What Malibu Moon Really Likes
by Roger Lyons
Prognostications about what a young stallion will “like” invariably begin with linebreeding possibilities. Even after the stallion has proven conclusively that most of these possibilities are of little use, pedigree consultants continue to tout them.
Accordingly, much has been made of the breeding of Malibu Moon’s dam, Macoumba (Mr. Prospector–Maximova, by Green Dancer), from a Mr. Prospector-Northern Dancer sire-line cross. To the important question whether or not Malibu Moon works with mares in descent of Mr. Prospector and/or Northern Dancer, pedigree consultants resoundingly answer, “Well, sure.” They get especially excited about mares that have variations on that cross or its reverse–crosses that are legion in pedigrees internationally. Basically, they get excited about anything that shows up in bold-face type on the pedigree printouts of a stakes winner’s ancestry. They call it linebreeding or crossing “close genetic relatives,” but, basically, it’s especially intense inbreeding.
Consider that, based on his Northern Hemisphere crops through 2006, Malibu Moon sired foals out of 63 mares that had both Northern Dancer and Mr. Prospector in their ancestries, and only three of those mares produced a superior runner. He sired foals out of 33 mares with both Northern Dancer and Raise a Native (not through Mr. Prospector) in their ancestries, and two of those mares produced a superior runner. In other words, the strike rate was actually better when the close genetic relationship was more distant.
In any event, I’ve compiled a list of some of the ancestors that Malibu Moon really likes, based on his superior-runner strike rates from mares in some descent of the given ancestor. His best runners, including those that had the dubious advantage of linbreeding to closely related ancestors, had the benefit of one or more of the following ancestors. One need only compare these strike rates with those yielded by close linebreeding:
Hail to Reason: From 103 mares in some descent of Hail to Reason, Malibu Moon has sired superior runners out of 10 of them through his 2006 Northern Hemisphere crop. With male strains of Hail to Reason, his strike rate is somewhat better, 8/69. With female strains, only 2/34. Among those runners are Perfect Moon (Best Pal S.–G2), Raw Silk (Sands Point S.–G2), Sara Louise (Top Flight H.–G2), and Sweet August Moon (Las Flores H.–G3).
Stop the Music: He’s sired foals out of 18 mares with this son of Hail to Reaon in their ancestries and got superior runners out of three of them, including Sara Louise.
Roberto: He’s only 2/18 with this son of Hail to Reason through his 2006 crop, but he has Frizette S. (G1) winner Devil May Care from his 2007 crop.
Boudoir II: Malibu Moon has the amazing strike rate of 11/50 with mares that have Boudoir II within six generations. Besides His Majesty and Graustark, she’s been especially effective for Malibu Moon when descending through either her son Your Host or his full sister, Your Hostess. Within those parameters, her highly favorable effects for Malibu Moon do appear to be irreducible and broadly applicable.
Graustark: Why is it that advocates of linebreeding recognize the significance of Graustark as the ancestor of a mare only when the stallion has the full brother His Majesty in his ancestry? Through his 2006 crop Malibu Moon has sired foals out of 34 mares with Graustark in their ancestries, and he got superior runners out of five of them, including Malibu Mint (Princess Rooney H.–G1) and Malibu Prayer (Chilukki S.–G2). Graustark works very well for Malibu Moon even though he doesn’t have His Majesty anywhere in his ancestry, and it’s a good thing because most stallions don’t cope with Graustark very well, especially those that have His Majesty in their ancestries.
His Majesty: That’s alright because three mares have produced superior runners by him from 15 that had His Majesty in their ancestries, including Raw Silk (Sands Point S.–G2). It’s the Boudoir II effect.
T. V. Lark: Malibu Moon has sired foals out of 21 mares with T. V. Lark in their ancestries and got superior runners out of four of them, including Luna Vega (Molly Pitcher S–G2) and Rodman (Queens County H.–G3).
Nantallah: He’s sired foals out of 42 mares with Nantallah in their ancestries and got superior runners out of six of them, including Declan’s Moon (Hollywood Futurity–G1), Raw Silk, and By the Light (winner of four listed stakes). Those dams had Nantallah through a variety of strains, not just his daughter, Thong.
Eight Thirty: (female strains): He’s sired foals out of 65 mares that had daughters of Eight Thirty in their ancestries and got superior runners out of eight of them, including Malibu Prayer, Sara Louise (Top Flight H.–G2), Sweet August Moon (Las Flores H.–G3), and Malibu Moonshine (winner of seven listed stakes). Eight Thirty is another one that doesn’t go down well with a lot of stallions.
Big Event and Big Hurry: An aggregate of 41 mares with one of these two daughters of La Troienne in their ancestries have produced foals by Malibu Moon, and an aggregate of six of them produced superior runners, including Perfect Moon (Best Pal S.–G2) and Bon Jovi Girl, whose dams descend from Big Event, and Funny Moon (Coaching Club American Oaks–G1), whose dam descends from Big Hurry. Memo to the advocates of linebreeding: Why did the 25 mares that have Baby League within six generations all fail to yield even one superior runner by Malibu Moon, whose grandsire, Seattle Slew, is out of a mare with two strains?
Alydar: He’s sired foals out of 16 mares with Alydar in their ancestries and four of them produced superior runners, including Funny Moon and Bon Jovi Girl. Oh, I forgot, Alydar is a “close genetic relative” of Mr. Prospector, Malibu Moon’s broodmare sire. But what about the close genetic relatives that don’t work? Gone West is a sire that’s even more closely related to Alydar, but don’t bank on that cross to work for A.P. Indy-line stallions on a regular basis.
The Axe II: He’s sired foals out of 19 mares that trace to The Axe II through a daughter and got superior runners out of four of them, including Perfect Moon.
There are many other ancestors that do Malibu Moon a lot of good, but what I want to suggest is that treating genetic relatedness between a stallion and a mare as a marker for compatibility misses the point–and, all too frequently, with unhappy consequences. No doubt, inbreeding can be a mediating factor, so long as it doesn’t over-determine the result. The best way to make sure it doesn’t is to exploit the variety of genealogical resources that have proven to contribute traits beneficial to a stallion’s foals. Keep in mind that, invariably, a sire’s actual strike rates with individual ancestors suggest that his success as a sire is more likely attributable to other factors than are represented by the names in bold-face type on the ancestry printouts of his best runners.