2013 Breeders' Cup - New Year's Day Pedigree Profile

 

When the dust settled on the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, we were left with a well-bred winner and an exciting prospect for next year's Triple Crown trail. Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner New Year's Day stamped his ticket as a contender for the Eclipse Award Champion Juvenile Colt. 

 

NEW YEAR'S DAY (Street Cry (IRE) - Justwhistledixie, by Dixie Union)

New Year's Day joins Vindication (2002) and Midshipman (200) as one of three Breeders' Cup Juvenile winners trained by Bob Baffert. New Years Day won his maiden in his previous outing, defeating Bond Holder by 1 ¾ lengths. That one would come back to triumph in the Frontrunner Stakes (G-1) in his next race. Breaking from post four in the Juvenile, New Year's Day rated kindly in eighth for Martin Garcia saving ground during a strong pace of :22 2/5 and :44 1/5 set by Strong Mandate. New Year's Day picked it up around the ¾ pole, shifting slightly to the outside to professionally pass runners rounding the far turn. Sneaking back down to the fence, Garcia gave the colt his head at the top of the stretch, where he collared a tiring Havana and Strong Mandate, flashing under the wire by 1 ¼ lengths. New Year's Day's final time of 1:43.52 for the 1 1/16 miles was faster than that posted by Shanghai Bobby (1:44.58) and Hansen (1:44.14) and comparable to the times of Vale of York (1:43.48) and Action This Day (1:43.62). Counting his Breeders' Cup victory, New Years Day has a 3-2-0-1 ($1,154,000) record.

New Year's Day is the second son of Street Cry to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, avenging their sire's third place finish in the race. Bred in Ireland, but raced solely in the U.S., Street Cry won or placed in all five starts as a two year old and had an abbreviated career at three. He made his only two starts as a sophomore count, earning a victory in the UAE Derby and a runner-up finish in the Discovery Handicap. As a four year old, the Godolphin owned colt won three of four starts, including a dominating victory in the Dubai World Cup. In his next start, Street Cry laughed at the competition on his way to a 6 ½ length triumph in the Stephen Foster Handicap. He finished the 1 1/8 mile race in 1:47.84, just a tick off of the 1:47.28 track record. In what would be his finale, Street Cry was second in the Whitney Handicap over a deep Saratoga track as the favorite.

Street Cry has had international success as a stallion. His offspring are intelligent, tough, durable competitors with incredible versatility. They include the superstar Zenyatta, record setting sprinter Street Boss, Melbourne Cup victor Shocking, plus two-time Champ and Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense. New Years Day and Street Sense are bred along similar lines. They share the same sire and Street Sense is out of a mare by Dixie Union's sire, Dixieland Band.

STREET CRY (Machiavellian - Helen Street (GB), by Troy (GB))

Race Record: 12-5-6-1 ($5,150,837)

1^st - Dubai World Cup (G-1) 1 ¼ miles

1^st - Stephen Foster Handicap (G-1) 1 1/8 miles

1^st - Al Maktoum Challenge-Round 3 (G-2) 1 ¼ miles

1^st - UAE 2000 Guineas 1 mile

2^nd - Whitney Handicap (G-1) 1 1/8 miles

2^nd – Norfolk Stakes (G-2) 1 mile

2^nd - Del Mar Futurity (G-2) 7F

2^nd – Discovery Handicap (G-3) 1 1/8 miles

3^rd – Breeders' Cup Juvenile 1 1/16 miles

New Year's Day is the first foal out of the multiple stakes winning mare Justwhistledixie. His dam was a popular competitor on the New York – Florida circuit, winning from six furlongs to 1 1/8 miles over the dirt. In her lone Grade 1 effort, the dark bay filly finished second in the Acorn Stakes to the tough Gabbys Golden Gal, beaten only 1 ¾ lengths. Justwhistledixie bore a Distorted Humor yearling colt who sold at this year's Keeneland September sale for $600,000 and weanling Tapit colt.

