Stallion Profile June 2003

Yonaguska (USA)

High hopes for this chief of the Blushing Groom tribe

NAMED after an Indian chief, Yonaguska is a member of the Blushing Groom tribe who has all the attributes to do well as a sire in Australia. He was a Gr.1-winning juvenile, his sire was an outstanding sprinter and, as DAVID BAY reports in this profile, he has a pedigree that should suit mares carrying strains of Northern Dancer.

IT’S easy to see why everyone at Vinery (Kentucky and Scone) has high hopes for young stallion Yonaguska (USA), who stands his first southern season this spring. A $US1.95m ready to run purchase who went on to be a Gr.1 winner at two, Yonaguska represents a sprinting branch of the Blushing Groom sireline. His sire Cherokee Run won the Breeders’ Cup Sprint-Gr.1 and his grandsire Runaway Groom was a Gr.1 performer on the track who is now a highly successful stallion at Vinery’s American base where he has sired 50 stakes winners.
In addition, Yonaguska’s dam is by a very fast son of Mr. Prospector in Silver Ghost, who equalled the track record for 6.5f at Belmont Park, running 1:15.2. Silver Ghost’s dam is one of Halo’s best daughters in Missy Gallore, a multiple Graded stakes winner.
Yonaguska’s damline also features the top class sires Buckpasser, The Axe and Swaps and his fourth dam is the Del Mar Oaks winner House of Cards.
It’s a pedigree that is free of Northern Dancer, but contains Cosmah, a half-sister to Northern Dancer’s dam Natalma. Yonaguska’s pedigree also has several lines of La Troienne (including Big Event 6fx6f) and Mumtaz Mahal, two influential broodmares as well as a 6mx6m duplication of Turn-to and 6fx6m of Menow.
Bred in Kentucky by Edward Evans, he was originally purchased by bloodstock agent Mike Ryan for $145,000 at the 1999 Keeneland September yearling sale.
Yonaguska was resold by pinhooker Niall Brennan for a sale-topping $US1.95m at the 2000 Fasig-Tipton Two Year Old In Training Sale at Calder racetrack on February 29 to the bid of Michael Tabor via agent and great judge Demi O’Byrne. He was the second most expensive juvenile sold at public auction during the year.
Having his first start at Churchill Downs on May 3 of his juvenile year, the two year-old son of Cherokee Run out of Marital Spook, by Silver Ghost, trained by D. Wayne Lucas and ridden by Jerry Bailey, won a 4.5f maiden special weight event by 9.25 lengths in 51.26 from Divine Providence and Two Winner’s Long.
He was favourite again at his second run the following month and retained his perfect record with a 2.5 length victory in the $82,450 Flash Stakes at Belmont Park, running the 5f in 57.86 on a fast track. He finished 1.25 lengths in front of subsequent Gr.1 winner and great rival City Zip with Light of Justice a nose back third, despite cutting a leg during the event.
“It was good to see him run that way, in light of what we invested,” Lukas said. “He handled everything well.” The trainer said it was even more impressive considering that Yonaguska started from the outside barrier. “You can lose touch with the race sometimes, starting from way out there.”
City Zip turned the tables at Yonaguska’s next start, beating him into second place in the Sandford Stakes-Gr.2 (6f) at Saratoga. The battle between the two fast juveniles continued into the Hopeful Stakes-Gr.1 (7f) at Saratoga on September 2. The runners were rushed to the starting gates when a storm threatened to engulf the course and the race actually started five minutes early.
The dramas continued when Yonaguska, who had been stirred up by the storm before the event, met even more trouble when his saddle slipped during the race and jockey Jerry Bailey was forced to keep him close to the rail, which was the worse part of the going.
Yonaguska raced to the lead at the top of the straight and held a two length advantage at the furlong with City Zip and Macho Uno closing fast. However, in the end it was Yonaguska and City Zip who crossed the finishing line locked together in the first dead-heat for a Gr.1 event at Saratoga. The dead-heat also gave City Zip his fourth consecutive graded stakes race and he became only the fourth horse to sweep Saratoga’s trio of two year-old stakes races, the Sanford-Gr.2, Saratoga Special-Gr.2 and Hopeful Stakes.
