December-January 2015-2016 /
American Turf Magazine
7
BODEMEISTER
(Empire Maker-Untouched Talent, by Storm Cat)
By Lauren Stich
B
odemeisterwonhis career debut
at age3 inamaidenraceat Santa
Anita, followed by a second in
the San Felipe Stakes behind the more
experienced Creative Cause. Trainer
Bob Baffert then used the lucrative
Arkansas Derby as his big prep for the
Triple Crown, and he ran away from
an outclassed field of 3-year-olds to
score a dazzling 9 ½-length victory.
He appeared headed to victory in the
KentuckyDerby but was collared late by
I’llHaveAnother, andran secondagain
to I’ll Have Another in the Preakness
Stakes.Unfortunately, that was the final
race of his brief but exciting career.
Tail-Male Sire Line (Empire Maker-
Unbridled-Fappiano-Mr. Prospector-
Raise a Native). Raise a Native was the
1963 co-champion 2-year-old when
he was undefeated in just four starts
before an untimely injury forced his
retirement. Raise a Native, along with
Bold Ruler and Northern Dancer, were
the hottest trio of U.S. stallions in the
1960s, 1970s and1980s. Raise aNative’s
best sons at stud were Majestic Prince,
Alydar, Exclusive Native and of course,
Mr. Prospector. Raise a Native passed
his high speed to his offspring, but the
fastest of them all was Mr. Prospector.
Expected to be a sire of sprinter/milers,
Mr. Prospector became so much more
than that. While his runners were pre-
dominantly about precocious speed, he
quickly sired runners who were capable
of winning at middle distances, and
ultimately, at classic distances. He had
three different colts to win the three
Triple Crown races: Fusaichi Pegasus
won the Kentucky Derby (2000); Tank’s
Prospect won the Preakness (1985) and
Conquistador Cielo won the Belmont
Stakes (1982). In addition, he sired
many top-class turf runners who won
important Group 1 stakes in Europe.
While most of his sons followed in the
brilliant (speed) category, one who was
an anomaly was Fappiano (bred by the
late John Nerud). Fappiano was a miler
who began siring distance-loving sons,
including Cryptoclearance, Defensive
Play, Quiet American and Unbridled.
Unbridled won the Kentucky Derby
and was second in the Preakness, but
his authoritative victory over older
runners in the Breeders’ Cup Classic
secured a 3-year-old championship.
Empire Maker was arguably the best-
bred son of Unbridled, and he finished
second to Funny Cide in the Kentucky
Derby after a stone bruise curtailed
his training in the two weeks leading
up to that race. He easily defeated
Funny Cide in the Belmont Stakes and
also won the Wood Memorial, Florida
Derby, Sham Stakes and Jim Dandy,
which was his final race. Sent overseas
like so many high-class performers, he
recently returned to the U.S. (mainly
due to the exploits of Triple Crown
winner, American Pharoah, who is by
Empire Maker’s stakes-winning son,
Pioneerof the Nile), giving American
breeders a big source of stamina.
Tail-Female Line (Untouched Tal-
ent-Parade Queen-Spanish Parade-
Nijit-Bitty Girl).
Bitty Girl was the
1973 English 2-y-o filly champion, and
her descendants have produced top-
class stakes over the next four decades.
Her son, Beaudelaire (Nijinsky II) was
a Group 2 stakes winner and sire, and
he was a full sister to Nijit, who was G2
stakes-placed in the U.S. One of Nijit’s
daughter, Spanish Parade (Roberto)
was a stakes winner and producer with
her best foal, Parade Queen (A.P. Indy),
a multiple stakes winner. Bred to Storm
Cat, Parade Queen produced Sorrento
Stakes winner, Untouched Talent, who
also placed in the Del Mar Debutante
and Alcibiades Stakes. In addition to
Bodemeister, she is also the dam of
stakes-placed Fascinating.
How to bet Bodemeister’s off-
spring:
For a son of stamina-rich
Empire Maker, Bodemeister had siz-
zling speed and his babies should excel
from the get-go, particularly if they
are out of mares by speed influences.
But they should really blossom at 3
and older, and while he found success
on dirt, he has plenty of grass in his
pedigree (Empire Maker, Storm Cat,
Betting Freshman Stallions
Photo by Horsephotos.com/NTRA
age
starts
1st
2nd
3rd
earnings
2
0
0
0
0
$0
3
6
2
4
0
$1,304,800
