By Anne Peters

In 1984 the inaugural Breeders' Loving cup races were run at Hollywood Park, and the final event, the Breeders' Loving cup Classic (gr. I), provided a rousing and controversial stop. Longshot (31-1) Wild Again held off Gate Dancer while Slew o' Gilded was sandwiched between the two in deep stretch. Gate Dancer was disqualified to third, but Wild Again survived a stewards' inquiry for the win.

Thirty years later Wild Again is still relevant, counting high-contour runners Bayern , But a Style, Fed Biz , and Vicar's in Trouble among his headlining descendants in 2014.

Ironically, Wild Again proved the near successful sire of that first Breeders' Cup Classic trifecta. Gate Dancer sired 26 stakes winners from 440 foals and an Average Earnings Index of 1.43. Slew o' Gold sired 28 stakes winners from 581 foals and an AEI of 2.09. Wild Again, however, sired 88 stakes winners from 969 foals with an AEI of 2.23.

Wild Again was bred in Kentucky past West. Paul Lilliputian. His sire was the skilful miler Icecapade, a horse bred on the aforementioned nick that produced the great Canadian runner and sire Northern Dancer. Similar Northern Dancer, Icecapade was sired by Nearctic and also out of a stakes-placed daughter of Native Dancer who had been hampered by knee joint problems. Icecapade's dam was Shenanigans, who later produced the corking filly Ruffian.

Ruffian didn't go to pass on her bloodlines, but Icecapade helped make upwards for the loss. As a stallion, he sired 73 stakes winners, including the Canadian Triple Crown winner Izvestia, the important speed/miler sire Clever Trick, and Wild Again. Great Lady K., a stakes-winning daughter, produced Lady's Secret, Horse of the Year in 1986.

Wild Again's dam was Bushel-n-Peck, by Khaled out of a mare by Dante. This gave Wild Again some interesting inbreeding, since Khaled was past Hyperion, equally was Nearctic'due south dam Lady Angela, and so Hyperion was 4x3 in Wild Again's pedigree. Dante was by Nearco, who besides sired Nearctic, giving Wild Again 3x4 crosses of Nearco. Is this intense pedigree possibly one reason that Wild Again became such a good sire?

Wild Again was sold for $50,000 as a short yearling at the 1981 Keeneland January auction and resold that same yr for $35,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July sale. He raced for Black Chip Stable, and at ii won two races in Louisiana as well as placing in the El Rio Rey Stakes at Santa Anita. Sitting out nigh of his 3-year-old season due to knee chips, Wild Again returned at four in exceptional way. He won the New Orleans Handicap (gr. Ii), Oaklawn Handicap (gr. Ii)—setting a rail record—and the Meadowlands Cup (gr. I), earlier pulling the ultimate upset at Hollywood Park.

Wild Once more raced some other twelvemonth after his Classic win although his best effort was just a second-place cease in the Meadowlands Cup. He retired to stud at Shadowlawn Farm virtually Midway, Ky., was moved after three seasons to Calumet Subcontract, and in belatedly 1991 moved again, to 3 Chimneys Farm. Wild Again was pensioned in tardily 2004 and died in October 2008.

Wild Again'due south acme runners included Canadian champions Wilderness Song and Free At Last, likewise as 2002 Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winner Sarava, Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) winner Elmhurst, and other grade I winners Milwaukee Brew , Wild Rush, Shine Again, Wild Event, Vicar, A Wild Ride, and Wild Escapade.

His proficient sons at stud include 2009 leading juvenile sire and freshman sire Offlee Wild , sire of that year's champion 2-twelvemonth-one-time colt She Be Wild , as well as this year's Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) winner 3-year-old Bayern.

Wild Once again'south sons Milwaukee Mash and Whiskey Wisdom are perennially among the leading sires in Canada. Milwaukee Brew has sired two Canadian champions, Milwaukee Entreatment and Ginger Mash ; and Whiskey Wisdom sired Canadian champion 50 Proof . Wild Rush sired Canadian champion Judith's Wild Rush and Queen's Plate winner Wild Desert every bit well as grade I winners Hollywood Story, Dream Rush, and Stellar Jayne earlier being sent to Japan, where he continues to sire group winners regularly.

Wild Once more'due south son Vicar is the broodmare sire of 2014 Louisiana Derby (gr. Two) and Super Derby (gr. Ii) winner Vicar's in Problem. Wild Again himself is broodmare sire of the brilliantly fast class Two winner Fed Biz, and of Japan's outstanding international sprinter, Merely a Way.

The hallmark of Wild Again as a racehorse was the brilliance and fight that came in that sleek, black packet, and much of the same could be said of his progeny, who were reliable, tough, and, above all, fast.