Gretsky The Great gave Kentucky Derby champion Nyquist his first stakes winner when winning the Soaring Free (6.5f) at Woodbine and gave us another reminder of what looks an emerging trend.
Gretsky The Great is out of Pearl Turn, a winner three times and Listed placed twice as well as running fourth in the Gr1 Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park.
Pearl Turn is by Bernardini (A P Indy) and it is this combination which interests us.
Darley-stallion Nyquist is by Uncle Mo (Indian Charlie) who is showing all the signs of working extremely well with daughters of Bernardini.
So far Uncle Mo has Gr1 Hollywood Derby winner Mo Town, Gr2 La Canada Stakes winner Mopotism and Gr2 Risen Star Stakes winner Modernist out of mares by Bernardini and now Nyquist’s first stakes winner is bred the same way.
Gretsky The Great is inbred 3×2 to Kris S and Uncle Mo has Gr1 winner Bast out of a mare by Arch (Kris S) and the aforementioned Modernist has Kris S as his maternal grandsire.
The connection of Nyquist’s grandsire with A P Indy is solid and you would think it should continue to be effective in league with Nyquist.
The Gr1 winner A P Indian is by Indian Charlie out of a mare by A P Indy; Frizette Stakes winner By The Moon is by Indian Charlie out of a mare by Malibu Moon (A P Indy) and Gr1 Futurity Stakes winner Liaison is by Indian Charlie with A P Indy as his maternal grandsire.
Equally, Gretsky The Great’s dam Pearl Turn has a duplication of Mr Prospector and Uncle Mo has excelled with mares carrying Mr Prospector, notably Gr1 winners Nyquist, Unbridled Mo, Dream Tree, Mo Town, Outwork and Gomo.
There is one anomaly that is harder to explain.
Uncle Mo and Bernardini are generally regarded as dirt sires, with good reason.
Both shuttled to Australia and, while both got Group winners, the market passed judgement on them and both are now permanent residents in North America, Bernardini under the Darley banner and Uncle Mo for Coolmore America.
Bernardini is currently the sire of 15 Group or Grade 1 winners with two of those on turf in Australia.
Yet Uncle Mo has respectable figures on turf in North America and Mo Town won his Grade 1 on the green stuff and Gretsky The Great likewise. This weeks Del Mar Mile winner Mo Forza is another turf runner by Uncle Mo as is the impressive Wesley Ward-trained Golden Pal.
Together the pairing in matings should only continue to deliver winners.