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Mares on Monday: A Leaf from Fall Aspen's Tree

9/26/2022

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On September 24, King Power Racing’s The Foxes upset a short field at Ascot to win the Royal Lodge Stakes (ENG-G2) and nail down a “Win and You’re In” slot for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (USA-G1). The son of multiple 2016 European champion 2-year-old male Churchill outsprinted his three rivals to the line after a slowly run opening half-mile, marking himself as a possible prospect for next year’s Cazoo Derby (ENG-G1) as well. That may be somewhat optimistic, given that the colt’s Group 2-winning half brother Bangkok liked a mile and a quarter better than a mile and a half in spite of being by 2014 Derby hero Australia, but his connections seem to agree that The Foxes should stretch out beyond the mile he covered in the Royal Lodge.


The Foxes hails from the female family of modern American matriarch Fall Aspen, whose family has had marked success on both sides of the Atlantic. Herself the winner of the 1978 Matron Stakes (USA-G1), Fall Aspen is one of a select group of mares to produce four or more Grade/Group 1 winners. Her quartet of top-level runners includes European Group 1 winners Hamas (by Danzig) and Fort Wood (latter a son of Sadler’s Wells who became a champion sire and broodmare sire in South Africa), 1987 Gamely Handicap (USA-G1) winner Northern Aspen (by Northern Dancer), and 1994 American champion 2-year-old male Timber Country (by Woodman), who trained on to win the 1995 Preakness Stakes (USA-G1).


Fall Aspen produced four other Group winners in addition to her top-level performers, among them Elle Seule (by Exclusive Native), who scored her signature win in the 1986 Prix d’ Astarte (FR-G2). The best of Fall Aspen’s daughters as a broodmare, Elle Seule produced four stakes winners of her own, including 1998 Darley July Cup winner Elnadim (by Danzig) and 1994 Irish One Thousand Guineas (IRE-G1) Mehthaaf (by Nureyev). She is also the dam of Only Seule (by Lyphard), whose multiple French Group 1-winning daughter Ocupandiste (by Kaldoun) in turn became the dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Mondialiste (by Galileo).


Mehthaaf’s only stakes winner as a broodmare was 2001 Premio Lydia Tesio (ITY-G2) winner Najah (by Nashwan), but her stakes-placed daughter Tanaghum (by Darshaan) now has six stakes winners to her credit. Besides The Foxes and Bangkok (who took down his biggest win in the 2021 York Stakes, ENG-G2), she is responsible for Group 3 winners Tactic (by Sadler’s Wells) and Matterhorn (by Raven’s Pass) and listed stakes winners Yaazy (by Teofilo) and Perotan (by Churchill).


Generally speaking, Fall Aspen’s family has been flexible to the distance influences of the stallions it members have been mated to, and Churchill, though a son of Galileo, was essentially a miler, showing the influence of his broodmare sire Storm Cat. The presence of Darshaan as The Foxes’ broodmare sire, however, means that the stamina to go a mile and a half cannot be ruled out. Even if he cannot go quite so far as that, he should be an entertaining addition to the field should his connections make the decision to run him at Keeneland, and a Grade 1 win there would certainly not hurt his potential stallion appeal when added to his blue-blooded pedigree.
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Mares on Monday: When You're Hot, You're Hot

9/19/2022

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Over the weekend, two families recently profiled in the "Mares on Monday" series added new graded or Group winners to their profiles. On Saturday, Miss Carmie ("Mares on Monday: A Sweet Lady in the Prix Vermeille," 9/12/2022) was represented by the highly promising European juvenile Sakheer, winner of the Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes (ENG-G2) at Newbury. He was followed on Sunday by Ready for the Lady, whose score in the Singspiel Stakes (CAN-G3) at Woodbine was the first black type for the produce record of his dam, a half sister to Lady Speightspeare ("Mares on Monday: No Drama for Lady Speightspeare in Trillium," 8/15/2022).


A son of Zoffany, Sakheer traces his distaff lineage back to Minifah, a Nureyev half sister to 1988 Kentucky Derby (USA-G1) heroine and American champion 3-year-old filly Winning Colors and so a granddaughter of Miss Carmie through All Rainbows. Minifah was no great shakes as a race mare, placing twice in five starts in England, and she was not a great improvement as a broodmare, producing two listed-placed runners among her six winners. She has done better as a dam of dams, however. One of those stakes-placed runners, Jinsiyah (by Housebuster) is the dam of 2006 Prix de Meautry (FR-G3) winner Indian Maiden (by Indian Ridge), in turn the dam of 2019 World Trophy Stakes (ENG-G3) winner Maid in India (by Bated Breath) and Group 3-placed listed stakes winner Love Spirit (by Elusive City. Another daughter of Jinsiyah, Shortmile Lady (by Arcano) ran unplaced through five starts but is the dam of Sakheer and of Lemista (by Raven's Pass), winner of the 2022 WinStar Matchmaker Stakes (USA-G3). Since giving birth to Sakheer, Shortmile Lady has since produced a 2021 colt by Exceed and Excel and a 2022 filly by Sea the Stars.



