The light bay stallion, Gorec 1999 (Druid x Gordaia by Damask), whose name in Turkmen means “the pupil of the eye”, or in other words, very “precious”, was bred and trained in Poland by Mrs. Anna Nieora-Tchkuaseli. He has had a sterling race career on the Warsaw track: 3/19(8-5-0)D+7-6, winning key stakes races for the 4y old and older horses among which the foremost classic stakes race of the season: the 2003 Derby. In addition to the Derby he passed the wire first in the Europejczyk St, Kurozweki St, 2 x Europa Cup, Figaro St. He was five times second including in the Europa Cup, Kurozweki St and 2x Michalow St.

Other than the Derby the most important stakes races in his career were his three starts in the Europa Cup. This is a G1 international race for 4y old and older horses at a distance of 2600 m (1½ miles) where, since 1985, Polish bred racers have been pitting themselves against swift footed horses usually from Russia, France Germany, Holland and Sweden. There are only five Derby winners that have managed to win the Europa Cup St.  Theses are 1 filly, Sarmacja, and 4 colts, Minos, Emael, Druid and Gorec. Of these, Gorec just like his father Druid passed the wire first in two consecutive racing seasons and once came second.

Gorec stood at stud for the first time in 2006. As a stallion Gorec stamps his progeny well. All of his 12 registered get look like him conformation-wise. In Poland he has a handful of mares in foal for 2009. Only one of his daughters, the bay filly Elgara z Regula 2005 out of Elvia 55 by Esplandor, is of age to race. She is being trained at the Sluzewic track and shows a fine turn of the foot. In conformation Elgara z Regula resembles Gorec. Like him she is large framed, well built with great balance, and has a good bone size and a long, well arched neck. She is even tempered with a wonderful willingness to learn and the heart to race. To see Gorec’s other foals left in Poland win on the track, we will have to wait a couple more years.

Gorec’s sire line runs back through Druid 1993, Arax 1952 and Amurath Sahib 1932 to the stallion Bairactar d.b. 1813 imp. Weil 1817. This sire line so well known in Europe is most noted for its daughters – with size, scale, great correctness and an excellent system of levers. Horses of this line are often a valuable foundation stock for successful breeding programs. Their strongest virtue is smoothness, depth of structure and a superb functional body.

One of the greatest horses in the long and distinguished history of Polish races, the bay stallion Druid, is the sire of Gorec. Druid out of the beautiful broodmare and Derby winner Dalida by Probat was foaled in 1993 at Michalow Stud. He was tall: 15.2 hands, athletic, of incomparable stamina but of refined body and classic conformation. He represents top performance contemporary Polish Arabian breeding. His pedigree clearly explains his performance record at the oval: 3/15(13-2-0) D+2x C+7-3. At the age of three he raced 6 times and was 5 times first (Koheilan St, Sambor St, Criterium St, once second (Bialka St). As a 4 year old he too went out 6 times to the starting gate winning each time (Ofir St, Produce St, Kabaret St, Derby, Europa Cup St. and Criterium St.) At 5 he raced four times winning twice in Figaro St. and Europa Cup. That year he came second twice including Criteruim St.. He was nominated in 1996 and 1998 Racehorse of the Year as he won the Triple Crown classics (Derby and 2x Criterium). He was hailed Poland’s best post-war racer, compared by many to the legendary Kaszmir 1929 who won 17 times out of 18 starts of which 13 stakes. Unfortunately, Druid was only used at stud for two seasons in Poland. He was chief sire in Janow in 1998 and in the following season in Michalow. In Poland he left but a handful of progeny, among them Gorec and several valuable athletic winners, including Elmen the 2003 Produce St and 2002 Sambor St winner; Pentagram the 2003 Pamir St. and 2002 Piechur St winner. Druid was sold to Turkey in 1999 for US$ 500 000 at the Janow Podlaski public auction. 

