Waltz
16.1hh Gray Mare
Gentlemen - Rain Dancer, by Storm Cat
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Formerly owned by Ara Davies
It has been mentioned previously in this series that Rain Dancer's influence spreads far beyond the classic dirt or turf route divisions, and her third daughter was the filly that began it all. Another pretty gray daughter, Waltz was by the top sire Gentlemen, who also produced the likes of Sports Jersey and Loki Flame.
Waltz only made two starts during her racing career, both of them unplaced efforts on the dirt, before she was retired to the breeding shed. Her first foal would begin a new and very different chapter in the story of Rain Dancers legacy.
Gentle was a lovely, flaxen-maned daughter of Giant's Causeway whose high strung antics were at direct odds to her name. Sold as a yearling to the tune of $3.7 million, Gentle went undefeated in six starts despite her spastic tendencies. In her final start, she in fact spooked so badly during the gallop out that she went through the rail and was retired before she could cause serious harm to herself or anyone else.
In the breeding shed, just as on the track, Gentle was a star. Her first foal, a tiny bay daughter of Tulloch, was multiple grade one stakes placed on the track. Duet went on to produce the likes of the undefeated wonder and legendary sire Guitar, three-time champion Diva, two-time champion Soloist, champions Chord, Duo, Song and Iron Curtain, Steward's Cup winner Chorus, and the millionaire Aria.
Duet's daughters have historically done extremely well with A Bus, Fleet Afoot and their sons, producing such horses as Buster (A Bus), champions Pursual (Pursuit) and The Sock Republic (Sockie), and multiple graded stakes winner Pigtails (Fleet Afoot). Other representatives of Duet's branch of the female family include grade one winner Demand An Encore (Give No Ground) and champion Snoogle (Pacify).
Duet's half sister, Soothe, was a one-time winning daughter of Star Studded that was also a wonder in the breeding shed. She produced three millionaires, all champions at least once: Ease, Submissive, and Justify. Her sons Ease and Snuggle were both top of the line sires, and Justify appears to be going the same way. The Fleet Afoot trend continued with another of her champion sons in Patience. Soothe was also responsible for champion Reassure and multiple graded stakes winner Squeaky.
Soothe's daughters, seeming to prefer the Right Hand Man and Guitar sire lines, have gone on to produce the likes of champion Internalize (Jaser), multiple grade one winner Call the Shots (Right Hand Man), grade one winners Hold My Hand (Right Hand Man) and Serenading (Guitar), and multiple graded stakes winners Handyman (Right Hand Man) and Approval (Guitar).
Perhaps the most spectacular representative of Gentle's family was her daughter Love. A rangy chestnut daughter of A Bus, Love went 11-for-13 in her career, earning $1,362,500. She was named South Pacific and South African Champion Two-Year-Old Filly, South Pacific Champion Older Female and South African Horse of the Year during her three-year career. Her only two losses were against the boys in the Stewards Cup Turf Sprint in years 20 and 21.
Love, herself, has produced two millionaires, both still in training: Ardency (Storm Trooper) and last years South Pacific Champion Two-Year-Old Filly Girlfriend (Perfect Night). She also counts grade one winner Llamrei (Right Hand Man), multiple graded stakes winner Engaging (Just), and two-time champion Hidden Kisses (Ease) among her foals.
Gentle's final two daughters, Kind (Runaway) and Warm (Special Week) continued the tradition of excellence after their dam's death, as well. Kind was a twelve-time winner in her 16 outs, earning $822,500, and has produced to date the Steward's Cup placed Mild (A Bus), also the dam of graded stakes winner Emollient (Storm Trooper).
Warm, a winner of 11 of 13 starts, was also second in the Steward's Cup Filly & Mare Turf Sprint. She passed away this year, foaling a bay colt by Sleepy, and counts among her foals this years Instant Millions Juvenile (G1) winner Luxury (Berlioz) and graded stakes winner Passionate (Jaser).
Gentle also produced the token router in this family of sprinters, Calm, a millionaire winner of the Irish Champion Stakes (G1) at ten furlongs and President Stakes (G1) at a mile.
The dominance and somewhat amazing versatility of Waltz's female line does not stop with Gentle and her daughters and granddaughters, however. Following a few relatively unsuccessful foals (emphasis on relatively), Waltz produced a little black daughter named Ami, by Gaze Unwavering.
A two-time winner in four outs on the dirt, Ami is now the dam of one of the hottest dirt route sires available in Same. Her final foal, Same is a dark bay son of Awake As I Am who won graded stakes from a mile to a mile and an eighth in brilliant fashion, as well as placing in such races as the New York, New York Stakes (G1) and Baltimore Special (G1). His oldest crop is two, and several have already broken their maidens going a flat mile.
Ami is also the dam of Boise State Boy, a multiple grade one winning son of Boise that took such races as the Long Island Gold Cup (G1), Spa Classic (G1), San German Cup (G1) and Seek Thrills Handicap (G1). He, himself, is the sire of another very good young sire named Grindelwald, Same's stablemate, who is producing just as many impressive youngsters.
Ami's daughter, Happier Past, by Loki Masterpiece, was not to be outdone by her mother, producing the top marathoner Liveinthemoment (Life Worth Living) and grade one winner Beautiful Love (Chinese Bandit).
Two unraced daughters of Waltz, including a full sister to Gentle, have further continued the turf sprint aspect of the family. Effortlessly, by Tulloch, produced the millionaire champion Ambitiously (Adjust the Sound), multiple champion Devine Park (Vonnegut), and Stewards Cup winner Romance Is Easy (Silent Partner).
Humane, a bay full sister to Gentle, hasn't quite lived up to her sister. She still has the grade one winner Kind Poet (Berlioz), multiple graded stakes winners Humanitarian (Break) and Man Alive (Jack Bauer), and graded stakes winners Rescue (U S Ranger) and Shelter (No Bias No Hate). Her granddaughter Get is also the dam of impressive two-year-old stakes winner Stay On Task (Work Shoes).
Waltz's branch of the female family is very much alive and well today, as her daughters, granddaughters, and great-granddaughters continue to produce more impressive youngsters every year, further adding to the depth and scope of the legacy of Rain Dancer.