In legend, Atlantis was an island or continent "beyond the pillars of Hercules," a reference commonly believed to point to a location in what is now called the Atlantic Ocean. Supposedly the home of an advanced civilization, Atlantis is said to have sunk below the waves in a day and a night after angering the gods.
Atlantis left no artifacts if it ever existed, but it left a mark on the Thoroughbred through a namesake, the mare Hail Atlantis. Produced from the stakes-winning Coastal mare Flippers (a cleverly named daughter of 1965 American Horse of the Year Moccasin), the daughter of Seattle Slew scored a rare double in the past week with great-grandsons having taken down major events on both sides of "The Pond."
Hail Atlantis won only three of her 11 starts, but one of those was in the 1990 Santa Anita Oaks (USA-G1). That and her pedigree were enough to earn her assignations with top sires Nureyev and Storm Cat in her first few matings, and her 1993 breeding to Storm Cat produced Stormy Atlantic, only a listed stakes winner on the track but a good stallion.
Hail Atlantis' remaining matings came up with only more listed stakes winner, and it was up to her four daughters to further their dam's reputation. They have done that with honor. The best of them on the track was Divine Dixie, a daughter of American champion broodmare sire Dixieland Band who placed in a listed race at 2. Accepted into the first book of 2000 Kentucky Derby (USA-G1) winner Fusaichi Pegasus, she produced Bandini, winner of the 2005 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (USA-G1) and 2006 Skip Away Handicap (USA-G3) in a nine-race career. Later in her producing career, she came up with the Street Cry filly Discourse, who won the 2011 Sweet Solera Stakes (ENG-G3) as one of her two wins from three starts before producing listed stakes winners in England and Germany. Divine Dixie is also the dam of stakes-placed My Mammy (by Came Home), whose three stakes winners include 2019 Central Bank Ashland Stakes (USA-G1) winner Out for a Spin (by Hard Spun).
A year before the birth of Discourse, Divine Dixie produced Najoum, a Giant's Causeway filly who won two of her three starts before succumbing to the family curse of fragility. She in turn is the dam of Lord North, a Dubawi gelding who has managed only nine starts in three seasons on the race course but has been a stakes winner every year he raced. After winning a listed stakes at 3 and the Brigadier Gerard Stakes (ENG-G3) at 4, he completed a climb up to the heights of British racing with his victory in the Prince of Wales Stakes (ENG-G1) at the recently concluded Royal Ascot meeting.
On the other side of the Atlantic, it was Hail Atlantis' daughter Helstra who provided the prize winner. A winning daughter of Nureyev and a full sister to multiple graded/Group stakes producer Atlantic Blue, Helstra produced multiple listed stakes winners Dr. Arbatach (by Smart Strike) and Stern Opinion (by Mizzen Mast). She is also the dam of Gamely Girl (by Arch), who on Saturday saw her son Decorated Invader (by Declaration of War) add the Grade 2 Pennine Ridge Stakes to his juvenile score in the Summer Stakes (CAN-G1).
Unfortunately, Najoum has no produce listed since giving birth to an unnamed Teofilo filly in 2017, but Gamely Girl has a yearling colt by Violence and a 2020 filly by Distorted Humor and is also the second dam of French stakes winner Native American through her eldest daughter, stakes winner Jubliant Girl (by Henrythenavigator). With four Grade/Group 1 winners already among her descendants and several well-bred granddaughters and great-granddaughters already gracing the breeding shed, it seems likely that pedigree students may be hailing the mare named for mighty Atlantis for some time to come.
Atlantis left no artifacts if it ever existed, but it left a mark on the Thoroughbred through a namesake, the mare Hail Atlantis. Produced from the stakes-winning Coastal mare Flippers (a cleverly named daughter of 1965 American Horse of the Year Moccasin), the daughter of Seattle Slew scored a rare double in the past week with great-grandsons having taken down major events on both sides of "The Pond."
Hail Atlantis won only three of her 11 starts, but one of those was in the 1990 Santa Anita Oaks (USA-G1). That and her pedigree were enough to earn her assignations with top sires Nureyev and Storm Cat in her first few matings, and her 1993 breeding to Storm Cat produced Stormy Atlantic, only a listed stakes winner on the track but a good stallion.
Hail Atlantis' remaining matings came up with only more listed stakes winner, and it was up to her four daughters to further their dam's reputation. They have done that with honor. The best of them on the track was Divine Dixie, a daughter of American champion broodmare sire Dixieland Band who placed in a listed race at 2. Accepted into the first book of 2000 Kentucky Derby (USA-G1) winner Fusaichi Pegasus, she produced Bandini, winner of the 2005 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (USA-G1) and 2006 Skip Away Handicap (USA-G3) in a nine-race career. Later in her producing career, she came up with the Street Cry filly Discourse, who won the 2011 Sweet Solera Stakes (ENG-G3) as one of her two wins from three starts before producing listed stakes winners in England and Germany. Divine Dixie is also the dam of stakes-placed My Mammy (by Came Home), whose three stakes winners include 2019 Central Bank Ashland Stakes (USA-G1) winner Out for a Spin (by Hard Spun).
A year before the birth of Discourse, Divine Dixie produced Najoum, a Giant's Causeway filly who won two of her three starts before succumbing to the family curse of fragility. She in turn is the dam of Lord North, a Dubawi gelding who has managed only nine starts in three seasons on the race course but has been a stakes winner every year he raced. After winning a listed stakes at 3 and the Brigadier Gerard Stakes (ENG-G3) at 4, he completed a climb up to the heights of British racing with his victory in the Prince of Wales Stakes (ENG-G1) at the recently concluded Royal Ascot meeting.
On the other side of the Atlantic, it was Hail Atlantis' daughter Helstra who provided the prize winner. A winning daughter of Nureyev and a full sister to multiple graded/Group stakes producer Atlantic Blue, Helstra produced multiple listed stakes winners Dr. Arbatach (by Smart Strike) and Stern Opinion (by Mizzen Mast). She is also the dam of Gamely Girl (by Arch), who on Saturday saw her son Decorated Invader (by Declaration of War) add the Grade 2 Pennine Ridge Stakes to his juvenile score in the Summer Stakes (CAN-G1).
Unfortunately, Najoum has no produce listed since giving birth to an unnamed Teofilo filly in 2017, but Gamely Girl has a yearling colt by Violence and a 2020 filly by Distorted Humor and is also the second dam of French stakes winner Native American through her eldest daughter, stakes winner Jubliant Girl (by Henrythenavigator). With four Grade/Group 1 winners already among her descendants and several well-bred granddaughters and great-granddaughters already gracing the breeding shed, it seems likely that pedigree students may be hailing the mare named for mighty Atlantis for some time to come.
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