Talk about going from rags to riches. In 2014, Ma’am was a $9,500 RNA at the Keeneland September yearling sale. On May 4, 2024, she became absolutely priceless. That was the day that her first foal, the Goldencents colt Mystik Dan, hung on to win the 150th Kentucky Derby by a desperate nose.
A private purchase for Lance Gasaway, Daniel Hamby, and 4G Racing after her flop at the sales, Ma’am proved fairly tough if not overly classy on the racetrack. Trained by Kenny McPeek—who is also the trainer of her son—through her first 17 starts and by Brad Cox for the last six, she won four of her 23 starts and placed in another eight, finishing her career with earnings of $167,923.
Bred by Lucy Bassett, Ma’am is a daughter of 2008 Santa Anita Derby (USA-G1) and Travers Stakes (USA-G1) winner Colonel John (by Tiznow), who was later sent to Korea after a solid but unspectacular stud career in Kentucky. A full sister to multiple Greek highweight Revamp, winner of the 2019 Greek Derby, Ma’am was produced from the winner Lady Siphonica, whose full brother Siphonic won the 2001 Hollywood Futurity (USA-G1).
Further back, Ma’am’s pedigree continues in the same vein as the mating of her parents, putting together horses that were very good on the racetrack but not exactly household names when it came to the breeding shed. Her broodmare sire is Siphon, a Brazilian-bred scion of the St. Simon male line who won the 1994 Grande Prêmio Julio Martins (BRZ-G1) in his native land and the 1996 Hollywood Gold Cup Invitational Handicap (USA-G1) and 1997 Santa Anita Handicap (USA-G1) in North America. Siphonic was as good as anything he ever sired in North America (he also begot 2005 Frank J. DeFrancis Memorial Dash Stakes, USA-G1, winner I’m the Tiger) before being repatriated permanently back to Brazil, where he died in 2019.
Also a half sister to listed stakes winner Mountain Girl (by Mountain Cat), Lady Siphonica is out of stakes-placed Cherokee Crossing, whose other foals include Rose of Summer (by El Prado), dam of 2008 Starlet Stakes (USA-G1) winner Laragh (by Tapit) and 2014 Fort Lauderdale Stakes (USA-G2) winner Summer Front (by War Front). A daughter of 1988 Flamingo Stakes (USA-G1) winner Cherokee Colony (by Pleasant Colony), Cherokee Crossing is a half sister to multiple Grade 2 winner Dixie Dot Com (by Dixie Brass) and is out of unraced Sky Meadows, a Conquistador Cielo half sister to the minor stakes winner Kiltartan Cross (by Hero’s Honor). This female line traces back to Hillbrook, an important producer who was a half sister to the top-class handicapper Hillsdale.
Following Mystik Dan, Ma’am has produced Yes Ma’am, a 2022 filly by Unified who has yet to start, and Ford’s Ma’am, a yearling daughter of Knicks Go. Needless to say, the value of both these fillies has risen considerably thanks to their brother’s heroics under the Twin Spires. Ma’am was most recently bred to 2020 Louisiana Derby (USA-G2) winner Wells Bayou (by Lookin At Lucky), a sentimental choice for Lance and Sharilyn Gasaway as they are part-owners in the stallion.
Although one can wish Ma’am and her owners every future success, she may produce absolutely nothing worth mention during the rest of her broodmare career. This does not detract in the least from the magnitude of her achievement. She is now part of an exclusive club with only 150 members, the dams of Kentucky Derby winners, and as such has achieved a measure of immortality that could not have been foreseen on a September day 10 years ago when she was led out of the Keeneland ring unsold. Her story is one of those that keeps hope alive for those who cannot afford to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a stud fee or millions of dollars on an elite mare, and perhaps it may kindle dreams for someone else who may someday find themselves among the connections of a Derby winner.
A private purchase for Lance Gasaway, Daniel Hamby, and 4G Racing after her flop at the sales, Ma’am proved fairly tough if not overly classy on the racetrack. Trained by Kenny McPeek—who is also the trainer of her son—through her first 17 starts and by Brad Cox for the last six, she won four of her 23 starts and placed in another eight, finishing her career with earnings of $167,923.
Bred by Lucy Bassett, Ma’am is a daughter of 2008 Santa Anita Derby (USA-G1) and Travers Stakes (USA-G1) winner Colonel John (by Tiznow), who was later sent to Korea after a solid but unspectacular stud career in Kentucky. A full sister to multiple Greek highweight Revamp, winner of the 2019 Greek Derby, Ma’am was produced from the winner Lady Siphonica, whose full brother Siphonic won the 2001 Hollywood Futurity (USA-G1).
Further back, Ma’am’s pedigree continues in the same vein as the mating of her parents, putting together horses that were very good on the racetrack but not exactly household names when it came to the breeding shed. Her broodmare sire is Siphon, a Brazilian-bred scion of the St. Simon male line who won the 1994 Grande Prêmio Julio Martins (BRZ-G1) in his native land and the 1996 Hollywood Gold Cup Invitational Handicap (USA-G1) and 1997 Santa Anita Handicap (USA-G1) in North America. Siphonic was as good as anything he ever sired in North America (he also begot 2005 Frank J. DeFrancis Memorial Dash Stakes, USA-G1, winner I’m the Tiger) before being repatriated permanently back to Brazil, where he died in 2019.
Also a half sister to listed stakes winner Mountain Girl (by Mountain Cat), Lady Siphonica is out of stakes-placed Cherokee Crossing, whose other foals include Rose of Summer (by El Prado), dam of 2008 Starlet Stakes (USA-G1) winner Laragh (by Tapit) and 2014 Fort Lauderdale Stakes (USA-G2) winner Summer Front (by War Front). A daughter of 1988 Flamingo Stakes (USA-G1) winner Cherokee Colony (by Pleasant Colony), Cherokee Crossing is a half sister to multiple Grade 2 winner Dixie Dot Com (by Dixie Brass) and is out of unraced Sky Meadows, a Conquistador Cielo half sister to the minor stakes winner Kiltartan Cross (by Hero’s Honor). This female line traces back to Hillbrook, an important producer who was a half sister to the top-class handicapper Hillsdale.
Following Mystik Dan, Ma’am has produced Yes Ma’am, a 2022 filly by Unified who has yet to start, and Ford’s Ma’am, a yearling daughter of Knicks Go. Needless to say, the value of both these fillies has risen considerably thanks to their brother’s heroics under the Twin Spires. Ma’am was most recently bred to 2020 Louisiana Derby (USA-G2) winner Wells Bayou (by Lookin At Lucky), a sentimental choice for Lance and Sharilyn Gasaway as they are part-owners in the stallion.
Although one can wish Ma’am and her owners every future success, she may produce absolutely nothing worth mention during the rest of her broodmare career. This does not detract in the least from the magnitude of her achievement. She is now part of an exclusive club with only 150 members, the dams of Kentucky Derby winners, and as such has achieved a measure of immortality that could not have been foreseen on a September day 10 years ago when she was led out of the Keeneland ring unsold. Her story is one of those that keeps hope alive for those who cannot afford to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a stud fee or millions of dollars on an elite mare, and perhaps it may kindle dreams for someone else who may someday find themselves among the connections of a Derby winner.
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