CRE RUN OAKS, July 5 2008, at Delaware Park

Unfortunately no filly swept the crown this year. The third leg of the Coast to Coast Triple Crown racing tournament ending with the Cre Run Oaks (G2), a 1 1/16 mile endeavour on July 5, dashed all hopes for the crowned winner in the 2008 USA Arabian horse racing season. Easily first at the wire was the grey filly Abra Caadabra 2004 (Burning Sand x Caarabine CS by Aneto) bred by French Performance Arabians LLC and owned by Mark Powell. After the scratch of the grey Toppoftheclass 2004 (Genuine Monarch x Top Of The Line by By Golly), with almost a pure Polish pedigree, there were only five ladies lined at the start that day.

After the good start it was Stars The Limit (No Limit x RW Norwegian Star by Wiking) who took the lead against Dreamm Lover. The two fought it out throughout the opening half mile. It was Stars The Limit who battled on gamely and finally got to the hem as Dreamm Lover began to tire. With half of the race behind, Abra Caadabra moved in on the inside and took the second position. She drew off under steady pressure of Mauricio Rodriguez in the irons and crossed the wire first with Stars The Limit a good 6 length behind, while Ruby Earrings, AF Sassey Dreams and Dreamm Lover completed the field.

Abra Caadabra trained by Mario Serey raced nine times in 2008 prior to the Cre Run Oaks. She is by the best speedster of the leading USA sires owned by Todd Moak Proven Bloodstock, called Burning Sand 1986 (San Lou Romirez x DU Smaragda by Azlaf Azjdib) out of the Polish sire line Ibrahim d.b. imp to Antoniny in 1907, who has a large quantity of winning get in the USA since a number of racing seasons.

BOB MAGNESS DERBY, July 6 2008, at Delaware Park

Remarkable Man went to two of the three Triple Crown legs. He took by storm the second leg which was the Texas Six Shooter (G2) race earlier this year. The betters’ favourite in a field of 11 in the 1¼ mile race was the grey So Big Is Better, a colt also by Burning Sand and out of WM Mirror Image by ZT Ali Baba. Remarkable Man had the unenviable number one position at the starting gate.

Remarkable Man captured the G2 Bob Magness Derby, with Must Be Burning, Cool Sand Luke, Intryge, Crownn Royal, Robotic, Frysk Me Now, Treasure Seeker and Our Machine completing the field. Bred by Mandolynn Hill Farm Remarkable Man is by their sire Chndaka who stands at that farm. He is out of No Ordinary Gal by the Polish crack Monarch AH.

Remarkable Man is owned by the Arabian Jockey Club President Kathy Smoke who produced a number of stakes winners and loves the Polish blood horses which she mixes with the best stallions of the time. Remarkable Man’s pedigree is ¾ equal to Orgia Fata’s because Remarkable Man’s dam, No Ordynary Gal, is out of the mare Organtyna who produced multi-stakes winners and stakes placed. Organtyna’s dam was Orgia, who when crossed with Monarch AH produced multi-stakes winners and multi-stakes placed, like the now exported to Poland California Oaks winner, HF Olympia, dam of the 2007 Polish Triple Crown Winner, Orgia Fata by Chndaka.

The ceremony of the 21st Darley Awards for the best Arabian racehorses and their breeders, owners, trainers and jockeys was held during the last annual Arabian horse show in Scottsdale, following the example of the Eclipse Awards, handed out each year to the most valiant Thoroughbreds.
The title of Darley Horse of the Year 2007 was given to the 5 year old bay, Polish descending, stallion Fryvolous 2003 (Dormane – Fryga by Wielki Raz). The breeder and owner of this stallion is one of the most titled Arabian horse breeders in the world – Diana Waldron of RoseBrook Farm in Brooksville, Florida. It was a fifth Darley statuette that Diana Waldron received as the owner of the best horse of the year. Previously awarded horses bred by her included the Triple-Crown stallion TH Richie and fillies Triple Five, Unchainedd Melody and Victorias Secrett. The trainer of the victorious Fryvolous is the already legendary Phil Saxer Jr., who led to victory many fames of the track, among them the Polish originating Monarch AH and the above mentioned Triple-Crown winner TH Richie.

