On Saturday, October 1, the late sire More Than Ready added another graded stakes winner to his tally when his daughter Pleasant Passage scored a front-running win in the Miss Grillo Stakes (USA-G2) during the Belmont at Aqueduct meeting. A perfect 2-for-2, both times on the grass, the Emory Hamilton homebred now has a "Win and You're In" ticket for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile FilliesTurf (USA-G1).
Pleasant Passage is a fourth-generation descendant of Too Chic, whose family Hamilton has been nurturing since acquiring the filly for US$100,000 from the King Ranch consignment at the 1980 Fasig-Tipton July sale. Sired by French champion and Classic winner Blushing Groom from Remedia, a Dr. Fager daughter of 1962 Oaks Stakes winner Monade (see "Mares on Monday: The International Influence of Monade," October 26, 2020), the filly was probably worth the money just on her pedigree. She added to her appeal as a potential broodmare by winning the 1982 Maskette Stakes (USA-G1) and running second in that year's Alabama Stakes (USA-G1). In the paddocks, she did not disappoint, producing Grade 1 winners Chic Shirine and Queena as her first two foals.
Queena, a daughter of Mr. Prospector, was the better of the two on the track, earning laurels as the American champion older female of 1990. Following her retirement, she proved a fine broodmare, becoming the dam of 2000 Early Times Hollywood Derby (USA-G1) winner Brahms (by Danzig), 2003 Tempted Stakes (USA-G3) winner La Reina (by A.P. Indy), and stakes winner Olympic (by Danzig). She is also the second dam of Grade 2 winner Chief Havoc.
Her full sister Chic Shirine had to be content with a single Grade 1 win, this in the 1987 Ashland Stakes, but has had the greater influence in the paddocks over the decades. She is the dam of 1994 Ladies Handicap (USA-G2) winner Tara Roma and 1995 True North Handicap (USA-G1) winner Waldboro, both by Lyphard. Tara Roma, in turn, produced 2001 Go for Wand Handicap (USA-G1) winner Serra Lake (by Seattle Slew) and 2003 Ack Ack Handicap (USA-G3) winner Cappuchino (by Capote) and is the second dam of 2009 Salvator Mile Handicap (USA-G3) winner Coal Play. Chic Corine, a Nureyev half sister to Tara Roma, also did well in the paddocks, producing 2014 TVG Diana Stakes (USA-G1) winner Somali Lemonade (by Lemon Drop Kid) and stakes winner Rasta Farian (by Holy Bull) and becoming the second dam of 2011 Prix La Force (FR-G3) winner Baraan (by Dalakhani).
Chic Shirine was not done there when it came to broodmare daughters. Her 2004 Giant's Causeway filly Enchanted Rock is the dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Verrazano (by More Than Ready) and 2012 Risen Star Stakes (USA-G2) winner El Padrino (by Pulpit). Chic Shirine is also the dam of Flying Passage (by A.P. Indy), dam of 2012 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes (USA-G2) winner Hungry Island (by More Than Ready) and 2011 Hal's Hope Stakes (USA-G3) winner Soaring Empire (by Empire Maker).
Like her own dam, Flying Passage has been a good producer of broodmares. Her eldest daughter, the 2005 Dixieland Band mare Flying Dixie, produced only two foals, but one of them is 2019 Woodward Stakes (USA-G1) winner Preservationist (by Arch). Grade 3-placed Tokyo Time (by Medaglia d'Oro) is also a Grade 1 producer, her son Olympiad (by Speightstown) having earned top-level brackets in the 2022 Jockey Club Gold Cup (USA-G1). Divine Rule (Empire Maker x Flying Passage) is the dam of 2022 UAE Two Thousand Guineas (UAE-G3) winner Azure Coast (by Street Sense), and now Peaceful Passage (War Front x Flying Passage) has joined the family act by producing Pleasant Passage as her second foal. Following Pleasant Passage, Peaceful Passage produced a 2021 Kitten's Joy colt that sold for US$150,000 at the recent Keeneland September yearling sale and is in foal to Mendelssohn for 2023.
While Pleasant Passage's close relatives Hungry Island and Verrazano were best in the 8-9 furlong range, Peaceful Passage scored her only win over 12 furlongs, suggesting the possibility that Pleasant Passage may stretch out a bit further. In any event, she is a nice filly who appears to have a bright future ahead of her both on the race course and in the paddocks, and on pedigree and her performance thus far, she could hardly be more chic as a prospect to continue a fashionable and talented family.