The Hopeful was not far removed from a triple dead heat as Stronach Stable’s Macho Uno, the subsequent Breeders’ Cup Juvenile hero having just his second start, finished a neck behind the top two who ran the journey in 1:24.52. Macho Uno tossed his head in the starting gate, bloodying jockey Edgar Prado’s nose, and then raced five wide on the turn. The fourth horse was 7.25 lengths away, a clear indication of the class of the first three runners.
Yonaguska completed his juvenile year by placing in the Champagne Stakes-Gr.1 (behind A.P. Valentine) and the Hollywood Preview Stakes-Gr.3. He was unplaced in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
Yonaguska started his three year-old season in great fashion by accounting for his old sparring partner City Zip in the Hutcheson Stakes-Gr.2 (7f in 1:22.63) at Gulfstream Park on January 27.
Although the race was a prep for the Florida Derby and Kentucky Derby, owner Michael Tabor was adamant that his colt, who started a firm favourite in the race, would not go for either event.
“I wouldn’t think this is a Kentucky Derby horse - no way,” said Tabor. “I was pleased with his peformance, his first race as a three year-old, but I think his best distance is maybe a mile maximum. I want to keep him at six, seven furlongs.”
Lucas agreed saying “I think he’ll get a little further distance. I think 8.5f is in his range, but he’s no 10f horse.”
Yonaguska settled in third spot in the Hutcheson, “I just tried to settle him down off the pace,” Bailey said. “I don’t think he’ll have trouble with a distance, but you just have to get him not to do too much too early.”
Thirds in the Swale Stakes-Gr.3 (7f) at Gulsteam Park and Lafayette Stakes-Gr.3 (7f) at Keeneland followed before Yonaguska was given a six month break. He returned in great form in the autumn, scoring consecutive wins over older horses, taking the Sports Page Handicap-Gr.3 (7f) at Belmont Park by 1.5 lengths on October 27 and then carrying 131 pounds to victory in the Fall Highweight Handicap-Gr.2 (6f) at Aqueduct on November 22.
His racing career ended the following season when he was unplaced in all four runs, he’d been unplaced only twice in his 14 previous starts. He retired, and was sold to Vinery, with six wins and six placings in 18 starts for $US536,355.
Yonaguska’s dam Marital Spook, is a half-sister to four stakes winners, including Jerome Handicap-Gr.1 winner Prenup, 2002 Philip Iselin Handicap-Gr.2 winner Cat’s at Home and world record setter, Honor the Hero (6f in 1:06.4). Her five winners include another stakes winner in Call It Off (by Metfield) and Ghost Ransom (Red Ransom), eight wins.
This is the 4f family with high class members including Brian’s Time (a leading sire in Japan), Sunshine Forever, Gleaming Light and Andover Way. Another branch of this family (that of Futurity Stakes winner Artful) also contains Runaway Groom, Yonaguska’s grandsire (their common ancestor is Martha II, by Dandie Dinmont).
Yonaguska’s sire Cherokee Run was the Champion Sprinter in the USA at four when he won the Breeders’ Cup Sprint-Gr.1. He was stakesplaced at two when he won five (5f-8.5f) of his seven starts and was sent on the Triple Crown trail at three when he won the Dwyer Stakes-Gr.2 (9f) by six lengths, the Lafayette Stakes-Gr.3 (7f in equal track record time of 1:21.2) by 3.5 lengths and the Derby Trial Stakes-Gr.3 (8f) as well as running second in the Preakness Stakes-Gr.1 (9.5f) to Prairie Bayou and third in stakes events over 7f and a mile.
He confirmed his forte as a sprinter-miler the following season collecting the Breeders’ Cup Sprint-Gr.1 (6f, topweight), Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash-Gr.2 (6f) and running second in the Metropolitan Handicap-Gr.1 (8f) to Holy Bull and second in the Tom Fool Stakes-Gr.2 (7f), beaten a head by Virginia Rapids. He was also third in the Carter (7f) and Vosburgh (7f) Handicaps, both Gr.1.
At five he won the Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship-Gr.2 (7f, topweight) from just two starts, retiring with 13 wins and 10 placings and $US1.53m in 28 starts.
Cherokee Run, whose dam Cherokee Dame is a half-sister to outstanding sprinter Groomstick (like Cherokee Run, a son of Runaway Groom), was an instant success at stud, becoming the Leading First Season Sire by Earnings and by Winners (17, 4SW) in 1999 when the star of his crop was the Champion Juvenile Filly Chilukki, winner of six races including two Gr.1 events, the Debutante Stakes-Gr.1 and Oak Leaf Stakes-Gr.1 and runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile-Gr.1. She was an $US875,000 two year-old in training buy.
