Three cheers for Rah-Rah-Rahy!

Before starting at Thoroughbred Times in May 2002, I was a weekend warrior horse player (including harness!).

I was not so ignorant in those days to think that pedigree didn't matter, but I never paid it much attention because I didn't have the time or resources to give it the study it deserved. That has since changed, and understanding pedigree is as important to my job as news editor as it is to my handicapping. That is to say "very."

One of the names I first noticed as an influence in pedigrees was Rahy's. This was mostly by happenstance since in my first year at Thoroughbred Times (2002), Giant's Causeway had just entered stud and Serena's Song was about to enter the Racing Hall of Fame. Rahy sired both Serena's Song and Giant's Causeway's dam (Mariah's Storm).

Rahy forever entered my lexicon on May 19, 2005, when Dreaming of Anna won her career debut at Arlington Park. I was at Pimlico Race Course that day taking in my first Preakness Stakes week experience at Old Hilltop. Afleet Alex would provide a lasting impression and an indelible image when winning the Preakness the next day, but on Preakness eve, it was Rahy's daughter out of Justenuffheart who stole the show.

Dreaming of Anna was no secret that day when she won by four lengths as the 11-to-10 favorite, but the ease of her victory made me put her in my stable mail, and I decreed her the Breeders' Cup Juvenile FIllies winner right then, a prediction that would play out during her four-race win streak that season capped with a 1 1/2-length win in the Breeders' Cup at 2.6-to-1.

I was watching racing in the late 1980s when Rahy ran, and even though the racing was better at Thistledown then compared to now, it was pretty rare for Rahy's type to come through the Cleveland area (though Dreaming of Anna's broodmare sire, Broad Brush, did win the 1986 Ohio Derby). So I never got to see the Blushing Groom horse race, but I'm glad I knew who he was in time to enjoy his last decade of runners, an era that started with Fantastic Light and will end with foals born this year. Of course, runners out of his daughters show know signs of slowing any time soon, and Three Chimneys stands Dreaming of Anna's full brother, Lewis Michael.

I'm not much on attributing human qualities to horses, but when I wrote earlier today about Rahy being pensioned next year, the image in my head was of a stretch limousine stopping by Three Chimneys to pick him up for a bale of hay at the finest stall in town. He's earned it.

Some stats from Rahy's career:

Rahy has sired 84 stakes winners and sired females who have gone on to produce 83 stakes winners, and perhaps because of his prowess as a broodmare sire he has earned the reputation as a better sire of females than males, but the stats don't necessarily play that out. Sure, when mares such as Serena's Song, Tranquility Lake, and Mariah's Storm go on to produce Grade 1 winners themselves after stellar racing careers, it's easy to think Rahy did better with his daughters, but Rahy's sons have won 46 stakes races (8.5% from foals) compared to 38 stakes-winning daughters (7.2%). The idea that Rahy progeny do better on turf looks to be true with 59 stakes winners on that surface compared to 32 on the main track (totals that include six dual surface stars). Interestingly as a broodmare sire, though, the figures are even between both males and females out of daughters of Rahy as well as for main track and turf starts for horses out of females by Rahy. One of Rahy's best crosses was Fappiano with four stakes winners from 11 starters. Other great crosses include Nijinsky II (5/40 including Fantastic Light) and Northern Dancer (4/17).