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PEDIGREE HANDICAPPING MAY 9, 2009 Urban Sea by Tim Holland The 1 1/2-length victory in last Saturday's English Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) by Sea the Stars (Cape Cross [Ire]) at Newmarket continued the remarkable success of his dam, URBAN SEA (Miswaki). This is the fourth Grade or Group 1 winner produced by the 1993 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1) winner, and it could be argued that her achievements have surpassed those of the great broodmares Hasili (Ire) and Toussaud, who have five and four Grade or Group 1 winners, respectively, to their credit. Foaled in Kentucky at Paul de Moussac's Marystead Farm, Urban Sea was the fifth foal out of the Lombard mare Allegretta (GB), who won two races in England and was second in the Oaks Trial S. (Eng-G3) at Lingfield. Urban Sea was purchased as a yearling by the French trainer Jean Lesorbes for $50,000 at Deauville on behalf of David Tsui, a Hong Kong businessman. The chestnut filly broke her maiden as a two-year-old, and at three her best efforts came in the fall when she was third in the Prix Vermeille (Fr-G1) and runner-up at Woodbine in the E. P. Taylor S. (Can-G2). However, it was as a four-year-old that Urban Sea was at her best, winning four of her eight starts. In addition to her upset Arc victory over White Muzzle (GB), Opera House (GB) and 20 others, she captured the Prix Exbury (Fr-G3) and the Prix Gontaut Biron (Fr-G3) as well as finishing second at Royal Ascot in the Prince of Wales's S. (Eng-G2). This record earned her the title of champion older mare in France. In her five-year-old debut, Urban Sea won the Prix d'Harcourt (Fr-G2) before finishing third in the Prix Ganay (Fr-G1) and fourth in the Coronation Cup (Eng-G1), soon after which she injured a fetlock and was retired with earnings of $1,698,901. Prior to Urban Sea, Miswaki had sired 1991 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner and Horse of the Year Black Tie Affair (Ire) and would subsequently be represented by champions and Grade/Group 1 winners such as Misil, Allied Forces, Kistena (Fr) and Marvelous Crown. However, it is as a broodmare sire that Miswaki has made his name, perhaps not surprisingly with influences of Buckpasser and *Princequillo, two of the greatest broodmare sires, showing up on the damside of his pedigree. In addition to the offspring of Urban Sea, daughters of Miswaki have produced the likes of champions Hernando (Fr) (Niniski), Daylami (Ire) (Doyoun) and Dalakhani (Darshaan). The first foal out of Urban Sea was Urban Ocean (Bering [GB]) who won four of his 14 starts including the Gallinule S. (Ire-G3). The following year, 1997, she produced Melikah (Ire), who was from the first crop of Epsom Derby (Eng-G1) and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Lammtarra. Melikah set a record for a sales yearling when she sold for €1.5 million at Deauville to Godolphin and made just four starts but finished third in the Epsom Oaks (Eng-G1) and second in the Irish Oaks (Ire-G1). Melikah has produced three foals to race thus far, including the promising Valedictory (Dubai Destination). Trained by Andre Fabre, Valedictory raced only once last year as a two-year-old when easily winning a maiden at Saint-Cloud by five lengths in November. Urban Sea's third foal was Galileo (Ire), who won his first three races before becoming the first of Sadler's Wells back-to-back Epsom Derby winners. Galileo went on to add the Irish Derby (Ire-G1) and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II S. (Eng-G1) to his resume while earning the title of European champion three-year-old. Standing at Coolmore, Galileo has made a tremendous start to his stallion career with Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) winner Red Rocks (Ire), St. Leger S. (Eng-G1) hero Sixties Icon (GB) and Irish One Thousand Guineas (Ire-G1) victress Nightime coming from his first crop in 2003. European champion two-year-old Teofilo and Irish Derby victor Soldier of Fortune (Ire) were part of Galileo's second group of foals, and the outstanding Epsom Derby winner New Approach and multiple Group 1 winner Lush Lashes were from his 2005 crop. Black Sam Bellamy, a full brother to Galileo, was foaled in 