City Zip: The Less-Famous Older Brother of Ghostzapper

When Run Away and Hide won the gr. II Saratoga Special Stakes on August 14, 2008, he was following in the hoof prints of his sire, City Zip, who accomplished the same task eight years previously. Unlike his sire, however, Run Away and Hide skipped the preceding gr. II Sanford Stakes at Saratoga, and also skipped the crown jewel for juveniles at Saratoga, the gr. I Hopeful Stakes. Not so his sire. In 2000, City Zip--whose pedigree from Tesiopower is reproduced at the end of this article--completed a rare triple of Saratoga's threesome of prestigious stakes races for two-year-olds, capturing the Sanford, Saratoga Special, and dead-heating with Yonaguska in the Hopeful (beating Macho Uno by a neck in the process). The dead heat in the Hopeful, which was hurriedly started that year five minutes before the scheduled post time to avoid one of those familiar impending Saratoga summer storms, was unprecedented.¹ Writers were quick to pounce on the disparity of the dual winners of the Hopeful: Yonaguska was a $1,950,000 graduate of Fasig-Tipton Calder’s select two-year-old in training sale, while City Zip was purchased for a mere $9,500 as a yearling at the January Keeneland sale. More impressively, City Zip’s Saratoga juvenile triple was historical, being accomplished previously only by the great filly Regret in 1914, Campfire in 1916, and Dehere in 1993, who later captured the Eclipse Award for champion two-year-old male. Unfortunately for City Zip, the history-making comparisons ended there. If anything, City Zip has an interesting history that mixes bloodlines and circumstance, which while hardly unique in thoroughbred racing and pedigrees, is what makes this sport so fascinating.

After capturing the three stakes at Saratoga, City Zip next finished second by a nose to Burning Roma in his first route test at one mile in the gr. I Futurity at Belmont, but then finished seventh to A P Valentine in the gr. I Champagne Stakes over 8 1/2 furlongs at the same track, and then seventh again in the gr. I Breeder's Cup Juvenile, also at 8 1/2 furlongs, at Churchill Downs to old rival Macho Uno--who went on to capture the year's Eclipse Award for champion two-year-old male. If you are already detecting a trend, it is an all-too-familiar one in thoroughbred racing: the speedy juvenile hitting the proverbial brick wall when introduced to routes. City Zip never won a race beyond seven furlongs in his racing lifetime.

Little wonder, as his sire Carson City was a product of the most prominent influence of tail-male speed in the United States, being sired by Mr. Prospector who, of course, was sired by Raise a Native. Carson City won the gr. II Sapling Stakes as a two-year old and the gr. II Fall Highweight Handicap and gr. III Boojum Handicap at age three, every single one of which was run at six furlongs. He had a good stud carrer, siring grade one winner Flying Chevron (who did win at one mile and over), the filly Carson Hollow, a winner of the gr. I Prioress Stakes (run at 6 furlongs), this year's gr. II Vanderbilt Handicap winner Abraaj, Pollard's Vision (another one able to get a route, as he won the 2004 gr. II Illinois Derby over 9 furlongs), and many others. He has gained almost as much notoriety as a broodmare sire, most notably of the ill-fated Barbaro and Stormello. Carson City died at age 17 in late 2004 at Overbrook Farm after standing there his entire career. When he died, the Thoroughbred Times reported he had sired 72 stakes winners from 11 crops of racing age.² Acknowledging that Steven Roman's dosage methodology does not have universal acclaim, it must nevertheless be pointed out that Dr. Roman thought enough of Carson City's influence to grant him chef-de-race status in 2007.

