Nerud & Tartan Farm
Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2006 4:43 pm
Much has been written in thoroughbred breeding circles about the genetic relationship between Fappiano/In Reality, developed by John Nerud and Tartan Farm, and seen to great effect in recent years on the racetrack. Nerud, a master of not only training but breeding thoroughbreds, believed in reviving the older North American strains of the great Man O'War, his sire Fair Play and their contemporaries such as Peter Pan and his son Black Toney.
Nerud's contribution to the success of Tartan Farms was impressive. His purchase of Champion sprinter Intentionally, a stallion inbred to Fair Play, the sire of Man o' War, became the foundation for Tartan's success in breeding. For the Genter family, Nerud recommended that My Dear Girl (Rough'n Tumble - Iltis, by War Relic), who was the champion two-year-old filly of 1959, would make a good match with Intentionally. The result was In Reality, who became one of the Genter's best horses and a foundation sire for breeding in Florida. Trained by Melvin Calvert, In Reality might have made more of a name for himself as a runner had he been born in another year, but unfortunately for him his classmate at Tartan Farms was one of the greats – Dr. Fager.
Named A Champion Sprinter, Older Horse, and co-Champion turf horse, Dr. Fager was also an integral part of the successes of Tartan Farm and later the breeding program of the Genter's also. In 1957, some of the office workers at the 3M Company arranged the purchase of a filly for their boss Mr McKnight, who owed Tartan Farms. A three-year-old filly named Aspidistra, by Better Self out of the Bull Brier mare Tilly Rose was bought and while she did little on the racetrack, when bred to the Santa Anita Derby winner Rough n’ Tumble, the same sire of My Dear Girl, Dr Fager was the result.
The winner of 18 of his 22 starts, Dr Fager died at a young age at Tartan Farm but not before leaving some very quick horses including Killaloe, bred and owned by Nerud himself, who became the dam of the leading sire Fappiano. A much bigger and longer horse than was typical of his sire; Fappiano also died at a young age but left some outstanding gallopers. Many of his best were out of mares that carried the blood of Dr Fager's stablemate In Reality.
Fappiano sired a number of stakes winners out of In Reality line mares including the likes of Tappiano, Serape, Jeano, Speakerphone, AP Jet and Pentelicus. Probably the best to be bred on the nick was not actually bred on the nick directly with Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled being out of a mare by Le Fabuleux, but having In Reality as the sire of his second dam. Given that his second dam also produced a stakes winner by Fappiano it is hard not to disregard Le Fabuleux's involvement in Unbridled. Another example of this was the fast Rubiano, by Fappiano with In Reality as the sire of his second dam.
Recently there have been a number of examples of combinations of the Tartan Farm/Genter blood of Fappiano, In Reality, Dr Fager and My Dear Girl. Last year it was the Champion 2yo filly Folklore who looked a superstar in the making only to have injury befell her. She was by an In Reality line stallion in Tiznow and had her second dam, Jeano, bred on the Fappiano/In Reality nick.
Is the Adirondack Stakes G2 winner Octave this years' high class example of the blood at its best? She is by Unbridled's Song, a son of Unbridled (Fappiano/In Reality) out of a Caro mare. As Caro carries Relic, a son of War Relic (Man O'’War) out of a Black Toney mare, he is bred similarly to Iltis, the grand dam of In Reality, who is by War Relic out of a mare by a son of Black Toney. Octave's dam, the stakes winning and stakes producing mare Belle Nuit, is by Dr Carter. This stallion is by Caro out of a half sister to In Reality. This makes Octave inbred 3s x 3D to Caro, a Champion and Leading sire, and 6s x 4d to a Champion 2yo My Dear Girl.
Nerud's contribution to the success of Tartan Farms was impressive. His purchase of Champion sprinter Intentionally, a stallion inbred to Fair Play, the sire of Man o' War, became the foundation for Tartan's success in breeding. For the Genter family, Nerud recommended that My Dear Girl (Rough'n Tumble - Iltis, by War Relic), who was the champion two-year-old filly of 1959, would make a good match with Intentionally. The result was In Reality, who became one of the Genter's best horses and a foundation sire for breeding in Florida. Trained by Melvin Calvert, In Reality might have made more of a name for himself as a runner had he been born in another year, but unfortunately for him his classmate at Tartan Farms was one of the greats – Dr. Fager.
Named A Champion Sprinter, Older Horse, and co-Champion turf horse, Dr. Fager was also an integral part of the successes of Tartan Farm and later the breeding program of the Genter's also. In 1957, some of the office workers at the 3M Company arranged the purchase of a filly for their boss Mr McKnight, who owed Tartan Farms. A three-year-old filly named Aspidistra, by Better Self out of the Bull Brier mare Tilly Rose was bought and while she did little on the racetrack, when bred to the Santa Anita Derby winner Rough n’ Tumble, the same sire of My Dear Girl, Dr Fager was the result.
The winner of 18 of his 22 starts, Dr Fager died at a young age at Tartan Farm but not before leaving some very quick horses including Killaloe, bred and owned by Nerud himself, who became the dam of the leading sire Fappiano. A much bigger and longer horse than was typical of his sire; Fappiano also died at a young age but left some outstanding gallopers. Many of his best were out of mares that carried the blood of Dr Fager's stablemate In Reality.
Fappiano sired a number of stakes winners out of In Reality line mares including the likes of Tappiano, Serape, Jeano, Speakerphone, AP Jet and Pentelicus. Probably the best to be bred on the nick was not actually bred on the nick directly with Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled being out of a mare by Le Fabuleux, but having In Reality as the sire of his second dam. Given that his second dam also produced a stakes winner by Fappiano it is hard not to disregard Le Fabuleux's involvement in Unbridled. Another example of this was the fast Rubiano, by Fappiano with In Reality as the sire of his second dam.
Recently there have been a number of examples of combinations of the Tartan Farm/Genter blood of Fappiano, In Reality, Dr Fager and My Dear Girl. Last year it was the Champion 2yo filly Folklore who looked a superstar in the making only to have injury befell her. She was by an In Reality line stallion in Tiznow and had her second dam, Jeano, bred on the Fappiano/In Reality nick.
Is the Adirondack Stakes G2 winner Octave this years' high class example of the blood at its best? She is by Unbridled's Song, a son of Unbridled (Fappiano/In Reality) out of a Caro mare. As Caro carries Relic, a son of War Relic (Man O'’War) out of a Black Toney mare, he is bred similarly to Iltis, the grand dam of In Reality, who is by War Relic out of a mare by a son of Black Toney. Octave's dam, the stakes winning and stakes producing mare Belle Nuit, is by Dr Carter. This stallion is by Caro out of a half sister to In Reality. This makes Octave inbred 3s x 3D to Caro, a Champion and Leading sire, and 6s x 4d to a Champion 2yo My Dear Girl.