broodmares, around 10, and Janis Whitham
picks the matings. She says she likes de-
scendants of Mr. Prospector, choosing E
Dubai to breed to Fort Larned's dam, and
also likes horses who were particularly bril-
liant during their racing careers, selecting
Ghostzapper when choosing the mating
for her broodmare, Ivory Empress. That's
the combination that produced McCraken.
"She's a tremendous owner," Wilkes said.
"She loves her horses, knows her breeding
and is a pleasure to train for."
The Whitham mark is all over the pedi-
grees of many of the top horses they have
raced. Bayakoa was not a particularly
good broodmare, but she did produced a
filly named Arlucea (Broad Brush). Arlu-
cea is the dam of Fort Larned. McCraken's
dam is Ivory Empress (Seeking the Gold), a
Grade III stakes placed mare campaigned
by Whitham. Go back two more genera-
tions in McCraken's pedigree and you'll
find Tuesday Evening, the very same mare
that began the Whithams' relationship
with McAnally. The mares are boarded at
Maple Lane Farm in Lexington.
I thought it would
never come to this.
I thought we'd always have a
school, a grocery,
a store and people.
–McCraken resident Shirley Higgins
"
"
15
