Written May 2013
A son of highly successful Australian sire, Exceed And Excel, Excelebration also introduces some strong European influences through his Irish dam.
As Excelebration carries two lines to Northern Dancer via his sire, the proven nick with the Mr. Prospector line is particularly appealing. Exceed and Excel’s stakes winners GUELPH, KULGRINDA, KUROSHIO, BELLO and BELIEVE ‘N’ SUCCEED are out of Mr. Prospector line mares. Australasian broodmare sires such as ELUSIVE QUALITY, RHYTHM, HUSSONET, WOODMAN, STRAIGHT STRIKE, UMATILLA, GEIGER COUNTER, BELLOTTO, EL MOXIE, JADE ROBBERY, distorted humor, END SWEEP, INFLATE, VETTORI, THUNDER GULCH and SECRET SAVINGS are good candidates.
A strong pattern for Excelebration’s sire is an affinity with the THONG family. SADLER’S WELLS, his brother FAIRY KING and three quarter brother NUREYEV are the best known representatives. Group One winner HELMET and Group winners FULBRIGHT, INFAMOUS ANGEL, BUNGLEINTHEJUNGLE, NIDEEB and MRS KIPLING are proof of the success of this cross. Daughters of sires such as ENCOSTA DE LAGO, CARNEGIE, SCENIC, SINGSPIEL, SPINNING WORLD, GALILEO, HIGH CHAPARRAL and BARATHEA will create a proven cross. ZABEEL mares also appeal, as he has Nureyev as his damsire.
To-date, four of Exceed and Excel’s stakes winners are out of SNIPPETS mares, including Group One winner OVERREACH and Group Two winner WILANDER..
Another outcross for Excelebration is STAR KINGDOM. Damsires such as MARSCAY, BLETCHINGLY, LUSKIN STAR and canny lad in particular have had great success with this sire line.
HALO line broodmares are great candidates for mating with Excelebration. A close relation to Northern Dancer (to which Exceed And Excel is inbred) as well as Danehill, Halo can be sourced via DON’T SAY HALO, FUJI KISEKI, MORE THAN READY, irgunand SUNDAY SILENCE. Exceed and Excel’s Group One winning son HELMET carries Halo through his sire, SINGSPIEL.
ZEDITAVE mares have produced stakes winners SUGAR BABE and EXCELORADA by Exceed And Excel. while two of his six Group One winners carry RORY’S JESTER through their dams.
Exceed And Excel’s damsire is Lomond, a half brother to SEATTLE SLEW. Mares from this line will create desirable line breeding with Excelebration. Broodmare sires such as BERNARDINI, HELISSIO, AIR DE FRANCE, FRAAR, A.P. INDY, AGINCOURT, KHOZAAM and NINE CARAT carry Seattle Slew.
Mares by CITIDANCER, a son of Lomond, will sex balance Lomond in a mating with Excelebration.
Warning, second damsire of Excelebration, is from the immediate family of SCENIC, RAINBOW QUEST and DUSHYANTOR. Mares carrying these influences will create desirable line breeding to this family. As confirmation of the likely success of these broodmare sires for Excelebration, his sire Exceed and Excel has also worked well with mares carrying Rainbow Quest as well as Scenic’s sire Sadler’s Wells.
Warning’s sire is Known Fact, a close relation of GONE WEST and TALE OF THE CAT. Gone West is present in the pedigrees of Exceed and Excel’s classy dual Group One winner, GUELPH (via his son ELUSIVE QUALITY) and Group Three winners BELIEVE ‘N’ SUCCEED and KUROSHIO.
The presence of a daughter of Roberto (damsire of Warning) in Excelebration suggests that ROBERTO sire line mares may work well. Daughters of RED RANSOM and his sons such as CHARGE FORWARD, DOMESDAY and SRI PEKAN are obvious choices.
