From past to present, the resurrection of the Halo male line.

Halo at Arthur B Hancock's Stone Farm, in Paris, Kentucky. [Bloodhorse.com].

THE EARLY YEARS OF HALO

The one bloodline that has created a success story of late is the descendant of the Halo (Hail To Reason) male line, in particular through his son's Southern Halo and Sunday Silence.

This is especially true when the male line is bred with daughters that have descended from Northern Dancer (Nearctic), such as through descendants of the daughters of his son’s Saddler's Wells, Galileo (Saddler’s Wells), Danzig, War Front (Danzig), Dansili (Danzig), and Danehill (Danzig), and Danehill Dancer (Danehill) to name a few.

Watching Summerhill Stud’s Sires Film of 2013/2014, Mick Goss commented “A while ago, the once famous Halo male line looked headed for extinction.” As history showed, this was not the case, in fact the turnaround brings to mind of another one of Goss’s applicable quotes that is relevant to the resurrection the Halo male line...

"If there is one thing racing fans like more than a fairy tale ending, it’s a great comeback” and the story below certainly underlines this statement. [summerhillsiresfilm, 2013].

Halo was known for being a temperamental colt, who was classified as being almost pitch black a horse could be, with a glistening dark velvet coat, combined with a nasty disposition. He entered the world in February 1969, bred by John Gaines, who went on to establish Gainesway Farm into a world-renowned stallion station in Lexington, Kentucky [Bloodhorse.com].

Halo was auctioned at the 1970’s renewal of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where the hammer went down for him at $100,000, and he was put into training with Mack Miller. Under Miller's care, Halo won nine races, and placed in a further thirteen races, from thirty-one course appearances. Four of his victories were at stakes level, including his famous Grade 1 (G1) victory in the 1974’s renewal of the G1 United Nations Handicap. Although placed in multiple dirt races at stakes level as well, all of his stakes victories came from racing on the turf, which modelled him as a turf stallion prospect [Bloodhorse.com].

Upon his retirement, Halo momentarily took up stud duties at Windfields Farm, in Maryland before relocating to the Bluegrass, where he stood for the remainder of his stallion career at Arthur B Hancock's Stone Farm in Paris, Kentucky [Bloodhorse.com].

THE HALO LINE - THE PAST

Before we discuss his notable progeny and the legacy his offspring have left in the general studbook today, it is important to observe Halo's pedigree and the successful ancestors that formed his pedigree, and what made him the prolific sire he was. The ancestors circled below show the duplication of either the same relative or a common ancestor that shared the same sire or dam.

Halo's pedigree showing his two descendants of line breeding, circled in blue and red respectively. [Pedigreequery.com].

Halo was sired by Hail To Reason, out of the broodmare Cosmah.

Hail To Reason himself is line bred with the foundation broodmare Plucky Liege, who along with others went on to produce the above circled Admiral Drake (Craig an Eran) and Sir Gallahad (Teddy). Admiral Drake went on to sire Source Sucree, and she in turn produced Hail To Reason's sire Turn-To.

Sir Gallahad went on to sire Galla Colors, and she in turn produced Hail To Reason's dam Nothirdchance [Pedigreequery.com].

A further line breeding observed in Halo's pedigree that is apparent in both his sire Hail To Reason's pedigree, as well as his dam Cosmah's pedigree was the presence of 1929 Horse Of The Year, Blue Larkspur, circled above. Hail To Reason's dam Nothirdchance is a granddaughter of Blue Larkspur, and Cosmah's sire Cosmic Bomb was produced by Banish Fear, who was by Blue Larkspur [Pedigreequery.com].

Illustrated with arrows, the success in Halo's pedigree could lie in breeding a sire, for example Hail To Reason, who consists of a common ancestor, in the presence of Blue Larkspur. Blue Larkspur sired Blue Swords, who then went on to sire Hail To Reason’s dam Nothirdchance.

In turn, breeding Hail To Reason, to the dam, for example Cosmah, who has also branched off from the same common ancestor, in the presence of Blue Larkspur. Blue Larkspur sired Banish Fear, who went on to produce Cosmah’s sire Cosmic Bomb.

The presence of Blue Larkspur on two occasions, crossed twice with the Plucky Liege foundation mare produced the mighty Halo amongst others. This shows the importance of superior female/s in an equine athlete’s pedigree when crossed further with prolific sires.

Plucky Liege was a sensational foundation broodmare for the breed, on top of producing Admiral Drake, who claimed the champion sire's title in 1955, and the broodmare sire's title a year later. Plucky Liege produced a total of twelve registered foals, eleven of which became winners (92% runners/winners). Of those eleven, seven became stakes winners (58% stakes winners/runners) including Admiral Drake, and of those seven, four were sired by France's champion sire of 1923 Teddy. This cross of Teddy over Plucky Liege didn't only produce the above-mentioned Sir Gallahad, this match made in heaven also produced a further three stakes winners in Marguerite de Valois, Bull Dog, and Quatre Bras [Americanclassicpedigrees.com].

