Smart Strike (May 21, 1992, in Ontario – March 25, 2015)[1] was a Canadian Thoroughbred racehorse. The son of the Champion sire, Mr. Prospector, and out of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame mare Classy 'n Smart, Smart Strike is a half-brother to 1991 Canadian Triple Crown champion Dance Smartly.

Smart Strike
SireMr. Prospector
GrandsireRaise a Native
DamClassy 'n Smart
DamsireSmarten
SexStallion
Foaled(1992-05-21)May 21, 1992
DiedMarch 25, 2015(2015-03-25) (aged 22)
CountryCanada
ColourBay
BreederSam-Son Farm
OwnerSam-Son Farm
TrainerMark Frostad
Record8: 6-1-0
Earnings$337,376
Major wins
Salvator Mile Handicap (1996)
Philip H. Iselin Handicap (1996)
Awards
Leading sire in North America (2007, 2008)
Honours
Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame (2008)

Owned and bred by Sam-Son Farm, on the racetrack, Smart Strike's most important win came in the Grade I Philip H. Iselin Handicap. However, he was just developing into a top-flight horse when his career was cut short by injury. He suffered a condylar fracture during a workout while preparing for the Breeders' Cup.

At maturity, he reached 16 hands (64 inches, 163 cm) high.[2]

Stud record edit

Since he was retired to stud duty at Lane's End Farm in Versailles, Kentucky, in 1997, Smart Strike's value as a stallion rose dramatically as a result of the performance of his offspring. Twice honored as the leading Sire in North America, he was the sire of 113 stakes winners, 12 champions, five Breeders' Cup winners, and two Classic victors. He has also found international success, both as a sire and broodmare sire, producing champions in several different countries.

Damsire:

Death and honors edit

For his contribution to Thoroughbred racing, Smart Strike was inducted in the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2008.

While remarkably healthy and fertile until early 2015, Smart Strike was humanely euthanized on March 25, 2015, as a result of complications due to laminitis.

Pedigree edit

Pedigree of Smart Strike (CAN), bay horse, May 21, 1992[3]
Sire
Mr. Prospector (USA)
1970
Raise a Native (CAN)
1961
Native Dancer Polynesian
Geisha
Raise You Case Ace
Lady Glory
Gold Digger
1962
Nashua Nasrullah
Segula
Sequence Count Fleet
Miss Dogwood
Dam
Classy 'n Smart (CAN)
1981
Smarten Cyane Turn-To
Your Game
Smartaire Quibu
Art Teacher
No Class Nodouble Noholme
Alba-Jay
Classy Quillo Outing Class
Quillopoly (family 23-b)[4]

References edit

  1. ^ "Champion Sire Smart Strike Euthanized". BloodHorse. March 25, 2015.
  2. ^ Peters, Anne (March 13, 2015). "Pedigree Analysis: Is Bigger Always Better?". BloodHorse.
  3. ^ "Pedigree of Smart Strike". Equineline. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  4. ^ "Thoroughbred Bloodlines - Turk Mare - Family 23-b". www.bloodlines.net. Retrieved 11 August 2020.

External links edit