Andrew Beyer

writes about Funny Cide Up. Beyer is one of the top turf writers in the country, and he is best known for his speed figures. One time he came up with a speed figure of 148 for the Great One, Secretariat, when he won the celebrated 1973 Belmont Stakes. It was the highest speed figure Beyer had ever had for a horse.

Getting back to the more mortal equines like Funny Cide and Empire Maker, Beyer, like everybody else, seems to be overly impressed with the latter's pedigree.

Arab connections aside, just what is so impressive about Empire Maker? Is it his pedigree? He is not like Secretariat, who WAS royally bred to the point that both his sire and maternal grandsire, Bold Ruler and Princequillo respectively, had royalty in their names! Empire Maker's sire is 1990 Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic winner Unbridled. He died a couple of years ago, a bit prematurely, and yes, he was a very good sire and a very gentle horse who loved kids. He in turn was sired by Fappiano, a precocious and brilliant sire who, like Unbridled died too young (he injured a leg in a paddock accident, developed laminitis and had to be put down). Fappiano in turn was sired by Mr. Prospector, who was the leading sire of all time and was foaled the same year as greats Secretariat, Forego, and Dahlia. He, like grandson Unbridled, was a very gentle stallion. Unlike Unbridled and Fappiano, Mr. Prospector lived a long and productive life and died at the age of 29 in 1999.

As for Empire Maker's dam's side, she is sired by El Gran Senor, who is a son of 1964 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Northern Dancer (trivia note: this particular horse was named for Northern Dancer's trainer Horatio Luro, and El Gran Senor was his nickname). The Dancer was right up there with Mr. Prospector as one of the all-time leading sires. He was an extremely fashionable sire in the 1980s, so fashionable his stud fee once reached $1 million with no guarantee of a live foal. Empire Maker also is a half brother to three grade I winners.

If I wanted to go the biblical route and talk about "begats," Mr. Prospector was sired by Raise a Native who was sired by Native Dancer, 1953 Preakness and Belmont winner who was also the maternal grandsire of Northern Dancer. In other words, Native Dancer was responsible for two of the top three bloodlines of the second half of the twentieth century (Nasrullah/Bold Ruler was the third).

Okay, so it DOES look like Empire Maker's pedigree is very good. But his pedigree truly isn't any greater than many other Derby contenders. It is not nearly as impressive as 1992's Belmont Stakes and Breeders' Cup Classic (and Horse of the Year) winner, A.P. Indy, himself one of the hottest sires in the world. That particular horse was sired by 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, and his dam was Weekend Surprise, who was also the dam of 1990 Preakness winner Summer Squall. She in turn was sired by Secretariat. Probably no horse in the world has a better pedigree than A.P. Indy.

So I wish Beyer and all of the rest would cut the crap about Empire Maker's pedigree. There are horses with better bloodlines out there. His connections aren't any better, either, than any other top racehorse. Frankel and Bailey aren't any more impressive than any other top trainers or jockeys.

As I pointed out below, Funny Cide's pedigree isn't shit and is probably about as good as Empire Maker's. Funny Cide is no Canonero II or Carry Back or John Henry, all of whom had extremely obscure pedigrees which didn't matter. Even with relatively modest connections, Funny Cide is no flash in the pan. Again, cut the crap, writers.