While 2021 Canadian Horse of the Year Mighty Heart was the headliner for the Eclipse Stakes (CAN-G2) on May 29 at Woodbine, it was Artie's Storm who stole the show. The 4-year-old gelding by We Miss Artie had been training splendidly coming up to the race and lived up to his morning form in his first race of the season, winning his first graded stakes by a length after taking two restricted stakes at Woodbine last year.
Artie's Storm is the latest good horse to emerge from the family of Hooplah, which has been doing good work for over half a century without quite reaching the level of the top matriarchies. A 1965 daughter of Hillary, Hooplah lived up to her name on the racetrack by winning the 1968 Hollywood Oaks before producing four stakes winners in the paddocks, three of them of graded stature. The best of the group was Afifa (by the good Bold Ruler son Dewan), winner of the 1978 Vanity Handicap (USA-G1), and Hooplah also produced 1979 Donald P. Ross Handicap (USA-G3) winner Alias Smith (by Al Hattab), multiple Group 3 winner Auction Ring (by Bold Bidder), and listed stakes winner Whow (by Spectacular Bid), the dam of 2004 Holy Bull Stakes (USA-G3) winner Second of June (by Louis Quatorze).
Two of Hooplah's non-stakes-winning daughters also contributed to the growing family. One, Group 1-placed Northern Walker (by Northern Dancer), is the dam of multiple Grade 2 winner Passagere du Soir (by Rainbow Quest). The other, unraced Passing My Way (by Pass the Glass) is the dam of Phone Chatter (by Phone Trick), the American champion 2-year-old filly of 1993.
Phone Chatter did not train on as hoped after her juvenile season, winning only one restricted stakes from nine starts after her victory in the 1993 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (USA-G1). She had some success as a broodmare, producing 2001 Nassau County Stakes (USA-G2) winner Cat Chat (by Storm Cat), in turn the dam of 2012 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (USA-G1) winner In Lingerie (by Empire Maker) and the second dam of Japanese Group 2 winners Red Bel Jour and Red Belle Aube.
Others of Phone Chatter's daughters, while not particularly successful on the track, have contributed in the breeding shed. Doula (by Gone West) is the second dam of New Zealand Group 2 winner Mongolian Falcon, and Mini Chat (by Deputy Minister) is the dam of 2007 Norfolk Stakes (USA-G1) winner Dixie Chatter (by Dixie Union) and 2013 Los Flores Stakes (USA-G3) winner Rumor (by Indian Charlie). A third daughter, Stormy Reply (by Storm Cat) has now joined the club, as her daughter Tiz Stormy Now produced Artie's Storm as her sixth foal and fifth winner from six named foals.
Unfortunately, Artie's Storm is the last foal of Tiz Stormy Now, whose other foals are all males. Nonetheless, Hooplah still has a number of well-bred female descendants in production, and it is likely to be only a matter of time before another of them comes up with something worth getting excited about.
Artie's Storm is the latest good horse to emerge from the family of Hooplah, which has been doing good work for over half a century without quite reaching the level of the top matriarchies. A 1965 daughter of Hillary, Hooplah lived up to her name on the racetrack by winning the 1968 Hollywood Oaks before producing four stakes winners in the paddocks, three of them of graded stature. The best of the group was Afifa (by the good Bold Ruler son Dewan), winner of the 1978 Vanity Handicap (USA-G1), and Hooplah also produced 1979 Donald P. Ross Handicap (USA-G3) winner Alias Smith (by Al Hattab), multiple Group 3 winner Auction Ring (by Bold Bidder), and listed stakes winner Whow (by Spectacular Bid), the dam of 2004 Holy Bull Stakes (USA-G3) winner Second of June (by Louis Quatorze).
Two of Hooplah's non-stakes-winning daughters also contributed to the growing family. One, Group 1-placed Northern Walker (by Northern Dancer), is the dam of multiple Grade 2 winner Passagere du Soir (by Rainbow Quest). The other, unraced Passing My Way (by Pass the Glass) is the dam of Phone Chatter (by Phone Trick), the American champion 2-year-old filly of 1993.
Phone Chatter did not train on as hoped after her juvenile season, winning only one restricted stakes from nine starts after her victory in the 1993 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (USA-G1). She had some success as a broodmare, producing 2001 Nassau County Stakes (USA-G2) winner Cat Chat (by Storm Cat), in turn the dam of 2012 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (USA-G1) winner In Lingerie (by Empire Maker) and the second dam of Japanese Group 2 winners Red Bel Jour and Red Belle Aube.
Others of Phone Chatter's daughters, while not particularly successful on the track, have contributed in the breeding shed. Doula (by Gone West) is the second dam of New Zealand Group 2 winner Mongolian Falcon, and Mini Chat (by Deputy Minister) is the dam of 2007 Norfolk Stakes (USA-G1) winner Dixie Chatter (by Dixie Union) and 2013 Los Flores Stakes (USA-G3) winner Rumor (by Indian Charlie). A third daughter, Stormy Reply (by Storm Cat) has now joined the club, as her daughter Tiz Stormy Now produced Artie's Storm as her sixth foal and fifth winner from six named foals.
Unfortunately, Artie's Storm is the last foal of Tiz Stormy Now, whose other foals are all males. Nonetheless, Hooplah still has a number of well-bred female descendants in production, and it is likely to be only a matter of time before another of them comes up with something worth getting excited about.
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