Grade 1 star Verrazano descends from Epsom heroine

VERRAZANO (USA) - 2010 bay horse

Verrazano was among the leading fancies for the 2013 Grade 1 Kentucky Derby after wins in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby and Grade 1 Wood Memorial Stakes, but he finished down the field behind Orb. He bounced back several weeks later to take an eight and a half-furlong Grade 3 contest at Monmouth Park.

It was late the following month that he put up the most impressive performance of his career, a nine and three-quarter length defeat of Power Broker in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational Stakes over nine furlongs at that same venue.

He then disappointed behind Will Take Charge in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga and behind Goldencents in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita before, on his final start for Todd Pletcher, taking third to Flat Out in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile Handicap at Aqueduct.

In what was an unusual move for a top dirt horse, Verrazano came to Europe in the spring of his four-year-old season, but he failed to win in three starts for the Aidan O'Brien stable. The final of those was a last-place finish behind Mukhadram in the Group 1 Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.

His first run had resulted in third to Olympic Glory in the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury, a month before he chased home Toronado in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Verrazano is one of 19 top-level winners for leading international sire More Than Ready (by Southern Halo) and that tally includes the major Australian stallion Sebring.

He is the second foal out of Enchanted Rock (by Giant's Causeway), his older half-brother is Grade 2 winner and current freshman sire El Padrino (by Pulpit), and his dam is a half-sister to the Grade 2 scorers Waldboro (by Lyphard) and Tara Roma (by Lyphard).

Chic Shrine, the grandam of Verrazano, is a full-sister to the champion older mare Queena, who won the Grade 1 Ballerina Stakes, Grade 1 Maskette Stakes and Grade 1 Ruffian Handicap, and their dam is the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes heroine Too Chic (by Blushing Groom).

Other Grade 1 winners who appear in branches of the family include Keen Ice (by Curlin), Harmonize (by Scat Daddy), and Somali Lemonade (by Lemon Drop Kid).

The fifth dam is too far back to be making any meaningful contribution (just 3.125%) but as she is European champion Monade (by Klairon), her presence in the pedigree cannot be ignored, especially as her descendant will have runners in Europe.

She was such a narrow winner of the 1962 Oaks that, as Timeform reported "it took the judge a quarter of an hour to decide in favour of Monade." Her victory in the Prix Vermeille was clear-cut, and she chased home Soltikoff in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, finishing the year with a Timeform rating of 129.

That figure dropped to 126 as a four-year-old when she won the Prix de Pomone and Coupe de Maisons-Laffitte, was runner-up in the Prix d'Ispahan and Prix Jacques le Marois, and fourth in the Champion Stakes.

Verrazano is by a top stallion whose sons include a leading sire, he has European connections on the distaff side of his family, and proved his ability to perform with credit at the highest level on both sides of the Atlantic. He will, of course, get two-year-old winners, but his best results may come with his three-year-olds and older horses, from around seven to 12 furlongs.

VERRAZANO (USA) - b.2010 - More Than Ready - Enchanted Rock, 6 wins inc Haskell Invitational Stakes (Gr1), Wood Memorial Stakes (Gr1), Tampa Bay Derby (Gr2), Pegasus Stakes (Gr3), 2nd Queen Anne Stakes (Gr1), 3rd Lockinge Stakes (Gr1), Cigar Mile Handicap (Gr1). Sire in USA. First foals in 2016.

