French Deputy, Embossed, Bob and John
June 10, 2007 saw the running of the Japanese stakes, the $630,000 Epsom Cup, GR-111 at 9 furlongs for 3YO and up. The winner was Eishin Deputy, a 5YO chestnut horse by French Deputy from Eishin McAllen, by Woodman. The runner up, Bright Tomorrow, a bay, was also a 5YO horse by French Deputy, this time from Poppy Day, by Tony Bin. The show horse was Silent Pride, a 4YO chestnut colt by, you guessed it, French Deputy from Silent Prayer, by Sunday Silence. The margins were a neck, a nose and a neck. There were 18 starters. I had looked before at French Deputy, a son of Deputy Minister from Mitterand, by Hold Your Peace, as an up and coming broodmare sire. The Epsom Cup result points to a competitive place for French Deputy among Japanese based sires. He has sired 34 SW from 629 foals, which is a modest percentage.
Eishin Deputy's dam, Eishin McAllen, 1995, a chestnut, was out of the Green Dancer mare, Ladanum, 1984, a bay. Eishin Deputy was scoring his seventh win from 19 starts, with over $1.3 million. He has the Vice Regent and Nijinsky 11 strain of Northern Dancer in his family, as Green Dancer is by Nijinsky 11, and French Deputy is a great grandson of the Dancer.
Nice to see the Irish bred Embossed back to graded stakes winning form. We saw him last year as a GR-111 SW on turf. The 5YO ridgling took the $200,000 Dallas Turf Cup Handicap GR-111T at Lone Star on May 28, 2007. Embossed is a son of Mark of Esteem, who traces back through his dam, Homage, to English champion sprinter, Ajdal, a son of Northern Dancer. Embossed is out of L-Way First, by Vision (a son of Nijinsky 11) from Lacey Brief, by Roi Dagobert from Windfields bred Mizzen, by New Providence from Reply. This is "the" Reply I spent a lot of time with recently detailing her broodmare exploits. Embossed has now earnings of over $440,000.
Deputy Minister, by Vice Regent, has a good shot at the leading broodmare sire title for 2007, what with Rags to Riches and Curlin among his grandchildren. To these two can be added Bob and John, winner of the $400,000 Lone Star Park Handicap GR-111 on May 28, 2007 for 3YO and up at 8 and ½ furlongs. Bob and John is a son of Seeking the Gold from Minister's Melody, by Deputy Minister. This cross, Seeking the Gold on Deputy Minister, is found in 2006 Belmont Stakes winner, Jazil, a half brother to Rags to Riches, who are both out of the Deputy Minister mare, Better than Honor. Bob and John made Kentucky Derby noises last spring, winning the Wood Memorial GR-1. His earnings now stand over $995,000.
