Spring At Last Pedigree Profile
{{monthName}} {{day}}, {{year}} {{hour12}}:{{minuteTwoDigit}}{{dayPeriod}}
Spring
At Last, didn't race until he was three. However he created
fireworks in his debut on the Fourth of July with a 5 ¼ length score
sprinting six furlongs over the Belmont dirt for WinStar Farm and
trainer Todd Pletcher. After a spectacular maiden win, the son of
Silver Deputy took his time maturing. After winning only once more
in four subsequent starts, Spring At Last was purchased by J. Paul
Reddam for $675,000 at the 2006 Keeneland November Breeding Stock
Sale.
Transferred
to the barn of trainer Doug
O'Neill, Spring At Last ran huge in his first graded effort, the
seven furlong Malibu Stakes (G-2). He finished two lengths behind
the more experienced Latent Heat and defeated the eventual Sprint
Champion Midnight Lute. Spring at Last would finish ahead of Midnight
Lute in two of their three meetings. The following year, Spring At
Last raced five times, placing second in the Strub Stakes (G-2) at 1
1/8 miles and winning the Godolphin Mile at Nad Al Sheba on World Cup
day. Spring At Last spent most of his four year old season on the
sidelines after his victory in Dubai. He resurfaced in December to
claim a one mile turf allowance race at Santa Anita. Racing only
twice as a five year old, Spring At Last earned a Grade 1 victory in
the Donn Handicap, beating the top handicap veterans Brass Hat and
Einstein. The WinStar Farm home-bred retired to his birthplace in to
in 2008. He stands for $7,500 stud fee.
Spring
At Last (Silver Deputy
- Winter's Gone, by Dynaformer)
Career
Highlights:
1st
– Donn Handicap (G-1)
1st
– Godolphin Mile (Gr. 2)
2nd
– Malibu Stakes (G-1)
2nd
– Strub Stakes (G-2)
Spring
At Last is creating a reputation as a solid sire of runners over
every surface. The stallion's five winners have six stakes placings
between them. Two of his offspring are stakes winners over turf, one
placed in a Polytrack stakes, while a third has been twice stakes
placed over dirt. The class and versatility of Spring At Last's
progeny isn't surprising considering the stallion's pedigree.
Sire:
Spring
At Last's sire Silver Deputy raced only twice, recording a maiden win
and a victory in the Swynford Stakes at Woodbine as a juvenile. A
racing injury cut the son of Deputy Minister's very promising career
short.
Silver
Deputy started his stud career in Canada. His first crop included six
stakes horses, including the two-time Canadian Champion Filly Jane
West. With early success under his girth, Silver Deputy transferred
to Kentucky. During his career as a stallion, Silver Deputy sired
five Canadian Champions and the two-time Champion US filly,
Silverbulletday. Silver Deputy's offspring are classy, consistent
performers. The majority are best between sprint distances up to 1
1/8 miles, although he is represented by four stakes horses at
Classic (1 ¼ – 1 ½ miles) distances. As a sire of sires, Silver
Deputy's sons are just starting to make a name for themselves. His
oldest and best son at stud to date is the graded stakes sprinter
Posse, himself a leading Freshman Sire in 2006. Other sons of Silver
Deputy standing at stud are Will He Shine, J Be K and Badge of
Silver.
Silver
Deputy (Deputy Minister
– Silver Valley, by Mr. Prospector)
Career
Highlights:
1st
– Swynford Stakes
Distaff
Family:
Spring
At Last is a half brother to Sharp
Lisa (by Dixieland Band), heroine of the seven furlong Santa Ynez
(G-2), one mile Las Virgenes Stakes (G-1), and 1 ¼ mile Santa
Barbara Stakes (G-2). Another half sister, Sharp
Susan (by Touch Gold) won the Herecomesthebride Stakes (G-3) and
Lake Placid Handicap (G-2) both at 1 1/8 miles over turf.
Spring
At Last's dam Winter's Gone (Dynaformer - Stark Winter, by Graustark)
combines the best of traditional bloodlines of the historic Darby
Dan and Claiborne farms breeding programs. She has Rasmussen Factor
breeding (inbred to the same blue hen within five generations) to the
top mare Flower Bowl, through her sons, His Majesty (damsire of
Dynaformer) and Graustark (damsire of Winter's Gone). The two
stallions are full brothers sired by Ribot, one of the best studs in
Thoroughbred history. Winter's Gone caries no Northern Dancer, Mr.
Prospector or Bold Ruler influences, which are the trinity of modern
US breeding. Instead, Winter's Gone is reinforced with Classic,
Solid and Professional Chef-de-races that while not rare, are not
common in today's Thoroughbred bloodlines.
Winter's
Song is a half sister to the long-winded multiple Grade 1 hero Bien
Bien(by Manila), a winner from 1 ¼ to 1 ¾ miles. She's also a half
sister to the multiple graded stakes veteran Dr. Schwartzman (by
Fluorescent Light) and the stakes winning sprinter Fantasy Lover (by
Raja Baba). The second dam Stark Winter (by Graustark) won five of 18
starts, including the First Lady Handicap.
Damsire:
The
incomparable Dynaformer is Spring At Last's damsire. Dynaformer
started 30 times and twice won at the Grade 2 level. Dynaformer
proved to be an international quality stallion, siring over 130
stakes winners and he was a fixture on the leading sire list. As a
broodmare sire, Dynaformer has routinely graced the top 20 Broodmare
Sire Lists for years. His daughters have produced over 75 stakes
winners throughout the world.
Dynaformer
(Roberto - Andover Way, by His Majesty)
Career
Highlights:
1st
- Jersey Derby (G-2)
1st
- Discovery Handicap (G-2)
2nd
- Gallant Fox (G-2)
2nd
- General George
Spring
At Last was bred on a successful bloodline cross. His sire Silver
Deputy has sired eight starters, seven winners from Dynaformer mares.
Three of the offspring own blacktype and Spring At Last is the most
successful of the three. Additionally, it is infrequent to find a
horse with points in all Dosage aptitudes. Spring At Last's dosage
is 5-1-14-3-1
(24). Dosage is best used as a breeding rather than handicapping
tool.
How
to bet his offspring:
The
best stallions are multifaceted, getting winners over all surfaces
and at all distances. Spring At Last may prove to be the best of
his sire's sons at stud. Spring At Last was a versatile performer on
the track and he should impart this to his progeny. The stallion's
offspring should be proficient over all surfaces, especially
Polytrack. The distaff line of each individual will be key to how far
his babies will want to run. Spring At Last's progeny should improve
with maturity and be competitive up to 1 1/8 miles. Like his sire,
Spring At Last may produce runners at classic distances if there is
adequate stamina influences through individual distaff lines.
Read More
This is the 17th and final installment of a weekly feature exclusive to Horse Racing Nation tracking the...
Forever Young earned a sparkling 140 Horse Racing Nation speed figure for his victory in Saturday's Breeders' Cup...
The Fasig-Tipton November Sale, held Monday at the Newtown Paddocks in Lexington, Ky., posted sales of more than...
Owen Almighty , the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby winner who most recently placed third in the Perryville...
A decade after Michelle Payne became the first woman win Australia's most famous race, Jamie Melham has etched herself...