After turning in a Thoroughbred Daily News “Rising Star” performance at Haydock on September 1, Sakheer was an odds-on favorite for the Mill Reef and ran like one. Ready for the Lady, on the other hand, sported the second-longest odds on the board for the Singspiel at 14-1, but hunch bettors should perhaps have taken notice of the fact that his “aunt,” Lady Speightspeare, had just taken her second Grade 3 race of 2022 and her third win in a row in the Seaway Stakes (CAN-G3) the day before. The 3-year-old son of the late More Than Ready did not break his maiden until July 23—his seventh start—but the mile-and-a-quarter distance had clearly been to his liking, and the 11 furlongs of the Singspiel were even more so, especially after rain softened the track. He lagged back off a slow pace early but uncorked a strong rally in deep stretch to run down 2021 Breeders’ Stakes winner British Royalty by three parts of a length.


According to trainer Roger Attfield, the track conditions were not the only factor in Ready for the Lady’s improved form; a studdish and unfocused 2-year-old who was nonetheless well enough thought of to be run in the 2021 Summer Stakes (CAN-G1) as a maiden, he has improved considerably in his mental maturity. If his development continues along its current path, he may be an interesting performer to keep an eye on during the fall with an eye to 2023 racing.


A Charles Fipke homebred, Ready for the Lady is the 101st graded or Group stakes winner for his sire and is the first foal to race out of unraced Perfect Lady, a French-bred daughter of Perfect Soul. The mare has since produced a 2020 colt by Bee Jersey, a 2021 filly by Bee Jersey, and a 2022 filly by Speightstown. She was most recently bred to Speightstown.





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Mares on Monday: A Sweet Lady in the Prix Vermeille

9/12/2022

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On Sunday, September 11, Sweet Lady turned in a performance in the Qatar Prix Vermeille (FR-G1) perhaps reminiscent of Winning Colors’ triumphant run in the 1988 Kentucky Derbu (USA-G1), making every post a winning one. The comparison is not unapt, for both these flying females trace back to a common source in tail-female: Miss Carmie, whose family has had marked influence on racing around the world.


Sired by the tough American grass champion T. V. Lark from the Ponder mare Twice Over, whose dam Twosy was a multiple stakes-winning full sister to two-time American champion Two Lea and the good stakes mare Miz Clementine, Miss Carmie was a stakes winner at 2 but did not race afterward, when her pedigree suggested that she should have shown improving form. It was in the paddocks where she secured her place in Thoroughbred history, producing 1974 American champion 3-year-old filly and National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame member Chris Evert, an important broodmare in her own right with champion and Grade/Group 1-winning descendants in Australia, Chile, England, France, Peru, South Africa, the United States, and Uruguay. Miss Carmie also produced stakes winner All Rainbows (by Bold Hour), dam of Winning Colors (by Caro), second dam of 2003 Japan Cup (JPN-G1) winner Tap Dance City, and third dam of Gran Premio General San Martín (ARG-G1) winner Tiger Feet.


As a producer of broodmares, Miss Carmie was a rare treasure, for no less than seven of her daughters became graded or Group stakes producers. Among them is Charmie Carmie, a 1979 daughter of Lyphard. While she was a non-winner, she was not entirely devoid of talent, placing second or third in nine of her 17 starts. Nonetheless, she was far below the racing standard of All Rainbows, much less Chris Evert.


Charmie Carmie produced 16 named foals by a variety of high-class racehorses, though not all turned out to be good sires. Fifteen of her foals raced, but only seven managed to win. The best performer among her runners was Faaz (by Fappiano), who won the 1994 Premio Jockey Club del Perú (PER-G1) and was that year’s Peruvian champion imported older male.


Charmie Carmie was not nearly so prolific a dam of good broodmares as her own dam, but she still came up with two stakes producers. The first, the winner Himmah (by the excellent broodmare sire Habitat), produced multiple English listed stakes winner Hiwaya (by Doyoun) and is the second dam of Group 1-placed Grade 3 winner Hallowed Dream (by Alhaarth). The second, the winner Sundae Girl (by Nijinsky II’s good sire son Green Dancer), produced Group 2-placed English listed stakes winner High Heeled Sneakers (by Dansili), who in turn is the dam of Sweet Lady and of English listed stakes winner Toujours l’Amour (by Authorized).


