Castles Crumble

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Erin Sanderson
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Castles Crumble

Post by Erin Sanderson »

So, I suppose he deserves a post. But first, a little background info, because I can't mention this horse without talking about all the history behind him. Both sides of his family have stories that intertwine, and a common ancestor who is very special.

This season, and Frank's win in the Steward's Cup Classic, has been generations of breeding and decades (SIM time) in the making. In Year 25, I was gifted a mare named Sway, by legendary leading sire and broodmare sire Loki Dynasty, and her Radee filly Accused Dreamer by the wonderful Michelle Calderoni. Dreamer was my first grade one winning dirt router and retired with $588,050 in earnings from 19 starts. She produced earners of nearly $3.9 million in the breeding shed, half of which were mine and half belonged to the Steward upon their retirement. Her first foal was Fancy Her Kiss, who defeated Maryland Million in Louisville to become my first and only Oaks winner. Fancy was nearly sold as a yearling, but no one had any interest in her for a price I wanted, so I kept her. She was a hard to tell all the way up until she made her debut and won it. She was my first millionaire dirt router, and while she wasn't much of a broodmare, she was a sign of things to come.

A little while after Fancy's Oaks win, I spotted another Highly Regarded filly in a claiming race in only her third start. She, too, was a granddaughter of Sway. I submitted the claim and won it, just like she won the race. High Dreams was immediately retired to the shed, but only rated a formidable. In fact, her highest hypomate ever was a flat B. But I tried her with Rambling when he retired anyway and got a tiny, dark bay colt. He galloped "okay" or "hard to tell" (I can't remember what the exact rating was at that point, but it was one above "claimer") and was also nearly sold. Remembering Fancy, I took him off the sales page almost as soon as I put him up, and I am glad I did. He was later named Through the Ghost, and was an undefeated champion two-year-old, named Champion Older Male, and earned over $5.3 million over his three seasons of racing.

Five foals and four graded stakes winners later (three of whom produced earners of over $15 million combined for the Steward) and just a year prior to Through the Ghost's birth, Accused Dreamer foaled Fairy Murmur by Wind Against Fire. Fairy was a three-time graded stakes winner of $552,000 on the track and rated a blue hen as a broodmare. Her first seven foals were "stakes" or "freaks" and have a cumulative $2,015,900 in earnings. One of those was Calamity Jane by Doctor, who won 5 of 9 (including the Los Campeones Ladies Classic) and has produced earners of $2.2 million to date. Another was the first meeting of High Dreams's and Accused Dreamer's branches of the Sway family: City of Dust, by Through the Ghost, a two-time grade one winner and Islands Champion Three-Year-Old and Horse of the Year of Y45.

In this story, it really is the fourth foal from Fairy Murmur (and the first filly I bred from her), that may be the most important. A little bay by Man of Mystery, Sassenach galloped "freak" and rattled off some of the fastest workouts any of my dirt routers ever had. On the track, she won 6 of her 15 starts and finished second or third in 6 more for earnings of $412,300. She was a grade one winning juvenile, but could only manage listed wins and grade two or three placings afterwards, which was a bit of a disappointment after her initial promise. But as a broodmare, she gave me the best of them all.

I don't name things until I know if they've got a chance to be pretty good or not. Even so, I end up wasting great names on disappointments, anyway. But all of my stakes or freak Through the Ghost foals have always had a name related to that specific song or another Shinedown song, and Castles Crumble is no different (look up "How Do You Love" by Shinedown, it was my jam at the time I named my colt). He reeled off otherworldly workout times, but elsewhere in SIM land lurked The People's Horse and Owl Let You Know, who were even faster. I was a little disappointed that he could only get within 4 lengths of the former in the Juvenile after he won his first two starts, including beating his Skyfall contemporary, Mr. White Socks, in his maiden outing. He went two-for-two before the Derby, but the track for the big dance came up sloppy and he didn't have a chance (he hates mud with a passion).

Trying to avoid another clash with Owl Let You Know, who I was convinced could never be beaten (turns out, she couldn't, until this year), we still ran into The People's Horse in the Queen's Derby and again finished nearly four lengths behind in second. I sent him south to try to actually win things and he got the Clasico Tricolor of Venezuela before a second and third against older horses to close the season.

Now, I know some of you understand just how frustrating it is to run in the same division in the same years as horses like Owl and TPH. Imagine having the best horse you've ever had in a SIM career that's spanned nearly three and a half decades, and he still can't stack up against them. That was the place I was in when this year began.

Following a fourth place finish in the Elusive Pegasus Handicap, I dropped "Frank" almost as low in stakes company as he could go, travelling to Panama to run in a grade three. He won it easily. Deciding to see what he could do in the States, while avoiding the Daunting Duo, I entered him in the Brooklyn Stakes against a slightly better field. He won again. Then came the true test in week 10 against Mr. White Socks, who earlier in the year had bested Owl Let You Know in California. Also in the American Maturity field were millionaires Noctis (also in front of Owl in the Arcadia Million) and Some Superhero and the hard knocking Just a Moment. Frank went to his knees at the start, nearly costing him all chance, but flew home to a career best stakes speed figure of 95 and a narrow victory over Mr. White Socks.

