CHAMPION juvenile-elect in the USA is the triple Grade 1 winning Violence (Medaglia D’Oro) colt Forte.

He added the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile to earlier wins in the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland and the Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga, and is now a four-time winner in five starts, with earnings of $1.6 million. Forte sold twice, for $80,000 as a foal and for $110,000 the following September.

Forte is the first foal out of Queen Caroline (Blame), and the second is a yearling colt by Uncle Mo (Indian Charlie) who sold for $850,000 this year. Four of Queen Caroline’s six wins were in stakes races at Indiana Downs and Laurel, and she comes from a reasonable female line, her grandam, Queens Plaza (Forestry), being a stakes-winning juvenile at Monmouth.

Skip back to Forte’s fourth dam, Jeano (Fappiano), and her 10 victories included Grade 3 wins at Keeneland and Gulfstream Park. None of her seven winners were above average, but her unraced daughter Contrive (Storm Cat) was a success as a producer. Thanks to her daughter Folklore (Tiznow) becoming champion juvenile filly, Contrive sold for $3 million in 2005.

Folklore went on to add the Grade 1 Matron Stakes to her win in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile fillies, and she became the grandam of three-time Japanese champion Contrail (Deep Impact).

Essential Quality

Should Forte become champion this year, he would be the third family member to do so in the last two decades. Folklore’s stakes-placed half-sister Delightful Quality is the dam of Essential Quality (Tapit), the first Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner to go on and capture the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, and he has just completed his first season at Darley America.

Another champion-in-waiting is Wonder Wheel, the two-year-old daughter of Into Mischief (Harlan’s Holiday) who will surely be crowned leading sire for the fourth time this year in the USA. Bred by Three Chimneys and Clearsky Farms, this $275,000 yearling purchase has met defeat once, when runner-up in the Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes, in five starts, and her wins include both the Grade 1 Breeders; Cup Juvenile Fillies and the Alcibiades Stakes.

Wonder Wheel is the second foal and winner from the stakes-winning Wonder Gal (Tiz Wonderful), and she herself was placed in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, as well as being runner-up in both the Grade 1 Frizette Stakes and Mother Goose Stakes.