KICK TAIL -- Another Valuable Pedigree With Historic

Earlier in the year, in a profile of the trotting mare No Nonsense Woman, I wrote in this same space that Sierra Kosmos could be a "made horse" if he could follow up the high-profile success of No Nonsense Woman with another solid showing this season.

At least from this corner, Sierra Kosmos' status has moved from that of an up-and-coming sire stakes sire to a horse of international prominence. KickTail's performance in winning the World Trotting Derby in straight heats was very authoritative, and stamped him as clearly the second-best colt trotter in North America behind Muscles Yankee. Kick Tail went wire-to-wire in each mile and showed the gate speed necessary to get position, and then demonstrated an altogether rare ability these days to be rated when necessary.

Many trainers here have not liked the Sierra Kosmos offspring, but it is hard to overlook his success. He has produced not only Kick Tail, the only colt this year to beat Muscles Yankee, and his daughter Fern has been the dominant filly in the 3-year-old ranks prior to this past weekend when she was beaten in the World Trotting Derby filly stake. Sierra Kosmos also continues to rank high on the money-winning lists for two-and three-year-olds, and is among the leaders in 2:10 and 2:05 production. There is really no category of measure where Sierra Kosmos either does not lead or appear among the top five. His "numbers" are good, and he is producing the major stakes winners. What else would a sire have to do to gain favor?

Previous "Corners" have been devoted to both No Nonsense Woman and then Fern following her Hambletonian Oaks triumph. And in those spaces, a good deal was devoted to Sierra Kosmos and racing abilities and background. This week, I will look at the maternal pedigree of Kick Tail. His is a rich heritage, that traces to some of the best maternal blood in the business.

For starters, Kick Tail is a smallish, handsome colt who is rather short-coupled. He has a very short back, but has a wonderful, round stroke in front and a good flight of speed. Position in a horse race will never be a problem for a horse who can leave the gate so quickly and then be manageable while he dictates the middle part of the race. In the World Trotting Derby, he was challenged early and often, and was equal to the task in both heats. In the first heat, he left quickly, dictated the pace of the race, and then held off a determined bid from Silver Pine to win the first heat in 1:54.2.

In the final heat, he was away second to David Raymond, but Lindstedt changed his mind before the first turn was reached and decided he wanted to control the race from his second-heat rail post position. Lindstedt hustled Kick Tail and took advantage of his inside position to force David Raymond to tuck before he could clear to the lead. This put up a quick :27 first quarter. However, Lindstedt then relaxed Kick Tail to a half in :58 and the race was all but over. Through the Du Quoin stretch, he was a free-wheeling, easy winner, and Lindstedt never really had to ask him for additional effort in the 1:55.1 mile.

Kick Tail's dam Victorious Tail, is now owned by Canadian Al Libfeld, who retrieved the mare from her previous Swedish owner. Victorious Tail has produced the Swedish Breeders Crown winner Tiba Lavec 3,2:02, a filly sired by Ata Star L. She also had the good Sugarcane Hanover colt Victor Lavec 4,2:02 a stakes winner as an aged horse in Sweden. Kick Tail was Victorious Tail's first foal offered here after returning, and he was sold as a $22,000 yearling at the 1996 Kentucky Standardbred Sale. He was small and undeveloped then, but he has blossomed into a very attractive colt now. He has a particularly sharp head and eye, and very good action. He also looks to be a very sound colt who should continue to improve throughout the balance of the season.

Victorious Tail was quite a mare herself. She took a mark of 1:55.1 at three, when she won 11 races and was eight times second, earning nearly $143,000 for Hakan Wallner. At three, her stakes wins included the Arden Downs, Zweig Filly, Landmark, Kentucky Sires at The Red Mile, and a couple of late closers. She was also second to Royal Prestige in a heat of the Kentucky Futurity, and second again to Sugarcane Hanover in the final. She returned to the races at four, and was second in an elimination and final of the Maple Leaf Trot before being exported to Sweden.

