JUNIPER [USA] (b, 1998, by Danzig out of Montage, by Alydar).
Standing at Capricorn Stud Farm, Dist. Pune, Maharashtra.

Juniper [USA] is a Kentucky-bred product of Farfellow Farms, and was sold as a weanling for $1,450,000. The handsome youngster was purchased by Demi O'Byrne and sent to Aidan O'Brien at Ballydoyle.

So highly thought of was he that instead of making his debut in a maiden race in Ireland, he was sent to England for the Scottish Equitable Gimcrack Stakes (Gr.2), at York, where he ran a grand third  beaten only a neck and a head  despite running green and being hampered. Back in Ireland, he duly won his maiden and was then put away for the year.

Pitched in at the deep end on his 3-y-o debut he ran his best-ever race by finishing an excellent third in the Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands Stakes (Gr.3), even though encountering unsuitable soft going. Kept in training at 4, he made his only start at Gr.1 level, in the Darley July Cup at Newmarket.  His bare record thus reads 1 win and 2 places, value £ 26,086, from 6 starts, but this is not reflective of his true merit as he suffered from a persistent hoof problem (since cured).

Juniper [USA] is a son of the stud sensation Danzig, thrice champion sire in North America, and sire of at least 189 stakes winners worldwide, whose sire sons include Danehill, Green Desert, Polish Precedent, Anabaa, and dozens of others. Danzig's daughters include Dance Smartly.

The Capricorn Stud resident is a half-brother-in-blood to Irish multiple (Gr.1) winner Oratorio, now a Coolmore sire. Juniper [USA] hails from the superb family of Barrera (phenomenally fast sprinter), Codex (Preakness Stakes (Gr.1)) and Stinger (champion 2-y-o filly in Japan).

Given only 18 mares in his first season, Juniper [USA] got 13 live foals. If his low numbers hamper his making a spectacular start, there is the consolation that there are about 100 more in the next two crops ready to make their mark on Indian racetracks.