Rather than setting up a premature clash with one of the Big Two in the Long Island Gold Cup (and having to decide on bringing him back in just two weeks after a huge race or going four weeks between races), I settled for a week 13 run in the Summer Bird Stakes. He handily defeated Farseer (who came back to dead heat with Kingdom Come in the Los Campeones Classic) and the incredibly versatile multimillionaire Somebody Else, among others. Off that win, as soon as the track in New Orleans was projected fast, his entry was in the box for the Steward's Cup Classic alongside The People's Horse.

Nearly two weeks of nerves followed. I went from days where I was convincing myself Frank could win (The People's Horse was just two weeks off a gut-check win over Owl Let You Know in New York and Gladiator simply wasn't the superhorse he used to be) to remembering The People's Horse's grueling campaign last season prior to his Classic victory and recognizing the threat of horses such as Follow Your Fate, who was in excellent form coming into the race. Somehow, I didn't talk myself into a scratch (thank goodness).

I was at work during the live broadcast and missed it, but I can safely say that my phone blew up with congratulations messages just after the call finished. I whooped out loud in dispatch and promptly told my weirded out coworkers the exciting news (they don't get it). I've had other Steward's Cup wins, other classic wins, none of them have been quite as special as this one. Castles Crumble represents FOUR generations of home breeding and he is now, finally, the heir apparent to the other Best Horse Ever, his sire Through the Ghost (I really was afraid that I would not have a son of his to continue in the breeding shed).

"Frank" will be returning next year for a shot in the Desert, so stay tuned!

Image

16hh b. h. by Through the Ghost out of Sassenach, by Man of Mystery
22 Starts: 13 Wins, 5 Place, 1 Show Earnings: $5,927,500

WON at 5

Japan Trophy Dirt - G1 (1 1/4m, D; defeating Six Words, Don't You Remember, Eastern Westside, etc.)
Starting Rumors Stakes - G2 (1 1/4m, D; defeating Simulcast, Making a Name, etc.)
In Excelsis Stakes - G3 (1 1/4m, D; defeating Gateway Arch, Anoint the Sun, etc.)

2ND at 5

Long Island Gold Cup - G1 (1 1/4m, D; to Hear You Me, defeating Fancy Shoes, Thanos, Pope)
Gladiator Stakes - G1 (1 1/4m, D; to Fancy Shoes, defeating Cover of Night, etc.)

WON at 4

Steward's Cup Classic - G1 (1 1/4m, D; defeating Follow Your Fate, The People's Horse, Mr. White Socks, Gladiator, Fancy Shoes, Avada Kadavra, Phoenix Argyle, This Is Me, Indiana Jones)
American Maturity - G1 (1 1/4m, D; defeating Mr. White Socks, Some Superhero, Just a Moment, Noctis)
Summer Bird Stakes - G2 (1 1/4m, D; defeating Farseer, Somebody Else, Some Superhero, River Lea, etc.)
Brooklyn Stakes - G2 (1 1/8m, D; defeating Truth Teller, Cavalier, etc.)
President's Cup - G3 (1 1/4m, D; defeating Unexpected Twist, Slabbed Proof, etc.)

WON at 3

Clasico Tricolor of Venezuela - G1 (1 1/4m, D; defeating Reward of Roses, Gearwheel, etc.)
Southern California Derby - G1 (1 1/8m, D; defeating Silver Screen, Galleon, etc.)
Pacific Coast Highway Stakes - G2 (1 1/8m, D; defeating Mr. White Socks, Reaper of Mars, etc.)

2ND at 3

Queen's Derby - G1 (1 1/4m, D; to The People's Horse, defeating City Ablaze, Time Honored, etc.)
Peru Jockey Club Stakes - G1 (1 1/2m, D; to Vector, defeating Canvas, etc.)

3RD at 3

Los Campeones Classic - G1 (1 1/4m, D; to Tarasenko, River Lea, defeating The Upside Down, Don'ttakethemoney, Redmayne, The Best of It)

WON at 2

California Chrome Stakes - G3 (1 1/16m, D; defeating Auston Matthews, Vermeer, etc.)
Maiden (1 1/16m, D; defeating Mr. White Socks, Return, etc.)