In 2007 Fryvolous took home six wins from eight starts, including the Bob Magness Derby (G2), besting by a couple of lengths at the finish line the superb Gimme A Break. Whereas in the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation St. (G1) he beat both contenders for the Horse of the Year, which were Aim South and Thoroughbred. Diehard fans of Fryvolous wanted to cheer him on in the Arabian Cup Classic (G1), where again he would battle out first place among the entire threesome mentioned above (Gimme A Break, Aim South and Throughbred). All in vain. In October of 2007, a couple of weeks before the Arabian Cup Classic, Fryvolous was purchased by Sheikh Khalif bin Zayed al Nahayan and headed for the Middle East to continue his racing career.

Fryvolous boasts an interesting pedigree. He is the son of the leading French sire of Arabian racehorses Dormane 1984, of the sire line Latif d.b. Dormane produced very valiant at the track sons, such as the bay Chndaka 1990 out of the mare Malika Fonteney by Medici, the bay Falina Des Fabries 1993 out of Valina Des Fabries by Djourman or Magic De Pitboul 1996 out of Mona Lisa by Badr Bedur. All of them made their mark on breeding after the end of their racing careers. Fryvolous’ dam is a hardy mare of a pure Polish pedigree: Fryga 1987, grey (Wielki Raz – Filga by Gokart). She originates from the Sławuta dam line of Ukrainka 1815. During her 8 year career at the track Fryga participated in 71 starts, winning 20 of them – mostly stake races. After concluding her racing career she was transported to France to take up a breeding career. She produced very hardy progeny by Dormane, such as the chestnut Oaks winner Frynch 2000, the bay Derby winner Frynge Benefit 2002 and of course Fryvolous. This year a racing career will be commenced by her grey son Frysk Me Now 2004 and in two years’ time his full brother, the grey Swyft 2006, will make his appearance at the track. Most of Fryga’s progeny are stallions. Her daughter Frynch 2000, after very successful starts at the track, began a breeding career in the US. She gave birth to two colts. Fryga’s second daughter, the bay Fraynce 2001, remained unraced, as she was sold to the Middle East and incorporated into breeding.

It is worthy to emphasize that in the 21 year history of awarding the title of Horse of the Year in the US, 19 of them were given out to horses of Polish origins, out of which half had the legendary Wiking in their pedigrees. Furthermore this title was twice awarded to the best racing son of Wiking, the bay DA Adios 1998. Previously this rare feat was accomplished by a stallion of pure Polish origins from the sire line of Krzyżyk d.b. – the bay NF Proof 1985. Today DA Adios is a chief sire in the renown Arabian racing horse stud – Cre Run Enterprises LLC, owned by the Kirshners in Doswell, Virginia. Whereas the much proven bay stallion NF Proof is a chief sire at Seyvilla Arabians in DeFuniak Springs, Florida for many years.

US Horse of the Year

Like every year at the end of January, the official Arabian race horse statistics were published by the Arabian Jockey Club (AJC) in the USA. There are a couple of trend changes in this field and key points one needs to stress: 

a. The total amount of horses that participated in the races is down from 604 in 2006 to 561 in 2007. The AJC is very concerned and has devised a number of measures to make this sport more popular in the coming years. The first US delegation since five years has taken part in this January IFAHR annual Paris conference to learn how other countries in Europe and Middle East are expanding the Arabian horse racing. US plans to stage this conference during the Darley Awards festivities in the coming year.

b. The total amount of races staged dropped from 505 in 2006 to 467 in 2007, the same applies to the purse money that went down from US$ 4 480 296 to US$ 4 110 549.