Marguerite de Valois produced the winner of the 1939 renewal of the Saratoga G1 Acorn Stakes run named Hostility, who won on the dirt. After her racing career, she became an extraordinarily successful broodmare and in turn produced Boldness, and from Boldness came Cequillo. Cequillo is the female line responsible for producing the great Fappiano. Fappiano is a son of foundation sire sensation and breed shaper Mr Prospector, who's presence is a dominant sire line across the world today. Fappiano has become a prominent sire himself, and has branched off from his sire's legacy and forged his own path as a prominent sire in America. [Americanclassicpedigrees.com].

Fappiano forging his own prominent sire line off his sire Mr Prospector [Prominentsirelines.com].

Sir Gallahad was a winner of the French 2000 Guineas in 1923, and upon his retirement, was imported to the United States to stand as a stallion at Arthur Hancock's Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky. At the height of his stallion career, Sir Gallahad secured the champion sire's title four times, and proved to be an even better broodmare sire securing twelve champion broodmare sire titles [Americanclassicpedigrees.com].

Bull Dog was also imported to The United States, and followed a similar, yet not as prolific stud career as his full brother Sir Gallahad, he secured an American general sires title in 1943, and three champion broodmare sire titles in 1953, 1954, and 1956 [Americanclassicpedigrees.com].

Plucky Liege's offspring mentioned above are still breed shapers in modern pedigrees today with Fappiano's pedigree. As mentioned above, Marguerite de Valoissire is the female line of Fappiano's dam Killaloe. Killaloe is linebred with Bull Dog on two further occasions in her sire Dr Fager's female family line. Fappiano's sire, Mr Prospector is again linebred with Bull Dog on his female line, with his great granddam being by Bull Dog.

The above shows what a superior female ancestor Plucky Liege really was, and how her legacy has been continued within the pedigree of the Thoroughbred today. [Americanclassicpedigrees.com].

Upon glancing over South Africa’s leading sire, Gimmethegreenlight’s pedigree, was when I observed how closely Halo and Northern Dancer are related. Halo's dam Cosmah (Cosmic Bomb), is out of the Mahmoud bluehen mare Almahmoud. Almahmoud became one of the greatest, if not the greatest, broodmare of the general stud book. She did not only produce Cosmah, who went on to produce Halo, she also produced another daughter called Natalma, who went on to produce the breed shaping Canadian sire we all know today, Northern Dancer. [Pedigreequery.com].

A further observation on what made Halo and Northern Dancer the breed shaping stallions they were, was that their male lines both tailed back to breed shaping sire Nearco. Halo is a great-great-grandson of Nearco through his sire line Royal Charger, Turn-To, and Hail To Reason. Northern Dancer is a grandson of Nearco through his sire Nearctic. [Pedigreequery.com].

More Than Ready's pedigree showing the deep line breeding in his sire's pedigree of Nearco and Natalma circled in blue and red respectively [Pedigreequery.com]

Shawklit Won posted an article about Halo being referred to as “The Poor Man’s Northern Dancer", as Northern Dancer was the greatest stallion in Thoroughbred history, who has left his footprint on the breed today. At the height of his stud career, he commanded a stud fee of $1,000,000 which of course was only affordable to a handful of breeders, which put Halo into the limelight [Pedigreequery.com].

THE GOLDEN YEARS OF HALO

Halo had 749 registered foals during his illustrious stallion career at stud, and out of those 465 became winners, which worked out to be a 62% winners/runners percentage. Out of the 465 winners, 62 of them went on to become stakes winners, giving him a Stakes winners percentage of 8%.

HALO’S LEGACY THROUGH HIS DAUGHTERS

Halo produced a handful of notable daughters namely Country Romance, Coup de Folie, Glorious Song, and Goodbye Halo [Americanclassicpedigrees.com].

Let’s take a look at what influence Halo's daughters have had on the breed today, and how a lot of top stallions and broodmares would not be around today without Halo's presence:

Country Romance was a nine-time winner, who after her racing career went on to become a broodmare and produced Harlan (Storm Cat). Harlan is the grand sire of America's general sire's champion for the past five years running in Into Mischief (Harlan's Holiday), who has produced 20 individual grade/group 1 winners so far, and is showing no sign of stopping anytime soon!! [Americanclassicpedigrees.com][Spendthrift.com].

