E. P. Taylor is now a legendary figure in the history of Canadian Thoroughbred breeding, but even he had to start somewhere. It was Mona Bell who became his first love and his first heartbreak among the many fine horses he owned. A 1935 daughter of the English import Osiris II who cost Taylor $1,200 in Canadian currency as a yearling, the filly became a popular idol at ages 3 and 4 thanks to her tilts against the best Canadian colt of her crop, Bunty Lawless. When it was announced that the two would be mated at the end of their racing careers, Canadian racing fans greeted the news with wild enthusiasm. Unfortunately, it was not to be, as Mona Bell broke a leg as a 4-year-old and could not be saved.
The loss of Mona Bell nearly crushed Taylor, but he not only persevered with Thoroughbred racing but moved into breeding. One of the keystones of the latter endeavor proved to be Mona Bell's full sister Iribelle, who was stakes-placed on the track before becoming a foundation mare for Taylor's Windfields Farm.
Bred to five-time Canadian champion sire Chop Chop, Iribelle produced 1952 Canadian Horse of the Year Canadiana, also a multiple stakes winner in the United States. Canadiana, in turn, produced multiple Canadian stakes winner All Canadian (by Bunty Lawless's son Windfields), but she was eclipsed as a broodmare by her half sister Victoriana. A daughter of Windfields, Victoriana produced 1960 Canadian Horse of the Year and successful sire Victoria Park (by Chop Chop) and, through her stakes-winning daughter Victoria Regina (by Ménétrier), became the second dam of 1968 Canadian Horse of the Year Viceregal and 13-time Canadian champion sire Vice Regent, both by Northern Dancer.
Victoriana also produced Northern Queen (by Northern Dancer's sire Nearctic), who lived up to both her name and her illustrious connections by winning the 1965 Canadian Oaks and becoming the Canadian champion 3-year-old filly of that year. Northern Queen was not the broodmare that Victoria Regina was, but she did produce two stakes winners in Buckstopper (by Buckpasser) and Against All Flags (by Hoist the Flag). Against All Flags, in turn produced only five foals, but three were fillies. Her eldest daughter, Pass All Flags (by Buckpasser) produced 1992 Miami Breeders' Cup Handicap (USA-G3) winner Jodi's Sweetie (by Time for a Change), while her youngest daughter, My Native Flag (by Raise a Native) is the dam of 1997 Brazilian Mare of the Year Bandeira Nativa (by Elmaamul).
The best of the daughters of Against All Flags as a race mare was Dewan's Flag (by 1970 Brooklyn Handicap winner Dewan, by Bold Ruler), the winner of a minor stakes race at Fairmount Park as a 3-year-old. Like her sisters, she became a graded/Group stakes producer, her foals including multiple graded stakes winner Recoup the Cash (by Copelan) and listed stakes winner Up With the Flag (by Time for a Change).
Recoup the Cash and Up With the Flag were both geldings, but Dewan's Flag also has two stakes-producing daughters to her credit. The first is Pause to Pray, a 1992 daughter of Timeless Moment who produced listed stakes winner Praise from Dixie (by Dixie Brass). The second is her last foal, the unraced Royal Academy mare Summer Exhibition, who is the dam of multiple graded stakes winner Summer Applause (by Harlan's Holiday). Summer Exhibition is also the dam of Summer on the Lawn (by 2008 Forego Stakes, USA-G1, winner First Defence), whose son Beyond Brilliant (by Twirling Candy) proved himself perhaps the family's best North American runner since the days of its Canadian champions when he won the Hollywood Derby (USA-G1) in a game performance on November 27.
Beyond Brilliant is the third foal and the only colt produced by Summer on the Lawn, who previously had the winning fillies Perfect Reflection (by Majesticperfection) and Ainoa (by Blame) to her credit. Since Beyond Brilliant, she has produced a 2019 filly by Mastery and a 2021 filly by Mitole and was covered by More Than Ready for 2022. Whether any of these fillies can help return the family to the glory days it enjoyed under Taylor's stewardship remains to be seen, but if Beyond Brilliant is any indication, the future appears bright for a female line which arose from the aftermath of tragedy.
The loss of Mona Bell nearly crushed Taylor, but he not only persevered with Thoroughbred racing but moved into breeding. One of the keystones of the latter endeavor proved to be Mona Bell's full sister Iribelle, who was stakes-placed on the track before becoming a foundation mare for Taylor's Windfields Farm.
Bred to five-time Canadian champion sire Chop Chop, Iribelle produced 1952 Canadian Horse of the Year Canadiana, also a multiple stakes winner in the United States. Canadiana, in turn, produced multiple Canadian stakes winner All Canadian (by Bunty Lawless's son Windfields), but she was eclipsed as a broodmare by her half sister Victoriana. A daughter of Windfields, Victoriana produced 1960 Canadian Horse of the Year and successful sire Victoria Park (by Chop Chop) and, through her stakes-winning daughter Victoria Regina (by Ménétrier), became the second dam of 1968 Canadian Horse of the Year Viceregal and 13-time Canadian champion sire Vice Regent, both by Northern Dancer.
Victoriana also produced Northern Queen (by Northern Dancer's sire Nearctic), who lived up to both her name and her illustrious connections by winning the 1965 Canadian Oaks and becoming the Canadian champion 3-year-old filly of that year. Northern Queen was not the broodmare that Victoria Regina was, but she did produce two stakes winners in Buckstopper (by Buckpasser) and Against All Flags (by Hoist the Flag). Against All Flags, in turn produced only five foals, but three were fillies. Her eldest daughter, Pass All Flags (by Buckpasser) produced 1992 Miami Breeders' Cup Handicap (USA-G3) winner Jodi's Sweetie (by Time for a Change), while her youngest daughter, My Native Flag (by Raise a Native) is the dam of 1997 Brazilian Mare of the Year Bandeira Nativa (by Elmaamul).
The best of the daughters of Against All Flags as a race mare was Dewan's Flag (by 1970 Brooklyn Handicap winner Dewan, by Bold Ruler), the winner of a minor stakes race at Fairmount Park as a 3-year-old. Like her sisters, she became a graded/Group stakes producer, her foals including multiple graded stakes winner Recoup the Cash (by Copelan) and listed stakes winner Up With the Flag (by Time for a Change).
Recoup the Cash and Up With the Flag were both geldings, but Dewan's Flag also has two stakes-producing daughters to her credit. The first is Pause to Pray, a 1992 daughter of Timeless Moment who produced listed stakes winner Praise from Dixie (by Dixie Brass). The second is her last foal, the unraced Royal Academy mare Summer Exhibition, who is the dam of multiple graded stakes winner Summer Applause (by Harlan's Holiday). Summer Exhibition is also the dam of Summer on the Lawn (by 2008 Forego Stakes, USA-G1, winner First Defence), whose son Beyond Brilliant (by Twirling Candy) proved himself perhaps the family's best North American runner since the days of its Canadian champions when he won the Hollywood Derby (USA-G1) in a game performance on November 27.
Beyond Brilliant is the third foal and the only colt produced by Summer on the Lawn, who previously had the winning fillies Perfect Reflection (by Majesticperfection) and Ainoa (by Blame) to her credit. Since Beyond Brilliant, she has produced a 2019 filly by Mastery and a 2021 filly by Mitole and was covered by More Than Ready for 2022. Whether any of these fillies can help return the family to the glory days it enjoyed under Taylor's stewardship remains to be seen, but if Beyond Brilliant is any indication, the future appears bright for a female line which arose from the aftermath of tragedy.
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