BY LAURIE ROSS

Speed gets the headlines, but soundness keeps a stallion relevant. Bahamian Squall (Gone West – Midway Squall, by Storm Bird) delivers both to his foals with a pedigree anchored by two of the most influential sire lines in modern breeding.

AT THE RACES

Bahamian Squall joined Grade 1-hero First Dude and Grade 3-winners Joint Effort and Apriority as homebreds campaigned by Donald Dizney, owner of Double Diamond Farm.

He captured his debut as a new three-year-old in February 2012 at Gulfstream Park. He won or placed in five other starts at three, highlighted by a decisive three-and-a-half-length victory in the 2012 Sunshine State Stakes at Gulfstream. That performance earned a 100 Beyer Speed Figure and came over eventual multiple graded winner, Fort Loudon, who had previously completed a rare sweep of the 2011 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series.

His best season came as a 4-year-old, when he captured the Grade 2 Smile Sprint Handicap at Calder, earning a 103 Beyer Speed Figure while defeating 2012 champion sprinter Trinniberg by a length-and-three-quarters. He later finished second in the Grade 1 A.G. Vanderbilt to Justin Phillip, recording a career-high 104 Beyer.

A rare example of soundness and longevity, Bahamian Squall raced from ages three through six and retired with a record of 25 starts, five wins, six seconds and four thirds, 11 of them black type, and earnings of $582,920.

PEDIGREE

Bred on a similar cross to 2004 Champion Sprinter Speightstown (Gone West – Silken Cat, by Storm Cat), the 17-year-old Bahamian Squall is one of the few sons of Gone West still active at stud.

Gone West (Mr. Prospector – Secrettame, by Secretariat) was competitive from a mile to nine furlongs, including the 1987 Dwyer (G1), the Gotham and the Withers Stakes, both one-mile Grade 2 events.

Gone West was prolific in the breeding shed, siring 100 versatile, stakes winners, including Speightstown, European Champion Two-Year-Old Colt Zafonic, two-time Breeders’ Cup Mile hero, Da Hoss (2x BC Mile), 2000 Belmont Stakes winner Commendable, 2002 Kentucky Derby hero, Came Home, and 2003 Breeders’ Cup Turf victor, Johar.

His stallion sons include 2004 champion sire Elusive Quality; perennial leading sire Speightstown; prominent speed sire Mr. Greeley; Proud Citizen, and Grand Slam.

Bahamian Squall is out of the unraced Midway Squall (Storm Bird – Oh So Precious, by Best Turn), whose other foals include:

Apriority (by Grand Slam) a brilliant sprinter who captured the 2011 Mr. Prospector Stakes (G3) and was second in the prestigious Carter Handicap (G1) second by a nose in the Churchill Downs Stakes (G2) and also second in the Count Fleet Handicap (G2) at Oaklawn. Apriority amassed $525,829 in a career that spanned five years and 36 starts.

British Attitude (by Broad Brush) a multiple stakes-placed turf sprinter who made 34 starts in five years and $183,583 in earnings.

Squall City (by Carson City) winner of the listed La Habra Stakes at Santa Anita, she was in the money in seven of ten career starts and bankrolled $173,190. Squall City and her daughters became multiple stakes producers, including Grade 1-placed juvenile filly, Big Tiz.

Natalie Grace (by First Dude), unraced dam of 2020 Bing Crosby (G1) winner Collusion Illusion (by Twirling Candy).

Midway Squall is out of the listed stakes-winning sprinter Oh So Precious (by Best Turn). Oh So Precious is one of three black-type earners out of the speedy stakes winner and multiple stakes-placed Amathea (by Iron Ruler).

Bahamian Squall’s damsire Storm Bird (Northern Dancer – South Ocean, by New Providence) was the 1980s dual English–Irish Champion 2-Year-Old Male.

Storm Bird’s true calling was passing his royal bloodlines to his offspring, and he became one of the most influential sires in modern history. At stud, he produced over 63 stakes winners, including champions Balanchine and Indian Skimmer, as well as Irish Champion 3-year-old Bluebird and Preakness hero Summer Squall, and his most significant son, Storm Cat.

A notable sire of sires, and his descendants, Into Mischief and Scat Daddy.

Storm Bird’s bloodlines were so prevalent that the first three finishers in the 1999 Kentucky Derby, Charismatic, Menifee and Cat Thief, were by his sons or grandsons.

Storm Bird’s daughters bore 155 stakes winners, including champions Flanders, Thunder Gulch, Court Vision, and Bird Town.

AT STUD

An athletic-looking sprinter who clearly reflects his sire, Bahamian Squall offers a well-balanced frame highlighted by a strong shoulder, a straight and correct hind leg typical of the Mr. Prospector line, and the powerful hindquarters with a sloping croup reminiscent of Secretariat. That physical package has translated into durability and reliability, with 85% of his foals of racing age making it to the racetrack.

Roger Brand, General Manager of Double Diamond Farm, remarked that “Bahamian Squall’s foals are sprinters like their sire, and they’re on the bit, eager to go.”

With speed throughout his pedigree, Bahamian Squall’s offspring are sharp sprinters, including the aptly-named Spirit Wind, Grade 2 winner and 2024 Florida-bred Champion Older Female and the tough Bahamian Moon, who is still going strong as a 9-year-old, with 58 starts and a current bankroll of $458,024. The ultra-consistent stakes-placed 7-year-old Running Memories, who has finished in the top four in 14 of 17 starts, banking $291,660.