His pedigree quickly explains why he sold as a yearling for 200k, produced by Thoroughbred Holdings to sell as a yearling, his blood was the most important part of his start.
He was sired by Mr. Greeley, a multiple graded stakes winner who in 1995 took 2nd in the Breeder's Cup Sprint. Bandon bears a strong resemblance to his sire's build and even at times, his color.
Linebred on Mr. Prospector by the topside of his sire and the bottom side of his dam, Bandon shares partial blood relation to a large number of today's Thoroughbreds via him. Mr. Prospector ran in the time of Secretariat (buried next to Big Red in fact) and was so successful producing he was dubbed "The Billion Dollar Sire". His descendants include Real Quiet, Mine That Bird, Gone West (Mr Greeley's sire and Bandon's Grandsire), Unbridled, Afleet, Forty Niner (Funny Cide, Flower Alley, I'll Have Another), Fusaichi Pegasus, among many many notable others. Obviously, producing triple crown race winning horses, Mr. Prospector was bred a LOT.
This connection of Mr Prospector on both sides of Bandon, especially through Gone West/Mr Greeley, is enough for me to be awed by him on paper. But there's more. The pairing that made Gone West was Mr Prospector taken to a Secretariat sired mare (Secrettame - also dam to Champion Lion Cavern) creating the source of Secretariat on Bandon's sire's side. In the same generation is the source on Bandon's dam's side when Storm Bird was bred to a Secretariat sired mare named Weekend Surprise.
I am sure most of even the non-horse world is familiar with Secretariat and his still-standing record breaking feats on the track and successful breeding program (most recently regaled in a star-studded Disney movie), so I'll go into Storm Bird a bit.
Storm Bird's sire, Northern Dancer, had his own laundry list of achievements to bring to the genetic table (Ky Derby winner and most successful breeding stallion in our breed history) and Storm Bird himself was one of the 20th Century's best two-year-olds trained in Britain or Ireland. He was "Ireland's Champion". Bred to Weekend Surprise (also dam to the famous A.P. Indy), they created Summer Squall, Bandon's grandsire.
Summer Squall is most known for his rivalry with Unbridled. They raced 6 times, Summer Squall winning 4, one of those wins being the 1990 Preakness after Unbridled had bettered him in the Derby.
All of this boils down to Bandon having lines on each side (linebred) to Mr. Prospector, Secretariat, Raise a Native, Gold Digger, Bold Ruler, and Native Dancer. Native Dancer is an old favorite of mine, he was in Whisper a few times and I'm glad to have him here in Bandon on an even larger scale now.
Bandon Dunes, a horse who as a yearling wowed buyers on paper at Keeneland 2008 and was so full of promise as a foal that he was nominated to the Breeder's Cup program for life.
A horse who was purchased for a large sum then (for unknown reason) traded away twice, labeled vicious, handled cruelly to which he responded by becoming cruel himself, until finally being claimed for 20k by a racing string who cared. He came with anger, deep wounds, and bowed tendons, they helped him and regained his trust.
I am THRILLED to be planning a trip in six months to visit the string that revived Bandon and won with him again before allowing him a second career away from the track. I've got goosebumps at the idea of walking back in time through Kentucky's race history in that weekend and I'm already counting the days.
Back standing in Bandon's stall, as he tempts me to play instead of doing my job cleaning, I'm amazed by the immense history in this living monument to racing greats. All their DNA coursing through his heart. I think about my deceased parents and how I've always felt like a part of them that continues on, I wonder if the same is true of all these great horses combined into my one amazing boy.
Regardless of his racing royal blood, Bandon will never be a horse you can Wikipedia search. He'll never be a horse that stands in racing's fame and history the way most of his ancestors do. Telling his story, honoring the past while we train for the future, you will know who he is.
Native Dancer
Raise A Native
Raise You
Mr. Prospector
Nashua
Gold Digger
Sequence
Gone West
Bold Ruler
Secretariat
Somethingroyal
Secrettame
Tim Tam
Tamerett
Mixed Marriage
Mr. Greeley
Nasrullah
Bold Ruler
Miss Disco
Reviewer
Hasty Road
Broadway
Flitabout
Long Legend
Native Dancer
Dancer's Image
Noor's Image
Lianga
Sailor
Leven Ones
Olympia Dell
Bandon Dunes
Nearctic Northern Dancer
Natalma
Storm Bird
New Providence
South Ocean
Shining Sun
Summer Squall
Bold Ruler
Secretariat
Somethingroyal
Weekend Surprise
Buckpasser
Lassie Dear
Gay Missle
Marc's Rainbow
Raise A Native
Mr. Prospector
Gold Digger
Miner's Mark
Private Account
Personal Ensign
Grecian Banner
Marc's Lark
Green Dancer
Greinton
Crystal Queen
Lark In The Meadow
T.V. Lark
Became A Lark
Blow Up II
Mr Prospector : 3S x 4D
Raise A Native : 4S x 5D
Gold Digger : 4S x 5D
Secretariat : 4S x 4D
Bold Ruler : 4S x 5S x 5D
Native Dancer : 5S x 5S
Somethingroyal : 5S x 5D
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