December Stallion Spotlight I: Dark Continent

Breeding
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[align=center][color=green]Stallion Spotlight I: [color=red]December

ICh. Dark Continent
2006 chestnut Thoroughbred stallion, 15.0hh
Land Ho (S) – Dark Victory §
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CAREER
To begin the reboot of FF’s Stallion Spotlight, I’ve decided to turn everyone’s attention to one of our senior-most stallions who has arguably been one of the best bang for your buck for several years now. Bred by Final Furlong, Dark Continent won 14 of 72 lifetime starts with career earnings of $3,065,400. During a career span of 4 years, Dark Continent set 3 speed records with most of his victories coming at the classic distance on the turf, but performed well on all flat surfaces and distances. His G1 wins include back-to-back victories in the Lockinge Stakes, and a win in the Sussex Stakes; G1-placings include the Futurity Stakes, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and Dubai Duty Free. Dark Continent seemed to hit his best stride at age 3 and 4, earnings over $1 million each season. At three he hit the board 78% of the time, and 73% at four. He holds three speed records, all on the turf, between 8-9.5 furlongs.

LINEAGE
His sire, LAND HO, was a create who sired just 17 horses. All winners, three became stakes winners including MSW’s ICh. Dark Continent, Ch. Jamestown Lady, and single SW Warrior Princess. From his 9 daughters, 4 are silver-ranked, 4 bronze, and the ninth is currently unranked. A silver-ranked broodmare sire, his grandfoals include MSW’s NCh. Gaudy Night, Ch. Gowestyoungman, Ch. All Ablaze, and gold-ranked NCh. Set the Sails (dam of MSW’s GCh. Set the Stride and NCh. Nightwatchman).

His dam, DARK VICTORY, was a phenomenal broodmare producing all winners from 4 foals with 3 becoming millionaire MSW’s. One of those millionaires was ICh. V is for Victory, a silver-ranked sire of 6 MSW’s. Dark Victory did not leave behind any daughters.

SIRE RECORD
At the time of this post, he is Silver-ranked (3.0). Dark Continent has sired almost 250 foals from 9 crops with 61% starters, 79% winners, 12% stakes winners and 7% multiple stakes winners. Some of his highest-earning offspring are GCh. Ask Directions, Ch. Super Choice, Ch. Night Break, Ch. Jacksonian, and Ch. Ch. TheLaughofMedusa. Currently he is unranked as a broodmare sire, but of his two daughters with started offspring all 3 grandfoals are winners.

Out of 65 stallions w/ started offspring:

  • 2nd in highest winning percentage of offspring
  • 6th in offspring earnings
  • 6th in highest G1-placed offspring
  • 20th in G1-winning offspring

Leading Earners

Foals for Thought
Between 17 foals, all either SW or MSW, 9 had their best career year at age 2 (53%), 4 at age 3 (26%), and 5 at age 4 or older (29%).

Breeding Suggestions: Matching successful line crosses via sire

  • Land Ho daughters have produced a MSW or SW from the following sire lines: Townsend Prince, Worth the Wait, Highland Laid, Must Be Magic, and What’s Debatable.

Breeding suggestions: Matching successful line crosses via dam

  • Dark Topaz only had four foals, with 3 being MSW’s including Dark Continent. Her two other MSW foals were by I’m a Classic and Jazz It Up.

Looking Elsewhere: V is for Victory
Without delving too deeply into V IS FOR VICTORY, as this spotlight is centered on Dark Continent, I do want to bring up additional suggested lines that did well with Dark Continent’s half-brother. A son of Jazz It Up, V is for Victory produced MSW’s from daughters of Seabiscuit, Lonesome Glory, Danzig, and created lines.

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Dark Continent currently stands in Kentucky under FF ownership for $1500.
Being FF-owned he is not BC nominated, but he does not require approval to breed to.[/align]

Would love suggestions for January Spotlight in terms of what information would you also like to see, see more of, could have done without, etc.

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Really good write up, Shelbie. I really like all the bits you’ve covered.

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This is interesting! Maybe you could include stallion’s name in the subject, to make it easier to find later?

As for Dark Continent, for some reason I have never considered him, and I don’t have him in my pedigrees. Maybe it’s because of his injuries; limping and overheat are quite serious although he also raced a lot. I do have [color=red]Ch. Razamatazz, by his injury-free half brother ICh. V is for Victory. Perhaps you could include stallion’s (and his most raced offspring’s) injury history?

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I can? I didn’t think injuries are hereditary though since chance and workouts have the most influence on injuries. I haven’t seen a connection between a parent and foal’s injuries.

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I love this! Very interesting to read. I LOVE that you included the breeding suggestions.

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I think they are - from FAQ:

" Each horse has a soundness score which can range from 1-10. During races and workouts, each horse has a chance to get injured (that chance increases for horses with lower soundness). Once it is determined that the horse did get injured, the soundness score is again used to determine how bad the injury is."

“Soundness: This score represents how sound a horse is. Soundness can affect a horse’s chance of getting injured during races and workouts, and can also affect its foals’ soundness as well. Inbreeding can reduce soundness. Wraps can occasionally help combat low soundness. Severe injuries can reduce soundness.”

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Aaaaah interesting. Did not know! I’ll include a brief family overview of injuries, moving forward. Thanks Hilda!

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I love, love, LOVE this! As my free time has dropped and my stable has grown, I stopped really looking into outside stallions much. Now that I have several foals by each, I’m trying to “get back out there” with some mares but am getting overwhelmed without having all that extra free time to research. Thank you for putting it into a very clear, easy-to-read, and FUN write-up! The breeding suggestions - especially from so many angles (sire/dam/self/close relations) is especially helpful in finding a suitable match. I can’t wait to see more!

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Brilliant! Thanks for doing this, I especially like the breeding suggestions and the summary of the types of races and distance won
I get overwhelmed choosing sires for my mares as there are so many stallions to check out now, this kind of info is a real time saver. Well done you :slight_smile:

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Thanks for doing this write up, Shelbie. I’ve got a huge soft spot for DC. We ran him throughout his career and then stood him at stud for several years.

DC was one of my steady-eddies on the track. He wasn’t a star, but he was a solid money earner. And at 15.0hh, I think he had enough spunk and heart to keep up with some of the big boys.

He ran against the likes of Witness, Foolhardy, Ring of Fire, Count Me In, Can’t Catch Me,  and What’s Your Point. With regards to injuries – just to put some context into it – I believe 2009 may have been the year when injuries were rolled out as a feature (Shanthi can correct me if I’m wrong).

I would love, love, love to see one of his sons stand at stud.

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I couldn’t remember, but the database shows 2006 as the earliest injury. So DC can get credit for 3 injury-free years out of his career. :slight_smile:

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Willa and I have decided to roll out a stallion spotlight twice a month, once on the 1st and once on the 15th! We will be adding an “Injury Report” to these posts as well. Expect one more before the new year!