My Dear Girl (USA)
February 17, 1957 – 1988
Rough'n Tumble (USA) x Iltis (USA), by War Relic (USA)
Family 21-a
February 17, 1957 – 1988
Rough'n Tumble (USA) x Iltis (USA), by War Relic (USA)
Family 21-a
Only the second American champion produced by the young Florida breeding industry, My Dear Girl helped establish her sire, Rough'n Tumble, as a source of good runners. She proved a blue hen of rare merit as well. Although her family has not bred on as well as that of her sister Treasure Chest, My Dear Girl remains very much present in pedigrees thanks to her son In Reality.
Race record
20 starts, 8 wins, 4 seconds, 1 thirds, US$209,739
1959:
1960:
Honors
American champion 2-year-old filly (1959)
Assessments
Highweighted among juvenile fillies on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1959 with 117 pounds, 2 pounds above Heavenly Body and Irish Jay.
Rated at 116 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old fillies of 1960, 14 pounds below champion Berlo.
As an individual
A smallish chestnut mare (Charles Hatton of the Daily Racing Form estimated that she would mature to 15.3 hands when profiling her after her juvenile season), My Dear Girl was well-balanced and had a good shoulder, short cannons and well-developed forearms and gaskins. She was slightly back at the knees and had rough-looking ankles, along with slightly sickled hocks. Her action was light and fluent and she was game and determined on the track, though sweet-natured in the barn. She was indifferent to track conditions. She bucked shins badly during the running of the 1959 Arlington Lassie Stakes and had to miss about 10 weeks of that season.
As a producer
Designated as a Reine-de-Course by pedigree analyst Ellen Parker, My Dear Girl produced 15 named foals, of which 14 started and 13 won. Her important foals are as follow:
Connections
Foaled in Florida, My Dear Girl was bred by Ocala Stud. She was owned by Frances A. Genter Stable after Harold and Frances Genter picked her out from the seven Ocala Stud-bred weanlings of Rough'n Tumble's first Florida-bred crop in accordance with a provision of their sale of Rough'n Tumble to Ocala Stud. The mare remained the property of Mrs. Genter throughout her broodmare career. My Dear Girl was initially trained by Melvin “Sunshine” Calvert's assistant George Seabo but was taken over by Calvert after she won the 1959 Florida Breeders' Stakes in spite of a gate phobia, which Calvert was able to resolve. My Dear Girl was pensioned in 1983 after going barren the preceding three years and died in 1988. She was buried at Tartan Farms on land that later became part of Winding Oaks Farm.
Pedigree notes
My Dear Girl is outcrossed through five generations. She is a full sister to stakes winner Treasure Chest, dam of Grade 3 winner Diomedia (by Sea-Bird), English Group 3 winner Kanz (by The Minstrel) and stakes winner Gold Treasure (by Northern Dancer). Through these and other daughters, Treasure Chest is the second dam of seven stakes winners including champions/highweights Glint of Gold and Diamond Shoal and is the third dam of 2001 Oaks d'Italia (ITY-G1) winner Zanzibar, 1989 Irish One Thousand Guineas (IRE-G1) winner Ensconse, multiple European highweight Group 1 winner Al Kazeem, 2000 Grosser Erdgas-Preis Ele Pokal (GER-G1) winner Catella and 1992 Racing Post Trophy (ENG-G1) winner Armiger. My Dear Girl is also a full sister to Me Next, dam of stakes winners Lucky Ole Me (by Olden Times; dam of stakes winners Lucky North, by Northern Dancer, and Kudz, by Master Willie, and second dam of Grade 2 winner Dixie Luck) and Midnight Pumpkin (by Pretense), dam of 1985 Preakness Stakes (USA-G1) winner Tank's Prospect (by Mr. Prospector) and third dam of Grade 3 winner Kays and Jays.
