Brazen Beau

Pedigree notes

Brazen Beau is the leading sire son of multiple Champion Sire I Am Invincible with 26 Stakes winners from 489 runners at a rate of over 5.3% SW/R.

The G1 Galaxy winner Zapateo became his second individual G1 winner at the recent Sydney autumn carnival. His yearlings have sold for up to $1.15 million and have sold to $375,000 in 2024, a great return on service fee.

This year it has become apparent that there is a spectacular nick between the bloodlines of I Am Invincible and Shamardal with 10-time G1 winner Imperatriz spearheading the way. There are only three runners by I Am Invincible out of Shamardal mares for two Stakes winners and a Stakes placegetter, making 100% Stakes performers on this emerging nick.

The Brazen Beau/Shamardal cross is already responsible for two of Brazen Beau’s 14 Group winners, reinforcing the merit of this cross.

For Brazen Beau himself, the standout nick is with Lonhro mares who have produced three Group winners including Zapateo (G1 winner), General Beau (G3 winner) and Belsielle (G3 winner).

G1 Statistics
Brazen Beau is the sire of six G1 performers to date. Two are out of Lonhro mares with another having a second dam by Octagonal from the same Zabeel sireline. His G1 winner On The Bubbles is out of a mare by Sebring whose dam is by Flying Spur, while his multiple G2 winner, G1 placed Pretty Brazen has a dam by Encosta De Lago who is closely related to Flying Spur and both those sires descend from the same female line as Brazen Beau himself.

Best Nicks
Brazen Beau’s best nicks are with Lonhro, Shamardal and his son Lope De Vega, also the closely related leading broodmare sires Encosta De Lago and Flying Spur and Danehill’s champion sire son Exceed And Excel.

Three of his 14 Group winners are out of Lonhro mares, a great return from 12 runners. The Lonhro/Zabeel broad cross has six SW including G1 winner Zapateo, from 44 runners (13.63% SW/R) with the Brazen Beau/Lonhro nick being the best version of this cross with three SW from 12 runners (25% SW/R).

From just 7 runners out of mares by Shamardal or his son Lope De Vega, Brazen Beau has sired 2 SW and 3 SP for 5/7 stakes horses (71.4% Stakes performers to runners), which is a notable nick. The data set is still quite young but the early evidence is very convincing.

Brazen Beau has a G1 winner and a SW each out of just a few mares by Sebring and his sire More Than Ready. He also has two SWs and an SP out of 19 runners from Exceed And Excel mares (15.8% SH/R).

Inbreeding / Linebreeding options

Brazen Beau’s fifth dam Windy Answer is also the sixth dam of Encosta De Lago and fifth dam of Flying Spur. This female line is more familiar to breeders through the mare Rolls who is closer up in the pedigrees of those two great sires and broodmare sires.

Inbreeding to Rolls (by Mr Prospector) has been very successful leaving a long list of elite performers including Alligator Blood, Fangirl, Mizzy, Mascarpone, Speak Fondly, Sejardan, Aethero, The Astrologist and Buenos Noches.

Brazen Beau is also inbred to the Blue Hen mare Lady Angela who is the dam of Nearctic and grandam of Northern Taste, both champion sires who are now appearing further back in pedigrees. Nearctic’s son Northern Dancer is ubiquitous in modern pedigrees so his descendants often provide multiple reinforcements of Lady Angela when mated with Brazen Beau.

The Brazen Beau crosses with mares carrying strains of his female line via Encosta De Lago and Flying Spur have produced 51 runners for four SW (7.8% SW/R) including the very high class G1 winner On The Bubbles and G2 winner Pretty Brazen.

Strategy One
Brazen Beau loves Lonhro mares, 3 Stakes winners from 12 runners is 25% SW/R and more significantly they are high-class SW, one G1, two G2.

Mares by Lonhro’s sons such as Pierro, Exosphere, Sweynesse or Denman should suit him. Zabeel blood close-up in the mare could be just as satisfactory. Mares by multiple champion NZ sire Savabeel are another great option.

Strategy Two
Brazen Beau has some of his best results with mares by Shamardal and that stallion’s son Lope De Vega. These two crosses have 8 runners, 7 winners, 5 stakes horses, 2 Group winners. Home run!

Other sources of Shamardal would include mares by Puissance De Lune Belardo, Gingerbread Man, Ghibellines or Crackerjack King.

Strategy Three
Inbreeding to Brazen Beau’s female family using mares by Encosta De Lago and Flying Spur or with those two sires anywhere in their pedigrees.

Brazen Beau/Encosta De Lago anywhere in the mare has 27 runners, 2 SW including G2 winner, G1 placed Pretty Brazen.

Brazen Beau/Flying Spur anywhere in the mare has 24 runners, 2 SW including G1 winner On The Bubbles.

Both crosses are producing around 8% SW/R from early returns and have high winner-to-runner strike rates.

Strategy Four

Mares by Exceed And Excel have produced 2SW and 1SP for a very respectable 12.5% Stakes performers to runners. This cross can be replicated with mares by Exceed And Excel or his sons which include Helmet, Excelebration, Reward For Effort, Headwater, Kuroshio, Sidestep, Safeguard or Outreach.