c. Sires of Polish bloodlines continue to produce the best racers in the USA through such legendary stallions like Wiking and his triple crown son Patriot Missle. Wiking’s best racing son, the pure Polish bay DA Adios’ foals will only reach racing age in two years time, so the legend will I am sure continue. The other legendary Polish sire line, the duet Sambor/Samtyr, has some outstanding champion-producing sons like Sam Tiki and TC Tomtyr and their grandsons like Dreams of Valour up high in the 2007 statistics. Since years the Polish pure bay stallion NF Proof, that goes back to the oldest Polish sire line Krzyżyk, holds his ground in the top league. A different category is represented by Burning Sand/Line Dancer, going back to the Polish Ibrahim sire line on the top and descending from the Crabett dam line on the bottom of the pedigree. Burning Sand is for the second consecutive year the leading sire in the USA. He had an amazing race career and set five track records. By the end of 2007 he had 162 registered foals of which 59 of racing age. 49 of them were race starters and 35 became winners of which 15 were stakes winners. His best racing foal is Line Dancer that stands at stud and is listed in the first top ten sires. Burning Sand produced very good fillies like Cath and Dixie Dance. Interestingly this year’s winner of the Drinkers of the Wind, the bay Walk The Line by Burning Sun, was classified as 43rd leading horse and gelding of 2007. But he had severe character problems all along his career. He kept throwing jockeys off of him at Delaware race track where he started his racing career. He went to Texas and he kept throwing jockeys off there as well. Finally, with his new owners Donald and Vivienne Date, who were involved in show horses but wanting something more competitive entered racing three years ago, and a new trainer – a renown thoroughbred race horse trainer Charles Treece – Walk The Line turned out to be victorious in Drinkers of the Wind in 2008.
 The offer of French blood stallions in the USA, too, has improved in number and quality. The top racers of 2007 were by Dormane, Falina Des Fabris, Chndaka, Nivour De Cardonne and Virgule Al Maury. They crossed exception ally well with dams of Polish bloodlines like, for example, the bay colt Fryvolous out of the great pure Polish race mare Fryga, producing outstanding racehorses and nicknamed “solid gold”.

d. Since the beginning of Arabian horse racing in the USA the best broodmare sires are of Polish bloodlines. This has not changed in 2007. The same Polish bloodline stallions top the list of sires and broodmare sires; namely: Wiking and his legendary son Monarch AH, followed closely by the Sambor get champion-producing Sam Tiki.
The other Polish bloodlines high in the enclosed table are the Bariractar sire line Wielki Raz and the stallion Serafix going back to the Polish Ibrahim sire line. The Egyptian Saklawi bloodlines are well represented in the 2007 year’s tables by ZT Ali Baba, MHF Eclips and Nodoromas Triumph. They are the sons of the legendary straight Egyptian sire of race and show horses, the grey stallion Moniet El Nefousa. His sons, daughters and grand get are excellent race and show champions holding a prominent position in breeding programs on several continents. The French bloodlines, too, are present in this category through the US based chestnut stallion Aneto.

e. One needs to stress that despite the presence of a now large number of French bloodline horses on the US ovals, the noble pure Polish continues to hold the upper hand and be favoured by US Arabian horse breeders. We hope this will continue to be the case for many years to come.

Leading Money earners, all ages, in the 2007 racing season in the USA

Leading Sires (horses present in the USA) in 2007

Leading Broodmare Sires in the USA (horses present in the USA) in 2007

The Arqana Arab Sale, held on the 6th of September in Saint-Cloud, France, resulted in a tremendous outcome. Out of the 63 racing horses offered, 42 changed owners. The sale made an aggregate of 3,209,000 EURO, which was almost thrice the amount achieved previously in 2006. This year’s average price was 76,405 EURO and was higher by 50% in comparison to last year. As a reminder, the aggregate of the Pride of Poland Sale in Janów Podlaski this year, considered as a record one, was 2,451,000 EURO.

A breathtaking price of 1,050,000 EURO was given for the 8 year old stallion Dahess (Lot 29 in the sale catalogue). This handsome, strong and robust horse, bearing a correct built and elegant movement was presented in the ring by his trainer Alban de Mieulle. Dahess turned out to be the star of the auction. After fierce bidding between a couple of elite buyers the president of the French Bloodstock Agency himself, Jean Pierre Derobaix, secured the stallion for a syndicate of owners, in the most part of Tunisian origin. Directly after the sale the horse made his way to Turkey. Three days later, albeit the hardships of the journey and fatigue, Dahess was entered for the last time into the prestigious Malazgrit Trophy (with $850,000 in prize money). In previous seasons Dahess won this race twice. However this time he came in second, behind the phenomenal Turkish stallion Kafkasli (Cas – Malike 18 by Serhanbey), who in his career won over $2,000,000 in total. Dahess in his 5 year racing career took part in 41 races over various distances, out of which he won 27, including 13 international GR1 races in the United Arab Emirates, England, France, Germany and Italy. Beginning from next year Dahess will stand at a State Stud in France. The stallion was bred at Umm Qarn Farms owned by Sheikh Abdullah Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the current prime minister of Qatar. The horse is the son of the superbly track-wise gifted sire Amer, who made his mark on breeding stamping his get strongly with racing abilities and correct body build. He is the sire of 50 splendidly racing offspring. Dahess’ dam is the bay Danie du Cassou 1994 (Dahr – Nerve du Cassou by Baroud III), who is a wonderful broodmare at Umm Qarn Farms. Dahess left 5 offspring in Qatar.