My Dear Girl and her siblings were produced from the War Relic mare Iltis, also the dam of stakes winner My Old Flame (by Count Flame). A half sister to 1952 Matron Stakes winner Is Proud (by Hampden), Iltis is out of We Hail (by Balladier), a stakes-placed full sister to stakes winner Bryan Station and a half sister to stakes winners Bold Lover (by Black Toney) and Blessed Again (by Blue Larkspur). The female family came to the United States with We Hail's dam Clonaslee, who was imported by William Hogan as a yearling in 1923 and became a prolific producer for Colonel Edward Riley Bradley's Idle Hour Stock Farm.
Fun facts
Last updated: September 1, 2024
Race record
20 starts, 8 wins, 4 seconds, 1 thirds, US$209,739
1959:
- Won Frizette Stakes (USA, 8FD, Belmont)
- Won Gardenia Stakes (USA, 8.5FD, Garden State)
- Won Florida Breeders' Stakes (USA, 3FD, Hialeah)
- 2nd Arlington Lassie Stakes (USA, 6FD, Arlington Park)
- Also set a new track record of 1:03-1/5 for 5.5 furlongs on dirt at Washington Park in an allowance race.
1960:
- 2nd Interborough Handicap (USA, 6FD, Aqueduct)
- 2nd Las Flores Handicap (USA, 6FD, Santa Anita)
- 3rd Gallorette Stakes (USA, 9FD, Pimlico)
Honors
American champion 2-year-old filly (1959)
Assessments
Highweighted among juvenile fillies on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1959 with 117 pounds, 2 pounds above Heavenly Body and Irish Jay.
Rated at 116 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old fillies of 1960, 14 pounds below champion Berlo.
As an individual
A smallish chestnut mare (Charles Hatton of the Daily Racing Form estimated that she would mature to 15.3 hands when profiling her after her juvenile season), My Dear Girl was well-balanced and had a good shoulder, short cannons and well-developed forearms and gaskins. She was slightly back at the knees and had rough-looking ankles, along with slightly sickled hocks. Her action was light and fluent and she was game and determined on the track, though sweet-natured in the barn. She was indifferent to track conditions. She bucked shins badly during the running of the 1959 Arlington Lassie Stakes and had to miss about 10 weeks of that season.
As a producer
Designated as a Reine-de-Course by pedigree analyst Ellen Parker, My Dear Girl produced 15 named foals, of which 14 started and 13 won. Her important foals are as follow:
- Endearing (1962, by Count Fleet) was My Dear Girl's only foal not to race. She is the dam of stakes winners Kettle River (by Vertex) and Cheers Marion (by Native Charger). She is the second dam of stakes winner Coastliner and the third dam of four stakes winners including multiple Grade 1-placed Nines Wild.
- In Reality (1964, by Intentionally) was the third-best colt of the vintage crop of 1967 behind Dr. Fager and Damascus, his victories including the 1967 Florida Derby and the 1968 Metropolitan Handicap. He became an excellent sire, getting 83 stakes winners from 563 named foals and continuing the sire line of the great Man o' War.
- Near and Dear (1967, by Needles) produced juvenile stakes winner Close to Me (by What a Pleasure) and is the second dam of 1996 Puerto Rican Horse of the Year Mi Vereda and multiple listed stakes winner Ocalarado. She is the third dam of multiple Peruvian Group 2 winner Ritmo Criollo.
- Return to Reality (1969, by Intentionally; a gelding) won the 1973 Philadelphia Handicap (USA-G3) and Sussex Turf Handicap (USA-G3) and was Grade 1-placed.
- Watchfulness (1974, by Native Charger) was a juvenile stakes winner. She died without issue.
- Really and Truly (1975, by What a Pleasure) was a minor stakes winner at 4. He was exported to South Africa, where he sired at least five stakes winners.
- Gentle Touch (1976, by Chieftain) was a minor stakes winner at 3. She produced multiple Grade 1 winner Dr. Carter (by Caro), who sired at least a dozen stakes winners in the United States and Brazil.