2ND at 2

Steward's Cup Juvenile - G1 (1 1/16m, D; to The People's Horse, defeating Time Honored, Auston Matthews, etc.)
Last edited by Erin Sanderson 4 years ago, edited 3 times in total.
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Dylan Christensen
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Re: Castles Crumble

Post by Dylan Christensen »

Great story Erin, thank you so much for sharing. I wish you and your horse the best next year.
yeah
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Darcy McBride
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Re: Castles Crumble

Post by Darcy McBride »

I thoroughly enjoyed this history,. I always like the "Inside Information"! :) Congrats, Erin, he is a wonder, and gives hope to the rest of us trucking along. Thanks for the wonderful tale and good luck in the desert!
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Kris Bobby
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Re: Castles Crumble

Post by Kris Bobby »

I was just browsing the forum and saw this post. What a nice story Erin, congrats on all your hard work paying off!
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Re: Castles Crumble

Post by Trastevere Peru »

Nice story of an admirable work ¡¡¡
Congrats¡¡¡
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Laura Smith
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Re: Castles Crumble

Post by Laura Smith »

Love these stories. Years of hard work culminating in one amazing success story. You really deserve this guy!
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Mike Bryant
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Re: Castles Crumble

Post by Mike Bryant »

:)
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Nick Gilmore
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Re: Castles Crumble

Post by Nick Gilmore »

It is pretty terrific to read about the road you and Frank have been on! Erin, you know I’m a fan of the family and I can only wish you the best of racing luck in the future!
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Erin Sanderson
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Re: Castles Crumble

Post by Erin Sanderson »

Can you tell I'm hardly ever on the forum? I haven't updated this in ages, and it's been months real time!

"Frank" added 3 more wins to his resume as a five-year-old, including another grade one in Japan. His final season wasn't at all what I was aiming for, but I believe he lost a bit of a step from four to five or others caught up to him (he still ran a couple of his biggest speed figures). Even so, he was near the top of his division, but the decision to go to Japan was to try and ensure that he went out a winner in grade one company.

Now a daddy, his first crop of yearlings is looking very, very good. He's put up some seriously impressive gallop numbers, including his first freak, and I expect to see those only improve as we breeders find what crosses work the best with him. He has stakes or better gallopers from a wide variety of mares, with quite the bunch of dam sires: Harry Potter, Altar Ego, Brilliantly, Scanlon, Sword, Be Prepared, Mohaymen, The Other Man and Easy On the Eyes.

I am very much looking forward to running his babies! Now to find some better mares of my own to send his way...
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Erin Sanderson
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Re: Castles Crumble

Post by Erin Sanderson »

A few SIM years on, and as it turns out, Frank can sire nice things. But he's not particularly "fancy" to breeders, so for the exception of a very small few, has not seen particularly good mares like the more popular of his group. He's still a freak producer, with a colt that has run a 100 and won multiple graded stakes and placed in G1s, and he has a boatload of "stakes" gallopers. And he still has gallop numbers comparable to most of the leading DR sires out there. His first crop is only 3, and as we know, this is a family that likes to get better with age, so I'd expect him to continue improving.
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Erin Sanderson
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Re: Castles Crumble

Post by Erin Sanderson »

And another few SIM years later, Frank still has really nice gallop numbers, and his stats stack up nicely to every single one of his contemporary fourth crop DR sires, and top most of them. He's creeping his way up the ladder in the overall rankings, as well. He hasn't had that big horse yet, but that's only because his two outstanding juveniles are just beginning their careers. And it didn't take him nearly his entire stallion career to give me his heir.

Rebecca Rose Hepburn's two year old Skyrim just broke her debut in very flashy fashion (check out that SF), and considering her pedigree, she must be brilliant indeed to do that at 1 1/16 miles.

This Friday marks the debut of Can't Take the Sky, easily the fastest working dirt router I've ever bred. He represents even more generations of my own lines, with his dam being a granddaughter of Accused Dreamer. His extended pedigree would show 5x5x4 linebreeding to Sway. Prince Louder lent him some precocity and he has peaked this year ahead of his first race. And I even remembered to nominate him to the Steward's Cup (I have a bad habit of forgetting to do that *cough* Cursebreaker and Day Will Break *cough*).
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Rebecca Rose Hepburn
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Re: Castles Crumble

Post by Rebecca Rose Hepburn »

I am excited to see how Can't Take the Sky runs! I'm pretty hopeful about Skyrim as well, that is definitely a long distance pedigree
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Erin Sanderson
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Re: Castles Crumble

Post by Erin Sanderson »

Can't Take the Sky (one of my typical nicknames coming at some point, as I'm not sold on "Sky" and "Mal" is the actual name of a major stakes winner) stormed home an easy winner of the Don't Hesitate with a beastly 99 SF, making him, I believe, the fastest juvenile DR colt this year to date.

For the record, he also equaled the highest SF any of my TBs has ever run (Imperative ran a 99 in Dubai) and set the bar a couple points higher than his sire's former stable record for every DR runner I've ever had.
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Erin Sanderson
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Re: Castles Crumble

Post by Erin Sanderson »

Yea, I'll update his thread, too. Sorry for being obnoxious, but how often is it that you have a SC Juvenile winner sire a SC Classic winner that sires a SC Classic winner and they're all homebreds for the stallion owner?? Actually, has it ever happened? If it has, I KNOW they haven't all three been from different branches of the exact same female family.

Castles Crumble's son Can't Take the Sky is continuing to make me obscenely happy, just like the rest of this family.
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Erin Sanderson
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Re: Castles Crumble

Post by Erin Sanderson »

Believe it or not, this sire line is fire. With his win in Arcadia, Can't Take the Sky has made it three straight generations of not only SC winners, but $5 million earners!
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