There were three other horses, beside Dahess, sired by Amer offered at the sale (Lots 42, 59 and 72). All were sold.

Three other horses also exceeded the amount of 100,000 EURO:
1. The yearling colt Pharafadet (Lot 45) was purchased by Kalif Bin Shahel Al Kuwari for 170,000 EURO. It was the highest price at the sale for a French-bred horse.
2. The mare (in training) Ouassila Thabet 2002 (Lot 3) was sold by the acknowledged trainer Sandrine Tarrou for 140,000 EURO to Shadwell Estate.
3. The two year old filly New Princess (Lot 55) bred by Haras de Saint Faust achieved a price of 130,000 EURO and will commence her racing career next year bearing the colors of Sheikh Mishal.

This year’s sale in Saint-Cloud owes its success to a fantastic cooperation and coordination of efforts between the organizers of the venue, which were: l’Association Francaise du Cheval Arabe de Course (l’AFAC), France Galop, the Arqana auction house and the main sponsor – Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club. The appropriate agreement was signed in 2005. The preparations took 2 years. During that time the new president of AFAC (Racing Arabian Horse Breeders’ Association), Jean Pierre de Gasté, actuated the structure and activeness and infused new blood into the Association. Together with France Galop (represented by Thierry Delègue) they established a suitable mechanism, coupling private breeders with the international Breeders Cup program. The prize money for 4 races that make up the Breeders Cup was increased during one year from 160,000 to 240,000 EURO. The main sponsor, Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club, declared to support the event for at least the next three years. The Arqana auction house organized an Arabian horse sale in Saint-Cloud for the first time, introducing many interesting solutions. Since 2006 the owner of Arqana is H.H. The Aga Khan IV, the 49th Ismaili Imam, and at the same time one of the largest breeders of Thoroughbred horses in the world. Up to now Arabian horses were sold by means of auction in France by Goffs France.

Usually the races and events accompanying the sale took place near Toulouse. This year all the events were transferred to Paris. The sale commenced a 3 day celebration of the French Arabian horse. One could purchase horses in training, which were entered to the races of the Breeders Cup. And so, the fresh owners could experience strong sensations admiring their horses at the races at the Longchamp track. Around the track a fair was set up, consisting of traditional, brown Qatarian tents, promoting the culture and customs of this 800,000-populated emirate.

The successful celebrations dedicated to French bred racing horses and the promotion of the Qatar emirate came to an end with a parade of the most beautiful individuals from Al Shaqab Stud, owned by the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Khalifa Al-Thani. The 3 day event achieved its goal as a bond between the performance Arabian horse admirers and the French breeding program.

SALE RESULTS OF THE ARQANA ARAB HORSE SALE IN SAINT-CLOUD, FRANCE

Introduction:

A lot of articles could be written and lots were written about the origins and successes of two great Polish purebred racers: Sambor and Wiking. However after they were sold abroad it became quite difficult for Polish breeders and fans to get any information about their careers and the careers of their progeny. At the IX PAHBS’ General Meeting, Mr. Longin Błachut, active member of the Polish Arabian Horse Breeders’ Society and great enthusiast of horse races, presented a short synopsis of the career of Sambor and Wiking and their progeny in the United States.

Facts:

1. Number of purebred horses registered in the US at the end of 2004: 614 278 (1st place in the world).
2. Number of purebred horses racing in US: ca.665 horses per year.
3. Arabian horse racing started in the US in 1957. Today it is the country with one of the largest Arabian racehorse herds and most heterogeneous in respect of dam and sire lines. It is also the country where halter, performance and race competition are probably the toughest.
4. There are 500-530 races in the US per year of which 65 stakes that take place annually on 23 racecourses, with a total purse of USD 5 000 000, and average prize money of USD 9 000 per race. Total costs of preparing, training and entering a horse in a race is ca. USD 18-25 000, that is, 2-3 times the average prize money won by a horse per year. Polish Arabian horses are highly prized for their courage, stamina, speed and temperament and, of course, for their great Arabian conformation.
5. Purebred Polish Arabian horses and their descendants have dominated races in the US right from the start in number of horses entered, number of starts, speed records on various distances, number and amounts of purses won, number of significant sires and best sires of racer’s dams.
6. Two sires, called Sambor and Wiking, and their get dominated Arabian races in the US, to the extent that the 1980s are known as the “Sambor’s decade” and the 1990s as the “Decade of Wiking”.

