by Alan Porter - A Preakness Stakes winner at three, Shackleford was an outstanding
sprinter/miler at four, when his triumphs included the time
honored Metropolitan Handicap. He is by one of the most
successful stallions sons of Storm Cat, out of the remarkable mare
Oatsee – dam of five stakes winners, four graded stakes winners,
and two grade one winners – and from the immediate family of
Champion Sire Gone West.
Shackleford’s sire, Forestry, is from the immediate family of Mr.
Prospector. He did not initially do his best work with mares from
this line, but he now has 12 stakes winners out of Mr. Prospector
line mares, and his sons have also begun to enjoy success with
mares from this line.
In addition to a stakes winner out of a mare by Mr. Prospector
himself, we can note the Forestry line being represented by stakes
winners out of mares descending from Mr. Prospector through the
similarly-bred Seeking the Gold (sire of Mutakkdim, Petionville
and Cape Town), Woodman, and Miswaki (including through
Formal Gold, himself sire of Black Tie Affair). Other branches of Mr.
Prospector that have found success under Forestry and his sons are
Forty Niner (sire of Distorted Humor, Banker’s Gold, Coronado’s
Quest, Editor’s Note, End Sweep, Gold Case, Gold Fever, Roar and
Tactical Advantage, and grandsire of Sharp Humor, Flower Alley
and Trippi), Kingmambo (sire of Lemon Drop Kid), Afleet (through
Rizzi, but also sire of Northern Afleet and Afleet Alex, himself sire
of a graded stakes winner out of the dam of Shackleford), Jade
Hunter, and Two Punch (sire of Smoke Glacken).
The branch of Mr. Prospector that has shown a particular affinity
for Forestry is that of Fappiano, and Shackleford himself is out
of a mare by Fappiano son, Unbridled, however it could still
pay to cross Shackleford back over mares descending from
Fappiano through such as Quiet American, Cahill Road and
Pentelicus (brother and three-quarters brother to Unbridled),
and Cryptoclearance (grandsire of Candy Ride). It could also be
worth introducing Gone West to linebreeding to Shackleford’s
family, options including Elusive Quality, Grand Slam, Mr. Greeley,
Speightstown and Proud Citizen.
Alydar is closely related to Mr. Prospector, and Forestry has a
stakes winner out of an Alydar mare, and a grade one winner out of
a mare by Alydar son Saratoga Six. Other sources of Alydar include
Alysheba (out of a sister to the dam of Lear Fan, the sire of the
granddam of Shackleford), Benchmark, Criminal Type, Easy Goer,
Jeblar, Strike the Gold and Turkoman).
From the Northern Dancer line, Shackleford has stakes winners
out of a mares by Silver Deputy and his sire Deputy Minister (who
could also be brought in through Awesome Again, Dehere, Deputy
Commander, Forest Camp, French Deputy, Salt Lake, Touch Gold,
Graeme Hall, Ghostzapper and Posse), Belong to Me and his sire
Danzig (who is also available through such as Boundary, Dayjur,
Langfuhr, Exchange Rate, War Front and War Chant), Dixieland
Band (sire of Dixie Union), Strawberry Road (a grandson of Nijinsky
II, whose son, Royal Academy, is close relative to Storm Cat, and is
sire of a graded winner out of the dam of Shackleford), Magesterial
and Al Nasr (by Lyphard). Icecapade is a three-quarters relative to Northern Dancer, and Forestry has a grade one winner out of a
mare by an Icecapade grandson, indicating that it might be worth
introducing this line through Wild Again and Clever Trick (available
through Phone Trick, Caller I. D., Tricky Creek and Mazel Trick).
The Cure the Blues branch of Hail to Reason has been extremely
good under Storm Cat, and Forestry and his sons are no exception,
siring stakes winners out of mares by American Chance and Take
Me Out. From the Roberto branch of Hail to Reason, Forestry is sire
of graded winner New Normal from a daughter of Red Ransom, and
Roberto might also be sourced through Kris S. (sire of Arch, Prized,
You and I and Rock Hard Ten), Dynaformer and Silver Hawk. From
the Halo branch of Hail to Reason, there is a Forestry line graded
stakes winners from a mare by Devil’s Bag (sire of Devil His Due),
and a stakes winner out of a mare by that horse’s brother, Saint
Ballado (sire of Saint Liam, Captain Bodgit, Sweetsouthernsaint
and Yankee Victor).
Shackleford is half-brother to a current stakes winner by A. P. Indy
(available through Pulpit, Malibu Moon, Bernardini, Mineshaft, Old
Trieste, Jump Star, Sky Mesa and Tapit), and the cross of Forestry
and his sons over mares descending from that horse’s sire Seattle
Slew, has also produced stakes winners out of mares by Doneraile
Court and Fast Play.
Both Storm Cat and Shackleford’s broodmare sire, Unbridled, have
enjoyed success with mares from the Caro line and Forestry and his
sons have stakes winners out of mares by Alphabet Soup and his
sire Cozzene (also sire of Mizzen Mast, who would be interesting
here) and Tejano Run (by Tejano). This also invites trying Caro through Siberian Express, Siberian Summer (broodmare sire of a Storm Cat line grade one winner), In Excess and Indian Charlie.
Another strain that has combined well with Storm Cat is that
of Damascus through Private Account, the broodmare sire
of Forestry’s brilliant son, Discreet Cat, and available through
Afternoon Deelites, Personal Flag, Secret Hello, Unaccounted For
and Valley Crossing. There is also a Forestry stakes winner out of a
mare descending from Damascus through Gilded Time.
There is a Storm Cat line Champion Two-Year-Old out of a mare
by Orientate, and that horse sired grade one winner Lady Joanne
out of the dam of Shackleford. Orientate is a son of Mt. Livermore,
who could also be brought in through Housebuster and Peaks and
Valleys.
There two stakes winners, one graded by Forestry and his sons and
mares by Meadowlake and there is also a stakes winner by Forestry
out of a mare by Lost Code. It could also be worth considering
introducing the In Reality line through Relaunch (who can be found
through Skywalker, Bertrando, Officer, Cee’s Tizzy and Tiznow)
and Valid Appeal (sire of Successful Appeal, Valid Wager and Valid
Expectations).