Earlier this month, Irwin scored his second win in an Argentine Triple Crown event when he captured the Gran Premio Nacional (Argentine Derby, ARG-G1) to go with his previous victory in the Gran Premio Polla de Potrillos (Argentine Two Thousand Guineas, ARG-G1). A son of 2013 Hollywood Derby (USA-G1) winner Seek Again (by Speightstown), Irwin traces the tail-female line of his pedigree to Aloe, one of the great English matriarchs of the 20th century.
The Aloe family's major successes in the Americas have come through three granddaughters of the grande dame, all imported in mid-century. Starling (Noble Star x Feola), repeatedly bred to the dual Argentine Classic winner and important sire Seductor, produced two Argentine champions in Sideral (a great sire) and his full sister Siderea and has bred on through her daughters. Her half-sister Knight's Daughter (Sir Cosmo x Feola) was equally influential in North America, producing 1958 American Horse of the Year and excellent sire Round Table and establishing a line leading to champions Turkish Trousers and Tessla as well as the good sires Pulpit, Blade, and Envoy.
Irwin is descended from the third major importation, Persian Maid (Tehran x Aroma), but not through Mixed Marriage (Tudor Minstrel x Persian Maid), whose descendants include the important runners and sires Gone West, Known Fact, and Tentam, as well as two-time American champion filly Go for Wand, the good Maryland sire Carnivalay, and 2011 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Oatsee. Instead, his tail- female line traces to Persian Maid through her granddaughter Sans Critique (Reviewer x Ian Maid, by 1954 Kentucky Derby winner Determine), who became a stakes winner at 3 and was second in the Delaware Handicap (USA-G1) at 4.
Sans Critique, in turn, produced stakes winner Praise Her, who is the second dam of four stakes winners including multiple Brazilian Group 2 winner Reizinho. However, the branch of interest here is descended from St. Cecelia (The Minstrel x Sans Critique), a winner who produced only two foals. Her only daughter is the Sir Ivor mare Ivory Saint, who was exported to Argentina in 1995 and became part of the broodmare band at Haras Carampangue.
Ivory Saint did well for her new owners, producing Group 1-placed Brazilian Group 3 winner Isidorito and Group 3-placed Irlandesita (both by the Fappiano horse Roy, a nine-time champion sire and eight-time champion broodmare sire in Chile and a champion sire in Argentina as well). Irlandesita unfortunately produced only three foals, but one of them was Irwina (by Argentine champion sire and broodmare sire Orpen, a Group 1 winner as a juvenile in France), the dam of Irwin.
Continuing the misfortune that has dogged this branch of Aloe's family, Irwina died when only 14, but she may have done enough to perpetuate the line. Aside from Irwin, she is the dam of the 2014 Pure Prize mare Irisa, winner of the 2019 Premio Arturo R. y Arturo Bullrich (ARG-G2), and Irisa's full sister Irenka is in production in the Haras Carampangue broodmare band. Two other full sisters to Irisa, Inculcada and Iraida, are young broodmares in Argentina and Chile, respectively, and Irwina's last foal was a 2020 filly by two-time Argentine champion Suggestive Boy that has been named Isolation. Irwin has certainly done nothing to hurt the future opportunities of these mares, and it now lies with them as to whether this branch of the great Aloe family will keep growing in South America.
The Aloe family's major successes in the Americas have come through three granddaughters of the grande dame, all imported in mid-century. Starling (Noble Star x Feola), repeatedly bred to the dual Argentine Classic winner and important sire Seductor, produced two Argentine champions in Sideral (a great sire) and his full sister Siderea and has bred on through her daughters. Her half-sister Knight's Daughter (Sir Cosmo x Feola) was equally influential in North America, producing 1958 American Horse of the Year and excellent sire Round Table and establishing a line leading to champions Turkish Trousers and Tessla as well as the good sires Pulpit, Blade, and Envoy.
Irwin is descended from the third major importation, Persian Maid (Tehran x Aroma), but not through Mixed Marriage (Tudor Minstrel x Persian Maid), whose descendants include the important runners and sires Gone West, Known Fact, and Tentam, as well as two-time American champion filly Go for Wand, the good Maryland sire Carnivalay, and 2011 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Oatsee. Instead, his tail- female line traces to Persian Maid through her granddaughter Sans Critique (Reviewer x Ian Maid, by 1954 Kentucky Derby winner Determine), who became a stakes winner at 3 and was second in the Delaware Handicap (USA-G1) at 4.
Sans Critique, in turn, produced stakes winner Praise Her, who is the second dam of four stakes winners including multiple Brazilian Group 2 winner Reizinho. However, the branch of interest here is descended from St. Cecelia (The Minstrel x Sans Critique), a winner who produced only two foals. Her only daughter is the Sir Ivor mare Ivory Saint, who was exported to Argentina in 1995 and became part of the broodmare band at Haras Carampangue.
Ivory Saint did well for her new owners, producing Group 1-placed Brazilian Group 3 winner Isidorito and Group 3-placed Irlandesita (both by the Fappiano horse Roy, a nine-time champion sire and eight-time champion broodmare sire in Chile and a champion sire in Argentina as well). Irlandesita unfortunately produced only three foals, but one of them was Irwina (by Argentine champion sire and broodmare sire Orpen, a Group 1 winner as a juvenile in France), the dam of Irwin.
Continuing the misfortune that has dogged this branch of Aloe's family, Irwina died when only 14, but she may have done enough to perpetuate the line. Aside from Irwin, she is the dam of the 2014 Pure Prize mare Irisa, winner of the 2019 Premio Arturo R. y Arturo Bullrich (ARG-G2), and Irisa's full sister Irenka is in production in the Haras Carampangue broodmare band. Two other full sisters to Irisa, Inculcada and Iraida, are young broodmares in Argentina and Chile, respectively, and Irwina's last foal was a 2020 filly by two-time Argentine champion Suggestive Boy that has been named Isolation. Irwin has certainly done nothing to hurt the future opportunities of these mares, and it now lies with them as to whether this branch of the great Aloe family will keep growing in South America.
RSS Feed