SAMBOR born 1965 (Czort – Sabellina / Abu Afas), bred by Janów Podlaski Stud – this black-tape top and bottom Janow bred colt with a royal pedigree was sold in 1969 to Leon Rubin’s Sir William Farm, Hillsdale, New York, USA, at the age of 3 after a good racing career of 8(3-2-1) in Poland. Sambor continued to race in the US successfully winning the Derby at the Turf Paradise in Phoenix, Arizona in 1969 – leaving the field of horses 15 lengths behind. A few days later he won the half-mile sprint in Oklahoma City and later claimed victory in the National Championship Race. He had a terrific stride and would lay low and stretch out like a Thoroughbred. Sambor finished his racing career with the score of 3/14(6-4-1). Later he competed successfully in halter and driving classes, too. Sambor sired countless champions in halter and performance in both Park and English Pleasure and won the Legion of Merit distinction. He is a foundation sire of US racing with multi winning Stakes get. He was admitted to the Arabian Horse Trust Hall of Fame.
Upon Mr. Rubin’s death the majority of Sir William Farm stock was dispersed and Sambor was sold to W.K. King of Katy, Texas. In 1984 Sambor was purchased yet again by Martha Dean Thurmon

and taken to September Farm II where he died in November 1988. In Poland one of the most important Stakes for 3-year old horses at the Służewiec Warsaw racecourse is named after him. In the US Sambor was named “All Time Broodmare Sire” because his daughters distinguished themselves on the track, like Samcherie 48(20-10-7) 11-11, CR Samborsta 11(7-1-0) 5-1 and Samborette 27 (6-3-5) 3-3, and went on to the breeding barns and became excellent broodmares. In breeding they crossed well with most of the sire lines. Sambor’s daughters in general gave progeny that won 3 to 4 times more races and purses than the progeny of any other mares and stallions. His most notable sons, such as Samtyr (out of Polish-bred Tryncza) and Sam Tiki (out of Kyla Tiki), both elected to the Arabian Horse Trust of Fame, successfully passed on their racing abilities to their get.
   

Sam Tiki (Sambor x Kyla Tiki by Kontiki), with a race career of 4/21(10-4-3)6-6 and a total amount of USD 100,989 won in prize money, is a sire of good racers such as: Johnny on the Spot, Mr Full Service and Dreams of Valour. To-date he has sired 84 racers, of which 56 are winners (66%), and is dutifully fulfilling his stallion’s duties this breeding season at Cre-Run Farm, Virginia.
     Another son of great distinction was the Leon Rubin bred, pure Polish Samtyr

(Sambor x Tryncza by Trypolis), with a race record of 8(8-0-0) 1-0. He sired 114 foals – 80 of them race winners (70%) and 32 (28%) Stakes winners, which speaks well for Samtyr’s high efficiency in passing on his racing abilities. Samtyr died in 1995 at Godolphin Racing Inc, in Wilmington, Delaware.
    In Arabian horse breeding a stallion is considered a good horse when 25% of his racing progeny are winners (with 5-10% being Stakes winners). Let the records of Sambor’s progeny speak for themselves…

