| by Jim Muche photos by Lani Muche At first glance the dark bay filly looks like any other young horse. She’s curious about the world but still stays close to mom just in case the people with the black clicky thing aren’t as friendly as they seem. A jack rabbit catches her eye and it’s off to the races, at least as far as the fence allows. This was our first introduction to Bronze Sea, a one month old filly who many hope will follow in the footsteps of her famous ancestor Seabiscuit. Bronze Sea was foaled at Jacqueline and Tim Cooper’s American Legend Horse Farm in Northern California on May 23, 2007, the same day that Seabiscuit was foaled in 1933. She now lives at Ridgewood Ranch, in Willits, CA where Seabiscuit spent his final days and was buried. Originally owned by Charles Howard, Ridgewood Ranch was the location where Seabiscuit recuperated from a ruptured ligament suffered in 1939. He returned to racing in 1940 and finished his career with a win in the Santa Anita Handicap which was then the richest race in the country. After that he returned to the ranch for his retirement and stud career where he sired 108 foals from 1940 to his death in 1947. The filly is by leading California sire High Brite who has been a successful stallion for a number of years, and her dam is All In Fashion, who is from the Seabiscuit line of Windy Sea. All In Fashion is by At The Threshold, sire of Kentucky Derby winner Lil E. Tee. These are quite impressive credentials for a filly whose primary concerns, at this point, consist of eating, sleeping, exploring he world and racing the occasional jack rabbit. In the few days we spent with her we saw her gain confidence, improve her coordination and decide that we were not only not a threat but could be relied upon for a good scratch. Considering her breeding it’s not surprising that Bronze Sea is to be aimed toward a racing career. Her conformation is good. She’s a little over at the knee but seemingly not enough to cause any problems. Horse with far more problems have been extremely successful, Seabiscuit being the prime example. Getting a horse to the track is a difficult undertaking. Too many things can happen before a young horse even leaves home and, once a horse reaches the track, so much depends on their talent, luck, and maybe more importantly, their desire. “Every owner wants to have a winner, but to be able to have one that is a direct descendant of Seabiscuit would be tremendous,” Jacqueline Cooper said. If successful the Coopers plan to donate a portion of Bronze Sea’s earnings to the Ridgewood Ranch preservation effort. (Note: Lani and I hope to follow and report on Bronze Sea’s progress and the major stages in her life. JM) |
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