Stallion Profile August 2003

Alannan

Mr. Prospector grandson lives up to speed heritage

With a Horse of the Year-winning son of Mr. Prospector as his sire and a Broodmare of the Year as his grandam, talented sprinter Alannan lacks nothing on the score of pedigree. The multiple Gr.2 winner had his share of racing ability too, meeting and defeating several Gr.1 winners over a six season career and, as DAVID BAY reports in this profile, he looks ideally placed for success in his stud career which begins at Lindsay Park Stud in 2003.

THE heritage of Mr. Prospector looms large over his grandson Alannan who begins his stud life at the renowned Lindsay Park in South Australia this season.
Like Mr. Prospector, Alannan was a very fast horse, the son of Conquistador Cielo setting a new track record for 7f (1:20.50) in a Gr.2 event at Churchill Downs on May 5, 2001.
The former record of 1:21.18 had been set by another grandson of Mr. Prospector, Distorted Humor (USA) (by Forty Niner), now a successful sire with his first crop led by 2003 Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide.
Mr. Prospector is also the sire of Mr P’s Princess, a half-sister to Alannan’s dam Dame Sybil. Mr P’s Princess is the dam of the brilliant performer Fasliyev (Nureyev), winner of the Phoenix Stakes-Gr.1 and Prix Morny-Gr.1 and creating a sensation with his first northern runners in 2003.
There is success wherever you look in Alannan’s pedigree, his dam, who is by the Preakness Stakes winner Elocutionist, is a half-sister to two Gr.1 winners and is a daughter of Anne Campbell, the 1999 Broodmare of the Year in the USA.
Bred in Kentucky by Arthur Hancock, Alannan had six wins and eight placings from 23 starts in five seasons for earnings of $US584,786. Trained initially by John Tammaro sr, he won one of three starts as a juvenile, a set-weight maiden at Keeneland over 4.5f, and was twice third.
The following season he won three times from seven starts including the Listed Rumson Stakes (5.5f, in 55:50) one of only two starts he had on turf, showing he was clearly a superior performer on both American racing surfaces. He was also successful over 6f and 6.5f at Gulfstream Park and Ellis Park.
He transferred to trainer Carl Nafzger as a five year-old following the death of his first trainer and immediately hit paydirt with an impressive four-length victory in the $270,750 Commonwealth Breeders’ Cup Stakes-Gr.2 (7f) on May 14, 2001.
Alannan, who was never far back as Sassy Hound led through fractions of :22 and :44.60 for the first half-mile, was angled toward the outside by jockey Edgar Prado entering the straight and responded by winning easily in 1:22.20 on a fast track. Valiant Halory finished second with Liberty Gold third.
“Well, John’s (former trainer John Tammaro) done a great job with this horse,” Carl Nafzger said. “We just inherited him about three weeks ago. This is John’s; John won this race. He kept this horse sound for all these years. He’s a five year-old now and he’s running good. Hey, I just hope he wins the world for John this year.”
Alannan continued the good work at his next start in the Churchill Downs Handicap-Gr.2, setting a track record in running 7f in 1:20.50 with fractions of :21.68, :43.72; and 1:07.85. The old mark was 1:21.18 set by Distorted Humor in 1998.
Alannan, owned by the Eaglestone Farm of William Marquard and ridden by Edgar Prado, sat off the early pace, then moved to the lead and won by a half-length from one of the early pacesetters, Bonapaw and a further half-length to Exchange Rate.
A bruised foot and several minor problems kept Alannan from the winner’s circle in four subsequent starts before the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. However his trainer was confident after a slashing 5f gallop at Belmont Park in 1:00.40 on the eve of the big event.
“With the Breeders’ Cup, you’ve either got the class to run or you don’t,” said Nafzger, who trained Unbridled (another grandson of Mr. Prospector) to win the 1990 Breeders’ Cup Classic. “I think he’s got the tools. That’s why we are in there.
“He had a small bruise on his hoof going into his previous race (the Vosburgh-Gr.1),” Nafzger said. “He was good enough to run, so we put a special shoe over it. Unfortunately, he lost it during some point of the race and didn’t do any running after that finishing sixth. His feet are fine now. He couldn’t be doing any better.
“The sprint is such a crazy race. He’s got a stalker’s running style and you’ve got to think he’s going to get the pace he needs to close into. As long as he isn’t trapped behind horses, he should be running hard in the stretch.”
As it turned out, Alannan did not win the Breeders’ Cup Sprint-Gr.1 (6f) at Belmont on October 21, 2001, that honour going to Squirtle Squirt (a son of Marquetry by Conquistador Cielo), and after two further runs the following season he retired and was purchased by a syndicate of South Australian Breeders and Lindsay Park Stud.
David Hayes, now principal of Lindsay Park said several South Australian studs and breeders worked together with Lindsay Park in order to secure equity in a stallion deemed ideally suited to Australia.
