Versatile Lewis Michael is a multiple Graded stakes winner in his own right, but also a full brother to the 2006 Eclipse Award-winning Champion Juvenile Filly, Dreaming of Anna. Dreaming of Anna won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies-G1 in her championship year, and has continued to win Graded stakes at 3 and 4. Lewis Michael earned his own Triple Crown of versatility with a stakes win on turf at 2, a dirt winner and multiple Graded-placed at 3 on dirt, and multiple Grade 2 winner on synthetic surfaces (at Arlington and Del Mar).
Besides his proven record on any surface, Lewis Michael has shown ability over a range of distances as well. Breaking his maiden at a mile and a sixteenth at Arlington as a 2-year-old, he won the Washington Park Handicap (G2) last year at a mile and three-sixteenths (just shy of the American classic distance of a mile and a quarter), and scored his latest victory in the Pat O'Brien Handicap (G2) dropping back to 7 furlongs. This horse seems to be able to do anything, anywhere, with tactical speed that lets him get the job done on demand.
Remarkable outcross potential
From a pedigree standpoint, Lewis Michael is extremely well bred, but surprisingly, does not own the most popular commercial bloodlines inundating the market today. He is by the outstanding sire Rahy out of a mare by 1994's Leading Sire Broad Brush, with his second dam by the top flight runner and sire of champions, Lear Fan. Lewis Michael hails from an up-and-coming female family, since he's not only a full brother to a champion in Dreaming of Anna, but his dam is a half-sister to Champion Turf Male Kitten's Joy.
Like his sire, Rahy, Lewis Michael is a complete outcross to Mr. Prospector and Seattle Slew, and although he has a distant strain of Northern Dancer, it's quite a way back in his sixth generation. This opportunity to outcross is probably one reason why Rahy has been so successful with Northern Dancer and Seattle Slew-line mares, and likewise makes Lewis Michael a similarly valuable asset to any breeder trying to diversify and upgrade his stock.
Lewis Michael and Dreaming of Anna are not bred on one of Rahy's most noteworthy nicks which opens this young stallion up for the same dynamic bloodline crosses as his sire.
Nick with Northern Dancer and Almahmoud
Rahy has several well defined nicks, the most prominent of which is with mares by sons and grandsons of Northern Dancer. These mares have accounted for at least 36 of Rahy's 82 stakes winners to date (September 2008). The most useful branches have been through Nijinsky II and his son Green Dancer; Danzig, Vice Regent, and Lyphard, with representation by daughters of Northfields, Nureyev, Dixieland Band, Caerleon and Storm Cat as well. Lewis Michael should do well with those same bloodlines, but perhaps especially well with mares carrying Danzig and Nureyev, both of which have done very well with Roberto, appearing in Lewis Michael's second dam by Lear Fan.
As a broodmare sire, Rahy has a remarkable nick with Storm Cat, and the reverse should be expected to work, too. Mares by stallions bred on the Storm Cat/Mr. Prospector cross (Tale of the Cat, Storm Boot) look interesting as do stallions bred on the Storm Cat/Seattle Slew cross (Stormy Atlantic, Stormin Fever).
The Northern Dancer cross sets up a situation of inbreeding to the important broodmare Almahmoud, granddam of both Northern Dancer and Halo, the sire of Rahy's dam, Glorious Song. This same inbreeding pattern would appear with Lewis Michael's matings to mares with Northern Dancer, but a generation removed. In addition to Halo, other sources of Almahmoud that could also work well include Arctic Tern, Cannonade, Mari's Book, Machiavellian and Danehill. The last pair are particularly intriguing since both Machiavellian and Danehill are inbred to Almahmoud, and both have other strains which will be noted further on in this article which make them even more appealing.
Glorious Song had a pair of full brothers, Devil's Bag and Saint Ballado whose daughters or granddaughters would be very interesting crossed with Lewis Michael, doubling up not only on Halo (and thus Almahmoud), but also Glorious Song's dam Ballade, another true blue hen. Rahy's half brother Singspiel (by In The Wings - Glorious Song) would be an interesting cross along those same lines, as would mares carrying crosses of Rahy's other half-brothers Rakeen and Northern Score.
Seattle Slew and Hail to Reason
Another exceptional cross for Rahy that should work at least as well for Lewis Michael is that of Seattle Slew. Rahy got 3 very good stakes winners out of mares by Slew's son Slew o'Gold, as well as 2 others out of a daughter of Slew himself, and one of Seattle Song. One reason this cross may have been working is because Seattle Slew's sire, Bold Reasoning was out of a mare by Hail to Reason, so runners from the Rahy/Seattle Slew cross were doubled up to Hail to Reason, the sire of Rahy's dam's sire Halo.
Hail to Reason is a horse that usually adds size and bone to the mix. Lewis Michael is himself doubled to Hail to Reason 4x5, with Halo and Roberto in his pedigree, and his conformation and good size goes a long way to prove that.
