On paper, Sunday’s Zenyatta Stakes (USA-G2) at Santa Anita looked like a paid workout for heavily favored Adare Manor, a last-out winner of the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (USA-G1). In this case, the reality was perfectly in line with the prediction. Only three other fillies and mares entered the starting gate, and none had the early speed to go with Adare Manor. On cruise control from start to finish, the big filly easily added her third Grade 2 win of the season to go with her Grade 1 score. She won by 5¼ lengths, stopping the timer for the 8.5 furlongs in 1:43.70.
A daughter of Uncle Mo, Adare Manor is from the family of the mid-20th century matriarch Rough Shod II through a branch descended from the great mare’s granddaughter Aphonia. A half sister by Tom Fool’s good racing son Dunce to three-time American champion Gamely, Aphonia produced stakes winners George Spelvin (by Nantallah), Messina (by Secretariat), and Sitzmark (by J. O. Tobin) as well as the good Florida sire Cutlass (by Damascus) and multiple stakes producer Nosey Nan (by Nantallah), dam of stakes winners Regal Rumor (by Damascus; dam of stakes winner Bayou Hebert, by Hoist the Flag), Table the Rumor (by Round Table), and No Cabeza (by Executioner).
These results were good but hardly spectacular, and unraced Secret Rumor (a full sister to Regal Rumor) did not even rise to that level, producing five low-class winners from nine foals. Among her non-winners were two unraced mares by Spectacular Bid. One, Spectacularsecret, was sent to Brazil, where she produced Grande Prêmio João Borges Filho (BRZ-G2) winner Hot Way (by Robbama, by Roberto x Table the Rumor), Grande Prêmio Federico Lundgren (BRZ-G3) winner Exalting (by New Colony), and Brazilian listed stakes winner Moroti. The other is unraced Jennifer’s Bid (by Spectacular Bid), who produced only two foals but came up with a decent runner in listed stakes winner Miss Bid Flash (by Horse Flash), in turn the dam of listed stakes winner Spectacular Cat (by Forest Wildcat).
Maya’s Note, a winner by Editor’s Note, was the only producing daughter of Miss Bid Flash, and she continued the modest success of this branch of the family via stakes winner Effie Trinket (by Freud), who placed in three Grade 2 races, and unraced Explosive Story (by the winning Storm Cat horse Radio Star), dam of 2016 Hilliard Lyons Doubledogdare Stakes (USA-G3) winner Brooklynsway (by multiple Grade 3 winner Giant Gizmo, by Giant’s Causeway). Brooklynsway, in turn, produced Adare Manor as her first foal; she has since foaled an unnamed 2-year-old filly by Into Mischief, the 2022 Ghostzapper filly Nosleeptilbroodklyn, and a 2023 colt by Uncle Mo before being bred back to Tapit.
On her 4-year-old form, Adare Manor is the best runner produced by her branch of the Rough Shod II family since Gamely, and she appears to be heading into the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff (USA-G1) with a good shot off a five-race win streak and five consecutive triple-digit Equibase speed figures. In a year in which the major contenders in the division have taken turns in producing top performances and then falling to another rival, her consistency is welcome; the question is whether she has the wherewithal to beat the best race that the likes of Nest, Clairiere, Secret Oath, or Idiomatic can deliver. On past performances, if any of these contenders brings her “A” game, Adare Manor has yet to show that she can quite match that level. Let the others falter even slightly, however, and the door may be wide open for Adare Manor to gallop through.
A daughter of Uncle Mo, Adare Manor is from the family of the mid-20th century matriarch Rough Shod II through a branch descended from the great mare’s granddaughter Aphonia. A half sister by Tom Fool’s good racing son Dunce to three-time American champion Gamely, Aphonia produced stakes winners George Spelvin (by Nantallah), Messina (by Secretariat), and Sitzmark (by J. O. Tobin) as well as the good Florida sire Cutlass (by Damascus) and multiple stakes producer Nosey Nan (by Nantallah), dam of stakes winners Regal Rumor (by Damascus; dam of stakes winner Bayou Hebert, by Hoist the Flag), Table the Rumor (by Round Table), and No Cabeza (by Executioner).
These results were good but hardly spectacular, and unraced Secret Rumor (a full sister to Regal Rumor) did not even rise to that level, producing five low-class winners from nine foals. Among her non-winners were two unraced mares by Spectacular Bid. One, Spectacularsecret, was sent to Brazil, where she produced Grande Prêmio João Borges Filho (BRZ-G2) winner Hot Way (by Robbama, by Roberto x Table the Rumor), Grande Prêmio Federico Lundgren (BRZ-G3) winner Exalting (by New Colony), and Brazilian listed stakes winner Moroti. The other is unraced Jennifer’s Bid (by Spectacular Bid), who produced only two foals but came up with a decent runner in listed stakes winner Miss Bid Flash (by Horse Flash), in turn the dam of listed stakes winner Spectacular Cat (by Forest Wildcat).
Maya’s Note, a winner by Editor’s Note, was the only producing daughter of Miss Bid Flash, and she continued the modest success of this branch of the family via stakes winner Effie Trinket (by Freud), who placed in three Grade 2 races, and unraced Explosive Story (by the winning Storm Cat horse Radio Star), dam of 2016 Hilliard Lyons Doubledogdare Stakes (USA-G3) winner Brooklynsway (by multiple Grade 3 winner Giant Gizmo, by Giant’s Causeway). Brooklynsway, in turn, produced Adare Manor as her first foal; she has since foaled an unnamed 2-year-old filly by Into Mischief, the 2022 Ghostzapper filly Nosleeptilbroodklyn, and a 2023 colt by Uncle Mo before being bred back to Tapit.
On her 4-year-old form, Adare Manor is the best runner produced by her branch of the Rough Shod II family since Gamely, and she appears to be heading into the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff (USA-G1) with a good shot off a five-race win streak and five consecutive triple-digit Equibase speed figures. In a year in which the major contenders in the division have taken turns in producing top performances and then falling to another rival, her consistency is welcome; the question is whether she has the wherewithal to beat the best race that the likes of Nest, Clairiere, Secret Oath, or Idiomatic can deliver. On past performances, if any of these contenders brings her “A” game, Adare Manor has yet to show that she can quite match that level. Let the others falter even slightly, however, and the door may be wide open for Adare Manor to gallop through.
RSS Feed