“We wanted a stallion with the potential to qualify progeny for the major sales, and therefore have broad appeal and a long-term future,” David Hayes said.
“Alannan certainly fits the bill. He is a high class racehorse and was rated as the second heighest weighted sprinter (colts of 1996) on the International Classifications.”
Alannan’s eight placings also included thirds in two major American races, the Forego Handicap-Gr.1 (6f) at Saratoga and the Metropolitan Handicap-Gr.1 (8f) at Belmont.
He was also runner-up in the Aristedes Handicap-Gr.3 (6f) at Keeneland in a racing career that saw him meet, and defeat, the Gr.1 winners Mozart, Left Bank, El Corredor, Bonpaw, Trippi, Bevo, With Anticipation, Traditionally, Texas Glitter and Hook and Ladder.
Alannan is a son of one of Mr. Prospector’s early champions, the 1982 American Horse of the Year Conquistador Cielo (ex KD Princess by Bold Commander), who died in December 2002.
Purchased as a yearling for $150,000 and campaigned by Henryk de Kwiatkowski (who also raced Danzig), Conquistador Cielo won nine of 13 starts and earned $474,328. He won twice from four starts as a two year-old, including the Saratoga Special Stakes-Gr.2.
Conquistador Cielo clinched Horse of the Year and Champion Three Year Old Colt honours during a six-day period in late May and early June 1982.
After back-to-back allowance victories on May 8 and May 19 at Pimlico Race Course and Belmont Park, respectively, trainer Woody Stephens sent Conquistador Cielo out 12 days later against older horses for the first time in the Metropolitan Handicap-Gr.1 (8f).
Conquistador Cielo destroyed the field in the Met Mile, winning by 7.25 lengths over Silver Buck in a track and stakes record 1:33.00. The stakes record remained until Honour and Glory lowered the standard to 1:32.81 in 1996. Six days later, Conquistador Cielo turned in an even more impressive performance with a 14-length victory over Kentucky Derby-Gr.1 winner Gato Del Sol in the Belmont Stakes.
He capped his season with Dwyer-Gr.2 and Jim Dandy-Gr.2 Stakes victories, followed by a third-place finish as the favourite in the Travers Stakes-Gr.1.
Conquistador Cielo sired 65 stakes winners from 17 crops, including Gr.1 winners Marquetry (a successful sire in Kentucky with Breeders’ Cup Sprint winners Artax and Squirtle Squirt), Wagon Limit, Norquestor, and Conquistarose (sire in NZ).
He also sired multiple Gr.2 winners Forty Niner Days, Alannan, and Mi Cielo and had lifetime progeny earnings of more than $US55m.
Although he had only a modest racetrack career, another son of Conquistador Cielo has proved an outstanding stud success in Australia.
El Moxie (USA) (ex Raise the Standard by Hoist the Flag) began his career at Woodlawn Park in Tasmania before transferring to Emirates Park, Victoria and is the sire of winners of more than $14m including recent juvenile Gr.1 winner Winestock as well as the Gr.1 winners El Mirada and Alfa, the Hong Kong rising star Silent Witness and smart Australian youngster Dress Code.
Conquistador Cielo’s sire Mr. Prospector (Raise a Native-Gold Digger by Nashua) won seven of his 14 starts and placed seven times. His wins included an Allowance race at Gulfsteam by 9.5 lengths and in new track record time of 1:07.80 for 6f, a 7f Allowance at Hialeah by 5.75 lengths and a 6f Maiden at Hialeah by 12 lengths, all at three.
The following season his wins included the Whirlaway Handicap-LR (6f) by four lengths in a track record 1:08.60 and the Gravesend Handicap-LR (6f) by five lengths, while he was runner-up to champion Forego in the Carter Handicap-Gr.2 (7f).
He retired to stud in 1975 and was Champion USA Sire twice and Champion Sire of Juveniles three times in a long career that saw him leave more than 730 winners of $US95m and 179 stakes winners including Machiavellian, Forty Niner, Gulch, Fusaichi Pegasus, Afleet, Seeking the Gold, Fappiano, Woodman, Miswaki, Kingmambo, Hussonet abd Gone West.
The Australasian breeding industry had hosted successful sire sons like Mr Henrysee, Bellotto, Straight Strike, Faltaat and Geiger Counter and has further sons, grandsons and even great-grandsons (like Xaar and Shot of Thunder) just beginning their stud careers as the line goes from strength to strength worldwide. Alannan’s damline is also particularly strong.
His dam, Dame Sybil (Elocutionist) is unraced and produced 15 living foals, nine of them winners and three stakes winners Alannan, Princess Sybil (Cormorant) 14 wins and stakes producer; Never Speaking (Foolish Pleasure) 13 wins. Dame Sybil’s sire Elocutionist (Gallant Romeo-Strictly Speaking by Fleet Nasrullah) won the Preakness Stakes-Gr.1 (beating Play the Red and Bold Forbes) and was third to Bold Forbes and Honest Pleasure in the Kentucky Derby).
