On June 5, O'Connor broke through to the Group level by taking the 2400-meter Gran Premio de Honor (CHI-G2) on the dirt at Hipodromo Chile. The field was short with only four entrants, but O'Connor's performance was not as he was passed by Group 1 winner Win Here in the stretch and fought back gamely to defeat his older rival by half a length. The verdict reversed the results of the Gran Premio Hipodromo de Chile (CHI-G1), in which the 7-year-old Win Here (the Chilean champion older male of 2019) nailed his 3-year-old rival in the shadow of the wire to win by a head.
Sired by 2006 Hollywood Turf Cup Handicap (USA-G1) winner Boboman (by Kingmambo), O'Connor comes from a family that has had success in both North and South America. Descended from the mare Sementera ("sowing" in Spanish), this primarily Chilean family has been going strong for half a century and shows no signs of slowing down.
Bred by Haras Curiche, Sementera (by the stakes-winning Sicambre horse Sertorius) won three of 14 starts before settling down to a productive broodmare career that saw her produce four stakes winners. The best was Semillero (by the Argentine-bred Proposal), who won the 1984 El Derby (CHI-G1) in his native land before coming to the United States, where he won the 1985 Louisiana Downs Handicap (USA-G3) and placed in two other graded stakes. Semillero's full brother Semillon also came to the United States after winning two stakes races in Chile and being Group 1-placed there but was not as successful in North America, turning in his best post-importation effort when third in the 1978 Henry P. Russell Handicap at Santa Anita.
Sementera's other stakes winners were both fillies. Siempre Supe (by Espy, a winning son of The Minstrel) won the Premio Carlos Campo (CHI-G2) and Premio Geoffrey Bushell (CHI-G3) but was not a successful broodmare. Her half sister Sembrada (by Argentine Group 3 winner El Oriental) was another story. Winner of the 1984 Selección de Potrancas (CHI-G3) and Group 1-placed during her own racing days, Sembrada produced the Chilean Group 1 winners Señora Bonita (by Stately Form) and Sacramentada.
Señora Bonita did well in the paddocks, producing the Group 1-placed Chilean Group 2 winner Se Vera (by seven-time Chilean champion sire Hussonet, a son of Mr. Prospector and American champion 3-year-old filly Sacahuista). Sacramentada did even better. A daughter of the winning Northern Dancer horse Northair, the Chilean champion older female of 1991 won two Group 1 events in Chile and the 1992 Hawthorne Handicap (USA-G2) in the United States before becoming the dam of 2007 Humana Distaff Stakes (USA-G1) winner Hystericalady (by Distorted Humor). Hystericalady, in turn, is the dam of 2018 Glen Falls Stakes (USA-G2) winner Lady Montdore (by Medaglia d'Oro) and is currently represented by the three-year-old Frosted filly Frosteria, second in this year's Santa Ynez Stakes (USA-G2).
Sacramentada also produced stakes producers Broad Picture (by Broad Brush) and Concern Nacca (by Concern) before returning to Chile in 2004. Her stakes-placed daughter Torrey Pines (by Woodman) also went to Chile that year and is the granddam of O'Connor through her winning daughter Torrente de Agua (by Touch Gold). Boding well for the continuation of this family at Haras Carioca, Torrente de Agua has two half sisters to O'Connor already in production. Her most recent foals are a Southern Hemisphere 2-year-old by the French Group 3-winning Danehill horse Caesarion, a colt named Totoi, and a yearling colt by the same horse.
Now nearly at the close of his 3-year-old season by Southern Hemisphere reckoning, O'Connor appears to be coming to hand strongly for a 4-year-old campaign and may be tracking the path of his great-granddam Sacramentada, who scored both her Group 1 wins in her 4-year-old season. If he can step up to the next level during his next season, he will bring that much more honor to a family that has earned plenty wherever it has gone.
Sired by 2006 Hollywood Turf Cup Handicap (USA-G1) winner Boboman (by Kingmambo), O'Connor comes from a family that has had success in both North and South America. Descended from the mare Sementera ("sowing" in Spanish), this primarily Chilean family has been going strong for half a century and shows no signs of slowing down.
Bred by Haras Curiche, Sementera (by the stakes-winning Sicambre horse Sertorius) won three of 14 starts before settling down to a productive broodmare career that saw her produce four stakes winners. The best was Semillero (by the Argentine-bred Proposal), who won the 1984 El Derby (CHI-G1) in his native land before coming to the United States, where he won the 1985 Louisiana Downs Handicap (USA-G3) and placed in two other graded stakes. Semillero's full brother Semillon also came to the United States after winning two stakes races in Chile and being Group 1-placed there but was not as successful in North America, turning in his best post-importation effort when third in the 1978 Henry P. Russell Handicap at Santa Anita.
Sementera's other stakes winners were both fillies. Siempre Supe (by Espy, a winning son of The Minstrel) won the Premio Carlos Campo (CHI-G2) and Premio Geoffrey Bushell (CHI-G3) but was not a successful broodmare. Her half sister Sembrada (by Argentine Group 3 winner El Oriental) was another story. Winner of the 1984 Selección de Potrancas (CHI-G3) and Group 1-placed during her own racing days, Sembrada produced the Chilean Group 1 winners Señora Bonita (by Stately Form) and Sacramentada.
Señora Bonita did well in the paddocks, producing the Group 1-placed Chilean Group 2 winner Se Vera (by seven-time Chilean champion sire Hussonet, a son of Mr. Prospector and American champion 3-year-old filly Sacahuista). Sacramentada did even better. A daughter of the winning Northern Dancer horse Northair, the Chilean champion older female of 1991 won two Group 1 events in Chile and the 1992 Hawthorne Handicap (USA-G2) in the United States before becoming the dam of 2007 Humana Distaff Stakes (USA-G1) winner Hystericalady (by Distorted Humor). Hystericalady, in turn, is the dam of 2018 Glen Falls Stakes (USA-G2) winner Lady Montdore (by Medaglia d'Oro) and is currently represented by the three-year-old Frosted filly Frosteria, second in this year's Santa Ynez Stakes (USA-G2).
Sacramentada also produced stakes producers Broad Picture (by Broad Brush) and Concern Nacca (by Concern) before returning to Chile in 2004. Her stakes-placed daughter Torrey Pines (by Woodman) also went to Chile that year and is the granddam of O'Connor through her winning daughter Torrente de Agua (by Touch Gold). Boding well for the continuation of this family at Haras Carioca, Torrente de Agua has two half sisters to O'Connor already in production. Her most recent foals are a Southern Hemisphere 2-year-old by the French Group 3-winning Danehill horse Caesarion, a colt named Totoi, and a yearling colt by the same horse.
Now nearly at the close of his 3-year-old season by Southern Hemisphere reckoning, O'Connor appears to be coming to hand strongly for a 4-year-old campaign and may be tracking the path of his great-granddam Sacramentada, who scored both her Group 1 wins in her 4-year-old season. If he can step up to the next level during his next season, he will bring that much more honor to a family that has earned plenty wherever it has gone.
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