Florican Songcan     Ami Song Nearly Perfect     Super Bowl by Star's Pride Exciting     Gypsy Slipper Sierra Kosmos     Victory Song Noble Victory     Emily's Pride by Star's Pride Sunkiss Bel     B F Coaltown Sunday Hill     Starlette Hill KICK TAIL     Star's Pride Nevele Pride     Thankful Bonefish     Speedster Exciting Speed     Expresson Victorious Tail     Victory Song Noble Victory     Emily's Pride by Star's Pride Victorious Lou     Darnley Lou Sidney     Lucy Abbey

Victorious Tail is currently having a banner year as she not only has Kick Tail, but her 2-year-old Pine Chip colt Comet's Tail is among the best of that division. He won a divison of the Review Stake at Springfield for Lindstedt and was just second this past week at Du Quoin to Self Possessed, and was individually timed in 1:56.2 He's a good colt. Victorious Tail also has a yearling filly by Donerail who is the proud possession of breeder Al Libfeld, who has retained the filly to train.

Victorious Tail has a very interesting pedigree. She is by Bonefish, and is a full sister to Valley Victoria, the dam of Valley Victory. Valley Victoria was one of the breed's true breeding stars, but tragically the mare died before she could produce a daughter. She had five colts, all by Baltic Speed. Valley Victory was her first, and little else need be said about that legendary colt. The mare followed Valley Victory with his first full brother, Bostonian, a 1:59.2 record trotter . Her third foal was the Doug Ackerman-campaigned Wall Street Banker 3,1:57.4; $322,471, now a successful sire in Michigan. Next was the Hambletonian heat winner Valley Boss Bi 3,1:56.3; $163,122, now in Italy. Her final was the non-record Valley Valiant.

Bonefish mares like Victorious Tail have acquired great reputations in the past decade. And rightly so. Not only are Kick Tail and Valley Victory from Bonefish mares, but so is the great trotting queen Moni Maker. Other prominent trotters with Bonefish dams are Hanko Angus, Real Diamond, Baltic Bet, Giant Touchdown and Climbing Bud.

The second dam of Kick Tail is the Noble Victory mare Victorious Lou 3,T1:59 and the third dam is the well-known Lou Sidney by Darnley, also dam of the sensational trotting filly Superlou 3,1:57.1; $278,465 and the Hambletonian heat winner Formal Notice 3,1:58.2. Lou Sidney's mother is the Guy Abbey mare Lucy Abbey and the next dam is the Kentucky Futurity winner Princess Peg, who was by Volomite. This is about as strong as it gets in terms of genetic heritage.

Princess Peg won the 1934 Kentucky Futurity for Ben White, and Princess Peg's 3/4 sister The Marchioness won the 1932 Hambletonian and Kentucky Futurity after her full brother Protector had won the same historic stake in 1931. Their dam was the famed Guy Abbey mare Margaret Arion, a foal of 1923. This is the Rose Leyburn branch of the Mamie maternal family also responsible for such trotters as Dartmouth, Hambletonian winners The Intruder and Demon Hanover, Kentucky Futurity winner Sugarcane Hanover, Mystic Park (the sire of Mack Lobell), and female stars Fresh Yankee and Killbuck Mary.

Kick Tail brings a powerful pedigree to the fore, since he does not have any Speedy Crown blood anywhere in his pedigree. His sire, Sierra Kosmos, is a male line Axworthy stallion, and his dam is by Bonefish, a grandson of Star's Pride. Kick Tail has a linebred 3 x 3 generation cross to Noble Victory since Sierra Kosmos is himself from a Noble Victory mare, and Kick Tail's second dam is by Noble Victory. There are also multiple crosses to Star's Pride, since Nearly Perfect, sire of Sierra Kosmos is out of a mare by Super Bowl; Sierra Kosmos' third dam is by Star's Pride, Noble Victory has a Star's Pride dam; Bonefish is a grandson of Star's Pride, and then Noble Victory re-appears on the bottom side of the pedigree again.

Kick Tail could be a tremendously valuable horse to the breed, but unfortunately, he is a ridgling at this point and his breeding future has not been determined. For now, he is very near a star in his own right, and we will have to see if Nature will provide us with a strong candidate to continue this valuable male line.