Due Diligence a speedy son of War Front

DUE DILIGENCE (USA) - 2011 bay horse

We have, for a long time now, been able to talk about there being two major branches of the mighty Danzig (by Northern Dancer) sire line, and there are no signs yet that those Danehill and Green Desert lines may be dimming. There was, however, always the possibility that one of his late sons might step forward to join that pair, and both Hard Spun and War Front emerged as the likeliest contenders.

It is still a bit early to claim either is the progenitor of a line, but with Group/Grade 1-siring stallions The Factor and Declaration Of War among his early sire sons, and his current freshmen including the promising War Command, the signs are positive that Claiborne Farm’s Grade 2-winning sprinter War Front may indeed achieve the feat.
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Due Diligence is another of his talented sons, achieving a 120 rating from Timeform as a three-year-old despite never winning in pattern company, and the Whitsbury Manor Stud resident has been a popular choice with breeders. There are 79 in his first crop.

He began his career in the USA and was an eight-length debut winner over five and a half furlongs on turf at Saratoga in mid-August of his juvenile season. He was beaten by that same margin when fourth to subsequent Grade 1 star Bobby’s Kitten in an eight-and-a-half-furlong Grade 3 at Belmont Park on his only other outing for the Todd Pletcher stable, and a few months later he crossed the Atlantic to join the team at Ballydoyle.

He was third in a seven-furlong listed contest at Dundalk first time out, followed a six-furlong Naas handicap score with an easy listed success over that course and distance almost three weeks later, and then chased home Slade Power in the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot. That was to prove a career highlight as he finished unplaced in four runs at four, on his return from a lengthy absence.

A $190,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale graduate whose dam, Bema (by Pulpit), won an eight-and-a-half-furlong listed contest at Aqueduct, Due Diligence is out of a half-sister to the dam of mile Grade 2 scorer Dancinginherdreams (by Tapit) and to the grandam of this year’s Group 1 2000 Guineas runner-up Tip Two Win (by Dark Angel).

His grandam, Dhaka (by Icecapade), is one of three stakes winners out of Cloudy Day Sunny (by Buckaroo), who is a winning half-sister to Grade 1 Oak Tree Invitational Handicap and Grade 1 Hollywood Invitational Handicap scorer Both Ends Burning (by Nalees Man), and so comes from a branch of the family of New Zealand champion Sangster (by Savabeel) whose Group 1 wins include the Victoria Derby.

If you go back another generation then you will find that Star Game (by Pia Star) – the fourth dam of Due Diligence – was a half-sister to Grade 1 Swaps Stakes winner Hyperborean (by Icecapade), who was somewhat closely related to Dhaka.

Due Diligence looks a likely candidate to get most of his juvenile winners in the second half of the season and to become a source of horses who prove best in the broad five to 10-furlong range as three-year-olds and older horses.

DUE DILIGENCE (USA) - b.2011 - War Front - Bema, 3 wins inc Lackan Stakes (L), 2nd Diamond Jubilee Stakes (Gr1), 3rd Patton Stakes (L). Sire in England. First foals in 2017.

