LATENT HEAT HOT FOR JUDDMONTE
Taken from the Racing Post
By Nancy Sexton
On Saturday, Latent Heat was
back in the winner’s enclosure. The race in question, the Grade 2
San Carlos Handicap, represented a nominal step down in class but,
in fact, it showed that the lightly-raced colt is still on the
upgrade. In fighting off former Grade 1 Golden Shaheen winner Proud
Tower Too, he turned in a particularly gritty effort, having looked
beaten coming into the straight.
A typical Juddmonte product, Latent Heat is the fourth stakes
performer from as many foals out of his dam, True Flare. In turn,
she is one of five stakes winners out of Proflare.
Latent Heat's immediate family
is rich in high-class performers, on two different continents
and on turf and dirt.
Juddmonte’s association with the family springs from the 1982
purchase of Flare Pass, a sister to the Grade 2 winner Buckaroo,
later the sire of Kentucky Derby winner Spend A Buck.
Her close relatives already included Stop The Music and Hatchet
Man, while she hailed from a strong French family that traced to
Cappellina, dam of the 1954 Oaks winner Sun Cap. As a daughter of
the leading broodmare sire Buckpasser, she would have seemed a
strong proposition to become a successful producer despite failing
to win in 11 starts.
Although Flare Pass bred eight winners, her stud career is
summed up by a $6,500 sale at the 1991 Keeneland November Sale. The
Shahrastani foal that she was carrying at the time made a paltry
$3,000 a year later.
But for Juddmonte she left behind Proflare, a dual-winning
French stakesplaced daughter of Mr Prospector. After breeding two
minor winners, Proflare finally got on a roll, clicking with Capote
to produce True Flare, the first of five stakes winners.
Like the majority of the Seattle Slew line, Capote is more
renowned as a sire of dirt performers but True Flare found her
niche on turf, winning the Listed Prix Roland de Chambure at two
and the Listed Prix du Pont-Neuf on her seasonal debut at
three.
She was not disgraced when a close fifth to Ta Rib in the 1996
Poule d’Essai des Pouliches but disappointed next time out when
third at short odds in the Group 3 Prix de Sandringham.
Like most of Juddmonte’s above-average performers, True Flare
was switched to Frankel in the US and continued to improve, winning
the Grade 2 Rare Perfume Breeders’ Cup Handicap and running third
in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks.
True Flare is one of five major winners out of Proflare by four
different stallions. Grade 2 winner Apple Of Kent, by Kris S, is
the most accomplished to date, but Proflare’s record also includes
the smart French juvenile Set Alight, by Hennessy, and the useful
Danzig colt War Zone.
True Flare’s record is quickly approaching that of Proflare’s.
Admittedly, her first foal, the non-winner Real Trust, gained her
black type in a weak affair at Deauville, but since then True Flare
has bred the Group 3 winner Art Master, unbeaten in his first four
starts in France for Andre Fabre, and Indian Flare, who won the
Listed Kalookan Handicap two days after Latent Heat had scored in
the Malibu.
Latent Heat is also a triumph for his sire, Maria’s Mon, who has
risen to become a premier sire from a bargain fee of $7,500.
Maria’s Mon is a member of the rebound clan, having returned to the
fore in spectacular style after an outstanding first crop in 2001
that included Kentucky Derby hero Monarchos and several Grade 3
winners. Latent Heat, Eclipse champion turf female Wait A While and
Grade 2 winner Strong Contender are all from his sixth crop,
conceived the year after Monarchos’ Kentucky Derby win.
Juddmonte rightly prides itself on having a strong band of
stallions which one day may include Latent Heat.
It is too early to tell whether Maria’s Mon will be a sire of
sires but when the time comes, let’s hope that Latent Heat makes a
better start than Monarchos.
Date:
22 February 2007