As Sweet Lady enjoys soft going, it seems likely that the daughter of Lope de Vega will be allowed to take her chance in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (FR-G1), a race often affected by wet fall weather. She will be going up against some formidable opposition, though her task will be made easier by the near-certain absence of pro tem European Horse of the Year Baaeed, who will most likely conclude his career in the QIPCO Champion Stakes (ENG-G1) at Newmarket. Still, she has proven her liking for both the distance and the course, and with the credentials she has already earned, she is sure to get more than a fair chance to extend Miss Carmie’s family further into the 21st century.

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Weekend Trivia Challenge for 9/9/2022

9/9/2022

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What was the last American record to be set for a frequently contested distance in an officially sanctioned time trial rather than a race? Your answer should include the year of the trial, the distance, the time, the horse that made the record, and the track at which it was set.
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Mares on Monday: Chromium Brings Fresh Laurels to Distinguished Chilean Family

9/5/2022

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On September 3, California Chrome's son Chromium became his sire's first Grade/Group 1 winner by getting his nose down first on the post in the Premio Dos Mil Guineas (CHI-G1) at Hipódromo Chile. The colt is from California Chrome's first Southern Hemisphere crop and was bred by Haras Santa Olga, which has been developing his female family into one of the country's top lines for close to half a century.

Chromium is from a family that has been in Chile since the importation of the Irish-bred mare Century in 1954. It began blossoming with Century's great-great granddaughter Laurea (by the Never Say Die horse Lead the Way), who won the 1975 Premio Arturo Lyon Pena (CHI-G2) before becoming a broodmare for Haras Santa Olga. She produced a runner better than herself in Carita Tostada, who was sired by Haras Santa Olga's premier stallion, the Nijinsky II horse Gallantsky, who proved an important sire and broodmare sire in his adoptive country. Carita Tostada won two Chilean Group 1 races and was a multiple stakes winner in the United States. Remaining in the United States as a broodmare, she produced Grade 3 winners Jadada (by Jade Hunter) and Shaconage (by El Prado), listed stakes winner Mutadda (by Mutakddim), and multiple Grade 1-placed Chile Chatte (by Storm Cat), dam in turn of 2006 Del Mar Futurity (USA-G2) winner Horse Greeley (by Mr. Greeley).

It was left to Carita Tostada's half sister Laurentina (by the high-class Argentine runner Kamen) to maintain the family in Chile. She did so in a fruitful association with Gallantsky, producing 1991 Chilean champion 2-year-old filly Nina Balconera, winner of the 1991 Tanteo de Potrancas (CHI-G1), and listed stakes winner Trae Suerte to covers by that sire. Nina Balconera, in turn, produced multiple Group 1-placed listed stakes winner Tia Exis (by Tumblebrutus), while her older full sister Lanza Flores is the dam of 1994 Chilean champion sprinter Apreton de Manos (by Sari's Baba), winner of that year's Premio Velocidad (CHI-G2).

Laurita Game, Laurentina's 1982 daughter by Saratoga Game, also became a good broodmare and continued the pattern of beneficial crosses between this Laurea's family and Gallantsky, foaling 1992 Gran Premio Haras Chile (CHI-G1) winner Llama La Atencion and multiple Group 1-placed listed stakes winner Anda Contenta as a result of matings to Gallantsky, as well as Group 3-placed Lleva La Batuta, dam of 1998 Gran Premio de Honor (CHI-G2) winner Apolo Dorado (by Sari's Baba), and Toma La Palabra, dam of 1997 Premio Otoño (CHI-G2) winner Sahumerio (by Sam M.).

Anda Contenta took the family even higher, producing 2006 Chilean Horse of the Year Feliz de La Vida (by the stakes-winning Sadler's Wells horse Election Day) and 2007 Gran Premio Criadores (CHI-G2) winner Domingo Siete (by Dynamix). Chromium is out of Feliz de La Vida's full sister Alegria Profunda, and Domingo Siete's full sister Muy Apetecida has also gotten into the family act, producing 2018 Chilean champion juvenile dirt filly Sale a Amanecer (by the Storm Cat horse Gstaad), winner of that year's Tanteo de Potrancas.

Chromium still has some work to do to reach the heights achieved by some members of this family, but he appears to be progressing nicely. After breaking his maiden over 1500 meters at second asking, this on July 23, he was second in a Group 2 race over the same distance on August 13 before his Guineas win, and on pedigree he should have the potential to stretch out further. California Chrome fans will undoubtedly be pleased at knowing that their hero is finally represented by a son who may have inherited a significant portion of his talent, and Chilean aficionados of the sport can bask in yet another laurel wreath won by one of the country's great families.

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Weekend Trivia Challenge for 9/3/2022

9/2/2022

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What American 2-year-old filly had so wide-reaching a reputation that Europeans visiting the United States referred to her as "The Wonder Filly of the West"?
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    I'm Avalyn Hunter, an author, pedigree researcher and longtime racing fan.

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