Coup de Folie was only a four-time winner, however made up for her average race record in the paddocks as a broodmare, where she claimed a 70% winners/starters percentage, and one of those was the breed shaping stallion Machiavellian (Mr Prospector). The four-time winning son of Mr Prospector produced 78 stakes winners from his total crop of 759. Machiavellian sired Medician, Street Cry, and Vettori, who went on to become sire of sires.[Americanclassicpedigrees.com].

Machiavellian was also the broodmare sire of multiple grade 1 winner and sire Shamardal, who certainly left his hoofprint behind in Europe, not only on the track winning six races, five at stakes level, but also in the breeding shed leaving behind 168 stakes winners (10%) from a 60% total winners/runners percentage. He led the Irish juvenile championship title in 2009 and was the leader of the equivalent in England in 2019. Some of the notable son's Shamardal left behind, who are continuing his legacy as stallions themselves, are multiple grade 1 winners Blue Point, Earthlight, Lope de Vega, Pinatubo, and Victor Ludorum. Shamardal became a successful broodmare sire himself, with his daughters producing current European stallions Awtaad (Cape Cross), and Hello Youmzain (Kodiac). [Americanclassicpedigrees.com].

2002 G1 Dubai World Cup winner Street Cry was an incredible stallion, leaving no less than 133 individual stakes winners to his credit. His mark as a stallion was left in both The United States and Australia, where in America he left his son's New Year's Day, Street Boss, Street Sense, and his wonder mare daughter Zenyatta behind. [Americanclassicpedigrees.com]. In Australia he produced twenty-five-time grade/group 1 winner Winx, who won thirty-three races in a [Racenet.com.au] Street Cry also produced Coolmore's Pride Of Dubai, who has produced four grade 1 winners thus far, including Dubai Honour.

Maximum Security, pink silks and "7" shaped blaze, leading into the stretch during one of the strongest, if not the strongest renewals of the 2019's Kentucky Derby.

New Year's Day produced Maximum Security, who was first past the post in an extremely competitive renewal of the 2019 G1 Kentucky Derby, and although disqualified, Maximum Security went on to win five grade/group 1 races and has his first runners gracing the tracks this year. [Coolmore.com].

Multiple grade 1 winner and sire Street Boss was born and raised in The United States, however, took up stud duties permanently in Australia after shuttling between The United States as the season ended and the other began. Street Boss has sired seventy stakes winners, nine of them grade/group 1 winners, including the nine-time grade 1 Australian champion winner Anamoe, who stood his first season last year, and because of his superiority has created huge anticipation from the racing public, as his first foals will be hitting the ground this August. [Darley.com.au].

Street Boss’s son Anamoe winning the cox plate in 2023 [Darley.com.au].

Street Sense was the winner of the 2006 G1 Breeder's Cup Juvenile, and 2007 G1 Kentucky Derby. Street Sense has produced twelve grade/group 1 winners, and three of them are continuing his legacy at stud such as multiple grade/group 1 ace's Maxfield, McKinzie, and Speaker's Corner. [Darleyamerica.com].

The wonder filly, Zenyatta, who remained undefeated on nineteen occasions, and of those was victorious in thirteen grade 1 races. She was the first filly/mare to win the 2009 G1 Breeder's Cup Classic, which along with her multiple grade/group 1 victories gave her the honours of Horse Of The Year in 2010. [Zenyatta.com]. As a producer, Zenyatta had unbelievably bad luck with two foetus abortions, and two further foal deaths. Her alive offspring so far have unfortunately not been able to continue her legacy, and the hope from the racing public is on her 2020 filly Zillka (Candy Ride) and her 2023 filly Zenyatta 23' (War Front) to continue her legacy in the years to come. [Equineline.com].

As a broodmare sire, Street Cry is the broodmare sire of 2019 G1 Breeder's Cup Classic winner Vino Rosso (Curlin), recent grade 1 winner of the 2024 G1 Dubai Sheema Classic in Rebel's Romance (Dubawi), who won the 2022 G1 Breeder's Cup Turf. Rebel’s Romance’s half-brother Measured Time (Frankel) won the 2024 G1 Jebel Hatta in January, and last but not least 2023 G1 Breeder's Cup Juvenile champion Just FYI (Justify), who is favoured for winning this year's 150th renewal of the 2024 G1 Kentucky Oaks [Americanclassicpedigrees.com].

Glorious Song was a consistent, astounding seventeen-time winner, four at grade/group 1 level, with nine seconds and a third to her name from thirty-one course appearances. She was awarded honours for two years running as Canadian champion older female in 1980 and 1981, Canadian Horse Of The Year and an eclipse award winner in 1980. As a producer, Glorious Song produced Singspiel, who was the American champion turf horse in 1996, and as a sire produced 98 individual stakes winners. [Americanclassicpedigrees.com].