Gorec’s grandsire was the 1991 Polish National Champion Stallion the bay Wojslaw out of Wilejka by El Paso born in 1986 at Michalow Stud.  He raced for two years and his final race score before commencing stud duties at Janow Podlaski was 15(4-4-1)0-3. Wojslaw was tall, in a big frame with refined looks. He was dry but of strong Kuhailan type, with a good top line, long shoulder, well muscled croup plus strong correct legs. In Poland after seven crops Wojslaw left 85 registered foals of which 6 sons and 23 daughters were used in further breeding. Wojsalw culminated efforts of the Polish State Studs to reintroduce back into Poland the precious Arax sub-branch of the Bairactar d.b sire line. The bay Arax 1952 was by Amurath Sahib out of the bay Angara 1947 by Wielki Szlem. Arax raced in Poland for two seasons. His race score was 2/18(5-5-2). He was used in Poland very restrictively before being sold to Russia. Arax became one of the most influential post-war sires at Tersk. 
The bottom side of Wojslaw’s pedigree through Wilejka 1976 and Warmia goes back to the Szweykowska tap root mare foaled in 1800 at Slawuty that created one of the oldest Polish dam lines. The charismatic Wilejka was surely the most beautiful El Paso daughter and the 1982 Polish National Reserve Champion Mare. She was a sterling producer. Her best get was Wojslaw and her daughter Wilia 1984 by Peptone mother of the outstanding racer Wiliam 1995 by Endel with a race score of 3/12(7-1-2) D+AP+c+3 who is now the chief stallion in Michalow. Wilejka’s mother was the bay Warmia 1963, out of Wandera by Doktryner. Warmia was considered the loveliest of Comet’s daughters. She was the dam of Woroblin 1977 by Gedymin and Wermut, 1982 by Probat. Wramia’s best daughter was Wizja 1973 by El Paso. Wizja became the US National Champion Mare while her grand dam Wieza Wiatrow became the Polish National Reserve Champion Filly and World Top Ten Filly.

Wojslaw’s sire was the Russian bred bay, tall and strongly built stallion Tallin 1978. He raced for one season in Russia 6(1-0-1) and was used in breeding for two years at Tersk in 1984 and 1985. Tallin was leased to Poland and used from 1985-1988 where after being sold to Brazil he became Top Ten Stallion. Tallin was by Nabeg 1966 and out of Talantivaia 1972 by Aswan. Talantivia was the grand daughter of Taraszcza 1937 from Janow: Taraszcza was considered by the Russian breeders the most meritorious mare of Tersk after Mammona, 1939. Nabeg was a typical Kuhailan, but rather smallish though massive, balanced and of correct confirmation. Nabeg left 77 foals at Tiersk. He is the sire of such internationally famous sons as Pensiar 1975, Menes 1977 and Mustang 1974.