Pleasant Passage is a fourth-generation descendant of Too Chic, whose family Hamilton has been nurturing since acquiring the filly for US$100,000 from the King Ranch consignment at the 1980 Fasig-Tipton July sale. Sired by French champion and Classic winner Blushing Groom from Remedia, a Dr. Fager daughter of 1962 Oaks Stakes winner Monade (see "Mares on Monday: The International Influence of Monade," October 26, 2020), the filly was probably worth the money just on her pedigree. She added to her appeal as a potential broodmare by winning the 1982 Maskette Stakes (USA-G1) and running second in that year's Alabama Stakes (USA-G1). In the paddocks, she did not disappoint, producing Grade 1 winners Chic Shirine and Queena as her first two foals.
Queena, a daughter of Mr. Prospector, was the better of the two on the track, earning laurels as the American champion older female of 1990. Following her retirement, she proved a fine broodmare, becoming the dam of 2000 Early Times Hollywood Derby (USA-G1) winner Brahms (by Danzig), 2003 Tempted Stakes (USA-G3) winner La Reina (by A.P. Indy), and stakes winner Olympic (by Danzig). She is also the second dam of Grade 2 winner Chief Havoc.
Her full sister Chic Shirine had to be content with a single Grade 1 win, this in the 1987 Ashland Stakes, but has had the greater influence in the paddocks over the decades. She is the dam of 1994 Ladies Handicap (USA-G2) winner Tara Roma and 1995 True North Handicap (USA-G1) winner Waldboro, both by Lyphard. Tara Roma, in turn, produced 2001 Go for Wand Handicap (USA-G1) winner Serra Lake (by Seattle Slew) and 2003 Ack Ack Handicap (USA-G3) winner Cappuchino (by Capote) and is the second dam of 2009 Salvator Mile Handicap (USA-G3) winner Coal Play. Chic Corine, a Nureyev half sister to Tara Roma, also did well in the paddocks, producing 2014 TVG Diana Stakes (USA-G1) winner Somali Lemonade (by Lemon Drop Kid) and stakes winner Rasta Farian (by Holy Bull) and becoming the second dam of 2011 Prix La Force (FR-G3) winner Baraan (by Dalakhani).
Chic Shirine was not done there when it came to broodmare daughters. Her 2004 Giant's Causeway filly Enchanted Rock is the dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Verrazano (by More Than Ready) and 2012 Risen Star Stakes (USA-G2) winner El Padrino (by Pulpit). Chic Shirine is also the dam of Flying Passage (by A.P. Indy), dam of 2012 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes (USA-G2) winner Hungry Island (by More Than Ready) and 2011 Hal's Hope Stakes (USA-G3) winner Soaring Empire (by Empire Maker).
Like her own dam, Flying Passage has been a good producer of broodmares. Her eldest daughter, the 2005 Dixieland Band mare Flying Dixie, produced only two foals, but one of them is 2019 Woodward Stakes (USA-G1) winner Preservationist (by Arch). Grade 3-placed Tokyo Time (by Medaglia d'Oro) is also a Grade 1 producer, her son Olympiad (by Speightstown) having earned top-level brackets in the 2022 Jockey Club Gold Cup (USA-G1). Divine Rule (Empire Maker x Flying Passage) is the dam of 2022 UAE Two Thousand Guineas (UAE-G3) winner Azure Coast (by Street Sense), and now Peaceful Passage (War Front x Flying Passage) has joined the family act by producing Pleasant Passage as her second foal. Following Pleasant Passage, Peaceful Passage produced a 2021 Kitten's Joy colt that sold for US$150,000 at the recent Keeneland September yearling sale and is in foal to Mendelssohn for 2023.
While Pleasant Passage's close relatives Hungry Island and Verrazano were best in the 8-9 furlong range, Peaceful Passage scored her only win over 12 furlongs, suggesting the possibility that Pleasant Passage may stretch out a bit further. In any event, she is a nice filly who appears to have a bright future ahead of her both on the race course and in the paddocks, and on pedigree and her performance thus far, she could hardly be more chic as a prospect to continue a fashionable and talented family.
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