Glorious Song also produced Rakeen, who is a son of the illustrious Northern Dancer. Rakeen was second on the general sires championship for 1998/1999, and one of his sons to whom Rakeen certainly passed on his superiority to was Jet Master. [Americanclassicpedigrees.com]. Jet Master was a phenomenal and certainly a breed shaping stallion for the South African breeding industry, leaving his mark on a 78% winners/runners percentage. Of that, he had a stakes winning percentage of 12%. His gelded son Pocket Power was above and beyond one of the best sons he produced, winning fifteen stakes races, which included the G1 L’Ormarins Queen's Plate's (1600m) x4, G1 Cape Town Met's (2000m) x3, the G1 Gold Challenge (1600m), and the G1 Vodacom Durban July (2200m). His legacy however is continued through his Grade 1 producing sons Master Of My Fate, and Pomodoro, as well as his daughters Come Fly With Me, Halfway To Heaven, In The Fast Lane, Night Jet, and River Jetez to name a few [Raceform.com].

Glorious Song produced Rahy, who was by breed shaping prominent sire Blushing Groom and produced 96 individual stakes winners. Rahy's notable progeny he produced include Fantastic Light, Mariah's Storm, Rio de la Plata, and Serena's Song:

Fantastic Light accumulated $6, 650, 967 throughout his racing career winning six races, all at Grade 1 level which is an achievement on its own, and won them globetrotting on four different continents.[Americanclassicpedigrees.com].

Mariah's Storm was a ten-time winner, including stakes wins, who's claim to fame came when she retired to the pastured to take up a career as a broodmare. The notable progeny Mariah's Storm produce include Fabulous (Galileo), Freud, Giant's Causeway, Pearling, Tumblebrutus, and You'resothrilling, who were all full siblings and sired by Storm Cat. The proof is once again in the pudding of the success with Halo son's crossed with Northern Dancer line daughter's and sons. [Americanclassicpedigrees.com].

Fabulous produced French grade/group 1 winner Above The Curve, who was sired by 2015 American Triple Crown winner and Breeders Cup Classic victor American Pharoah. Freud led the state of New York's general sires list on six occasions [Americanclassicpedigrees.com).

One of Freud’s full brother's Giant's Causeway, who was trained by Coolmore Ballydoyle's Aidan O'Brien, and received honours of European Horse Of The Year in 2000 after winning five grade/group1 races, and coming second in four further grade/group 1's. Upon his retirement, it was decided to stand Giant's Causeway in the United States at Coolmore's Ashford Stud in Kentucky, where he was at the top of the general sires list on three occasions and leaving 195 individual stakes winners. [Americanclassicpedigrees.com].

Giant's Causeway's notable progeny included Not This Time, who with only four crops on the track so far has produced five individual grade 1 winners, Shamardal, who was mentioned above, and it's no wonder he is so highly thought after with the breeding of Giant's Causeway (Storm Cat) with Coup de Folie (Halo) showing further evidence of the mighty Halo and Northern Dancer cross. Giant's Causeway also led the American broodmare sires list in 2018. He is the broodmare sire of Gun Runner (Candy Ride), who produced six grade/group 1 winners from only his first crop, and a further grade/group 1 in his second crop. [Americanclassicpedigrees.com].

Pearling wasn't able to get into the winner's box, however as a broodmare produced grade/group 1 winner, and now stallion Decorated Knight (Galileo).

You'resothrilling went on to be an incredible broodmare producing the 2014 1000 Guineas winner Marvellous (Galileo), 2015 English & Irish 2000 Guineas and St James Palace Stakes winner Gleneagles (Galileo), who stands as a stallion at Coolmore Stud in Ireland, French grade/group 1 winner Joan Of Arc (Galileo), Taj Mahal, and Coolmore who were also sired by the mighty Galileo. The line breeding of Northern Dancer is prominent with Giant's Causeway and Galileo, breeding two individuals who share a common ancestor in Northern Dancer. Breeding a grandson of Northern Dancer such as Galileo, with a daughter who is out of a great-grandson of Northern Dancer such as Giant's Causeway is the same success story as crossing Halo over Northern Dancer to produce Southern Halo through their mutual ancestor Nearco. [Americanclassicpedigrees.com].

Serena's Song was an eighteen-time winning daughter of Rahy who won ten grade/group 1 races, which in turn became the Kentucky red Horse Of The Year and champion three-year-old filly in 1995. As a producer, her claim to fame came when producing Serena's Cat (Storm Cat), and further proving the Halo and Northern Dancer cross, and in-turn produced multiple Grade 1 winner Honor Code, who produced the 2020 Santa Anita Derby winner Honor A P. [Americanclassicpedigrees.com].

