Sara's Dahlia is by Group Two stakes winner and track record setter Williamstown, sire of progeny with earnings of over $1.8 million in North America and Europe, and a son of Seattle Slew. He was from the first crop of Bold Reasoning, a grandson of Bold Ruler, and the first foal out of My Charmer, who traces directly back to the great foundation mare Myrtlewood. Seattle Slew sold for $17,500 at Fasig-Tipton's summer sale in Kentucky. As a yearling it appeared that he had amazing ability. He made his first start at two, winning by five lengths. In his second start he won by three and one-half lengths. His next race was New York's richest juvenile race, the Champagne. Going off the favorite, he won by nine and three-quarter lengths in 1:34 2/5, the fastest Champagne ever run. Seattle Slew won the Eclipse Award off that Champagne effort. Three races had indicated that he was by far the best of his age. At three Seattle Slew began to excite the racing world with his flamboyant ability. In preparation for the Kentucky Derby, Seattle Slew ran in the Wood Memorial winning by three and one-quarter lengths. He headed into the Derby undefeated and soon he became the first to emerge from the Triple Crown series still unbeaten. The muscular brown colt won the Derby by one and three-quarter lengths, the Preakness by one and one-half, and the Belmont by four. He made all three look easier than the margins indicated. He became the tenth horse in U.S. racing history to sweep through the Triple Crown series of classics. The racing world saluted its first unbeaten Triple Crown winner. He was chosen horse of the year ending Forego's three-year-reign, and named champion three-year-old. In the autumn of his four-year-old campaign he was brilliant. Seattle Slew would become the first Triple Crown winner to defeat a Triple Crown winner - Affirmed. They met in the Marlboro Cup and with his blazing speed, Seattle Slew defeated Affirmed by three lengths.
Seattle Slew retired from racing in 1978 with the laurels of champion handicap horse. He was sent to Kentucky to stand at stud where he became one of North America's most influential sires, leading the sire list in 1984. Sara's Dahlia is out of winner Sara Paul ($83,520), a daughter of stakes-placed winner Paula's Priority, a half-sister to stakes winner Sports Complex ($58,778). Sara's Dahlia decends from the world class family of Bold Ruler (winning or placing in 22 stakes, including two of the classics, Bold Ruler was able to race any distance, at the front or off the pace; his three-year-old year attracted wide attention due to his victories over two of the greatest racers -*Gallant Man and Round Table; in 1957 he was horse of the year and champion three-year-old, and in 1958 Bold Ruler was the champion sprinter; Bold Ruler is one of the most influential and popular Thoroughbred sire lines in the second half of the last century, leading sire eight times, sire of 11 champions, including the arguable horse of the century Secretariat; the Bold Ruler sire line is found within the sire line of many award-winning Hunters and Jumpers), Mr. Prospector (a top sprinter and a legend among sires, one of North America's premiere stallions, leading sire in 1987 and 1988, sire of 14 champions; the leading sire by a number of lifetime stakes winners died in 1999; at the time of his death Mr. Prospector was the leading broodmare sire by 1999 earnings with over $10.7 million and led the total list in 1997 and 1998; a sire of sires, Mr. Prospector is represented by Carson City, Kingmambo, Seeking the Gold, and Woodman, who are currently ranked in the top 25 on the leading sire list of 1999), and Buckpasser (a tall, stately blood bay who matured into one of the most handsome and fine horses of the decade, about as close to a perfect Thoroughbred as could be found, he, alone, was an example of Thoroughbred greatness, setting a world record for one mile and becoming racing's first three-year-old millionaire).
Researched by The Jockey Club Information Systems, Inc., Lexington, Kentucky, 2000
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