Trainer Chad Brown believed he had a filly capable of controlling the pace scenario in the Wonder Again Stakes (USA-G2) at Belmont Park on June 10, and Prerequisite proved him right. Making only her third lifetime start, the bay filly hustled out of the gate under Flavien Prat, went to the front early and set an honest but not frantic pace under mild pressure by Spansive. Coming out of the far turn, she shook off that rival and had enough left to stave off the late-charging Be Your Best, stopping the timer for 9 furlongs over firm turf in 1:47.20. It was Prerequisite’s second straight win over the course and distance.
A daughter of 2015 Lambholm South Holy Bull Stakes (USA-G2) winner Upstart (by Flatter), Prerequisite traces her tail-female descent back to the 1995 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year, Northern Sunset. A jewel in the broodmare band of Virginia Kraft Payson’s Payson Stud, Northern Sunset earned her title by producing four graded/Group-winning sons, headed by 1992 European Horse of the Year St. Jovite (by Pleasant Colony). The others were St. Jovite’s full brother Lac Ouimet, a five-time Grade 2 winner and a useful sire; two-time Grade 2 winner Salem Drive (by Darby Creek Road); and the gelded L’Carriere (by Carr de Naskra), who won the 1996 Saratoga Breeders’ Cup Handicap (USA-G3) and placed in three Grade 1 races.
The best of Northern Sunset’s daughters as a producer was Dry North, a daughter of 1980 Belmont Stakes (USA-G1) winner and champion 3-year-old male Temperence Hill. As is often the case for strongly stamina-bred horses in the North American market, she was not a particularly successful racer, winning three of 25 starts while running primarily in two-turn races on the dirt. Most breeders probably would have sought a speedier mate for her, but Payson went with the sire that had been most successful with Northern Sunset, the staying Pleasant Colony. The result was Fly North, who defied her breeding by winning the 1995 Ontario Debutante Stakes as a juvenile.
Payson’s breeding program was oriented toward classic stamina, and in 1998, Fly North visited another horse that could stay at least 10 furlongs in multiple Grade 1 winner Broad Brush. Payson sold the resulting filly for US$45,000 at the 2000 Keeneland September yearling sale, and, under the name of Farda Amiga, the filly won the 2002 Kentucky Oaks (USA-G1) and Alabama Stakes (USA-G1) and was second in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (USA-G1), good enough for an Eclipse Award in the 3-year-old filly division. A rather disappointing broodmare, Farda Amiga is nonetheless the third dam of 2021 Gran Premio Polla de Potrancas (Uruguayan One Thousand Guineas) winner Dama de Ferro.
Fly North produced no more stakes winners, and her last foal, the 2007 Giant’s Causeway filly Forever Beautiful (another Payson-bred) never raced. Forever Beautiful’s only winner to date is her third foal, three-time stakes winner Homeland Security (by Smart Strike). Prerequisite is the second foal out of Homeland Security’s full sister Etsu, also the dam of Mexican stakes winner Yucatan (by Strong Mandate). Following Prerequisite, Etsu has produced the unraced 2021 Summer Front colt Stay Hot, a 2022 colt by Complexity, and a 2023 full brother to Prerequisite. Forever Beautiful also remains in production and has most recently produced a 2022 colt by Runhappy and a 2023 filly by Street Boss.
Although Prerequisite’s pedigree is decidedly tilted toward stamina (especially by modern standards), she is inbred 4x3 to two-time American champion sire Mr. Prospector, a horse that set a Gulfstream Park track record for six furlongs that stood unbroken and untied for thirty years. Her ability to set a high cruising speed and maintain it will make her an interesting runner to watch later in the season as some of the longer turf races for fillies and mares come around, for this is one front-runner not likely to be found out for lack of staying ability. Her burgeoning career is a testament to a woman who eschewed the commercial push for early speed and maturity and bred for the long run.
A daughter of 2015 Lambholm South Holy Bull Stakes (USA-G2) winner Upstart (by Flatter), Prerequisite traces her tail-female descent back to the 1995 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year, Northern Sunset. A jewel in the broodmare band of Virginia Kraft Payson’s Payson Stud, Northern Sunset earned her title by producing four graded/Group-winning sons, headed by 1992 European Horse of the Year St. Jovite (by Pleasant Colony). The others were St. Jovite’s full brother Lac Ouimet, a five-time Grade 2 winner and a useful sire; two-time Grade 2 winner Salem Drive (by Darby Creek Road); and the gelded L’Carriere (by Carr de Naskra), who won the 1996 Saratoga Breeders’ Cup Handicap (USA-G3) and placed in three Grade 1 races.
The best of Northern Sunset’s daughters as a producer was Dry North, a daughter of 1980 Belmont Stakes (USA-G1) winner and champion 3-year-old male Temperence Hill. As is often the case for strongly stamina-bred horses in the North American market, she was not a particularly successful racer, winning three of 25 starts while running primarily in two-turn races on the dirt. Most breeders probably would have sought a speedier mate for her, but Payson went with the sire that had been most successful with Northern Sunset, the staying Pleasant Colony. The result was Fly North, who defied her breeding by winning the 1995 Ontario Debutante Stakes as a juvenile.
Payson’s breeding program was oriented toward classic stamina, and in 1998, Fly North visited another horse that could stay at least 10 furlongs in multiple Grade 1 winner Broad Brush. Payson sold the resulting filly for US$45,000 at the 2000 Keeneland September yearling sale, and, under the name of Farda Amiga, the filly won the 2002 Kentucky Oaks (USA-G1) and Alabama Stakes (USA-G1) and was second in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (USA-G1), good enough for an Eclipse Award in the 3-year-old filly division. A rather disappointing broodmare, Farda Amiga is nonetheless the third dam of 2021 Gran Premio Polla de Potrancas (Uruguayan One Thousand Guineas) winner Dama de Ferro.
Fly North produced no more stakes winners, and her last foal, the 2007 Giant’s Causeway filly Forever Beautiful (another Payson-bred) never raced. Forever Beautiful’s only winner to date is her third foal, three-time stakes winner Homeland Security (by Smart Strike). Prerequisite is the second foal out of Homeland Security’s full sister Etsu, also the dam of Mexican stakes winner Yucatan (by Strong Mandate). Following Prerequisite, Etsu has produced the unraced 2021 Summer Front colt Stay Hot, a 2022 colt by Complexity, and a 2023 full brother to Prerequisite. Forever Beautiful also remains in production and has most recently produced a 2022 colt by Runhappy and a 2023 filly by Street Boss.
Although Prerequisite’s pedigree is decidedly tilted toward stamina (especially by modern standards), she is inbred 4x3 to two-time American champion sire Mr. Prospector, a horse that set a Gulfstream Park track record for six furlongs that stood unbroken and untied for thirty years. Her ability to set a high cruising speed and maintain it will make her an interesting runner to watch later in the season as some of the longer turf races for fillies and mares come around, for this is one front-runner not likely to be found out for lack of staying ability. Her burgeoning career is a testament to a woman who eschewed the commercial push for early speed and maturity and bred for the long run.
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