JUSTWHISTLEDIXIE (Dixie Union - General Jeanne, by Honour and Glory)

Race record: 12-5-2-2 ($449,427)

Career highlights:

1^st – Bonnie Miss Stakes (G-2) 1 1/8 miles

1^st - Davona Dale Stakes (G-2) 1 mile

1^st – Love Affair Stakes 7F

1^st – Ruthless Stakes 6F

2^nd – Acorn Stakes (G-1) 1 mile

2^nd – Top Flight Handicap 1 mile

 

New Year's Day hails from a hardy stakes-winning distaff line. Four of Justwhistledixie's six half siblings made double-digit starts. Her half brother Chace City (by Carson City) won three of four starts, including the Saratoga Special (G-2) while another half brother, Dominant Jeannes (by Pleasantly Perfect) was second in the Claiming Crown Jewel. New Year's Day's second dam doesn't own blacktype, but she's a half sister to six stakes winners, including Twin Propeller (by Known Fact) the dam of two stakes winners - Sanford Stakes hero Overdriven and multiple graded stakes veteran Smooth Air. Other notable stakes winners produced by this distaff line include Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf heroine Shared Account (by Pleasantly Perfect), Affirmed winner Golden Itiz (by Tiznow), Prioress heroine Sapphire N' Silk (by Pleasant Tap) and her three stakes winning offspring, Shaniko (by A.P. Indy), Miner's Claim (by Mineshaft) and Silky Smooth (by Mr. Greeley).

Street Sense has done well with mares from the Lowes 8-c family. Distant relations to New Year's Day include the multiple stakes placed Sweet Nothings (who share the same blue hen in the six and seventh generations), and two other stakes placed runners who trace back to the same foundation mare through other branches.

New Year's Day is inbred to the blue hen Natalma though her daughter Raise the Standard (by Hoist The Flag) and Northern Dancer (by Neacrtic). Raise the Standard is the second dam of Street Cry's sire Machiavellian while Northern Dancer is the second tail sire (direct great-grand sire) of Dixie Union. The below pedigree chart shows the relationships.

 

Like their sire, the majority of Dixie Union's offspring are solid performers up to 1 1/8 miles. As usual in horse racing, there are no absolutes, so of course he has one winner past that distance – the Belmont Stakes hero Union Rags, who receives plenty of stamina from his distaff line. Dixie Union is a fairly young damsire and his daughters have just started bearing stakes winners. So far, he's represented by seven stakes winners and New Year's Day is the first Grade 1 winner in North America. None of the stakes winners have won past 1 1/16 miles. As a damsire, Dixie Union will likely impart middle distance qualities to his daughters' offspring.

New Year's Day is bred on a strong bloodline cross. Out of six foals by Street Cry out of Dixie Union mares, three are winners and two are stakes winners.

New Year's Day was a $425,000 Keeneland September Yearling purchase by Gary and Mary West. He's a well-conformed average-sized Thoroughbred with the body of a two-turn horse. He owns a nicely slanted shoulder balanced by a strong hind end, and will no doubt fill out as a three year old. The bay colt has a smooth stride with moderate leg extension. He travels straight with no paddling or excessive motion. In deep stretch of the Juvenile, New Year's Day appeared to one paced and didn't move forward until the blinkered colt had Strong Mandate in his sights. It's a debatable question whether New Year's Day actually sped up slightly nearing the wire or appeared to be running faster due to the slowing of the leg weary Havana and Strong Mandate.

So, the question on everyone's lips – is New Year's Day a Classic contender or pretender? Now you know it's too early to be asking that question. We have a slew of triple crown preps to get though and if this year follows the trend of the previous decade, many of this year's hot two year olds will be next year's trivia answers in Brian Zipse's popular column.

New Year's Day is bred along similar lines to Street Sense and both won the Breeders Cup Juvenile. Like Street Sense, New Year's Day is a favorite to be voted Eclipse Award Juvie Champ. That's where the comparison ends. New Year's Day has the pedigree to handle 1 1/8 miles, but could find 1 ¼ miles a little too far. His distaff side is light on stamina, since Dixie Union is a middle distance sire at best and the second damsire, Honour and Glory, was a sprinter/miler. If he follows the path of former Breeders' Cup Juvenile winners, New Years Day will likely get some R&R while Bob Baffert plots next year's course. If history is any indication, New Years Day may not even make it to the starting gate of the Kentucky Derby.