At age three City Zip's trainer, Linda Rice, did what every trainer of a three-year-old who showed promise his juvenile year would do: point to the classics. He started on a traditional route, in the gr. I Fountain of Youth Stakes at 1 1/16 miles, where he finished a respectable third to Songandaprayer--not bad considering he went into the race on a tender foot. His next race was the gr. I Florida Derby at 1 1/8 miles, where he finished ninth to Monarchos, who would later go on to win the gr. I Kentucky Derby. His connections wisely returned him to a sprinting schedule, and during the rest of his three-year-old year his triumphs included the gr. III six-furlong Jersey Shore Breeder’s Cup Stakes at Monmouth over Songandaprayer, and most notably the gr. II Amsterdam Stakes (also six furlongs) back at his favorite track, Saratoga, where he defeated fellow three-year-old Speightstown--who later went on at age 6 to capture the gr. I Breeder’s Cup Sprint in 2004 and won the Eclipse Award for best sprinter that year. His career concluded with two straight defeats at one mile: a third to Forbidden Apple in the gr. II Kelso Handicap, and a ninth place finish in the gr. I Breeder’s Cup Mile on the turf to Val Royal. His connections opted to bypass the Breeder's Cup Sprint that year, won by Squirtle Squirt, to whom City Zip finished third in the gr. I King’s Bishops Stakes earlier at Saratoga.

City Zip was retired in 2001 to stand stud beginning in 2002 at Contemporary Stallions in New York for a fee of $7,500. His final racing tally was 23 starts, 9 wins, 5 places, and 4 shows, earning just over $818,000. He stayed at Contemporary for three years until he was moved in 2005 to William S. Farish’s Lane’s End Farm to stand for $15,000. While this is conjecture on my part, the reason for the move and the increase in stud fee was obvious: in 2004, City Zip’s much more famous half-brother, Ghostzapper, won the gr. I Breeder’s Cup Classic on October 30, 2004 at Lone Star Park, setting a track record time of 1:59.02 for the mile and a quarter in the process. Ghostzapper later went on, of course, to be named the 2004 Horse of the Year. In September 2005, it was announced that Ghostzapper he would stand his first season at stud in 2006 at Adena Springs Kentucky for an eye-popping fee of $200,000--the highest in history since Devil's Bag commanded that fee in 1985. (The fee was later reduced to $150,000 for his 2007 season.) Between the success of City Zip and Ghostzapper, it was little wonder that the dam of both, Baby Zip, was named Broodmare of the Year.

Which brings us to City Zip's female side of the family. Baby Zip's dam, Thirty Zip, produced Turkish stakes winner Win River Win, but little else of note. She was a warrior as a racehorse, however, starting 44 times and earning just over a half-million dollars in the process. Baby Zip's grand dam, Sailaway, produced the filly Eileen's Moment, who had an undistinguished racing career but went on to become the dam of gr. I Kentucky Derby winner Lil E Tee and was accorded Reine de Course status by Ellen Parker. (At the time of this writing, Parker's site is not listing the Reines.) Baby Zip's male ancestors include sire Relaunch, who won the gr. III Del Mar Derby at nine furlongs, and Relaunch's sire In Reality, who could get a distance of ground himself (he won the gr. I Florida Derby at nine furlongs), but gained greater notoriety as a miler, winning both the seven furlong gr. I Carter Handicap and the gr. I Metropolitan Mile. He proved to be an influence on both speed as well as classic horses and was placed in the Brilliant-Classic chef-de-race category by Steven Roman.

Speaking of In Reality, Carson City proved to be a good match for In Reality-line mares, as gr. I winner City Band was a result of that breeding, as was 2006 gr. II Saratoga Stakes winner Chace City. The ever-predictable inbreeding to Northern Dancer, however, has proven more fruitful, producing Dubai Golden Shaheen winner State City, the previously mentioned Pollard's Vision, and this year's gr. III Miss Preakness Stakes winner Palanka City. Turn-To male-line mares have also nicked well with Carson City, producing this year's gr. II Vanderbilt winner Abraaj, 2001 Vanderbilt winner Five Star Day, and the 1996 gr. II Boojum Handicap winner Lord Carson.

