ALAN PORTER | ROMMY FAVERSHAM

 

By Alan Porter

Spensive is a stakes winning and graded stakes placed performer from the same branch of the Mr. Prospector line as Champion Sprinter and outstanding speed sire, Smoke Glacken.

Spensive is an obvious cross for Northern Dancer line mares. Two Punch, the grandsire of Spensive, and his son, Smoke Glacken, both sired stakes winners out of mares from the Storm Cat branch of Northern Dancer. This strain looks particularly promising here, and would be particularly interesting through sons such as Tale of the Cat, Storm Boot, Sea of Secrets, Forest Wildcat, Forestry, Mountain Cat, Tabasco Cat, Tribal Rule, Stormy Atlantic, and Stormin Fever.

There are also Two Punch line stakes winners out of mares descending from Northern Dancer through Deputy Minister, Nijinsky II, Danzig, Dixieland Band (sire of Dixie Union, Dixie Brass, Citidancer, and Chimes Band), El Gran Senor (sire of Lit de Justice and Helmsman), Nureyev, Sadler’s Wells (out of a mare by El Prado), Sovereign Dancer (sire of Louis Quatorze), and Magesterial.

From the Deputy Minister line, Smoke Glacken has a stakes winner out of a Silver Deputy mare, and other Deputy Minister sons include Salt Lake, Awesome Again, Touch Gold, Deputy Commander, French Deputy, Dehere, and Forest Camp. There are Two Punch line stakes winners out of mares descending from Nijinsky II through Green Dancer, Sky Classic and Strawberry Road (who looks particularly good here). Danzig sources include Strolling Along (broodmare sire of a stakes winner from this sire line), Belong to Me, Langfuhr, Pine Bluff, Honor Grades, Polish Numbers, Honor Grades, Dayjur, Exchange Rate, Danzig Connection, Boundary, and Game Plan.  Sources of Nureyev include Atticus (dam of a stakes winner from this sire line), Theatrical, Unusual Heat, and Alwuhush.

Considering the Turn-to/Hail to Reason line, Two Punch and his sons have sired stakes winners out of mares descending from Roberto (including out of mares by Red Ransom and Dynaformer), Mr. Leader (out of mares by Wise Times and Doc’s Leader), Halo (including out of a mare by Diablo, a son of Devil’s Bag, a himself a brother to Saint Ballado), and Cure the Blues. There is also a grade one winner from the Two Punch line out of a mare by Out of Place, who descends from Turn-to via Cox’s Ridge. In turn, Cox’s Ridge is himself broodmare sire of a Two Punch line stakes winner, and is by Best Turn (also sire of High Brite).

The Blushing Groom line has been very strong under Two Punch and his sons. There is a grade one winner out of a mare by Shy Tom, and a stakes winner out of a mare by Mt. Livermore, and three stakes winners out of mares by Housebuster (a son of Mt. Livermore).  It could also be worth trying other sons of Mt. Livermore, such as Peaks and Valleys and Orientate. Other sources of Blushing Groom including Runaway Groom and his son, Cherokee Run, Rahy, Blushing John and Candy Stripes.

When bred back over mares from their own, Mr. Prospector, line Two Punch line stallions have sired two stakes winners out of mares by Fortunate Prospect, Marquetry (by Conquistador Cielo, who should suit well here), and Unreal Zeal. With the presence of Tumiga in his female line, additional strains of Mr Prospector look to be worthwhile.

Among other broodmare sires of Two Punch line stakes winners are Boston Harbor (by Capote, from the Seattle Slew line), Broad Brush (sire of Include and Concern), Meadowlake, and Gilded Time (sire of Old Topper). Spensive might also be suited by mares from the Majestic Light line (the principal sources by Wavering Monarch, and his son, Maria’s Mon).

 

 

By Rommy Faversham

Spensive’s pedigree demonstrates a wide array of successful American female families that are worthy of duplication within his offspring. This special emphasis of female family inbreeding also helps to explain Spensive’s own success, as one of his sire Ponche’s richest offspring.

Spensive’s paternal great-grandsire, the dominant Mr. Prospector, is from the same family as Tumiga, the somewhat obscure sire of Spensive’s grand dam. This creates inbreeding to their common matriarch, 1942 Kentucky Oaks heroine Miss Dogwood. This pattern raises the likelihood that Spensive’s foals would do well with a further strain of Mr. Prospector from his mates. Even better for him (but harder to find) would be mares with strains of Mr. Prospector’s full brothers, Search for Gold and Red Ryder.

Another contemporary dominant male line from this same family is that of Seattle Slew. Slew blood also appears to be a natural with Spensive. Broodmares with the blood of Mr. Prospector’s half-brother and former California sire Yukon would be another way to add a third family strain.

Another interesting family tie occurring within Spensive’s pedigree is that his sire Ponche is closely inbred 3x4 to Native Dancer whose sire Polynesian is from the same extended tribe as Spensive. (Spensive’s seventh dam, Black Queen, is Polynesian’s grand dam.)

The sire Air Forbes Won also descends from this family and should be considered a worthy ingredient for Spensive mares. Inbreeding to the common family of both sire and dam has long been a successful Thoroughbred mating strategy.

Spensive’s broodmare sire, Dr. Schwartzman, is a half-brother to the deceased Manila sire Bien Bien. Crossing Spensive with Bien Bien mares would create 4x3 inbreeding to their common dam, stakes winner Stark Winter. Stark Winter’s sire, Graustark, descends from a rich female family. As such, his blood has done well with that of his full brother, His Majesty, whose male line has become the most successful remaining branch of Ribot, as well as Whiskey Road, sire of Strawberry Road.

Dr. Schwartzman’s sire, Fluorescent Light, is a half-brother to the influential sire Majestic Light. Crossing Spensive with mares carrying a strain of Majestic Light creates inbreeding to his dam, Irradiate. Furthermore, Majestic Light was sired by Majestic Prince, another descendant from the family of Graustark and His Majesty.

Ponche’s broodmare sire, Nijinsky II, comes from the family that also produced the influential sire The Minstrel and his full brother, California stallion Far North. Their blood appears to be a good cross for Spensive. Additionally, the blood of Nijinsky’s sire, Northern Dancer, has always crossed particularly well with his close relative, Halo, who shares a common grand dam, the immortal Almahmood.

Another specific grandson of Northern Dancer to consider for Spensive would be mares by or carrying the blood of former California sire Anziyan — a full brother to the great shuttle stallion Danehill. Their grand dam, Spring Adieu, was a half-sister to Northern Dancer and their broodmare sire was His Majesty.

At 17.2 hands, Spensive is, obviously, a particularly big stallion. As such, it is especially important that these recommendations be correlated with the body type/conformation of the prospective broodmare.

In summary, Spensive figures to do particularly well with broodmares demonstrating the blood of the following dominant sire lines:

• MR. PROSPECTOR
• SEATTLE SLEW
• HALO

Specific sires whose blood is especially likely to do well with Spensive include:

• AIR FORBES ONE
• ANZIYAN/DANEHILL
• BIEN BIEN
• FAR NORTH/THE MINSTREL
• HIS MAJESTY/WHISKEY ROAD
• MAJESTIC LIGHT
• RED RYDER/SEARCH FOR GOLD
• YUKON

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