Midnight Lute did it in 2007 and 2008 when the jet black, solidly built son of Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Real Quiet conquered the Sprint at Monmouth Park in the slop and on a fast track at Santa Anita.
Midnight Lute may have been at his best in one-turn races but from just two crops of foals, the Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms Kentucky stallion is already the buzz of the industry.
In addition to Queen’s Plate winner Midnight Aria, Midnight Lute, who raced for Mike Pegram, is the sire of the top American three-year-old filly Midnight Lucky, winner of the Grade I Acorn Stakes and graded stakes winners Governor Charlie and Shakin It Up as well as Grade I placed Mylute.
The 10-year-old is the leading second crop sire in North America with progeny earnings of over $2.9 million (through July 14, 2013).
Midnight Lute stood for a fee of $15,000 (U.S.) this spring and is one of several stallions at John Sikura’s Hill ‘n’ Dale, located in Lexington, that are popular with Ontario breeders. One of the farm’s star studs, Stormy Atlantic, is the sire of Up With the Birds, the Plate favourite who missed catching up to Midnight Aria by just a neck.
There is plenty of Canadian breeding in the pedigree of Midnight Lute. The sire has that powerful blend of Mr. Prospector on his male line with Northern Dancer on his female side. Midnight Lute’s sire is Real Quiet, by Quiet American, a son of Fappiano, by Mr. Prospector. The stallion’s dam, Candytuft, is by Dehere, a son of Deputy Minister, by Vice Regent (Northern Dancer).
Both Mr. Prospector and Vice Regent also appear in the immediate pedigree of Shebandowana, the dam of Midnight Aria. Shebandowana is by the former Ontario sire Mt. Magazine, an unraced son of Mr. Prospector who was brought to Ontario by the late Aubrey Minshall. The mare’s dam, Savanna Anna, was bred by Minshall and was an unraced daughter of Vice Regent.
Minshall, a member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, bred several winners out of Savanna Anna including Grade II winner Miss Indy Anna. The mare also produced graded stakes winner Time Limit, bred by Vinery and John Gaines.
Shebandowana, the sixth foal of Savanna Anna, was bred by Grey Stone Manor and raced in Ontario for various interests including Panacea Stable and Rick Pletan. She raced successfully at the allowance level in 1995 and 96 before she started to slide down the claiming ladder.
Yvonne Schwabe, a longtime client of Hill ‘n’ Dale (which has a Canadian farm in Aurora, ON run by Glenn Sikura), bought Shebandowana privately from Lou and Carlo Tucci after they had claimed her for $12,500.
No sooner had Schwabe bought the five-year-old that she suffered a guttural hemorrhage and nearly died, twice. Following two surgeries and a lot of expense, Schwabe has since bred 10 foals from Shebandowana including Wanna Runner, a favourite for the 2006 Plate for Mike Pegram and a graded stakes winner of over $630,000.
Schwabe reports that Shebandowana has a yearling full brother to Midnight Aria in the upcoming Keeneland September sale and is back in foal to that champion.
