Spotlighting Deep Wells
Last week, I choose to focus on the horse with the most wins I could find bred from Seattle Slew. So this week, I decided to keep with the theme. The sire of choice is Danehill and looking at the available horses to select from, the year range spanned from 2003 back to 1999. Granted, it is possible other horses exist with more wins, however, the one I found goes by the name of Deep Wells.
Deep Wells was obviously sired by Danehill and includes bloodlines from Sadler’s Wells and Spectacular Bid and owned by Driver1000. Her career began on March 10, 2001, as a three-year old, in a maiden allowance in California. Running on the dirt at a distance of 6 furlongs, she finished a fair fourth with a pleasing 71 speed.
It would not be until 14-days later, and in her third career start that she would break her maiden when moving to Nevada with a speed jump to 86, leading the field throughout the race. Two races later, in Texas, she would pick up her second victory in a very similar fashion, both coming on the dirt.
In mid-June, Deep Wells would take on a full field of males and be sent off as the 6-5 favorite. The lady would not disappoint as she pressured the pace setter and strolled off to a two stride win, striking a speed of 92 in the process.
Mid-July would bring Deep Wells into her first stakes race, the 6.5f Portugal Handicap. Coincidentally, this would also be her first turf start. She would hook up in a battle on the front end with North Gretchen and would eventually be worn down to settle for second, scoring a speed of 97 and showing that she could contend on both the dirt and turf.
After three disappointing races, Deep Wells would pick up her first stakes win on September 8, 2001 in the Epsom Handicap. Sent off as a 2-1, she would follow the other 2-1 co-favorite, Storm Off the Lake. Encouraged by jockey T. Nuggent and rally to win by close to two strides and charting a speed of 104, smashing through the 100-level for the first time. This race would be the first time she also crossed the big lake, racing in Surrey.
In early October would find her entered into her first grade level race, the 6f, G2 Wilted Petals. Running close to the lead for the entire race, Deep Wells was never able to get a firm hold of the lead and finished second in a competitive field, despite being the 3-1 choice in the race.
In her first grade level race, Deep Wells had a speed of 94. Two weeks later she would sizzle in an allowance race victory, on the turf, with a speed of 110, which would be her best for the 2001 racing season.
By the end of 2001, she would appear in 22 races and finish the year with a 6-6-4. In January, 2002, trainer Driver1000 would test her going a longer route of 13 furlongs in the Washington Stakes. Deep Wells would draw off to a half-dozen length lead by the halfway point, but would fade off from there. She would finish third, beating three deep odd longshots, and some 20 lengths behind the winner. If anything, this race showed that long routes were not her thing.
In March 2002, Deep Wells would go on a tear. Starting on March 3rd, she won an allowance race on the dirt. This was followed by a win on the turf going a mile with a speed of 108 in a stakes event. Two weeks later, another stakes win at 7f and a speed of 112. The win streak would continue for two more races, picking up a pair of turf allowance victories, extending to five in a row and ending on the dirt in a stakes race.
Another 5-race win streak would follow later in the year, extending from July through August, which included three stake wins, all coming on the turf. The streak ended when switching to the dirt, where Deep Wells finished second, beaten by a half-stride. Incidentally, she would follow this with three consecutive stake wins through mid-November.
Still without a grade level win, Trainer Driver1000 would try to snag one in grand style by competing in the Looking for Top Twenty Special in mid-December. This was a G1 event at a distance of 7f on the dirt. A bit of a challenge for this gal, as her speeds have been a bit better on the turf than the dirt. Sent off at 6-1, she went straight to the front. But she was unable to stay there as three others passed by her in the stretch run, forcing her to accept the fourth spot, but recording an eye-popping speed of 116!
It would not be until June 21, 2003 when Deep Wells would make another appearance in a grade level race. This time, in the Kaz Hayashi Sprint Cup. She was sent off as a very promising 8-5 favorite in the G3 race, at a very short distance of 5 furlongs, only the second time she would race this distance. Her love for racing on the front end would payoff as she would cross the line first and pick up her first grade level win. And as it would later turn out, her only career grade level win.
Her career best speed would come two months later in the Georgia Handicap going a mile on the turf with a speed of 117. This would be the start of a mini-3 race win streak on the turf, all in stake races where speeds would all chart over 110.
The streak would end on September 9th, 2003. After this point, Deep Wells would gather in only two more career wins in 17 subsequent starts. Her career would end on September 11th, 2004, two years after the completion of her mini-win streak.
During her career, Deep Wells would win 16 stake races and one graded race. In 75 career races, she would accumulate 30 wins, finish second 13 times and show 10 times. Career earnings were just a tad over $1 million.
RETIREMENT
Deep Wells has been used as a game-dam every year since 2004 and can be considered to be a grandmother. Her first three children, Nobody’s Here, Open Your Mind and For A Price have all retired and used for breeding. Open Your Mind was the only female of the trio and has brought five children into the world while the other two were used as “he-mares”. Open Your Mind is also the only off-spring from Deep Wells to win a stakes race….in fact she has won nine of them.
Other offspring include Insufficeint Tact, who changed ownership multiple times and has been unraced since 2008. Armor and Sword changed ownership in 2008 and has not raced since changing trainers. Hard Realities is currently racing and has switched owners several times. 7 wins in 36 starts to date, but none of the wins coming over the allowance level.
4-year old Such A Sight has showed some success with 10 wins in 25 starts. She currently has a three-race win streak, however, has not raced since this past September.
Limitless Rise, a three year old colt, shows some similarity to game-dam Deep Wells as he loves to run on the lead. With one win in 14 starts, his success isn’t one of the similarities.
Finally, 2-year old Found it First also has front running speed and has been on the board in six of his eight starts. He broke his maiden when switching over to high-end claimers recently.