Circle Unbroken Pedigree Profile

Circle Unbroken added his name to the roster of Bashford Manor (G-3) winners outlasting Positively by a length on Saturday. Racing for the first time behind horses, the Gary Simms trainee inherited the rail from the slow breaking Good Tickled  drafting in behind the two pace setters Praetorian Prefect and Special Jo. Circle Unbroken sat under a tight hold until rounding the far turn, where jockey Jon Court guided him around the outside of a tiring Praetorian Perfect.    At the top of the stretch, it appeared to be anyone’s race as Special Jo had a narrow lead, but Circle Unbroken, Positively and Hightail were hot on his tail. Circle Unbroken brushed slightly with Hightail through the stretch, but gained momentum to push past that foe.  He held the advantage over a slightly tiring Special Jo and held off the closing Positively by a length.  Circle Unbroken completed the six furlongs in 1:11.21. 
 
 
Circle Unbroken is now undefeated in two starts and is a Grade 3 winner.  Can he continue his momentum all the way to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile like his Bashford Manor predecessors Circular Quay and Kodiak Kowboy, or will the son of Broken Vow falter as less precocious individuals gain experience?


CIRCLE UNBROKEN (Broken Vow - Baldomera, by Doneraile Court) is by the established stallion Broken Vow.  From only eight crops of racing age, Broken Vow has sired two Champions and 48 stakes winners.  The son of Unbridled is currently among the top fifty sires on the General Sire List for North America.  Broken Vow started his racing career in February of his three year old season. The Pin Oak Stable homebred went undefeated in four races, including the Sir Barton Stakes.  Broken Vow faced the starter ten times as a four year old and claimed his first graded victory in the Ben Ali Stakes (G-3) winning the 1 1/8 mile dirt contest by over four lengths. Broken Vow claimed three more stakes victories, including the Philip Iselin Handicap (G-2). He placed in five additional stakes, including the Gulfstream Park Handicap (G-1) and Meadowlands Handicap (G-2).  The bay colt retied with a strong 14-9-2-2 ($725,296) race record.


Retiring to stud at Pin Oak Farm, Broken Vow was off to a strong start at stud when his first crop established the young stallion in fifth place on the First Crop Sire List, behind the likes of Tiznow and City Zip.  The majority of his offspring are best up to 1 1/16 miles, although two runners Unbridled Belle and Matt’s Broken Vow have won stakes at 1 ¼ miles. Many of Broken Vow’s offspring lean towards precocity. Cotton Blossom, Sassy Image, and Interactif were juvenile stakes winners who later developed into multiple graded stakes winners.


Baldomera, Circle Unbroken’s dam, was a sturdy, classy mare, earning over $300,000 in 34 starts. She needed six starts to win her maiden, but was second or third in four of five previous attempts. She was successful in two listed stakes and placed in three G-3 events. Besides her son, Baldomera owns the only blacktype in three distaff generations.
 
 


Circle Unbroken’s damsire Doneraile Court, a son of Triple Crown hero Seattle Slew, won the Nashua Stakes (G-3) at two, and the Jerome Handicap (G-2) as a three year old.  The miler also placed in the Holy Bull (G-3) Dwyer (G-2) and Tampa Bay Derby.  As a broodmare sire, he’s represented by seven stakes winners, including the Champion Chilean Filly Amani. Doneraile Court’s daughters produce mainly sprinter/milers.


Circle Unbroken has a sprinter/miler pedigree and he will likely carry his speed 1 1/16 miles.  The bay colt is of average height and has a beautiful, flowing stride with no wasted motion.  He showed professionalism in both of his races. We don’t know what is next for Circle Unbroken, although the Saratoga Special on August 12 or maybe a start in the Arlington-Washington Futurity in September are on the schedule.  Later developing colts have a history of overshadowing the Bashford Manor winners; although the aforementioned Circular Quay and Kodiak Cowboy are two recent Bashford Manor Champs that continued on to become Grade 1 class horses. Only time will tell if Circle Unbroken will join their ranks.


By Laurie Ross, HRN Pedigree Analyst  


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