Goodbye Halo, was an eleven-time winner, who had more success on the racecourse than in the stud farm pastures. Her claim to fame came in winning the 1988 Kentucky Oaks, and a further six grade 1 races. Her notable foal she produced was King Halo, who won a grade 1 in Japan that wasn't recognised on a global scale. [Americanclassicpedigrees.com].

From the daughters of Halo mentioned above, it has to be mentioned how successful he has been when crossed with Northern Dancer, and it has to be believed the success lies in the blue hen Almahmoud present in both pedigrees, as well as the presence of Nearco. The first observation was when Halo was the broodmare sire of Harlan, who was sired by Storm Cat (Storm Bird), a grandson of Northern Dancer. The next was observing Southern Halo's pedigree and the legacy he has left. He is by Halo out of a Northern Dancer mare Northern Sea.

The success of the cross of these two lines is even more evident further on into the article.

THE LEGACY OF THE MALE LINE THROUGH HALO’S SONS

Halo also produced a handful of stallion prospect colts in Sunny’s Halo, who was Halo’s second Kentucky Derby winner after Sunday Silence, Saint Liam, Saint Ballado, Southern Halo, and Sunriver Bar. Despite the success enjoyed by Sunday Silence and Southern Halo, which will be covered in detail later on. His other sons were unable to make an impact on the breed through passing on the mighty Halo male line, as their stud careers were shortened, leaving only one, maximum of two crops behind. [Americanclassicpedigrees.com].

Surprisingly, Halo wasn’t able to catch the train as being a commercial stallion in The United States, despite producing two Kentucky Derby winners. This put huge pressure on Sunday Silence and Southern Halo to continue the legacy and pass on the Halo male line onto their offspring.

Sunday Silence had to overcome adversity after adversity, with numerous curved balls being bowled to him - from having a severe illness as a weanling, with legs that made any potential buyer cringe, to a van accident, and being considered to have an average pedigree at the time.

Sunday Silence won the first two legs of the American Triple Crown winning the 1989 G1 Kentucky Derby and the 1989 G1 Preakness Stakes, but fell eight lengths short of Easy Goer, who denied Sunday Silence a Triple Crown hit the line first in the 1989 G1 Belmont Stakes, managing to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in the third leg of the Triple Crown. Fast forward to the 1989 G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic that same year, where Easy Goer and Sunday Silence met again in California, Sunday Silence managed to gain redemption over Easy Goer. [Americanclassicpedigrees.com].

Upon retirement, Sunday Silence was purchased by a Japanese breeder after the American breeders showed little support to the talented son of Halo. America’s loss of retaining him as a stallion prospect was Japan’s gain, and little did the Japanese know the impact he would eventually have on the Thoroughbred breed in Japan and globally today. [Americanclassicpedigrees.com].

Sunday Silence is one of Halo's sons who continued and passed on the male line through his offspring. His notable son's included Black Tide, Daiwa Major, Dance In The Dark, Deep Impact, Fuji Kiseki, Gold Allure, Hatrick, Heart’s Cry, and Stay Gold, who all stood/stand in Japan. 

Black Tide was only a three time winner from 22 outings, but what he didn’t make up for on the track, he made up for in the breeding shed, and stands at the Breeder's Stallion Station. Black Tide produced 2016 Japan Cup G1 winner Kitasan Black, who produced 2023 Longines World’s Best Racehorse Equinox. Equinox won six grade/group 1 races, including breaking the world record over 2000m in the grade/group 1 Tenno Sho Autumn Stakes in Tokyo. Equinox also secured a triumph in the 2023 Japan Cup G1, and was shortly after retired to the Shadai Stallion Station paddocks to take up stud duties alongside his sire [Jbis.jp].

Daiwa Major was a 5x Grade 1 winner in Japan, who has gone on to sire 9 grade/group 1 winners, including Arrowfield Stud and Shadai Stallion Station's superstar Admire Mars, who's damsire is Medicean, who we mentioned earlier on when talking about his sire Machiavellian. Daiwa Major also produced Serifos, who's great grandsire is Rahy, and is a son of Glorious Song (Halo). The cross with the sons of Sunday Silence, such as with Daiwa Major over Danzig (Northern Dancer) line mares is evident in their offspring's pedigree when bred with Dansili (Danehill) line daughter's. This combination produced the grade/group 1 winners below. Double Major's dam is sired by Dansili (Danzig), Ascoli Piceno's dam is sired by Danehill Dancer (Danehill), Resistencia's dam is sired by Lizard Island (Danehill Dancer), and Major Emblem's dam is sired by Opera House (Saddlers Wells) [Jbis.jp].

