Dark Star....and not that far back in the pedigree

With past performances that made 61-1 appear the residue of unbridled optimism, the Unbridled's Song 4-year-old gelding Highlight blew away $40,000 maiden claimers at Keeneland Friday. For once, I would be just as happy to discuss Highlight if he'd paid $6.00 (or something unremarkable in the middle like $16.40) as $124.20.

My preoccupation this time is that his second dam is by Dark Star. His dam, Star of My Eye, was born in 1990, and her dam, Dangerous Star, was born in 1967. At 17, Dark Star wasn't remarkably old when he sired Dangerous Star, but old enough that the improbability of a 1967 second dam for a current 4-year-old still comes through. I challenge anybody to beat Dark Star for Highlight in any of the possible categories that come could from this game: a third-generation horse born 57 years before its relative; a sire of a second dam born 57 years before its relative; other active dams (or I guess sires) out of Dark Star mares.

The fact that Dark Star seems like he should have abandoned his place as a sire of second dams quite a while ago says something, because I think the tendency with these kinds of things is for us not to update our timeline sufficiently. When I became interested in pedigrees 20 years ago, Dark Star and other horses born around 1950 certainly were sires of second dams; this post wouldn't have worked then. I suppose in time we do start thinking of horses who weren't born when we became fans taking their place as sires of second dams, etc., and the previous horses in that position not showing up much anymore. But I don't think our expectations increase one year for each year we've lived. This is only speculation, of course.

I do know that I'm continually surprised, and feel old, whenever I see a sire who seems like he just had his first crop taking his position in the second generation, as a broodmare sire or a sire of sires. Thinking that the previous generation should stay in those slots is the corollary of not being ready for the new horses.

I wouldn't mind losing my challenge because I know soon enough there won't be any danger of it. The influence of horses born when Dark Star was is, inevitably, lessening.

A couple of other notes: Dangerous Star, Highlight's dam, presumably got sent to Unbridled's Song because she had produced multiple grade I winner Lady Tak. Dangerous Star was full sister to a couple of impactful Dark Stars, Heavenly Body and Hidden Talent. Heavenly Body won the Matron, while Hidden Talent won the Ashland and Kentucky Oaks, and produced the very good runner and better producer, Too Bald.