Blackbeard
Blackbeard was scoring for the third time in as many starts when he ran out an impressive all-the-way winner of the Gr.3 Marble Hill Stakes on May 21. After being caught in the last stride of the Gr.2 Railway Stakes, he reeled off decisive victories in the Gr.2 Prix Robert Papin, Gr.1 Prix Morny and Gr.1 Middle Park Stakes to improve his career figures to six wins and a short-head second from eight starts. Blackbeard represents an unbroken sequence of seven generations of Gr.1 2YO winners from his male line.
As DANZIG is back in the sixth generation of Blackbeard’s foals, there is no barrier to further lines of DANZIG blood. GREEN DESERT’s son INVINCIBLE SPIRIT sired the dam of No Nay Never’s fast Gr.2 winner Trillium, while SHINKO FOREST, another son of GREEN DESERT, sired the dam of Gr.2 2YO winner Aesop’s Fables. No Nay Never has a 7f Gr.3 winner out of a mare by SEA THE STARS. No Nay Never also has an impressive 22% SWs from 18 foals out of mares by OASIS DREAM, including the 2023 Gr.2 2YO winners Array and Les Pavots. Sioux Nation, another of Scat Daddy’s sons, already has two Group winners inbred 3x3 to OASIS DREAM. Blackbeard would suit grand-daughters of GREEN DESERT and he could be an ideal means of injecting precocity into the daughters of SEA THE STARS.
This creates 5x4 to GREEN DESERT and 4x3 to the great mare Urban Sea.
No Nay Never’s multiple Gr.1 winner Alcohol Free is out of a grand-daughter of Danzig, by HARD SPUN. He is also working very well with mares by sons of DANEHILL. In addition to Ten Sovereigns (out of an EXCEED AND EXCEL mare) he has SWs out of daughters of HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR, KODIAC, ROCK OF GIBRALTAR, FASTNET ROCK, ORATORIO and CATCHER IN THE RYE. HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR is also the broodmare sire of Caravaggio’s 2023 Gr.1 winner Porta Fortuna and Sioux Nation’s tough Gr.2 winner Brave Emperor.
MR PROSPECTOR will be no closer than the fifth generation of Blackbeard’s offspring. No Nay Never is thriving with mares with MR PROSPECTOR blood. The Gr.2-winning siblings Arizona and Nay Lady Nay have a dam by ENGLISH CHANNEL, a son of SMART STRIKE. Two more of his Gr.2 winners are out of daughters of SPEIGHTSTOWN and CHESTER HOUSE. Two sons of DUBAWI have sired black-type performers from Blackbeard’s family.
Gr.1 winner Little Big Bear is one of only three foals by No Nay Never out of BERING mares.
Blackbeard should suit mares by FOOTSTEPSINTHESAND, SHAMARDAL and LOPE DE VEGA (sire of the dual Gr.3 winner Max Vega from Blackbeard’s family). Sioux Nation’s Gr.2 winner Matilda Picotte is out of a ONE COOL CAT mare and therefore inbred 5x3 to STORM CAT.
The SADLER’S WELLS line is sure to provide Blackbeard with good winners. No Nay Never’s Gr.2 winners Shadn and Visualisation have dams by SADLER’S WELLS. No Nay Never also has Henry Adams and Midnight Mile, both Gr.3 winners at two, among his runners out of GALILEO mares. Mares by HIGH CHAPARRAL have produced three Group winners (14%) to No Nay Never and Ten Sovereigns already has a dual Listed winner out of one.
The SHIRLEY HEIGHTS male line has quickly made its mark with No Nay Never. His smart son Wichita had a dam by DASHING BLADE, while the Group winning 2022 2yos Meditate and Midnight Mile respectively have a dam by DALAKHANI and a 2nd dam by DARSHAAN. Sioux Nation has a Gr.3 winner with a dam by DALAKHANI and another with a 2nd dam by DARSHAAN.
The ROYAL APPLAUSE line should definitely help Blackbeard pass on his considerable precocity and juvenile ability. No Nay Never’s useful sprinter Royal Commando has a dam by ACCLAMATION, while ROYAL APPLAUSE sired the 2nd dam of Gr.2 winner Trillium.
No Nay Never has a Gr.3 winner out of an INDIAN RIDGE mare and his Group winners Wichita, Land Force and Love Locket all have 2nd dams by INDIAN RIDGE.
BLUSHING GROOM’s sons RAINBOW QUEST, NASHWAN and RAHY collectively sired the 2nd dams of five of No Nay Never’s Stakes winners, and RAINBOW QUEST also sired the dam of another of his Stakes winners.