Under ordinary circumstances, a stakes race that doesn't even qualify for listed status would not warrant much attention. In the constricted racing world caused by COVID-19, however, even minor black-type events are drawing stiffer fields of competitors than usual, and such was the case in the Roar Stakes at Gulfstream Park May 16. While the race ended up with only six horses, four were stakes winners including Grade 2 winner Green Light Go. That's a better field than many a Grade 3 race draws in normal times.
The winner turned up in lightly-raced Double Crown, who withstood Green Light Go's final charge to capture his first stakes win in his third lifetime start. The Bourbon Courage gelding is the latest stakes horse for the family of Avie, which has put together quite a solid record without ever breaking into the heights of fashion.
Avie herself was not much of a race mare, winning just one of 24 starts. Her primary attraction as a prospective broodmare was her pedigree: by the 1957 Belmont Stakes winner and good sire Gallant Man, she was out of the Tom Fool mare Evilone, making her a full sister to stakes winner Lesjo and a half sister to 1963 Alabama Stakes winner Tona and 1969 Yankee Gold Cup Handicap winner Jean-Pierre. Bred mostly to second- and third-tier stallions, Avie vindicated her bloodlines by producing 1980 American champion 2-year-old male Lord Avie (by Lord Gaylord), 1975 John B. Campbell Handicap (USA-G2) winner Jolly Johu (by Restless Native) and stakes winner Avum (by Umbrella Fella).
Lord Avie followed up on his racing success by becoming a good sire, but Avie's influence did not stop there. Avum's race record plus her family connections got her access to some of the best stallions of her day, and she made good use of her opportunities by producing 1986 Seminole Handicap (USA-G2) winner Minneapple (by Riverman), 1986 Las Flores Handicap (USA-G3) winner Baroness Direct (by Blushing Groom) and French stakes winner Lyphard's Princess (by Lyphard). Avum is also the second dam of 1991 Ohio Derby (USA-G2) winner Private Man and third dam of 2000 Donn Handicap (USA-G1) winner Stephen Got Even, 2012 Champions Mile (HK-G1) winner Xtension and Australian Group 3 winner Get Square.
Avie's other important daughter is Averell, a stakes-placed full sister to Jolly Johu. Averell produced listed stakes winners Harriman (by Lord Gaylord) and Dixie Accent (by Dixieland Band). She also produced Dame Avie, dam of four stakes winners including 1993 Norristown Handicap (USA-G3) winner Primitive Hall (by Dixieland Band); Skat Girl (by Dixieland Band), dam of multiple Grade 2 winner Ellafitz (by Tiznow) and listed stakes winner Andiamo (by Rubiano); and Full Figure (by Polish Numbers), dam of 2010 Potrero Grande Handicap (USA-G2) winner Ventana (by Toccet) and stakes winner Miss Challenge (by More Than Ready).
Dixie Accent was the only one of Averell's stakes-producing daughters not to come up with a graded stakes winner, but she did produce listed stakes winners Mumbo Jumbo and King of Dixie (both by Kingmambo) as well as the A.P. Indy gelding Muscle Car, a stakes winner over hurdles. Mumbo Jumbo, in turn, is the dam of 2018 La Prevoyante Handicap (USA-G3) winner Texting and listed stakes winner Trusty Temper (by Successful Appeal), and Dixie Accent is also the dam of listed stakes producers Munch n Grass (by Pleasant Colony) and Indy Go Go (by A. P. Indy). The last-named mare is the granddam of Double Crown through her Two Punch daughter Two Columbus, whose last reported produce is the 2018 Great Notion colt Espolon.
The likelihood that Double Crown will live up to his name by taking a couple of Triple Crown races is slim even in topsy-turvy 2020 as this family has not come up with a member capable of winning a Grade 1 race or the equivalent over more than 9 furlongs since Tona, whose sire Nashua was all the stamina influence needed. Nonetheless, this is a solid family that has managed to keep on turning out nice horses generation after generation, and there are far worse things to be said of any female line than that.
The winner turned up in lightly-raced Double Crown, who withstood Green Light Go's final charge to capture his first stakes win in his third lifetime start. The Bourbon Courage gelding is the latest stakes horse for the family of Avie, which has put together quite a solid record without ever breaking into the heights of fashion.
Avie herself was not much of a race mare, winning just one of 24 starts. Her primary attraction as a prospective broodmare was her pedigree: by the 1957 Belmont Stakes winner and good sire Gallant Man, she was out of the Tom Fool mare Evilone, making her a full sister to stakes winner Lesjo and a half sister to 1963 Alabama Stakes winner Tona and 1969 Yankee Gold Cup Handicap winner Jean-Pierre. Bred mostly to second- and third-tier stallions, Avie vindicated her bloodlines by producing 1980 American champion 2-year-old male Lord Avie (by Lord Gaylord), 1975 John B. Campbell Handicap (USA-G2) winner Jolly Johu (by Restless Native) and stakes winner Avum (by Umbrella Fella).
Lord Avie followed up on his racing success by becoming a good sire, but Avie's influence did not stop there. Avum's race record plus her family connections got her access to some of the best stallions of her day, and she made good use of her opportunities by producing 1986 Seminole Handicap (USA-G2) winner Minneapple (by Riverman), 1986 Las Flores Handicap (USA-G3) winner Baroness Direct (by Blushing Groom) and French stakes winner Lyphard's Princess (by Lyphard). Avum is also the second dam of 1991 Ohio Derby (USA-G2) winner Private Man and third dam of 2000 Donn Handicap (USA-G1) winner Stephen Got Even, 2012 Champions Mile (HK-G1) winner Xtension and Australian Group 3 winner Get Square.
Avie's other important daughter is Averell, a stakes-placed full sister to Jolly Johu. Averell produced listed stakes winners Harriman (by Lord Gaylord) and Dixie Accent (by Dixieland Band). She also produced Dame Avie, dam of four stakes winners including 1993 Norristown Handicap (USA-G3) winner Primitive Hall (by Dixieland Band); Skat Girl (by Dixieland Band), dam of multiple Grade 2 winner Ellafitz (by Tiznow) and listed stakes winner Andiamo (by Rubiano); and Full Figure (by Polish Numbers), dam of 2010 Potrero Grande Handicap (USA-G2) winner Ventana (by Toccet) and stakes winner Miss Challenge (by More Than Ready).
Dixie Accent was the only one of Averell's stakes-producing daughters not to come up with a graded stakes winner, but she did produce listed stakes winners Mumbo Jumbo and King of Dixie (both by Kingmambo) as well as the A.P. Indy gelding Muscle Car, a stakes winner over hurdles. Mumbo Jumbo, in turn, is the dam of 2018 La Prevoyante Handicap (USA-G3) winner Texting and listed stakes winner Trusty Temper (by Successful Appeal), and Dixie Accent is also the dam of listed stakes producers Munch n Grass (by Pleasant Colony) and Indy Go Go (by A. P. Indy). The last-named mare is the granddam of Double Crown through her Two Punch daughter Two Columbus, whose last reported produce is the 2018 Great Notion colt Espolon.
The likelihood that Double Crown will live up to his name by taking a couple of Triple Crown races is slim even in topsy-turvy 2020 as this family has not come up with a member capable of winning a Grade 1 race or the equivalent over more than 9 furlongs since Tona, whose sire Nashua was all the stamina influence needed. Nonetheless, this is a solid family that has managed to keep on turning out nice horses generation after generation, and there are far worse things to be said of any female line than that.
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