Alan Porter’s 2025 Breeding Analysis for Kingsbarns

Kingsbarns is a grade one winning son of the exceptional sire of sires, Uncle Mo, out of a graded placed Tapit mare from a top-class family.

Uncle Mo has already demonstrated a considerable affinity for mares from the Storm Cat line.  On this cross, he and his sons already have more than 30 stakes winners, including Champion Two-Year-Old and Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist, out of a mare by Forestry (sire of Discreet Cat – himself broodmare sire of an Uncle Mo line stakes winner – and Shackleford). Uncle Mo stakes winner, Thrilled, is out of a mare by Giant’s Causeway (sire of Eskendereya, Shamardal, Giant Gizmo – all broodmare sires of Uncle Mo graded stakes winners – First Samurai, Creative Cause, Not This Time and Carpe Diem). His stakes winner Clipthecouponannie is out of a mare by Freud, a brother to Giant’s Causeway, and he also has a stakes winner out of a mare by After Market, who is bred on the same cross as Giant’s Causeway and Freud. The Hennessy branch has worked under Uncle Mo via Henny Hughes, Cactus Ridge and Scat Daddy (by Johannesburg). Uncle Mo’s multiple graded winner Envoutante is out of a mare by Bluegrass Cat, graded stakes winner Life’s A Parlay is out of a mare by Tale of the Cat (sire of Tale of Ekati, already broodmare sire of an Uncle Mo line stakes winner, and Lion Heart and grandsire of Kantharos). Tale of the Cat is particularly interesting here as his dam is a sister to the dam of Pulpit, who is in the male line of Kingsbarns. There are also stakes winners out of mares by Tactical Cat and Harlan’s Holiday (sire of Into Mischief – himself already broodmare sire of an Uncle Mo stakes winner – Majesticperfection and Shanghai Bobby). This also suggests trying mares by Stormy Atlantic, Lion Hearted, Stormin Fever, Storm Boot, Forest Wildcat (sire of D’Wildcat, Wildcat Heir and Chatain, the broodmare sire of Uncle Mo line graded winner Accidental Hero), Bernstein, Storm Creek, Stormy Atlantic, Mountain Cat, Sir Cat, and Tabasco Cat.  

From another branch of Northern Dancer, Uncle Mo has sired graded stakes winner Epical out of a mare by Deputy Minister. From sons of that horse, he has stakes winner Mo Dont No out of a mare by Defrere, a brother to Dehere (sire of Graeme Hall – broodmare sire of Uncle Mo line stakes winner Mangum) and stakes winner King For a Day out of a mare by French Deputy. Uncle Mo’s sire, Indian Charlie and sons have also been represented by a graded winner out of a mare by Touch Gold. The Deputy Minister line can also be brought in through Silver Deputy (also sire of Posse), Awesome Again (sire of Ghostzapper, Paynter, Oxbow and Awesome of Course), Salt Lake, Forest Camp and Deputy Commander.

Uncle Mo has done well with mares from the Sadler’s Wells branch of Northern Dancer and here he should be particularly good as Kingsbarns’ second dam is by Kingmambo, who is out of a mare by Nureyev, a three-quarters brother to Sadler’s Wells. His graded winner Donna Veloce is out of a mare by Montjeu. He has stakes winner Galilean out of a mare by El Prado, and from sons of that sire, stakes winners from mares by Medaglia d’Oro (sire of Warrior’s Reward and Violence, himself broodmare sire of grade two winner Showcase) and Kitten’s Joy which also suggests mares by Artie Schiller. Uncle Mo graded stakes winner, West Hollywood, is out of a mare by Galileo (who has been represented in North America by Magician and Capo Blanco) and stakes winner Scoobie Quando is out of a mare by Black Sam Bellamy, a brother to Another branch of Northern Dancer to succeed under Uncle Mo is that of Dixieland Band (sire of Dixie Union), who supplied the dam of graded winner King Guillermo.

Uncle Mo has already shown an extremely strong affinity for mares from the Fappiano line. He has grade one winner Outwork out of a mare by Empire Maker and grade one winner A Mo Reay out of a mare by that horse’s son, Pioneerof the Nile, with Empire Maker also appearing as sire of Bodemeister, and grandsire of American Pharoah, Classic Empire and Cairo Prince. His graded stakes winner Unbridled Mo is out of a mare by Empire Maker’s sire, Unbridled, and his two-year-old graded winner Uncle Vinny is out of a mare by Unbridled son, Untuttable. Unbridled’s son, Unbridled’s Song, is broodmare sire of Uncle Mo graded winners Gulfport, Girl Daddy and Uncle Chuck, and Unbridled’s Song is also sire of Midshipman – broodmare sire of Uncle Mo grade one winner Golden Pal – Liam’s Map, Arrogate, Songandaprayer, First Defence, Old Fashioned, Zensational, Rockport Harbor, Political Force, Even The Score, Dunkirk, Half Ours, Buddha and Eurosilver. Unbridled can also be brought in through Broken Vow, Birdstone and Red Bullet. 