City Zip has so far sired nice, if not yet exceptional (with the possible exception of Bustin Stones), offspring. In his first crop, his leading money earner was Little Miss Zip, who won Finger Lakes’ Lady’s Finger Stakes in 2005 and placed in various other ungraded stakes. His leading second-crop offspring was With a City, who at age 3 won the gr. II Lane’s End Stakes at Turfway Park at odds of over 48 to 1 before finishing last in the gr. II Arkansas Derby. Shortly afterwards he was euthanized after suffering from an unknown illness. His third crop brought Tishmeister (foaled 2004), who captured Saratoga’s Statue of Liberty Stakes in 2007. That same year, City Zip sired Bustin Stones, who is his greatest success so far, winning this year’s gr. I Carter Handicap and gr. II General George Handicap, and who has yet to be defeated in six starts. At the time of this writing (September 21, 2008) his racing future is uncertain, with his next start possibly the gr. I Vosburgh Handicap. He was scratched from the Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga with a bruised foot (according to the September 12, 2008 issue of the Thoroughbred Daily News), which one hopes will not be a sign of City Zip offspring, as our subject himself was prone to foot issues. His long-range plans, however, are set: in the same issue of TDN, it was announced Bustin Stones will begin standing at stud next year at Waldorf Farm in New York for $6,500. City Zip’s latest crop of racing age, from 2006, has produced the aforementioned Run Away and Hide, who also captured the gr. III Kentucky Stakes, and the filly Partner’s Star, who won the Anna M. Fisher Debutante Stakes at Ellis Park.

Looking back at City Zip's stud career in progeny earnings, his $1,064,275 in offspring earnings was good enough to rank a respectable third on the 2005 Leading First-Crop Sires list, behind only Tiznow and El Corredor. In 2006, he ranked sixth among 2006 Leading Second-Crop Sires, while in 2007 he was back in the top 5, ranking fifth among 2007 Leading Third-Crop Sires. That year was also the first time he would crack the list of Leading Sires overall, where he ranked 69th. He ranked even higher among sires of 2007 when considering the ranking by Average Earnings Index, where he finished 44th with a respectable AEI of 1.81. Plus, he is among the elite group that betters the produce of his mares, as his Comparable Index for that year was 1.44, which put him among the 42 (of 75 sires ranked) whose AEI was higher than the Comparable Index. At the time of this writing (September 21, 2008), he ranks 47th on the current Leading Sires listing for 2008. His APEX rating is similarly respectable, and as of mid-year 2008 his ABC Index stands at 1.99--enough to rank him 41st. (Bill Oppenheim released his mid-year APEX ratings in the August 13, 2008 edition of the Thoroughbred Daily News, which contains a link to a downloadable spreadsheet.) For comparison, all fellow 2007 Leading Third-Crop Sires who ranked above him in earnings rank below him in the ABC Index: Broken Vow is currently at 1.54, Tiznow is 1.45, Trippi is 1.66, and El Corredor is 1.43.

One thing he is virtually guaranteed to do is sire speed horses. With 248 foals of racing age so far, the average winning distance of his progeny is but 6.4 furlongs according to his Equineline statistics. His offspring are eerily similar to his own limits, as well: the same statistical page indicates the average maximum winning distance is 6.66 furlongs. Are his offspring going to have the same 7 furlong barrier? It is likely. So far, among his graded stakes offspring only With a City has won around two turns, as the Lane's End Stakes is nine furlongs. Just as this article was being completed, the September 20, 2008 winner of the non-graded Sunday Silence Stakes at Louisiana Downs was won by gelded two-year-old City Style (out of Brattothecore), which was contested over 1 1/16 miles on the turf. Perhaps, with the proper influence of distance on the distaff side and good training, City Zip may yet produce a few more runners who can go a distance.

Currently standing at Lane's End Farm for $15,000, it is little surprise that City Zip is featured in most trade publication advertisements from Lane's End as a half-brother to his more famous sibling Ghostzapper, whose yearlings are averaging over $300,000 (according to the September 10, 2008 Thoroughbred Daily News). Nevertheless, City Zip has so far proven that the older sibling is not giving up easily. He has become a respectable sire in his own right, and offers the breeder on a more modest budget than breeding to Ghostzapper permits a better chance to bring back the stud fee in purses.
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¹ As reported in the Thoroughbred Times, available only to subscribers.
²Subscribers to the Thoroughbred Times can access the story here.