WIKING born 1979 (Etap-Wilma/Pietuszok), bred by Janów Podlaski – sold to the US at the age of 5. His history is a testimony to how precious and valuable this 14.3 hands horse was. As the sales document and American Stud Book confirms, Wiking was bought by Mr. Jim Wagner, Libra Company, Manson Michigan for a modest price of USD 21 300 at the 1984. It was the first Arabian horse Mr. Wagner bought – but what a horse! A year after the horse’s arrival in 1985, Mr. Wagner created a partnership with his wife, Diana, and Dr. James Budd. In September 1987, Dr. Budd bought out the Wagners and organized another partnership with Town & Country Farms, represented by the Courtelis family. In 1990, Town & Country Farm bought all the shares of Wiking and remained his sole owner till the day of his death. His racing career was really impressive – 6/37 (20-10-2), with 3 seasons spent in Poland where he won the following important Stakes: Comet, Kuhailan Haifi, Witez, Ofir and Kurozwęki. In the US he won USD 97 782 and was called “Chairman of the Board” of Arabian racing. Wiking is the world phenomenon of all times. After a stunning racing career he became a highly successful race champions’ sire as well. By the end of 2004 his progeny had won the sum USD 8 millions. This is the largest ever amount of money won by an Arabian horse’s progeny. And it will still grow with the scores of Wiking progeny born in the last 3 years that are on the point of beginning their racing careers. Last year progeny born in 2001, such as – Feeling Good (out of Gaibaska) and Final Answer (out of Gasawa), made a good debut. Moreover this total amount will certainly be augmented by scores of existing “stars”, such as the great DA Adios (the Arabian stallion that has won the richest purse in US– ca. USD 500 000) that will be continuing his career this season as well. Some of the greatest of Wiking’s progeny that raced successfully and are currently also great breeding horses are:

  Dixi Darlene, born 1994 (out of BW Ali Catt by ZT Ali Baba). Racing career: 3/40 (17-10-4), total amount won: USD 281 689. She is placed second on the best racing fillies’ rank (American Jockey Club rank for 3, 4 and older horses with respect to the amount

of prize money won). Dixi Darlene’s progeny are: Dixis Delight (by SamTiki), Dixis Chick (by Burning Sand) – that have already won some of the most important Stakes a few times so far.
   

Patriot Missle, born 1991 (out of Toppers Starlight by Mister Topper). Racing career: 4/26(16-4-4), total amount won: USD 244 183. First Triple Crown son of Wiking (at the age of 4 he won the Godolphin Arabian Cup Classic (G1), California Arabian Cup International (G1), with a national track record of 1 3/8 miles in 2:32 2/5 sec., and Jewels of the East Diamond Derby, with another NTR on a 7-furlogue distance in 1:33 sec.). He is a sire of 35 racers, out of which 22 are winners (62%) and 6 (17%) Stakes winners.
    RW Country Gent born 1998 (Wiking x Dunsamba by Dunajec). His present racing career is: 3/22(8-5-5)3-5, amount of prize money won: USD 220 695. His grandsire Dunajec (Branibor x Dyska by Wielki Szlem) twice won the Criterium and was second in the Derby. RW Country Gent’s dam, Dunsamba, is Dunajec’s daughter and granddaughter of Sambor on the dam’s side (dam – Fritz Janny by Sambor)
     IMG _LEFT Monarch AH born 1987 (Wiking x Sasanka (PL) by Almifar). Racing career: 3/23 (19-3-0), amount of prize money won: USD 213 646. He sired 400 registered horses, of which 206 took part in races and 156 were winners (75%), with 41 (20%) Stakes winners. The most important progeny of Monarch AH in United States are:
    The mare, Royal Atheena, born 1995, out of Malabar Athena, racing career:

3/23(16-15-0)11-1, USD 327 259 in prize money. She is top of the AJC ranking list for fillies with the highest amount of prize money won.
The mare, Winning Spirit MA, born 1994 (out of Espora by Pierrot (PL)), racing career: 4/27(7-7-9)4-5, total amount won: USD 142 029.
The stallion, Zanzibar MRV, born 1994 (out of Suzanka by Eternit (PL)), racing career: 4/36(10-12-7)4-7, amount of prize money won: USD 135 420.
The stallion, Genuine Monarch, born 1995 (out of Cassels Genua by Brussaly Zbruenu), racing career: 3/15(6-3-2)2-3, prize money: USD 120 313.
Wiking passed away at the age of 24 on 5 January 2003 at Town & Country Farm, Micanopy, Florida, USA.

