BENICIO

 

Group one winner Benicio is by More Than Ready out of a group winning and multiple group producing Danehill daughter, and his granddam is brilliant Champion Two-Year-Old Filly, Bint Marscay.

We frequently see stallions work well when crossed over their own broodmare sire line, and inbreeding to Danzig is becoming an increasingly common feature in the pedigrees of major stakes winners. So bringing Danzig back through stallions that have mixed well with Danehill such as Anabaa, Grand Lodge, and Green Desert (sire of Cape Cross, Invincible Spirit and Volksraad) is to be recommended.

It may also pay to try mares by stallions bred on the Danehill/Biscay cross that emulate the pedigree of Benicio’s dam, these including Redoute’s Choice (further appealing as he has Sir Ivor in his pedigree) and Elvstroem and Catbird (both three-quarters related to the dam of Benicio). Among other branches of Northern Dancer that might prove profitable here are Storm Bird (including Storm Cat and Bluebird), Sadler’s Wells (including Scenic), Nijinsky II (including Royal Academy), Last Tycoon, Dehere (sire of a group one winner out of the granddam of Benicio). We particularly like mares by Encosta De Lago for Benicio as his broodmare sire Star Way has combined well with Sir Tristram and his next dam is by Mr. Prospector giving balance to the presence of Woodman in More Than Ready.

More Than Ready has enjoyed success with a wide range of Mr. Prospector line mares but we particularly like sons of Mr. Prospector that are out of Buckpasser mares, thus bred the same way as More Than Ready’s broodmare sire Woodman. Sources in Australia include Miswaki (including Umatilla and Papal Power) and Seeking the Gold (via Secret Savings, Lujain and Dubawi),

Mr. Prospector is a Raise a Native line horse, and Raise a Native would also be good through Majestic Light. In this regard we would like to see mares by Catrail visit Benicio.Crowned Prince, a brother to Majestic Light could also be brought in through Zeditave (broodmare sire of a More Than Ready stakes winner), who is out of a mare by that horse.

Benicio’s third dam is by Sir Tristram, but inbreeding to that horse can work well, and More Than Ready has a stakes winner out of a mare by Kaapstad. Sir Tristram sons Marauding and Zabeel could also be particularly interesting with mares by Marauding having particular appeal as he is out of a Biscay mare.

Inbreeding to Biscay through Bletchingly (whose son, Canny Lad is broodmare sire of a group winner by More Than Ready) should work well, and there are more than 60 horses with a duplication of Biscay. Kenny’s Best Pal (by Bletchingly), is a three-parts-brother to Bint Marscay (granddam of Benicio), and Luskin Star is another Star Kingdom line horse who is broodmare sire of a More Than Ready stakes winner. More Than Ready also has two stakes winners out of Marscay line mares, so inbreeding to that horse could be considered, one source being Maizcay (broodmare sire of a graded winner by More Than Ready)

Alan Porter – Pedigree Consultants