Dance In the Dark is a grade 1 winner himself and is bred on the Halo and Northern Dancer cross mentioned, with his dam Dancing Key being sired by Nijinsky (Northern Dancer). Dance In The Dark produced three grade/group 1 winners and multiple grade/group 2 winners. [Jbis.jp].

Deep Impact was a winner of 7 grade 1 races, including the stallion shaping race, The Japan Cup in 2006, and Japanese Guineas and Japanese Derby in 2005. With a racing career that Deep Impact had achieved, he was granted a one-way ticket for the breeding shed, and there was nothing more fitting than his daughter Gentildonna, at the height of her career winning the same race her sire did, in 2013. Gentildonna's dam was sired by Danzig (Northern Dancer), who from above showing the cross works well of daughters of Danzig with sons of Sunday Silence. Deep Impact dominated as a sire in Japan, surpassing his sire Sunday Silence not only by winning seven grade 1’s and three grade 2’s, what his offspring have done on the track and at stud is astounding, producing 59 individual grade 1 winners.

The second descendant of the Halo male line that has left his footprint on our industry today is that of Southern Halo, a five-time winner who wasn't able to secure a stakes victory, however, was stakes placed on five occasions. What Southern Halo was able to prove is that a race record is not always the "be-all and end-all" as a benchmark for becoming a stallion prospect.

As a result of the mediocre race record, Southern Halo wasn't given the opportunity in Japan or The United States as imagined, even though he was impeccably bred being by Halo, out of the Northern Dancer mare Northern Sea, note that the success of this cross has been highlighted on multiple occasions in this article!!

A door opened for a career as a stallion for him at Haras La Quebrada Stud in Argentina. Given the opportunity to shine, Southern Halo's rich pedigree had huge potential and shone brightly within the Argentinian breeding industry. During this time, he became Argentina’s leading sire for eleven consecutive years. During his stud career, Southern Halo produced 1118 winners, a 61% winners/runners percentage, and 173 of them at stakes level an impressive 9.3%.

I have yet to observe any other such rich line breeding that has been continuing on for four decades through the successful offspring of Northern Dancer and Halo, dating all the way back from 1983 until today.

One of his few American bred sons was none other than the Kentucky bred More Than Ready, who was recognised as the world’s best sire of individual winners reaching the summit of 2051 winners across the globe. Out of those 2051, 218 of them became stakes winners giving their super sire a winner/runners percentage of an astounding 72.4%.

The only stallion before More Than Ready’s time to get anywhere close to his milestone was the great Danehill (Danzig) who produced 1623 winners. More Than Ready reached these statistics above through his high demand in both the United States and Australia, which resulted in thirty-six consecutive breeding seasons commencing in 2001. He shuttled between Winstar Farm in Kentucky between February and June, and Vinery Stud in New South Wales, Australia between August, and December for seventeen and nineteen years, respectively.

More Than Ready stood his final season in 2019 before his retirement followed by his passing on August 26th, 2022. This made More Than Ready the most shuttled stallion in the world.

THE PRESENT – THE MODERN ERA OF THE HALO LINE

Deep Impact (Sunday Silence)

There are too many to mention however, I want to share more about his offspring that are continuing his legacy. His sons at stud include Contrail, Danon Platina, Fierement, Kizuna, Saxon Warrior, and Study Of Man to name but a few. (Jbis.jp].

Following in Deep Impact's footsteps is his almost pitch-black son Contrail, who won no fewer than six grade 1 victories, including mowing the leaders down in a competitive renewal of the 2021 G1 Japan Cup ,which Deep Impact won, and many of the greats have won that descend from Sunday Silence. [Shadai-ss.com].

Fierement, a winner of three grade/group 1 races, and received honours for best older horse in Japan. [Jrha.or.jp].

Kizuna is out of a Storm Cat mare Catequil, showing the successful cross we have been mentioning once again, and Kizuna won the stallion making 2013 G1 Japanese Derby. His stud career is off to a stellar start with three-time grade/group 1 winner Song Line, who beat the multiple Grade 1 winning snow-white queen of the Japanese turf in Sodashi in a ding dong battle of the 2023 G1 Victoria Mile. [Jrha.or.jp].

Coolmore had sent a few of their best Galileo mares to visit Deep Impact, bringing the two continent’s together of the best Japanese stallion and the best European stallion of the modern era, with the mating producing multiple grade 1 winner’s Saxon Warrior, Snowfall, and Auguste Rodin.

The cross with the Halo male line through Deep Impact over Northern Dancer line daughters through one of his grandson’s Galileo, has also proven to be a remarkably successful cross, producing three multiple Group 1 winners mentioned above thus far. Saxon Warrior was a dual Grade 1 winner securing victories in 2017 G1 Racing Post Trophy as a juvenile, and further backing up his class as a three-year-old by winning England's premier mile for a three-year-old's, the 2018 G1 2000 Guineas, which made him an automatic stallion prospect for the Coolmore stallion paddocks in Tipperary, Ireland. As a sire, Saxon Warrior produced a Grade 1 winner in Victoria Road, a gutsy, fearless juvenile winning the 2022 G1 Breeder's Cup Juvenile Turf [Coolmore.com].

