Grasshopper news!

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jellac
Grade I Winner
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Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 6:46 pm
Location: Houston, Texas

Grasshopper news!

Postby jellac » Fri Jun 27, 2014 8:15 am

Excerpted from the 'TTA (Tx Thoroughbred Assocation)' site -

GRASSHOPPER HAS FIRST WINNER
On June 15 at Emerald Downs, J. C. Racing Stable’s Texas-bred gelding Forte Feroce, out of stakes-placed Dove Hunt mare Catarina Ranch became the first winner for Texas-based freshman sire Grasshopper. He won the 4 ½ furlong maiden special weight by 4 3/4 lengths in :51.78 on a fast track. Forte Feroce was purchased from Benchmark Training Center consignment for breeder Ed Few at the Fasig-Tipton Texas 2-year-olds in training sale in April.

Shawklit Won
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Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 7:45 pm
Location: New York

Re: Grasshopper news!

Postby Shawklit Won » Fri Jun 27, 2014 4:27 pm

jellac wrote:Excerpted from the 'TTA (Tx Thoroughbred Assocation)' site -

GRASSHOPPER HAS FIRST WINNER
On June 15 at Emerald Downs, J. C. Racing Stable’s Texas-bred gelding Forte Feroce, out of stakes-placed Dove Hunt mare Catarina Ranch became the first winner for Texas-based freshman sire Grasshopper. He won the 4 ½ furlong maiden special weight by 4 3/4 lengths in :51.78 on a fast track. Forte Feroce was purchased from Benchmark Training Center consignment for breeder Ed Few at the Fasig-Tipton Texas 2-year-olds in training sale in April.



I am not a pedigree expert, but Grasshopper has a pretty good one, as far as I can tell. Inbred to Mr. P 2 X 4 and Northern Dancer 3 X 5 (or something like that). Also with Seattle Slew, Round Table,etc.

Could be a good stallion prospect.
Shawklit Won.

jellac
Grade I Winner
Posts: 1542
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 6:46 pm
Location: Houston, Texas

Re: Grasshopper news!

Postby jellac » Mon Jun 30, 2014 1:38 pm

An interesting pedigree note about this 1st of what I hope are a host of young grasshoppers to come (but not a plague, mind you :D )

The dam, Catarina Ranch, was a moderately useful runner, stake placed in restricted stakes for State-breds, a daughter of Dove Hunt who in turn was sired by Danzig.

IF you go to the Lane's End Texas site and read Alan Porter's analysis of what matings he anticipated to be more likely to succeed then this fits with his note that Grasshopper's sire, Dixie Union, had proven a successful cross on the daughters of 'other' sons of Northern Dancer and this might work for Grasshopper as well. Alan Porter does not specifically mention Danzig in that Pedigree Note; but in this case, the cross back to more N. Dancer blood has worked to at least produce an early maturing, speedy and precocious runner/winner in his debut race (admittedly it was only @ 4 1/2 furlongs, a 'baby' race for young Tbs in training, but still a race in all other respects).

According to the Lane's End Texas site Grasshopper has/had (I think I recall this correctly) ~ 25 offspring in his first crop...so we can hopefully look forward to seeing more of his get 'springing forth' as their sophomore year of racing continues AND as well I hope to see 'Forte Feroce' race on/stretching out as he matures.