From other branches of Fappiano, Uncle Mo is sire of graded stakes winner Mo Tom out of a mare by Rubiano (whose son Burning Roma is broodmare sire of a stakes winner by a son of Uncle Mo, also suggesting Too Much Bling). Rubiano is also a thre-quarters brother to the dam of Tapit, the broodmare sire of Kingsbarns. Fappiano son, Quiet American (grandsire of Midnight Lute) appears as broodmare sire of Uncle Mo multiple stakes winner Flying Connection.  From the Crytpoclearance branch of Fappiano, Uncle Mo has graded stakes winner Hot Springs out of a mare by Victory Gallop, which also suggests trying Candy Ride and Gun Runner and Twirling Candy daughters. There is also a graded stakes winner out of a mare by Fappiano son, Desert God.

From other branches of Mr. Prospector – the sire of Fappiano – Uncle Mo has done very well with mares from the Gone West line. He is sire of graded winner Rally Cry from a mare by Gone West himself, and has Grade one winner Gomo and graded stakes winner Lost Raven out of mares by Gone West son, Elusive Quality, who is also broodmare sire of Grade one winner Randomized by a son of Uncle Mo. There are also three Uncle Mo graded winners, including Laoban out of mares by Speightstown (sire of Munnings) and a graded winner by a son of Uncle Mo out of a mare by Proud Citizen. It might also be worth trying mares by Elusive Quality sons, Smarty Jones and Quality Road, as well as mares by other Gone West line stallions such as Grand Slam and Mr. Greeley.

Uncle Mo also has graded stakes winner Front Pocket Money out of a mare by Fusaichi Pegasus (sire of Roman Ruler), a horse bred on similar lines to Distorted Humor (sire of Jimmy Creed, Maclean’s Music, Flower Alley, Sharp Humor and Drosselmeyer). Distorted Humor is by Forty Niner, who could also be brought in through Coronado’s Quest, Editor’s Note, End Sweep, Jules, Luhuk, Gold Fever, Roar, Trippi and Twining.

Uncle Mo’s graded stakes winning two-year-old, Mo Strike, is out of a mare by Smart Strike (sire of Curlin – the broodmare sire of a stakes winner by a son of Uncle Mo – Lookin At Lucky, English Channel and Square Eddie, the broodmare sire of of an Uncle Mo Grade one winner). Uncle Mo has graded winner Moon Colony out of a mare by Carson City, the sire of Flying Chevron (broodmare sire of a champion by Uncle Mo’s sire, Indian Charlie), City Zip, Lord Carson, Good and Tough, Cuvee, Pollard’s Vision and Five Star Day. There is also an Uncle Mo stakes winner out of a mare by Smoke Glacken, as well as graded winner Mo’ Green, out of mare by that horse’s sire, Two Punch. Stakes-winning and grade one-placed Conquest Mo Money is out of a mare by Seeking the Gold (the sire of Mutakddim, Petionville and Cape Town).

Kingsbarns is out of a mare by Tapit, from the Pulpit branch of the A.P. Indy line, but could work well crossed back over some other branches of A.P Indy. Particularly interesting would be mares by Bernardini who is bred very similarly to Tapit. Bernardini is broodmare sire of 11 Uncle Mo line stakes winners, three grade one, and is sire of Stay Thirsty and To Honor and Serve. Grade one stakes winner Arabian Knight is  by Uncle Mo out of a mare by the similarly-bred Astrology. A.P. Indy son Mineshaft, is broodmare sire of Uncle Mo line Champion Vequist, and sire of Dialed In and Discreetly Mine; Malibu Moon, is the broodmare sire of Uncle Mo line Grade One winner Brightwork; and there is also a Grade one winner by a son of Uncle Mo out of a mare by  Congrats (brother to Flatter) and stakes winners from daughters of  Stephen Got Even and Take Charge Indy (whose second dam is by Rubiano, a three-quarters brother to the dam of Tapit), with other A.P. Indy sources include Girolamo and Jump Start.

Uncle Mo sired stakes winner Forevamo out of a mare by Slew Gin Fizz, a son of Relaunch, a line that might be brought in through Tiznow, the broodmare sire of Uncle Mo stakes winner My Aunt Mo (sire of Tiz Wonderful and Colonel John), Skywalker, Bertrando, Officer and Honour and Glory (sire of Put It Back). This is a branch of In Reality, and there is an Uncle Mo stakes winner out of a mare by Successful Appeal, from the Valid Appeal branch.

Uncle Mo has two stakes winners, one graded, out of mares by Dynaformer, a son of Roberto and has graded stakes winner Sabatini out of mare by Blame, a son of Arch (by the Roberto stallion, Kris S.)  Roberto is a Hail to Reason son, and Uncle Mo has done well with mares from the Halo branch of Hail to Reason, including a Grade one winner out of a mare by More Than Ready (sire of Daredevil, Verrazano and Ready’s Image).