The ill-fated Snowfall was destined for a career as a broodmare after her illustrious racing career.

Frederico Tesio reminds us that “The Thoroughbred exists because it’s selection has depended, not on experts, technicians, or zoologists, but on a piece of wood: the winning post of the Epsom Derby”.

Snowfall won the premier 2021 G1 English & Irish Oaks double, as well as the Yorkshire Oaks in 2021.

Auguste Rodin has accumulated no less than five Grade 1 races thus far, including a juvenile feature in the 2022 G1 Futurity Trophy, the 2023 G1 English & 2023 G1 Irish Derby double, 2023 G1 Irish Champion Stakes, and the 2023 G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf as a three-year-old alone, and looks like an extremely exciting colt to follow during his four-year-old career this season.

As Auguste Rodin’s dam Rhododendron was scanned in foal and that she was carrying a colt, the bar was set extremely high for Auguste Rodin from birth, especially that both his parents, both his grandparents, and six out of eight in his third generation great-grandparents were all grade 1 winners themselves. This makes him bred in the purple for a future career as a stallion for when his stud career arrives [Sportingpost.co.za].

Auguste Rodin winning the 2023 English Cazoo Derby ahead of King Of Steel.

 Heart’s Cry (Sunday Silence) was another son of Sunday Silence who carried the Halo male line when crossed with Galileo daughters. This cross produced grade 1 winner Continuous, who secured his status in winning the 2023 G1 English St Leger, Thus another colt with an exciting four-year-old campaign and looks to have more to come this year.

In 2010, a Sunday Silence colt was imported from Japan to South Africa in Admire Main, who had produced the winners, however few stakes winners, which resulted in less and less support as the years went on in his stud career. He did become the broodmare sire of MK’s Pride (Willow Magic), who won the 2022 G1 Horse Chestnut Stakes. I thought he was an underrated stallion, and who knows what he could have produced had the Sunday Silence over Saddlers Wells/Galileo nick been proven.

I would be very interested in trying to replicate as close to Auguste Rodin in South Africa as possible. Auguste Rodin's dam Rhododendron and South African stallion Flying The Flag are full siblings, sharing a sire Galileo, and their dam Halfway To Heaven (Pivotal). Admire Main left a few daughters at stud in South Africa, and I would love to see if Flying The Flag bred with Admire Main mares would produce a stakes winner in South Africa!!

The good news for South African Breeders is that South Africa currently has two son's descending from Sunday Silence at stud carrying the male line. The first being 2017 G2 Charity Mile winner Hat Puntano, who is a son of Hatrick, as well as a son of Deep Impact in Danon Platina.

After Auguste Rodin’s, Snowfall's, and Saxon Warrior's success, I’ve observed the catalogue for the South Africa National Yearling Sale and saw there is a yearling on offer by Danon Platina out of the Galileo mare Rain Gal. I also read a post from Blue Sky Thoroughbreds that the same mare has revisited Danon Platina. It is great to see breeders are hopping onto the Deep Impact/Galileo band wagon and eagerly anticipate their appearances on the track.

There will be huge hope that this same nick will yield the same success as it has with the same cross of Coolmore's progeny mentioned above in Europe.

More Than Ready (Southern Halo)

In America, More Than Ready has four sons at stud in Kentucky, namely Catholic Boy, Copper Bullet, Daredevil, and Funtastic to continue his legacy, and continue to carry the Halo male line within America.

Catholic Boy is off to a decent start to his stud career, with his first runners hitting the track in 2023 and from this crop producing a graded stakes winner, and four further stakes placed runners. Copper Bullet has produced a stakes winner from his first crop as well.

Funtastic has produced two stakes’ winners to date, and Lane’s End Farm's stallion Daredevil has produced Shedaresthedevil and Swiss Skydiver, who both were multiple group 1 winners themselves.

Shedaresthedevil defeated multiple G1 winning heroine Gamine, and Swiss Skydiver defeated 2020 G1Kentucky Derby winner Authentic in their major victory’s of the 2020 G 1 Kentucky Oaks and 2020 G1 Preakness Stakes respectively.

South Africa's leading sire by stakes, Gimmethegreenlight standing at Carl de Vos's Varsfontein Stud [Raceform.com.]