He sired more than 220 winners (26SW) and is a male-line grandson of the inbred Gallant Man (Migoli-Majideh by Mahmoud), winner of the Belmont Stakes and runner-up in the Kentucky Derby.
Pedigree enthusiasts should note this horse as a good foil for Northern Dancer-line mares - and also mares carrying strains of the Mumtaz Mahal family.
Migoli’s dam Mah Iran (Bahram-Mah Mahal by Gainsborough) and Gallant Man’s damsire the record-breaking English Derby winner Mahmoud (Blenheim-Mah Mahal) are three-quarter brother and sister and appear 2x2 in Gallant Man’s pedigree. Alannan is linebred to the Mumtaz Mahal family’s Nasrullah 5m,5mx5m,4m and also to Count Fleet 5fx5f.
Dame Sybil’s dam Anne Campbell (Never Bend-Repercussion by Tatan) won three races including the Old Hat Stakes but excelled as a broodmare, with her seven winners from 13 foals including multiple Gr.1 winners Desert Wine (Damascus), Hollywood Gold Cup, Charles H. Strub Stakes, California Handicap and Menifee (Harlan), Haskell Invitational, Blue Grass Stakes, runner-up Kentucky Derby.
Breeders should note a couple of links here as they provide clues to mares who should suit Alannan.
Harlan, a Gr.1 winner is by Storm Cat from a mare by Halo, and provides a good pointer for owners of mares by Don’t Say Halo (USA) who started his career in South Australia. The Gr.1 winners and sires Aristotle (IRE) and Diatribe are both out of Desert Wine mares and by Northern-Dancer-line sires.
Mr. Prospector’s son Bellotto (USA), who now stands in SA after starting his career in NSW, is out of a mare by Tatan (The Yuvaraj-Valkyrie by Donatello), a Horse of the Year in Argentina and very good sire and the sire of Repercussion, third dam of Alannan.
Anne Campbell’s other stakes winner is Arsaan (Nureyev), while her stakes-placed runners include Excavate (Mr. Prospector) and the producer Dupree (Matsadoon).
Other daughters Halo’s Gleam (Halo) and Mr P’s Princess (Mr. Prospector) are producers, the latter of course the dam of earlier-mentioned Fasliyev.
Fasliyev has sired 16 individual juvenile winners so far this season including three individual Group winners from his first northern crop, making him one of the most talked about young sires in the world.
Twenty-eight year old Anne Campbell, who was 1999 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year, died on May 10, 2003 in her sleep at Arthur B. Hancock’s Stone Farm near Paris, Kentucky. She was named after the wife of Cot Campbell, and his Dogwood Stable managed her racing career. Fittingly, her son Menifee stands at Stone Farm.
Anne Campbell’s sire Never Bend (Nasrullah-Lalun by Djeddah), won the Flamingo Stakes and was runner-up in the Kentucky Derby and is a half-brother to Hollywood Derby winner and Kentucky Derby third Bold Reason (Hail to Reason).
Their dam, Lalun, winner of the Kentucky Oaks and runner-up in the CCA Oaks also provides another important part of the equation when considering mates for Alannan.
She is found in the pedigrees of Fairy King, Sadler’s Wells, Perugino and Tate Gallery via their dam Fairy Bridge, a daughter of Bold Reason. Doubling up to Lalun (via Never Bend and Bold Reason) has proved particularly effective and it’s worth noting that Alannan is free of Northern Dancer blood but that Northern Dancer has proved effective with his family.
It has also proved effective with Conquistador Cielo (three of his Gr.1 winners are from Northern Dancer line mares), and with Mr. Prospector.
Lindsay Park Marketing Manager Sam Hayes said Alannan has already attracted plenty of interest from local and interstate breeders.
“Lindsay Park is supporting him with a group of top quality mares, some of which will be sent to Dash for Cash in 2004 to qualify the Alannan progeny for SuperVOBIS,” Sam explained.
David Hayes, now training in Hong Kong, has likened Alannan to a young Without Fear in the looks department, and acknowledges the sireline is being well exposed in Hong Kong through the deeds of unbeaten Silent Witness (El Moxie).
“I was very keen on the Fasliyev progeny at the 2003 sales, and the ones we have broken in look the part. I tried to book to Fasliyev recently and he is already full.
“Alannan is a genuine prospect in his own right, and at a fee of just $8250 he represents terrific value to ride on Fasliyev’s success,” David added.
A fast horse from the all-conquering Mr. Prospector sireline and from a top class female family, Alannan looks just about the perfect horse for South Australia, especially as he’s bound to suit mares by Scenic (USA) (a son of Sadler’s Wells) or his son Blevic as well as mares by Don’t Say Halo (USA) - three horses with plenty of daughters in the state.