TesioPower Pedigree for City Zip
City Zip (1998) - M - 23-b
by Carson City out of Baby Zip by Relaunch to 6 generations

Carson City 1987	Mr Prospector 1970	Raise A Native 1961	Native Dancer 1950	Polynesian 1942	Unbreakable Black Polly	1935 - 4-i 1936 - 14-a
				Geisha 1943	Discovery Miyako	1931 - 23-b 1935 - 5-f
			Raise You 1946	Case Ace 1934	Teddy Sweetheart	1913 - 2-n 1920 - 1-k
				Lady Glory 1934	American Flag Beloved	1922 - 7 1927 - 8-f
		Gold Digger 1962	Nashua 1952	Nasrullah 1940	Nearco Mumtaz Begum	1935 - 4-r 1932 - 9-c
				Segula 1942	Johnstown Sekhmet	1936 - 17-b 1929 - 3-m
			Sequence 1946	Count Fleet 1940	Reigh Count Quickly	1925 - 2-d 1930 - 6
				Miss Dogwood 1939	Bull Dog Myrtlewood	1927 - 16-a 1932 - 13-c
	Blushing Promise 1982	Blushing Groom 1974	Red God 1954	Nasrullah 1940	Nearco Mumtaz Begum	1935 - 4-r 1932 - 9-c
				Spring Run 1948	Menow Boola Brook	1935 - 8-g 1937 - 8-c
			Runaway Bride 1962	Wild Risk 1940	Rialto Wild Violet	1923 - 12 1935 - 3-f
				Aimee 1957	Tudor Minstrel Emali	1944 - 9-c 1945 - 22-d
		Summertime Promise 1972	Nijinsky II 1967	Northern Dancer 1961	Nearctic Natalma	1954 - 14-c 1957 - 2-d
				Flaming Page 1959	Bull Page Flaring Top	1947 - 4-m 1947 - 8-f
			Prides Promise 1966	Crozier 1958	My Babu Miss Olympia	1945 - 1-w 1952 - 23-b
				Hillbrook 1957	I Will Johann	1944 - 1-s 1950 - 4-r
Baby Zip 1991	Relaunch 1976	In Reality 1964	Intentionally 1956	Intent 1948	War Relic Liz F	1938 - 1-o 1933 - 8-c
				My Recipe 1947	Discovery Perlette	1931 - 23-b 1934 - 5-j
			My Dear Girl 1957	Rough 'n Tumble 1948	Free For All Roused	1942 - 1-l 1943 - 1-o
				Iltis 1947	War Relic We Hail	1938 - 1-o 1942 - 21-a
		Foggy Note 1965	The Axe II 1958	Mahmoud 1933	Blenheim Mah Mahal	1927 - 1-e 1928 - 9-c
				Blackball 1950	Shut Out Big Event	1939 - 16-g 1938 - 1-x
			Silver Song 1957	Royal Note 1952	Spy Song Penroyal	1943 - 2-o 1935 - 12
				Beadah 1953	Djeddah Beauty Spot	1945 - 13-c 1948 - 3-o
	Thirty Zip 1983	Tri Jet 1969	Jester 1955	Tom Fool 1949	Menow Gaga	1935 - 8-g 1942 - 3-j
				Golden Apple 1945	Eight Thirty Thorn Apple	1936 - 11-b 1937 - 23-b
			Haze 1953	Olympia 1946	Heliopolis Miss Dolphin	1936 - 8-g 1934 - 4-p
				Blue Castle 1938	Blenheim Blue Dust	1927 - 1-e 1929 - 20-c
		Sailaway 1976	Hawaii 1964	Utrillo II 1958	Toulouse Lautrec Urbinella	1950 - 6-d 1953 - 20-a
				Ethane 1947	Mehrali Ethyl	1939 - 3-e 1936 - 1-l
			Quick Wit 1956	Shannon II 1941	Midstream Idle Words	1933 - 7-f 1932 - 8-g
				Witty 1946	Rhodes Scholar Native Gal	1933 - 1-n 1939 - 23-b

Dosage Profile: 21-11-11-1-0 (44) DI=5.77 CD=1.18
TesioPower