Explodent and Icecapade, 1969
Explodent, May 12, 1969, was a bay colt out of Venomous, by Mel Hash from Spiteful Sue, by Heather Broom from Saucy Sue, by Black Servant. One of the three speedy sons of Nearctic we are examining, Explodent was a $55,000 Saratoga yearling despite having a sinus condition. A Maryland bred, he had a blaze and 2 white hinds. He had 8 victories from 28 starts, 9 really but was disqualified in one. Explodent won the Prince Georges, the Bay Shore and the Swift Stakes, and had place or shows in 3 others. He earned just over $100,000 when purses were light.
Explodent, to 1996, when he was pensioned, sired 19 crops, 698 foals, 575 runners, 445 winners and 62 SW. These included SW Bex, 1986, champion 3YO filly in Ireland, SW Mi Selecto, 1985, a colt, winner of 3 GR-1's and of $1.4 million; Exchange, 1988, a filly and winner of 3 GR-1's; Exbourne, 1986, a colt, GR-1 SW of over $999,000; Explosive Red, 1990, a GR-1 SW colt, earning over $860,000 and Country Queen, 1975, a GR-1 SW filly, winner of over $580,000.
There were efforts to duplicate Explodent in the breeding shed. His half sister, Turf Princess, by Bull Dandy, was bred to Nearctic. This resulted in SW Just a Dandy, from Nearctic's second last crop, 1973. Just a Dandy was a New Jersey bred with a stripe and 2 white hinds, an $80,000 Keeneland yearling. He won or placed in 5 stakes on turf and dirt and earned just over $100,000 from 2YO to 5YO. Then there was Cooling Trend, a bay colt, 1973, Maryland bred, also by Nearctic out of Holy Terror, by Ambehaving, another half sister to Explodent. Unfortunately, Cooling Trend died in 1977.
Explodent had his 1:33 and change mile during his career, as did the third of our three friends, Icecapade. Another strong willed Nearctic, Icecapade was a grey, almost white, Kentucky bred out of the Native Dancer mare, Shenanigans, who would go on to produce the great Ruffian. Shenanigans was out of Bold Irish, by Fighting Fox from Erin. Icecapade ran the fastest mile of 1972, 1:33 and 3/5 in the Saranac Stakes. He set a new stakes record in the $50,000 Stuyvesant, 1:34. He won the $50,000 William duPont Jr H in 1:42 and 3/5. He won the Nassau County in 1:20 and 2/5. He made 32 starts, with 13 wins, 6 seconds and 1 third. He won, placed or showed in 10 stakes. Icecapade was sent to Ireland in 1973, but was back in Kentucky at stud by 1974.
Regarding his career at stud, Icecapade sired 565 foals and had 73 SW, an excellent percentage, and an AEI of 2.36. His sire, Nearctic's AEI was 2.70. Icecapade's best son by far was Wild Again, winner in a furious battle with Slew O'Gold and Gate Dancer of the first Breeder's Cup Classic. Wild Again won over $2.2 million and was multiple GR-1 placed. His progeny include Wilderness Song, 1988, a GR-1 SW filly, champion older mare in Canada with over $1.4 million; Free at Last, 1989, champion 2YO colt in Canada with over $410,000; Belmont Stakes GR-1 winner, Sarava, 1999, a colt with over $690,000; Milwaukee Brew, 1997, a GR-1 SW colt with $2.8 million; Wild Rush, 1994, a colt with over $1.3 million; Shine Again, 1997, a GR-1 SW filly with $1.2 million and Elmhurst, 1990, a gelding, winner of the Breeders Cup Sprint, GR-1. There were other GR-1 winners among his 81 (9%) SW. Wild Again sired runners who won over $4 million in earnings each year from 1994 through 2003.