It's likely that Lewis Michael will also reap the benefits of crosses with Seattle Slew and Slew o'Gold, and may have opportunities with mares descending from Seattle Slew's other good sons like A.P. Indy, Capote, Vindication and Doneraile Court. Also look for mares by stallions out of Seattle Slew-line mares as well, such as Stormy Atlantic (dam by Seattle Slew), Tiznow (dam by Seattle Song), and Dixie Union (dam by Capote).
Because of his linebreeding to Hail to Reason, Lewis Michael should do well with mares carrying return strains of either source, Halo or Roberto. We've already noted Halo as the sire of Devil's Bag, Saint Ballado, and Glorious Song (dam of Rahy and Singspiel). Other sources of Halo include Sunday Silence, Southern Halo, Sunny's Halo, Machiavellian, Harlan, Victory Gallop, Van Nistelrooy, Silver Ghost, Pine Bluff, and Fusaichi Pegasus.
Sources of Roberto could include returns to Lear Fan himself, or Roberto's sons Dynaformer, Kris S., and Red Ransom. Other strains of Hail to Reason to keep in mind are Stop The Music, Mr. Leader, Bold Reason (dam's sire of Sadler's Wells), and Proud Clarion. Both Seattle Slew sons Doneraile Court and Vindication were inbred to Hail to Reason, so may be extra valuable as a result.
It's worth noting that Lewis Michael's dam's sire Broad Brush, himself inbred to Hail to Reason's sire Turn-to, has done famously with returns of Turn-to and Hail to Reason, Grade 1 winners Include and Mongoose being good examples. This build up of Turn-to suggests it will be a strong influence for Lewis Michael, too. His "uncle" Kitten's Joy is also inbred to Hail to Reason, once through Sadler's Wells (dam by Bold Reason) and once through Lear Fan.
Broad Brush can serve as a key strain from another angle, too. He goes back in tail-female line to the important mare Hidden Talent, and Broad Brush's good sire son Include is actually inbred 4x5 to Hidden Talent, since his second dam is by Baldski (out of Too Bald, a daughter of Hidden Talent). So mares carrying Baldski or other sons of Too Bald such as Capote (by Seattle Slew), Exceller, or American Standard could also serve as vehicles for doubling up on Hidden Talent.
Mr. Prospector potential
Lewis Michael should also have good luck crossing with mares from the Mr. Prospector male line, particularly the branches descending from Fappiano and Gone West, both of which have already worked well with Rahy. Fappiano's line through Unbridled and Unbridled's Song look useful. Rahy has also sired stakes winners with mares by Seeking The Gold, Lycius, Machiavellian (dam by Halo and dam also inbred to Almahmoud), Kingmambo and Woodman.
Because of the high nicking record with Northern Dancer, a stallion bred on the Mr. Prospector/Northern Dancer cross, or vice versa, should have a very good chance with Lewis Michael. This would include Kingmambo, Elusive Quality, Grand Slam, Fusaichi Pegasus and Distorted Humor.
Another line from this same strip to consider is that of Alydar, who was, like Mr. Prospector, a son of Raise a Native. Rahy sired 3 stakes winners from Alydar-line mares. Alysheba would be interesting since his dam is a full sister to the dam of Lear Fan, also found in the dam of Lewis Michael. Point Given would be interesting, since his sire Thunder Gulch is bred on the Mr. Prospector/Northern Dancer cross, and his dam is by Turkoman, a son of Alydar.
Lear Fan connections
Lewis Michael's second dam is a daughter of Lear Fan, and we've already noted a couple good genetic tie-ins to that, namely Lear Fan's sire Roberto, or Alysheba, whose dam was a full sister to Wac, the dam of Lear Fan. Wac was sired by Lt. Stevens, who has value as a son of another important mare, Rough Shod II. Lt. Stevens had 2 full sisters of note: first, champion runner and producer Moccasin (ancestress of Stormy Atlantic); and second, the important producer Thong, from which descends Nureyev, Sadler's Wells, Fairy King and wealth of others.
Big Brown's dam, Mien, is inbred to Rough Shod II since she's by Nureyev out of a daughter of Lear Fan. The Nureyev/Lear Fan cross has worked well, and frankly, and duplication of Rough Shod II, through Lear Fan and whatever source, is worth a try if it can result in the likes of Big Brown.
Lewis Michael's third dam, That's My Hon, is by L'Enjoleur, by Buckpasser out of the great Fanfreluche. Look for additional strains of Buckpasser, and other offspring of Fanfreluche such as D'Accord, Medaille d'Or or daughters Grand Luxe or L'Extravagante. Also try Fanfreluche's brothers Barachois and Night Shift, both by Northern Dancer.
Spectacular hopes
Lewis Michael's fourth dam, One Lane, is by Prince John out of Danger Ahead. This makes her a half-sister to Stop On Red, who also happens to be the granddam of Spectacular Bid. A mare carrying a cross of Spectacular Bid would double up on Lewis Michael's tail-female line (inbreeding to Danger Ahead), a family that has proven capable of producing real greatness on the racetrack in the form of Spectacular Bid. So why not give it a try?
Besides reading this article, it's recommended that interested breeders take the time to read up on Rahy's best bloodlines crosses.
By Anne Peters