br. H, 1918 {A10}. But unknown to the whole world, Conquering Elk disappeared, and that was that for the Lexington sire line.
11 horses, descending from Lexington or Glencoe won the Kentucky Derby, and many won the Preakness and Belmont. During the first 19 runnings of the Travers, the Byerley Turk dominated the field. They all descended from the first winner of the Epsom Derby, DIOMED (GB) ch. H, 1777 {6-b}, who was sent to America and became a great stallion from which Lexington descended.
In the 20th Century, the Byerley Turk sire line horses didn’t win many American Classic, but they had some success in the Breeders Cup with such horses as Precisionist. The good horse AMBEROID (USA) dkb/br. H, 1963 {8-c} won the Belmont, but descends from Ksar and Europe stock. The last great descendant of Glencoe was probably WISE COUNSELLOR (USA) ch. H, 1921 {4-r}, who is in horses such as Storm Cat through Bolero.
In Europe, the Byerley Turk sire line horse did well in the Arc, winning the race at least 8 times. DUNADEN (FR) b. H, 2006 {4-d}won the Melbourne Cup in 2006, the Caulfied Cup, and Hong Kong Vase. A great horse, he was the most likely to be the keeper of the Byerley Turk sire line. I only see one son, a gelding that won a listed stakes, RANCH HAND (GB) b. G, 2016 {22-c}. He died in 2019 at age 13.
I will be rooting for Almacado Gree, one of the last of the Byerley Turks sire line horses entered into a Group 1 (or Grade 1) race. It would be nice if the sire line, one of the big three sire lines, doesn’t die. Yogi Berra also said, “It ain’t over ‘till the fat lady sings.” But the fat lady playing the valkyrie Brünnhilde, who is traditionally presented as a very buxom lady, is taking the stage . . . . I would love to be wrong, but Almacado Gree may be one of the last. Imagine that, the Beyerley Turk sire line takes the stage one last time.
UPDATE: While Almacado Gree did not win the Prix du Cadran, he came in respectable second, albeit a distant second. It is an amazing accomplishment, as he was a 100-1 shot and the announcer barely announced his name. His silks are white with blue sleeps and a blue diamond in the center of the chest. It was a 12 horse field. Truth be, Almacado Gree beat some good stayers, including last year’s winner Princess Zoe.
Still, what a thrill. The horse that won, Kyprios, also won the Ascot Gold Cup and is truly the staying king.