YEARLINGS CATALOGUED
​Bc - Ahwahnee (by Compton Place)     Tatts IRE     September     not sold
Bc - Amazed (by Clantime)     Tattersalls     October     95,000gns
Bc - Amber Heights (by Kyllachy)     Tattersalls     October     800gns
Bf - Amitola (by Choisir)     Tattersalls     October     12,000gns
Bc - Aubrietia (by Dutch Art)     Goffs UK     August     not sold
Bc - Audrey Brown (by Mind Games)     Goffs     February     €1,000 (p/s)
Bc - Audrey Brown (by Mind Games)     Goresbridge     July     not sold
Bc - Audrey Brown (by Mind Games)     Goffs     November     €1,000
Bc - Belle Of Honour (by Honour And Glory)     Tatts IRE     September     not sold
Bc - Bling Bling (by Indian Ridge)     Goffs     October     withdrawn
Bc - Bling Bling (by Indian Ridge)     Tattersalls     November     ​not sold
Bc - Brick Tops (by Danehill Dancer)     Tatts IRE     September     €30,000
Bf - Bright Morning (by Storm Cat)     Tattersalls     October     8,000gns
Bc - Chicklade (by Firebreak)     Tatts IRE Ascot     September     £10,000
Bf - Chili Run (by Hurricane Run)     Tattersalls     October     2,000gns
Bc - Crystal Moments (by Haafhd)     Tatts IRE     September     €14,000
Bc - Delantera (by Lawman)     Arqana     August     €30,000
Bf - Diapsaon (by Mull Of Kintyre)     Tattersalls     October     ​not sold
Bc - Dubai Legend (by Cadeaux Genereux)     Tattersalls     October     not sold
Bc - Elysee (by Fantastic Light)     Tatts IRE     September     not sold
Brc - Eve (by Rainbow Quest)     Tatts IRE     September     €3,000
Bc - Fifty (by Fasliyev)     Goffs     November     withdrawn
Bf - Free Entry (by Approve)     Arqana     August     €5,000
Bc - Frequent (by Three Valleys)     Tattersalls     October     36,000gns
Bf - Frozen Princess (by Showcasing)     Tatts IRE     September     €5,000
Bc - Her Honour (by Shamardal)     Tattersalls     October     5,500gns
Bf - Investiture (by Invincible Spirit)     Goffs UK     October     not sold
Bf - Jollification (by Acclamation)     Tattersalls     October     5,500gns
Bc - Jules (by Danehill)     Tatts IRE Ascot     September     £3,500
Bc - Kointreau (by Desert King)     Arqana     August     €16,000
Bf - Kozmina Bay (by Notnowcato)     Goffs     November     ​€2,000
Bc - Lady Sledmere (by Barathea)     Tattersalls     February     not sold
Bc - M’selle (by Elnadim)     Tatts IRE Ascot     September     not sold
Bc - Malelane (by Prince Sabo)     Goffs UK     August     £20,000
Bc - Midnight Pearl (by Woodman)     Goffs UK     August     £2,500
Bc - Miss Meticulous (by Bahamian Bounty)     Tattersalls     October     not sold
Bc - Molly Mello (by Big Shuffle)     Tattersalls     October     withdrawn
Grc - Moss Likely (by Clodovil)     Tatts IRE     September     not sold
Bf - Motheeba (by Mustanfar)     Osarus     September     €9,000
Bf - Nizhoni (by Mineshaft)     Goffs UK     August     £10,000
Bf - Nolas Lolly (by Lomitas)     Tattersalls     February     2,200gns
Bc - Our Faye (by College Chapel)     Goffs UK     August     £35,000
Bc - Peyto Princess (by Bold Arrangement)     Tattersalls     October     23,000gns
Bf - Phantom Spirit (by Invincible Spirit)     Tattersalls     October     10,000gns
Bc - Primo Lady (by Lucky Story)     Tattersalls     October     65,000gns
Bc - Queens Park (by King’s Best)     Tattersalls     October     withdrawn
Bf - Random (by Shamardal)     Goffs UK     August     not sold
Bc - Red Mischief (by Red Clubs)     Goffs UK     August     £30,000
Brc - Risk A Look (by Observatory)     Goffs UK     August     £16,000
Bf - Roodle (by Xaar)     Tattersalls     October     not sold
Bc - Rosa Luxemburg (by Needwood Blade)     Goffs UK     August     £3,000
Bf - Satsuma (by Compton Place)     Goffs UK     August     £35,000
Bf - Serene Dream (by Oasis Dream)     Goffs     February     €1,000
Bc - Shifting Moon (by Kheleyf)     Goffs UK     August     
Bc - Silent Secret (by Dubai Destination)     Tattersalls     October     40,000gns
Grf - Skiing (by Sakhee’s Secret)     Goffs UK     August     not sold
Bc - Small Fortune (by Anabaa)     Goffs UK     August     not sold
Bf - Solfilia (by Teofilo)     Goffs     February     €5,000 (p/s)
Bf - Solfilia (by Teofilo)     Goffs     October     €15,000
Bc - Spritzeria (by Bigstone)     Goffs UK     August     £10,000
Bf - Starbotton (by Kyllachy)     Goffs     February     €3,000
Bf - Strawberry Leaf (by Unfuwain)     Goffs     November     €6,000
Bc - Sugar Beet (by Beat Hollow)     Tattersalls     October     7,000gns
Bf - Sunny York (by Vale Of York)     Tattersalls     October     6,000gns
Bc - Sweet Alabama (by Johannesburg)     Tatts IRE     September     not sold
Bf - Szabo’s Art (by Excellent Art)     Goffs UK     August     £10,000
Bc - Tafawut (by Nayef)     Tattersalls     October     1,000gns
Bc - Think Snow (by Giant’s Causeway)     Goffs     October     not sold
Bf - Three Ducks (by Diktat)     Tattersalls     October     1,500gns
Bc - Triveni (by Lando)     Goffs UK     August     £4,000
Bc - Unwrapit (by Tapit)     Goffs UK     August     £10,000
Bf - Weisse Socken (by Acclamation)     Goffs UK     August     £22,000
Bf - Yankee Belle (by Yankee Gentleman)     Tatts IRE Ascot     September     not sold