Summary:
    

From 1984 to 1999, 636 horses won Stakes races in the United States. The progeny of Sambor and Wiking represent 57.4% of the winners. The remaining 42.6% are the progeny of 38 different sires.
    In this period of time there were 966 Stakes run in US with a purse of over USD 5000. The winners of 60.6% of those Stakes were Sambor and Wiking’s offspring, while the rest, 39.4%, were the progeny of 39 different sires.
THE BEST PURE BRED SIRES IN US by the prize monies won 1998-2004
BEST PURE BRED SIRES RACER’S DAMS IN US by the prize monies won
    To obtain such efficient and outstanding racing abilities and results in purebred Polish Arabian horses, American breeders often line breed to Czort, Pietuszok or other outstanding horses from Polish female “O” and “S” lines. A perfect example is the pedigree of excellent DA Adios:
    DA ADIOS born 1998 (Wiking – Sanibel IA/Samtyr) – bred by Arnold and Audrey Fisher, Dunromin Farm, Bedford, New York. Mr. Fisher is a well-known architect and Polish Arabian horse aficionado and an astute breeder and owner of many successful horses and

champions, such as Penitent bred by Janów Podlaski Stud or famous Kawalkada – US National Champion Mare bred by Michałów Stud. Sanibel IA was bought at an auction sale. She had already finished her racing career 6(2-2-1) 0-1 and was a proven broodmare that had given birth to three good racers. She had a wonderful pedigree by her sire – Samtyr (by Sambor) and out of her dam – Sanna (Wist [Bandos x Wilma] x Sasanka [Santa x Almifar]). Mrs. and Mr. Fisher decided to breed her to the best racing stallion ever – Wiking, sire of many race champions when crossbred with the Polish female “S” line (e.g. Monarch AH out of Sasanka).
    Sanibel IA gave birth to DA Adios on 10 April 1998. His birth was watched by a small group of owners and their family members on a TV monitor. It was a premonition of stardom to come. It took the new born colt only 20 minutes to be on his feet and running. However, DA Adios wasn’t an outstanding foal – good conformation, middle-sized and rather aloof. Mr. Fisher thought him to be a horse of middling value. But when on the racetrack, he showed his class. Always ready, focused and quiet, he ran in a Sambor, Samtyr and Wiking style – often tagging along at the end of the group before firing ahead with a stretch right out stride like a thoroughbred in the last few furloughs, and winning. In 2001, DA Adios ended up the racing season with a score of: 7(4-1-1) 1-2, including the ARC Juvenile (G1).
    His life changed after September 11th. Mr. Fisher called Alan Kirshner, the Chairman of the Arabian Jockey Club, and told him that he wanted to sell DA Adios. Alan Kirshner formed a partnership called “KRW Partnership” (from the first letters of the co-owners’ names: Alan Kirshner, Steve Richards and Howell Wallance) that bought DA Adios. A new trainer (Lynn Ashby), different jockeys (Alison Hershbell and Clyde Martin) and blinkers improved his racing score. For his outstanding racing results, DA Adios received the Darley Horse of the Year Award and went on to twice become Darley Horse of The Year in 2002 and 2004. He is the richest purse winner in the history of Arabian horse racing in the US to-date, having won so far USD 500 000. And his racing career is continuing in 2005!
    His heart was found to be of an outstanding size – estimated to weigh about 10kg where the average weight of a sport horse’s heart is about 3.5 to 4 kg! Measurement of heart’s of sires and dams of Polish lines show that their hearts are very often larger than in other lines. The racehorse’s heart is its engine. A large-sized heart with a correct conformation will improve a horse’s racing abilities. A study made in Australia and the United States gave rise to the “X theory” (see Mariann Haun’s “The X Factor: What It Is and How to Find It”, published in 1997 and Frank Mitchell’s, “Racehorse Breeding Theories”. According to the theory, the female lines pass the size of the heart via the X chromosomes. In brief, to breed brave horses with large hearts, breeders should cross mares, with both X chromosomes determining the large heart, with stallions of outstanding racing abilities. For all of us this is yet another testimony that Polish Arabian horses have great hearts – literally and figuratively!

Longin Błachut, polski.dwor@csl.pl, March 2005

For the pictures we would like to thank:: Arabian Finish Line (www.arabianfinishline.com), Mats Genberg (www.genberg.se), Cre Run Farm (www.crerun.com) and Valour Arabians (www.valourarabians.com)

References:

1. http://www.arabdatasource.com Arabian Horse Data Source.
2. Arabian Finish Line (monthly magazine) lata 2000-2005; articles by: Sandy Wollpert i Stephanie Corum
3. Frank Mitchell – Racehorse Breeding Theories, 2004.