STORMIN FEVER

Written by: Alan Porter November 2009

A grade one performing and grade one siring son of Storm Cat, Stormin Fever is California’s Leading Sire of Two-Year-Olds in 2010 (to 11/25/09), with 17 juvenile scorers, including graded winner Biofuel. A graded stakes winning sprinter, Stormin Fever also captured seconds in back-to-back renewals of the Vosburgh Stakes (G1), and ran Horse of the Year Skip Away to a nose in the 8½ furlong Philip H. Iselin Handicap (G2). He is already sire of 26 stakes winners, nine graded stakes winners, and three grade one winners.

Stormin Fever appears to have a very strong affinity for mares from the Ribot line. His grade one winning filly Sweet Talker is out of a mare by Stalwart, a son of Hoist the Flag. This suggests that mares by Pirate’s Bounty might work well here. Other sources of Hoist the Flag, including Alleged, Blue Ensign, Bayou Hebert, Oh Say and Linkage. From the His Majesty branch of the Ribot line, Stormin Fever has sired stakes winners Stormin Normandy and Dorm Fever out of mares by Pleasant Colony; juvenile graded two winner Howick Falls out of a mare by Roanoke a son of Pleasant Colony; and 2009 stakes winner Shem out of a mare by St. Jovite (also by Pleasant Colony). Other Pleasant Colony sons are Cherokee Colony and Colonial Affair (both bringing in Nijinsky II, who should do very well here), Lac Ouimet, and Pleasant Tap. Sources of Graustark – the brother to His Majesty – include Avatar and Key to the Mint (sire of Java Gold, Sauce Boat and Plugged Nickle).

Stormin Fever has also worked very well over Damascus line mares. He has stakes winners out of mares by Gilded Time (by Timeless Moment) Eastern Echo (sire of Swiss Yodeler), and Skip Away (by Skip Trial).  He should also work well with Damascus via Private Account, Ogygian and Time For A Change.

By Storm Cat out of a mare by Seattle Slew, Stormin Fever is free of the Mr. Prospector strain, and from this line he has stakes winners out of mares by Kingmambo and De Niro (by Gulch). Other branches of Mr. Prospector that have enjoyed success with Storm Cat include Afleet, Conquistador Cielo, Fappiano, Forty Niner, Gone West, Lycius, Machiavellian, Miswaki, Seeking the Gold and Woodman. Mr. Prospector is a son of Raise a Native, and Stormin Fever has sired graded stakes winners Storm Wolf and Misty Rosette out of mares by Ecliptical, who is by another Raise a Native son, Exclusive Native. This also suggests mares by Affirmed, the outstanding son of Exclusive Native.

Stormin Fever has a stakes winner out of a mare by Taylor’s Special, a son of In Reality. We would expect Stormin Fever to do well over In Reality, via Relaunch (who could be brought in through Skywalker, Bertrando, Officer, Cee’s Tizzy and Tiznow, among others) and through Valid Appeal (sire of Valid Wager and Valid Expectations).

Stormin Fever has three crosses of Bold Ruler, but has worked well with mares carrying further crosses of that sire. He has a stakes winner out of a mare by Bold Ruckus, who is from the same Boldnesian branch as Stormin Fever’s broodmare sire, Seattle Slew. Bold Ruckus is sire of California stallion Beau Genius, and it could even be worth considering crossing Stormin Fever back over mares by sons and grandsons of Seattle Slew (a formula that has worked for the similarly-bred Stormy Atlantic). He also has a stakes winner out of a mare by a son of Secretariat. Bold Ruler was a son of Nasrullah, and Stormin Fever has also found success when bred to mares from less commonly found representatives of that sire line. He is sire of grade one winner Tarlow out of a mare by Dreadnought (by Lt. Stevens); 2009 graded winner and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile fourth Biofuel out of a mare by Indian Charlie (by In Excess); and also has stakes winners out of mares by Nasty and Bold (by Naskra) and Irish River (by Riverman, a son of Never Bend).

Stormin Fever has also done well with mares from his own Northern Dancer line with stakes winners out of mares by Green Dancer (by Nijinsky II, a horse who combines well with Storm Cat), Manila (by Lyphard), Stagecraft (by Sadler’s Wells) and Sunny North. From the sire line of Icecapade, a three-quarters relative to Northern Dancer, Stormin Fever has stakes winners out of mares by Hadif and Phone Trick, both sons of Clever Trick.