He’s maintained that high standard in the seasons since and has more than 130 winners (70.6% winner-to-runners) and 12 stakes winners including the top class juvenile colt of 2000 Kafwain, winner of the Norfolk Stakes-Gr.2 and Best Pal Stakes-Gr.3 and runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile-Gr.1 and a good three year-old in the USA before breaking down in April.
Kafwain was another by his sire to bring a high price at a ready to run sale, making $US725,000 in 2002.
Other good runners by Cherokee Run include Dream Run (Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship-Gr.2), Silentlea (Astarita Stakes-Gr.2) and Feathers (Bessabarian Stakes-Gr.3). He had 15 individual juvenile winners last season.
Cherokee Run has served much classier books of mares since his first runners hit the track in 1999 and he’s standing this northern season at Darley’s Jonabell property in Kentucky at $US20,000 and his yearlings averaged $110,000 in 2002. There’s no doubt he will be one of the “big name” American-based sires in the years to come.
Further evidence of the speed in this sireline came at Belmont Park on May 7 when four year-old Najran (by Runaway Groom) equalled the world record for a mile (set by the great Dr Fager at Arlington Park in 1968) when he won the Westchester Handicap-Gr.3 by 4.5 lengths in 1:32.2. This also smashed the course record of 1:32.6 set by Williamstown in 1993 and the race record of 1:33.4, set by Double Edge Sword in 1976.
Runaway Groom was foaled in Canada in 1979 and is a son of Champion French Two and Three Year Old Blushing Groom and the stakes winner and producer Yonnie Girl by Call the Witness (Better Self-Your Witness by Beau Pere).
Winner of the Travers Stakes-Gr.1 in the USA, he also won the Prince of Wales Stakes, the Breeders’ Stakes and was runner-up in the Queen’s Plate, Canada’s most important race. He won six of 12 starts at three and was second four times to be named Champion Canadian Three Year Old Colt.
The sire of more than 400 winners, his other major performers include dual Gr.1 winner Wekiva Springs, Argentine Gr.1 star Alexine, Champagne Stakes-Gr.1 winner The Groom is Red and Gr.1 winner Down the Aisle.
Pedigree expert Alan Porter made these comments about Runaway Groom: “There are few more reliable sires in his price range than champion and classic winner Runaway Groom. To date, Runaway Groom has sired 97 stakes horses, 50 stakes winners and 11 graded stakes winners.
“Like many Blushing Groom sires, Runaway Groom works particularly well with mares carrying the strain of Tom Fool. This strain is the key to Runaway Groom stars such as Champion Sprinter Cherokee Run, Champion March Groom and Gr.1 winners Wekiva Springs and Down the Aisle. In male line the Tom Fool strain is most frequently found through Buckpasser and Jester.
“Another outstanding cross for Blushing Groom is Nijinsky, and Runaway Groom has sired three stakes winners out of Nijinsky-line mares, and another out of a mare by Nijinsky’s three-quarter brother The Minstrel.
“In addition to these standouts, Runaway Groom has succeeded with mares from a remarkably wide range of sire lines. These include Bold Ruler (including through What a Pleasure, Secretariat and Raja Baba), Raise a Native (including Mr. Prospector and Princely Native), Ribot (particularly through Hoist the Flag), Damascus, Turn-to, In Reality and Herbager.”
In Australasia the Blushing Groom sireline is enjoying great success via his grandsons Spectrum and Quest for Fame (both sons of Rainbow Quest) while Arrowfield will stand Champion American Sprinter Orientate (by Blushing Groom’s son Mt Livermore.
Blushing Groom’s son Nassipour was a star sire in NZ and his VRC Derby-winning son Redding is at The Independent Stallion Station in Victoria. The 2001 Horse of the Year (International Classification) Fantastic Light (by Rahy), who shuttles to Darley, is another Blushing Groom grandson. This is the Red God branch of the Nasrullah sireline.
Named after an Indian chief, Yonaguska, is sure to do well in the speed-oriented world of Australian racing and, like his sire, looks certain to get his share of smart two year-olds who train on.