1999. His biggest successes came in the 2002 Gran Premio del Jockey Club (Ity-G1) and as a four-year-old when he won the Tattersalls Gold Cup (Ire-G1) by eight lengths. Standing at stud in Germany, Black Sam Bellamy was represented by his first two group winners last year, including Valdino, who won the German St. Leger (Ger-G3). The produce of Urban Sea's third mating to Sadler's Wells was Atticus, who did not race, and the fourth was All Too Beautiful (Ire), a foal of 2001. Purchased as a weanling by Coolmore for more than $1.6 million, All Too Beautiful won her first two starts in Ireland before finishing a seven-length second to Ouija Board (GB) in the Epsom Oaks. This was followed by a fourth-place finish in the Irish Oaks and she won her lone start as a four-year-old, the Middleton S. (Eng-G3) at York. All Too Beautiful has a pair of fillies, a two-year-old by Giant's Causeway and a yearling by Kingmambo. My Typhoon (Ire) was Urban Sea's sixth foal to race. The chestnut filly by Giant's Causeway sold for a record (at the time) $2.9 million at the Tattersalls December sale to Charlotte Weber's Live Oak Plantation, who would campaign her throughout her career with Bill Mott as the trainer. My Typhoon broke her maiden in her debut and was a stakes winner via taking the Hilltop Breeders' Cup S. in her third start, but it took her 19 tries before she captured a Grade 1 prize. That victory came during her five-year-old season when she won the Diana S. (G1) at Saratoga. Retired to the broodmare band at Live Oak, My Typhoon has foaled a colt by Awesome Again this year. Bred to Green Desert in 2004 and 2005, Urban Sea produced the unraced colt Sea's Legacy and Cherry Hinton. A good allowance finish in her debut, and a second-place in the Blue Wind S. (Ire-G3), entitled Cherry Hinton to make her third lifetime start in the Epsom Oaks while still a maiden. While not threatening she ran well to be fifth, 11 lengths behind the winner and her runner-up stablemate, Peeping Fawn. Cherry Hinton raced two more times and subsequently failed to win, although she ran well to be third in the Kilboy Estate S. in her final start. While the match-up of Green Desert and Urban Sea produced subpar results, the mating with Green Desert's son Cape Cross (Ire), best known as the sire of dual European Horse of the Year Ouija Board, resulted in Sea the Stars. Trained by John Oxx, Sea the Stars showed promise while running fourth of 18 in his debut at the Curragh last July before breaking his maiden at Leopardstown just over a month later. Starting as the second favorite in the Beresford S. (Ire-G2) at the Curragh in late September, the bay showed his potential with a solid five-length win over his stablemate Mourayan (Alhaarth) and the well regarded Coolmore entrant, Masterofthehorse (Sadler's Wells). Dispatched as only the sixth favorite in the Two Thousand Guineas, Sea the Stars took the lead over his 14 rivals inside the final furlong and ran on strongly to defeat the favored Delegator (Dansili [GB]), who had the benefit of a previous race this year. While this may not have been a strong Guineas field, the victory was impressive enough for the bookmakers to make Sea the Stars favorite to complete the Guineas-Epsom Derby double, a feat that has not been achieved since Nashwan won both 20 years ago. After being barren for two years, Urban Sea died in March of this year at the age of 20 after foaling a colt by Invincible Spirit. However, her legacy will live on through the sires Galileo, Black Sam Bellamy and the potential stallion Sea the Stars, as well as through the offspring of Melikah, All Too Beautiful, My Typhoon and Cherry Hinton. In addition this family will continue to flourish through Urban Sea's siblings. Indeed, her half-sister Allez Les Trois (Riverman), a foal of 1991, is the dam of the Anabaa Blue (Anabaa), winner of the 2001 French Derby (Fr-G1) and a successful sire whose offspring include Spirit One (Fr), winner of last year's Arlington Million (G1). Allez Les Trois is also the granddam of the Group 1 winner Tamayuz (Nayef), who is now at stud in Ireland. Urban Sea is also a half-sister to King's Best (Kingmambo), who won the Two Thousand Guineas and is a leading sire based in France.
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