Vice Regent

The pride of Canada Northern Dancer sired Vice Regent who continued his Canadian heritage… He only ran 5 races, none stakes and earned the pittance of 6.5k total in his racing career, but this guy was magic in the breeding shed. An examination of his pedigree may reveal how that happened.

PEDIGREE

Obviously being a son of the perhaps the greatest sire of sires in racing history does not hurt and Vice Regent does inherit greatly from his sire Northern Dancer. Unlike many of Northern Dancers best sire-sons Vice Regent has been in the blood lines of better dirt runners than turf and his sons have also produced well on the dust.  Vice Regent although not a Chef De Race (one wonders why) has been a major speed influence. His dam side is interesting as well… Mentier his Dam sire is out of the line of British turf legend Fairway. Fairway was a three year old champ in England and has been a long turf influence in the pedigree’s of Petingo, Petition and many others and a speed influence through Fair Trial. Perhaps it is Mentier that helps along the speed in Vice Regent’s genes or maybe it is from his dam’s line. His dam Victoria Regina had only three foals, Vice Regent’s full brother Viceregal was a Canadian two year old champ. While Vice Regent was not the runner his brother was he was a far better sire although a few of Viceregal’s mares would foal good horses. Vice Regent was part of Northern Dancers second crop which included Nijinsky. His dam sire Windfields (a stakes champion himself) was the namesake of the farm he would stand at. Also if you go back two generations on his dam side you will find the name Bunty Lawless and crossing back to Bunty Lawless would be the key to Vice Regent’s most successful son’s sire line. Bunty Lawless was voted Canadian horse of the half century in 1951.

http://www.pedigreequery.com/vice+regent

CAREER AT STUD

When Vice Regent first stood he was not very highly regarded as a lightly raced unsuccessful runner. Northern Dancers sons though began making it clear that breeding to any of his sons was worth a try. Vice Regent's sons quickly made the thoroughbred world take notice that this was no average sire and he was passing on a special set of genes. He would have a run of 13 years as Canada’s top sire. Of his 400 foals 60 would be stakes winners. His son Regal Embrace won the Queens Plate in 1978, the same year he sired Canada’s champion mare Christy’s Mount. In 1979 he sired the 2 year old Champion Deputy Minister. Deputy Minister features a cross back to Bunty Lawless on his dams side proving the horse that went on to be a great American sire is really quite Canadian. Deputy Minister would be named top sire in North America twice and was the leading broodmare sire in NA just last year in 2007. Vice Regent's had champions in Canada through the 80’s and in 1988 he swept the Canadian Triple Crown through two sons and a grand son (Regal Intention won the Queens Plate, Regal Classic reversed the finish in leg two and grand son King’s deputy won the third leg.) While Rgent’s influence has been most obvious among fast two year olds he has also sired many top running turf routers as well. He has been involved in the Pedigree of four champion two year olds. Deputy Minister, Dehere, Boston Harbor and Wilko. He was the dam sire of two year old champion Boston Harbor and the Great Grand sire of Wilko through Awesome Again and Deputy Minister. He is also the dam sire of Victory Gallop who ended Real Quiet’s triple crown bid at Belmont back in 1998. Victory Gallop also would be named Champion older horse in 1999. Another of his daughter’s foaled Captain Steve the Dubai World Cup Champ in 2001. Deputy Minister sired many champions as well including Awesome Again, Dehere, Silver Deputy and Touch Gold. Awesome Again sired two winners on the same breeders cup day in 2004 the aforementioned Wilko who won the Juvi and Ghostzapper who won the Classic that same year. He also sired two breeders cup distaff champs.

Breeding Ideas for Vice Regent line

Certainly there are many way to cross the great Vice Regent but looking at crossing him through his father seem to be the best. I am intrigued about ways to cross him directly through Boston Harbor or Victory Gallop as well. Vice Regent has been a top notch DS and DDS in the sim on his own as well. His sons have crossed exceedingly well with Mr Prospector lines (Dehere especially to Fupeg and Forty Niner) but the deep crosses Deputy Minister’s sons can create back to Northern Dancer lines have also been extremely effective. Vice Regent also might be considered a line to focus on when looking for a sensational two year old. His real life sons were remarkable as two year old as have been the progeny of his sons. Vice Regent, and his line have had remarkable real life success even when paired to even lesser known lines so experiment with this line and you may get an unexpected surprise. Vice Regent’s remarkable career and life ended in 1995 and he is buried at Windfield Farms.