It has taken Jimmy Jerkens a long time to get Preservationist fully healthy and fit, but the 6-year-old horse by Arch made his long-awaited stakes debut a good one by romping over favored Catholic Boy in the Suburban Stakes (USA-II). In doing so, he became the latest star for a family developed by Emory Hamilton from her foundation mare, Too Chic.
It never hurts to start with good material, and in Too Chic, Hamilton was beginning with some of the best. Bred by the King Ranch, the daughter of Blushing Groom and the Dr. Fager mare Remedia won the 1982 Maskette Stakes (USA-I) and was second to Broom Dance by a head in the Alabama Stakes (USA-I). Having proved her worth on the track, she then proceeded to reaffirm it by producing Chic Shirine and Queena (both by Mr. Prospector) as her first two foals. (For good measure, she also produced the Forty Niner mare Puestera, dam of 2006 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, USA-II, winner Regal Engagement.)
Of the sisters, Queena was the better on the track, earning a title as 1991 American champion older female. She also did very well as a producer, her foals including 2000 Early Times Hollywood Derby (USA-IT) winner Brahms (by Danzig), 2003 Tempted Stakes (USA-III) winner La Reina (by A.P. Indy; dam of 2013 Swaps Stakes, USA-II, winner Chief Havoc, by Giant's Causeway) and stakes winner Olympic (by Danzig).
While not a champion, Chic Shirine earned Grade I brackets by winning the 1987 Ashland Stakes, and her record as a broodmare was not far off Queena's either. To covers by Lyphard, she produced 1994 Ladies' Handicap (USA-II) winner Tara Roma and 1995 True North Handicap (USA-II) winner Waldboro. Tara Roma, in turn, is the dam of 2001 Go for Wand Handicap (USA-I) winner Serra Lake (by Seattle Slew) and multiple Grade III winner Cappuchino (by Capote), the second dam of Grade III winner Coal Play, and the third dam of Grade III winner Crewman.
Where Chic Shirine outdid Queena is the level at which her other daughters have bred on. Her 1992 Nureyev filly Chic Corine, for instance, is the dam of 2014 TVG Diana Stakes (USA-IT) winner Somali Lemonade (by Lemon Drop Kid) and listed stakes winner Rasta Farian (by Holy Bull) and is the second dam of French Group III winner Baraan and the third dam of 2017 British Champions Sprint Stakes (ENG-I) winner Librisa Breeze. Another Lyphard daughter, Mayan Maiden, is the second dam of four stakes winners including 2016 Del Mar Oaks (USA-IT) winner Harmonize and Grade II winner Al Khali, and Chic Shirine's youngest daughter, the 2004 Giant's Causeway mare Enchanted Rock, is the dam of multiple Grade I winner Verrazano (by More Than Ready) and 2012 Risen Star Stakes (USA-II) winner El Padrino (by Pulpit).
Chic Shirine produced one other daughter, the 2000 A.P. Indy mare Flying Passage, and she too has done her part to ensure the family's continuation. The dam of multiple Grade II winner Hungry Island (by More Than Ready) and 2011 Hal's Hope Stakes (USA-III) winner Soaring Empire (by Empire Maker), Flying Passage also produced Flying Dixie (by Dixieland Band). Flying Dixie only lived to produce two foals, but her second is Preservationist, whose performance in the Suburban suggests that he may be capable of attaining still higher honors if he can only stay sound.
Hamilton has of course benefited by having access to top-class sires along the way as well as by having an excellent line of mares to work with, but even with those advantages, many a female family has petered out. With the number of well-bred and high-performing young mares belonging to this lineage, however, it seems unlikely that Too Chic's family will go out of style anytime soon.
It never hurts to start with good material, and in Too Chic, Hamilton was beginning with some of the best. Bred by the King Ranch, the daughter of Blushing Groom and the Dr. Fager mare Remedia won the 1982 Maskette Stakes (USA-I) and was second to Broom Dance by a head in the Alabama Stakes (USA-I). Having proved her worth on the track, she then proceeded to reaffirm it by producing Chic Shirine and Queena (both by Mr. Prospector) as her first two foals. (For good measure, she also produced the Forty Niner mare Puestera, dam of 2006 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, USA-II, winner Regal Engagement.)
Of the sisters, Queena was the better on the track, earning a title as 1991 American champion older female. She also did very well as a producer, her foals including 2000 Early Times Hollywood Derby (USA-IT) winner Brahms (by Danzig), 2003 Tempted Stakes (USA-III) winner La Reina (by A.P. Indy; dam of 2013 Swaps Stakes, USA-II, winner Chief Havoc, by Giant's Causeway) and stakes winner Olympic (by Danzig).
While not a champion, Chic Shirine earned Grade I brackets by winning the 1987 Ashland Stakes, and her record as a broodmare was not far off Queena's either. To covers by Lyphard, she produced 1994 Ladies' Handicap (USA-II) winner Tara Roma and 1995 True North Handicap (USA-II) winner Waldboro. Tara Roma, in turn, is the dam of 2001 Go for Wand Handicap (USA-I) winner Serra Lake (by Seattle Slew) and multiple Grade III winner Cappuchino (by Capote), the second dam of Grade III winner Coal Play, and the third dam of Grade III winner Crewman.
Where Chic Shirine outdid Queena is the level at which her other daughters have bred on. Her 1992 Nureyev filly Chic Corine, for instance, is the dam of 2014 TVG Diana Stakes (USA-IT) winner Somali Lemonade (by Lemon Drop Kid) and listed stakes winner Rasta Farian (by Holy Bull) and is the second dam of French Group III winner Baraan and the third dam of 2017 British Champions Sprint Stakes (ENG-I) winner Librisa Breeze. Another Lyphard daughter, Mayan Maiden, is the second dam of four stakes winners including 2016 Del Mar Oaks (USA-IT) winner Harmonize and Grade II winner Al Khali, and Chic Shirine's youngest daughter, the 2004 Giant's Causeway mare Enchanted Rock, is the dam of multiple Grade I winner Verrazano (by More Than Ready) and 2012 Risen Star Stakes (USA-II) winner El Padrino (by Pulpit).
Chic Shirine produced one other daughter, the 2000 A.P. Indy mare Flying Passage, and she too has done her part to ensure the family's continuation. The dam of multiple Grade II winner Hungry Island (by More Than Ready) and 2011 Hal's Hope Stakes (USA-III) winner Soaring Empire (by Empire Maker), Flying Passage also produced Flying Dixie (by Dixieland Band). Flying Dixie only lived to produce two foals, but her second is Preservationist, whose performance in the Suburban suggests that he may be capable of attaining still higher honors if he can only stay sound.
Hamilton has of course benefited by having access to top-class sires along the way as well as by having an excellent line of mares to work with, but even with those advantages, many a female family has petered out. With the number of well-bred and high-performing young mares belonging to this lineage, however, it seems unlikely that Too Chic's family will go out of style anytime soon.
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