South Africa imported two sons of More Than Ready being Gimmethegreenlight and Traffic Guard. Gimmethegreenlight was imported from Australia as a yearling and was put into training with Justin Snaith before commencing stud duties at Varsfontein’s Stud Farm and managed by Freeman Stallions. Gimmethegreenlight won six races in South Africa, including a victory in South Africa’s most prestigious Weight-For-Age mile, the formally known 2012 G1 L’Ormarin's Queens Plate, now recognised as the L’Ormarin’s King’s Plate. Gimmethegreenlight is the leading sire by stakes in South Africa, with nine crops of racing age, he has an average winners/runners percentage of 65%, and of that 10% of his offspring were victorious at stakes level. Gimmethegreenlight has claimed the champion sires title in 2021 and 2023 and his stamina index suggests he will produce colts and fillies that reach 1400m, however proving to be a versatile stallion producing offspring that can stay ten furlongs.

If we take the successful cross mentioned in the early part of this writing, the Halo male line through More Than Ready has once again dominated in the South African industry when crossed with daughters descending from Northern Dancer. Gimmethegreenlight bred with daughters that descend from Danzig, Nijinski, Nureyev, Rakeen, Saddler’s Wells, and Storm Cat (Storm Bird) has been a successful nick in South Africa.

Green With Envy winning the 2024 G1 Cape Derby [Caperacing.com]

Recent Kenilworth 2024 G1 Cape Derby winner Green With Envy, who is a son of Gimmethegreenlight out of the Galileo mare Miss Coco, further proved the outstanding nick above. This cross also works through Caesour daughter's, who is a grandson of Northern Dancer through Nureyev. Gimmethegreenlight's son, Lucky Lad secured his Grade 1 victory in the 2023 G1 Gold Medallion at Scottsville. This same cross is evident with Danehill, who is a grandson of Northern Dancer. More Than Ready on Danehill line daughters is proved to be a successful nick in Australia, and in evident in South Africa producing five-time Grade 1 winner Got The Greenlight. More Than Ready over Storm Cat’s daughters has also proven to be successful, with Storm Cat being a grandson of Northern Dancer. Tiger Ridge (Storm Cat), who is the damsire of Gimme A Nother (Gimmethegreenlight), who is an undefeated multiple group 1 winner.

Traffic Guard was imported as a stallion prospect in 2012 after his racing career, where his claim to fame came when he lost by half a length to Europe's Champion three-year-old, and 2008 Epsom Derby hero New Approach in the 2008 Irish Champion Stakes the same year. As with the case with Admire Main, Traffic Guard wasn't given enough support to make an impact on the South African Thoroughbred breed, leaving two stakes placed horses in South Africa, with his best son Free Wheeler being exported to Kenya, and became a star on the Ngong turf, and now standing as a stallion in Kenya. Who knows what Traffic Guard could have produced had this nick been current in South Africa and given the chance??

It gave me great joy reading Sporting Post's article on an exciting new stallion prospect that has recently been imported from The United States, to take up stud duties at Robertson's prestigious stud farm, Ridgemont Highlands. This comes in the form of Grade 1 miler Hit The Road, who is sired by the above mentioned More Than Ready. Hit The Road won the 2021 G1 Frank E Kilroe at Santa Anita, and during his career accumulated an additional five victories, four at stakes level.

Hit The Road after winning the 2021 G1 Frank E Kilroe at Santa Anita [Bloodhorse.com]

Hit The Road is a phenomenally bred colt, besides from being by the above mentioned More Than Ready, Hit The Road is out of the mare Highway Mary (US Ranger), which makes her a half-sister to the Aidan O'Brien trained 2017 G1 Dewhurst Stakes winner War Command (War Front). Hit The Road was bred in Kentucky and was a graduate of the 2018 book 1 Keeneland September Yearling sale, where he was purchased privately for $160,000 after the reserve of $200,000 was not reached.

What made Hit The Road such an impeccably bred colt, is that his damsire US Ranger is sired by Danzig, another son of Northern Dancer replicating the breed shaping cross made in heaven, and his dam Highway Mary is linebred to Roberto through his son Red Ransom.

Wandering Star is by Red Ransom (Roberto) and when crossed with US Ranger, who's damsire is Red Ransom. Roberto's sire is Hail To Reason, who is Halo's sire. Hit The Road's pedigree has the famous cross of Halo (Hail To Reason) and Northern Dancer (Nearctic) on his paternal side through his grandsire Southern Halo (Halo), as well as on his maternal side with Danzig (Northern Dancer) crossed with Roberto (Hail To Reason) on two occasions.

Fast forward to today, and on a worldwide scale, the Thoroughbred industry is forever grateful for the impact that Sunday Silence and Southern Halo had on resurrecting the Halo male line. Little did most people know at the time what an impact both these ancestors would have on the breed today.

Ian Wilson – 10 April 2024