Druid’s mother the bay Dalida 1981 traces through Dratwa 1966 by Bedr Bedur, the grey Darda, 1950 by Amurath Sahib and chestnut Brda, 1934 to the tap root mare Semrie d.b. 1896 imported in 1902 to Babolna in Hungary. The Semrie dam line was introduced relatively late to the Polish breeding program,  through the import in 1946 of Brda one of the 20 Babolna mares kept in squalid conditions as blood donors for serum production in a vaccine manufacturing plant in Germany which was liberated by the Poles in 1945. Brda’s daughter Darda after a short career at the racetrack assumed her broodmare responsibilities in 1953 at Michalow Stud. She produced 12 foals among which: Dardir 1959 by Nabor – exported to Sweden where he became Swedish National Champion, and six daughters with three that gained international acclaim. Among them: Dornaba 1960 by Nabor – Canadian National Champion Mare, US Reserve National Champion English Pleasure and US National Champion Mare;  Druchna 1957 by Rozmaryn that gave chief sires Druch 1968 (twice US Top Ten Stallion and her daughter SW Saruchna by Sambor, the dam of US and Canadian National Champion Stallin MS Santana). Darda’s daughter Dratwa 1966 by Badr Bedur was a good race horse 3/27(6-6-2) and, before being exported in 1974 to Sir William Farm, left in Michalow her daughters: Draperia 1974 by Gedymin and the excellent racer Dalida 1981 by Probat, 2/12(4-1-3) that won the Derby and was placed both in the Produce and Oaks St. the same year. Dalida’s distinguishing characteristics were a large frame and overall dryness, feminine, aristocratic refinement, noble head, long well shaped neck, beautifully levelled top line, exceptional depth of body and hip length. Dalida was a stellar producer. She gave high–quality progeny  with a wide variety of stallions, like her sons:  Druid and  Dobryn 1990 by Arbil and outstanding daughters, like the chestnut Demona 1994 by Monogramm, the mother of the classic champion stallion Drabant 2003 by Ghazal Al Shaqab (Polish Reserve Champion Stallion 2008);  Dziecilina 1991 by Arbil and Diaspora 2000 by Ganges. Dalida was a highly esteemed international broodmare that a made significant and long-lasting contribution to Polish Arabian horse breeding.
Gorec’s dam Gordaia 1991 by Damascus was bred at the Teberda Tourist Complex in Russia, where she raced for three seasons with good results. As a two year old (Russians in Piatygorsk raced Arabians as of age of two). Gordaia raced three times winning once and coming second in the important Summer Stake for two year old and once was third in the Karinka Stakes. As a three year old Gordaia went to race five and was second twice in the Summers and Taktika St. As a four year old she also raced five winning twice including the Naseem St and coming second in the Topol St. Gordaia’s final race score in Russia was 3/13 (3-5-0)1-4 In 1995 Gordaia was imported by the Polish private breeder and Arabian racehorse trainer Mrs. Anna Nieora Tchkuaseli to Poland along with 19 other specially selected top quality Russian racing blood mares at the herd dispersal of the Teberda Tourist Complex. From that lot Mrs. Anna Nieora Tchkuaseli retained five best broodmare prospects among which were Gordaia. Once in Poland, Gordaia continued her racing career for three seasons winning three of her six starts. She is a wonderful producer, having given to date 5 foals: the bay colt Gorec 1999 by Druid; a chestnut filly Gorlica z Regula 2001 by Gamin de Carrere that only came out once to the starting gate but unfortunately was injured and later sold to Italy. ; a chestnut colt Gonges z Regula 2002 by Ganges that after a good racing career in Poland 2/7(4-1-2)2-3 has recently been sold to Kazakhstan. Gordaia’s two other fillies, Gorgona 2006 by Saracen 1999 (Monarch AH x Sarmacja and the 2007 one by by Millenium (2000 Almir x Tatrka), are not yet of racing age. This year (2008) she is in foal to Moshh 1998 (Santhos x Modessa II).

Chestnut Gordaia was by grey Damascus 1985 (Strij x Mexica by Aswan). Damascus as an outstanding colt raced internationally in Russia, France and in the Middle East. His final race record was: 6/16(4-2-5)3-6. Damascus was used in breeding in the Middle East and Europe. He left some good racers like Jalad Al Shaqab, Mugheer Al Shaqab and Naseem, plus very good daughters like the chestnut Gordaia out of Grozd. Damascus’ dam was grey Mexica 1972 by Aswan. Mexica’s race record was 2/15(1-3-6) 0-1, she came second in the 1975 Oaks. She produced strong race horses as Amazonka and Baidera. She was out of the wonderful broodmare Magnolia 1960 (Arax x Mammona by Ofir). In Russia, Magnolia gave 11 foals, 9 of which by Aswan. Her most representative foals are Marsianian 1971, Mag 1970, Magnit 1969 and his full sister Mexica.  Magnolia’s greatest racer was Mig 1967 by Aswan. Magnolia was exported in 1978 to the US at the age of 18. There, at the ripe age of 21, she won the Top Ten distinction at Scottsdale against 35 much younger mares. Magniolia’s dam was Janow Podlaski bred Mammona 1939, considered by the Russians as the pillar of Tersk breeding – what Ofirka is for Polish breeding.