- Superbity (1977, by Groshawk) won the 1980 Flamingo Stakes (USA-G1). According to Jockey Club records, he sired 12 stakes winners from 284 named foals.
- My Dear Lady (1980, by Mr. Prospector) was a minor stakes winner at 3. She produced French Group 2 winner Albarahin (by Silver Hawk) and stakes winners Nisswa (by Irish River) and My Dear Frances (by Caro; dam of stakes winner Frances in the Sky, by Sky Classic). Her more distant descendants include Grade 2 winners Fanticola and Formidable Man.
Connections
Foaled in Florida, My Dear Girl was bred by Ocala Stud. She was owned by Frances A. Genter Stable after Harold and Frances Genter picked her out from the seven Ocala Stud-bred weanlings of Rough'n Tumble's first Florida-bred crop in accordance with a provision of their sale of Rough'n Tumble to Ocala Stud. The mare remained the property of Mrs. Genter throughout her broodmare career. My Dear Girl was initially trained by Melvin “Sunshine” Calvert's assistant George Seabo but was taken over by Calvert after she won the 1959 Florida Breeders' Stakes in spite of a gate phobia, which Calvert was able to resolve. My Dear Girl was pensioned in 1983 after going barren the preceding three years and died in 1988. She was buried at Tartan Farms on land that later became part of Winding Oaks Farm.
Pedigree notes
My Dear Girl is outcrossed through five generations. She is a full sister to stakes winner Treasure Chest, dam of Grade 3 winner Diomedia (by Sea-Bird), English Group 3 winner Kanz (by The Minstrel) and stakes winner Gold Treasure (by Northern Dancer). Through these and other daughters, Treasure Chest is the second dam of seven stakes winners including champions/highweights Glint of Gold and Diamond Shoal and is the third dam of 2001 Oaks d'Italia (ITY-G1) winner Zanzibar, 1989 Irish One Thousand Guineas (IRE-G1) winner Ensconse, multiple European highweight Group 1 winner Al Kazeem, 2000 Grosser Erdgas-Preis Ele Pokal (GER-G1) winner Catella and 1992 Racing Post Trophy (ENG-G1) winner Armiger. My Dear Girl is also a full sister to Me Next, dam of stakes winners Lucky Ole Me (by Olden Times; dam of stakes winners Lucky North, by Northern Dancer, and Kudz, by Master Willie, and second dam of Grade 2 winner Dixie Luck) and Midnight Pumpkin (by Pretense), dam of 1985 Preakness Stakes (USA-G1) winner Tank's Prospect (by Mr. Prospector) and third dam of Grade 3 winner Kays and Jays.
My Dear Girl and her siblings were produced from the War Relic mare Iltis, also the dam of stakes winner My Old Flame (by Count Flame). A half sister to 1952 Matron Stakes winner Is Proud (by Hampden), Iltis is out of We Hail (by Balladier), a stakes-placed full sister to stakes winner Bryan Station and a half sister to stakes winners Bold Lover (by Black Toney) and Blessed Again (by Blue Larkspur). The female family came to the United States with We Hail's dam Clonaslee, who was imported by William Hogan as a yearling in 1923 and became a prolific producer for Colonel Edward Riley Bradley's Idle Hour Stock Farm.
Fun facts
- My Dear Girl shared the February 17 birthday of her owner, Mrs. Genter, which was probably a factor in Mrs. Genter's choice of the filly.
- My Dear Girl got her name from Harold Genter's affectionate mode of addressing his wife.
- As a broodmare, My Dear Girl was limited as to potential mates by Mrs. Genter's refusal to ship her beloved mare out of state after My Dear Girl's initial breeding to Count Fleet.
- The My Dear Girl Stakes is the third and final leg of the Florida Stallion Stakes series for state-bred 2-year-old fillies. Carded at 8.5 furlongs on dirt, the race takes place at Gulfstream Park.
Last updated: September 1, 2024