By Elaine Belval
March Madness has hit, and with sophomore stakes winners on two consecutive weekends, Grand Slam is at the top of the East Coast bracket right now. The Lumber Guy won the Miracle Wood S. on February 25, while GSW Millionreasonswhy made a winning return to the races in the Wide Country S. on March 3 for owner Sagamore Farm; breeder Tom Evans, Tenlane Farm, and Oratis; and trainer Ignacio Correas IV. Last year, Millionreasonswhy won the G2 Matron S. at Belmont and finished second to eventual champion My Miss Aurelia in the G2 Adirondack S. Correas said Millionreasonswhy is pointing to the G3 Comely S. next, with the Kentucky Oaks on her radar.
At two, Grand Slam won three of five starts, including the G1 Champagne S. and G1 Futurity S., with his only sub-par performance coming in an unplaced effort behind that season’s Horse of the Year Favorite Trick in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He returned to make 10 starts at three, winning the G2 Peter Pan S., placing second in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (to champion sprinter Reraise), G2 Jerome H., and G2 Swaps S., and third in the G1 Haskell Invitational.
Grand Slam is by Gone West out of the stakes-winning El Gran Senor mare Bright Candles, who traces in female line to the elite Calumet Farm mare Real Delight. This is also the family of Alydar and Group 1 winner Oratorio (IRE), a contemporary dual hemisphere sire.
Grand Slam proved immensely popular in the Ashford Stud breeding shed from the beginning, with over 120 foals, ten of them SWs, in his first crop. His best runner was Cajun Beat, who went one better than his sire by winning the Breeders’ Cup Sprint in 2003. Grand Slam hasn’t slowed down yet, proving to be one of the most solid and consistent sons of Gone West at stud. His second crop had 11 SWs, led by Japanese G1 Japan Dirt Derby winner Cafe Olympus. He had his first champion in 2010, when Grand Adventure was named Champion Turf Male in Canada.
Excluding his current crop of juveniles, Grand Slam has 80% starters, 60% winners, a solid 17% 2YO winners, and 5% SWs. Over 25% of his SWs get their first stakes win at two, and 40% of the Grand Slams win on turf. His progeny average $64,000 in earnings.
Grand Slam’s best runners tend to be sprinter/milers, but he is best known for his versatility, as shown in his five G1 winners, two of which—Cajun Beat and Curioso Slam—won stakes on both dirt and turf; two—Cafe Olympus and Visionaire—on the dirt; and Pura Classe on turf.
As a final note, Millionreasonswhy is an attractive mating. She is out of In Secure—a daughter of A.P. Indy—and her second dam is Morelia, by Deputy Minister. Millionreasonswhy is the fifth SW that Grand Slam has with Seattle Slew-line mares and his fourth, including G1 winner Visionaire, with Deputy Minister-line mares. This filly is also linebred to the “blue hen” mare Plum Cake.
Grand Slam stands at Ashford in Kentucky for a fee of $12,000 in 2012.