Gorec’s grand dam Grozd 1984 by Kumir out of Sopernista by Pomarantes was bred in Tersk. Grozd had a good three years racing career on the track, 3/16(8-2-1)1-1. She was second in the 1987 Oaks and won the prestigious 1 mile 1987 Taktika Prize. Grozd’s best racing get are her colt Gektor 1/4 (1-2-0)0-2, who came second in the 1985 Derby, and Gordaia. Both Grozd and Gordaia are by the chestnut race champion Kumir 1973, 2/19(3-4-3)0-2. Kumir was by Mak 1956, 2/16(4-1-2)1-2, the winner of the S.M. Budenny St in 1959. He is of the Latif d.b. 1903 sire line and sired such outstanding sires of champions as Mukomol 1979, Nikel 1986, Pakistan 1979, Pesennik 1979, Prikaz 1978 and Vatican 1983, who gave international classic stakes winners. Kumir was out of a wonderful race champion mare Kapella 1957 by Priboj. Her racing record was 2/13(2-4-3)0-3, including third place in 1960 Oaks. Apart from Kumir she gave such racehorses as Karta 1962 and Katun 1968.

Both Grozd and Strij (the sire of Damascus) are of the very strong dam line Warda. It is the oldest and most successful Arab bloodline in French and Russian breeding. She goes back to the desert bred tap root mare Warda (1821) imported to Babolna (Hungary) by Baron Fechting in 1824 and sold to France’s  Pompadour National Stud where she died in 1844. Warda gave 7 foals (4 fillies and 3 colts). This line in Polish specialised literature is named Furette after Warda’s chestnut daughter bred in Pompadour in 1839 by Massoud d.b. In the generally accepted Z. Rozwadowski classification of Polish dam lines it appears as dam line Familly 22.

In 1930 Russia imported for its breeding program Warda’s descendent Sapina 1923, (Djebel X Samara by Latif), as her progeny successfully passed on racing genes and were considered outstanding broodmare producers. Sapina’s best daughters were Kastanieta 1933 and Karess 1934 both by also French imported stallion Kann 1927 out of Latif d.b 1903 sire line. However, the Russian breeders consider the best quality broodmares among Sapina’s granddaughters to be the ones that originate from Skrzyp of the Koheilan-Adjuze d.b. 1876 sire line, known for producing big, extremely valiant horses with excellent athletic abilities. Skrzyp’s two best daughters, Solianka 1947 and Solianka II 1948, are found in Gorec’s pedigree. Solianka II had an outstanding race career 2/15(10-2-3) Oaks+5-2. It was Solianka II, too, that gave the outstanding stallion Sport 1957 by Priboj and legendary Sapina 1959 by Arax. The chestnut Sapina raced for two seasons, won the 1961 Oaks and is the track record holder at a distance of 1.4 mile for 3 year old fillies. Her final race score before being incorporated into the broodmares’ band was: 2/19(6-3-2) Oaks-1. Sapina was an accomplished broodmare of 11 of which all raced and 8 were stakes winners and/or stakes placed.  Four of her daughters were excellent racehorses and used in breeding: Sopernista, 1969 2/12(2-0-0); Setun, 1977 2/20(5-6-5) 0-4; Simpatika, 1971 2/8(4-0-0) Oaks; Stihia 1973 2/19 (5-4-2) 0-4, including 2nd in Oaks; and Secunda 1980, 2/12(2-4-3). From the above, the Russians consider both Simpatika, by the Elite stallion and Triple Crown winner Topol out of Taktika by Priboj, and Sopernista, by Elite stallion and also son of Priboj called Pomerantes out of Ofir’s daughter Mammona, to be outstanding mothers. Simpatika gave such race stars as Gusar 2/16(2-6-2)0-2 and Strij 3/21(5-3-4)1-3, both Elite stallions of the Russian breeding program. Strij left numerous international racetrack stars like the above-mentioned Damascus.

In a nutshell, Gorec’s pedigree reads like the “who’s who” of Polish and Russian performance horse breeding. Gorec encompasses the strongest and most potent dam lines from France, Russia and Poland, like Warda/Furette, Sahara, Gazella, Szweykowska and Semrie. On the sire side his pedigree encompasses the best of the French, Polish and Egyptian sire lines, represented by outstanding stallions like Druid, Wojslaw, Damascus, Strij and Kumir. Gorec has it all: pedigree, looks and performance to back up his title of Best Horse of the Year. His first foal on the track is a winner. His remaining 12 foals on the ground in Poland will surely follow in his footsteps and leave great hoof marks on the oval and on endurance trails.
Longin Blachut
Polski Dwor Arabians, Poland, 08.27.2008

DECEASED MARCH 10, 2019