Ed DeRosa: Mr. Prospector's influence in the Belmont
Mr. Prospector
Ed DeRosa writes at Twinspires.com about the significant influence Mr. Prospector has had on horses running in the Belmont. According to his research, 13 of the last 17 winners of the Belmont were direct descendants of Mr. Prospector. Those 13 winners come from seven different sons of Mr. Prospector, including Afleet, Fappiano, Forty Niner, Fusaichi Pegasus, Gone West, Gulch, Kingmambo and Seeking the Gold.
"The thing to point out is the branches," said pedigree consultant Anne Peters. "The Gulch and Fappiano branches are your main ones and show how the Mr. Prospector line is diverging away from the speed that it was known for. He was so brilliant, that breeders tend to keep piling on the stamina with him, and it's worked."
DeRosa writes: "From this group (of Belmont contenders), only Guayana Star Dweej has the Mr. P-Northern Dancer cross that appears in seven of Mr. Prospectors recent winners, but both I'll Have Another and Dullahan do have Northern Dancer influence on their dam's side. I'll Have Another's broodmare sire, Arch, is out of a Northern Dancer mare, and Dullahan's second dam is by Northern Dancer (i.e., his dam's broodmare sire is Northern Dancer)."