YEARLINGS CATALOGUED:
b/brc - Allegory (by Unbridled's Song)     Keeneland     Sept     $625,000
chc - Azha (by Tapit)     Keeneland     Sept     $77,000
b/brf - Bettarun Fast (by Kelly Kip)     Keeneland     Sept     not sold
bc - Beyondallboundarys (by Saint Liam)     Keeneland     Sept     $7,000
b/brf - Big Miss (by Chief Honcho)     Keeneland     Sept     $40,000
chc - Binavicar (by Wild Again)     Keeneland     Sept     not sold
chc - Blitzing (by Montbrook)     Keeneland     Sept     $3,000
b/brf - Blue Sky High (by Unbridled)     Fasig-Tipton NY     Aug     $125,000
chf - Boodles (by Mr Greeley)     Keeneland     Sept     $130,000
b/brf - Brianna Rose (by Distorted Humor)     Keeneland     Sept     $310,000
bc - Brilliant Humor (by Distorted Humor)     Keeneland     Sept     $60,000
bf - Buleria (by Empire Maker)     Keeneland     Sept     $7,000
bc - Candy Cat Can (by Langfuhr)     Keeneland     Sept     $40,000
chc - Champagne Rhythm (by Eddington)     Keeneland     Sept     $3,000
bf - Chaotic Cat (by Tale Of The Cat)     Keeneland     Sept     $160,000
chc - Chilling Effect (by Gold Fever)     Keeneland     Sept     $85,000
b/brf - Consider It Done (by Green Dancer)     Keeneland     Sept     $110,000
bf - Cove (by Pine Bluff)     Fasig-Tipton NY     Aug     not sold
b/brf - Cruisin'nthebridle (by Unbridled's Song)     Keeneland     Sept     $40,000
bc - Deceit (by Danzig)     Keeneland     Sept     withdrawn
b/brf - Dootsie (by Dixieland Band)     Fasig-Tipton NY     Aug     $77,000
b/brc - East India (by Mizzen Mast)     Fasig-Tipton Saratoga     Aug     $285,000
chc - Esher (by King Of Kings)     Fasig-Tipton NY     Aug     not sold
b/brf - Evita's Sister (by Candy Ride)     Keeneland     Sept     $130,000
chf - Expo Gold (by Johannesburg)     Keeneland     Sept     withdrawn
bc - Fanfire (by Elusive Quality)     Keeneland     Sept     not sold
b/brf - Force One (by Dansili)     Fasig-Tipton KY     Sept     
bc - Friend Of A Friend (by Crafty Friend)     Keeneland     Sept     $70,000
b/brf - Guilty Pleasure (by Pine Bluff)     Keeneland     Sept     $62,000
bc - I Thirtyfive (by Malibu Moon)     Keeneland     Sept     $95,000
bf - J J's Pattern (by Langfuhr)     Fasig-Tipton KY     Sept     
bf - Josette (by Danehill)     Fasig-Tipton KY     Sept     
b/brf - Juneau (by Mr Greeley)     Fasig-Tipton NY     Aug     withdrawn
b/brc - Kathern's Kitten (by Kitten's Joy)     Keeneland     Sept     not sold
b/brf - Kelly Pond (by Deputy Minister)     Keeneland     Sept     $32,000
chf - Las Malvinas (by Lord At War)     Keeneland     Sept     $12,000
b/brc - Little Green Light (by Smarty Jones)     Fasig-Tipton KY     July     withdrawn
b/brf - Lobshot (by Langfuhr)     Keeneland     Sept     withdrawn
​bf - London Bid (by Rainbow Quest)     Arqana     Aug     €30,000 (p/s)
bf - Love You Loads (by Giant's Causeway)     Keeneland     Sept     $25,000
chf - Magic Show (by Notebook)     Fasig-Tipton Saratoga     Aug     $150,000
chf - Martita Sangrita (by Johar)     Keeneland     Sept     $140,000
bf - Mary's Angel (by Hat Trick)     Keeneland     Sept     $20,000
bc - Miss Inclined (by Pulpit)     Keeneland     Sept     not sold
chf - Miss Mary Pat (by Service Stripe)     Keeneland     Sept     not sold
bc - Miss Sea Oats (by Langfuhr)     Keeneland     Sept     $32,000
bc - Modesty Blaise (by A.P. Indy)     Keeneland     Sept     withdrawn
b/brc - Moon Meeting Too (by Malibu Moon)     Keeneland     Sept     $16,000
b/brf - Mula Mula (by Follow The Money)     Keeneland     Sept     not sold
bc - Mylittledeucecoupe (by Lion Heart)     Keeneland     Sept     $65,000
chc - Night And Day (by Unbridled's Song)     Keeneland     Sept     $250,000
chf - Nite In Rome (by Harlan's Holiday)     Keeneland     Sept     $30,000
bc - Opulence (by Giant's Causeway)     Keeneland     Sept     $110,000
b/brf - Parchisi (by Street Cry)     Fasig-Tipton KY     July     $57,000
chc - Possibly A Ten (by Seeking The Gold)     Keeneland     Sept     withdrawn
b/brf - Put Me In (by Take Me Out)     Keeneland     Sept     not sold
b/brc - Quite Honestly (by Lion Heart)     Keeneland     Sept     $110,000
bc - R Obsession (by Notebook)     Fasig-Tipton NY     Aug     $100,000
bf - R Vicarious Girl (by Vicar)     Keeneland     Sept     $40,000
bc - Relaxing Green (by Formal Gold)     Keeneland     Sept     $185,000
bf - Roots Run Deep (by Forestry)     Fasig-Tipton KY     July     $125,000
b/brc - Royal Wonder (by Kingmambo)     Keeneland     Sept     not sold
b/brf - Saphiria (by Touch Gold)     Keeneland     Sept     $60,000
gr/roc - Sauvignon Blanc (by Tapit)     Keeneland     Sept     $3,500
bf - Search And Seizure (by War Chant)     Keeneland     Sept     $425,000
gr/roc - Sentimental Charm (by Silver Charm)     Keeneland     Sept     $22,000
b/brf - She's A Wow (by Speightstown)     Fasig-Tipton KY     July     $230,000
b/brc - Sheer Beauty (by Mizzen Mast)     Keeneland     Sept     not sold
bf - Single (by Pulpit)     Keeneland     Sept     withdrawn
b/brf - Sky Bird (by Birdstone)     Keeneland     Sept     not sold
bf - Sky High Bertie (by Sky Mesa)     Keeneland     Sept     $75,000
b/brc - Special Brush (by Broad Brush)     Keeneland     Sept     $45,000
b/brf - Stella's Dream (by Pioneerof The Nile)     Keeneland     Sept     $70,000
b/brc - Successful Sarah (by Successful Appeal)     Keeneland     Sept     not sold
chf - Talullah Lula (by Old Trieste)     Keeneland     Sept     $75,000
chc - Tamdiid (by Horse Chestnut)     Keeneland     Sept     $28,000
chc - Ten Out Of A Ten (by Malibu Moon)     Keeneland     Sept     $27,000
b/brc - Thin Disguise (by Yes It's True)     Fasig-Tipton NY     Aug     withdrawn
chf - Three Degrees Mon (by Maria's Mon)     Keeneland     Sept     $180,000
gr/rof - Timeless (by Unbridled's Song)     Keeneland     Sept     $575,000
bc - Transplendid (by Elusive Quality)     Keeneland     Sept     $650,000
bc - Trisha Even (by Even The Score)     Fasig-Tipton KY     Sept     
chf - True Religion (by Yes It's True)     Keeneland     Sept     not sold
bf - Very Very (by Royal Academy)     Keeneland     Sept     $30,000
chf - Via Pavion (by Mr Greeley)     Keeneland     Sept     $150,000
bc - Villa d'Este (by Street Sense)     Keeneland     Sept     $12,000
bf - Westside Tapstress (by Lookin At Lucky)     Keeneland     Sept     $30,000
chc - Woodflower (by Woodman)     Keeneland     Sept     withdrawn
bc - Young Royalty (by Royal Academy)     Keeneland     Sept     $15,000