Sacahuista (USA)
May 3, 1984 – 2008?
Raja Baba (USA) x Nalees Flying Flag (USA), by Hoist the Flag (USA)
Family 9-f
May 3, 1984 – 2008?
Raja Baba (USA) x Nalees Flying Flag (USA), by Hoist the Flag (USA)
Family 9-f
Arguably the best racehorse sired by Raja Baba, Sacahuista undoubtedly benefited from the absence of undefeated Personal Ensign during most of the year, as the Phipps filly shared highweight honors with Sacahuista in the 3-year-old filly division of the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap despite having made only four starts in 1987. Sacahuista won only two stakes races in her championship season but made them count when the voters were looking, as both were fall Grade 1 events that she took at the expense of older females, and a disqualification cost her a victory in a third such event. She did well as a broodmare, but her greatest contribution to her breed was not her Group 1-winning son Ekraar but her stakes-placed son Hussonet, a seven-time champion sire in Chile and a success in Australia as well.
Race record
21 starts, 6 wins, 7 seconds, 2 thirds, US$1,298,842
1986:
1987:
Honors
Eclipse Award, American champion 3-year-old filly (1987)
Assessments
Rated at 120 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1986, 3 pounds below champion filly Brave Raj.
Co-highweighted with Personal Ensign atop the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old fillies of 1987, four pounds above Coaching Club American Oaks (USA-G1) winner Fiesta Gal.
As an individual
A bay mare, Sacahuista had the strong hindquarters of her sire. She did her best racing on or near the lead but had a tendency to lug in which sometimes cost her dearly.
As a producer
Sacahuista produced 13 named foals, of which 11 started and seven won. Her important foals are as follow:
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Sacahuista was bred by G. Watts Humphrey and William S. Farish. She was owned by Barry A. Beal and Larry R. French, Jr., who purchased her for US$670,000 from the 1985 Keeneland July yearling sale. She was trained by D. Wayne Lukas. After failing to make her reserve at the November Fasig-Tipton sale of breeding stock in 1988, Sacahuista was sold privately to Peter Brant and Julian Schnabel. In 1997, Brant and Schnabel consigned Sacahuista to the Keeneland November mixed sale, in foal to A.P. Indy, and she was purchased for US$510,000 by the partnership of Calogo Bloodstock and Michael Tabor. She was purchased privately by Pacelco S.A. and Chelston Ireland, Ltd., prior to the birth of her 2001 Storm Cat colt, Dossier. Sacahuista then changed hands again and produced her final four foals as the property of Barnett Enterprises.
Pedigree notes
Sacahuista is inbred 3x4 to Nasrullah and 5x5 to French Classic winner and champion sire Tourbillon. She is a half sister to Grade 1-placed listed stakes winner Far Flying (by Far North), dam of multiple Grade 3 winner Dalhart (by Forty Niner) and stakes winner Rose Frances (by Crafty Prospector) and second dam of 1996 Oaklawn Handicap (USA-G1) winner Geri, Grade 2 winners A. P. Arrow and My Special J's and Australian Group 3 winner Blimey O'Reilly. Far Flying is also the third dam of multiple Australian Group 1 winner Santa Ana Lane, 2015 Premio Alberto Solari Magnasco (CHI-G1) winner Linda Linda, South African Group 2 winner Doublemint, and Sout African Group 3 winner Petala.
Sacahuista is also a half sister to stakes-placed Letty's Pennant (by Bold Forbes), dam of Grade 3 winner R. Associate (by Crafty Prospector); second dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Raging Fever and Grade 3 winners Stormin Fever and Secret Liaison; and third dam of Chilean Group 3 winner Noble Guerrero. Another half sister to Sacahuista, Banner Dancer (by Danzig), is the dam of multiple stakes winner Gold Streamer (by Forty Niner; dam of the Johannesburg gelding Gabby's Gold, a stakes winner in Trinidad).
Sacahuista and her sisters are out of unraced Nalees Flying Flag, a half sister to 1976 Irish St. Leger (IRE-G1) winner Meneval (by Le Fabuleux) and stakes winners Nalees Man (by Gallant Man) and Nalees Folly (by Tom Fool). The next dam in Sacahuista's tail-female line, the Nashua mare Nalee, won the 1963 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes and two other stakes races and is a full sister to two-time American champion older female Shuvee, whose dam Levee (by Hill Prince) won the 1956 Coaching Club American Oaks and was the 1970 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year.
Fun facts
Last updated: July 22, 2020
Race record
21 starts, 6 wins, 7 seconds, 2 thirds, US$1,298,842
1986:
- Won Oak Leaf Stakes (USA-G1, 8.5FD, Santa Anita)
- Won Adirondack Stakes (USA-G2 6FD, Saratoga)
- Won Schuylerville Stakes (USA-G3, 6FD, Saratoga)
- 2nd Hollywood Starlet Stakes (USA-G1, 8FD, Hollywood)
- 2nd Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes (USA-G1, 7FD, Arlington Park)
- 2nd Del Mar Futurity (USA-G1, 8FD, Del Mar)
1987:
- Won Breeders' Cup Distaff Stakes (USA-G1, 10FD, Hollywood)
- Won Spinster Stakes (USA-G1, 9FD, Keeneland)
- 2nd Hollywood Oaks (USA-G1, 9FD, Hollywood)
- 2nd Princess Stakes (USA-G2 8.5FD, Hollywood)
- 2nd Cotillion Handicap (USA-G3, 8.5FD, Philadelphia Park; disqualified from first)
- 3rd Ruffian Handicap (USA-G1, 9FD, Belmont; disqualified from first)
- 3rd Railbird Stakes (USA-G3, 7FD, Hollywood)
Honors
Eclipse Award, American champion 3-year-old filly (1987)
Assessments
Rated at 120 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1986, 3 pounds below champion filly Brave Raj.
Co-highweighted with Personal Ensign atop the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old fillies of 1987, four pounds above Coaching Club American Oaks (USA-G1) winner Fiesta Gal.
As an individual
A bay mare, Sacahuista had the strong hindquarters of her sire. She did her best racing on or near the lead but had a tendency to lug in which sometimes cost her dearly.
As a producer
Sacahuista produced 13 named foals, of which 11 started and seven won. Her important foals are as follow:
- Hussonet (1991, by Mr. Prospector) placed in stakes at ages 2 and 3. More importantly, he led the Chilean general sire list seven times (2000-2006) and was also a successful sire in Australia.
- Balenciaga (1992, by Gulch) was unplaced in her only start but is the dam of multiple French stakes winner Cristobal (by Aptitude), the second dam of 2013 Chilean champion 3-year-old turf male Giant's Steps and the third dam of 2015 Gran Premio de Potrancas (ARG-G1) winner Sweetie Girl.
- Ekraar (1997, by Red Ransom) won the 2003 Gran Premio del Jockey Club (ITY-G1) but was a poor sire in Italy and New Zealand.
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Sacahuista was bred by G. Watts Humphrey and William S. Farish. She was owned by Barry A. Beal and Larry R. French, Jr., who purchased her for US$670,000 from the 1985 Keeneland July yearling sale. She was trained by D. Wayne Lukas. After failing to make her reserve at the November Fasig-Tipton sale of breeding stock in 1988, Sacahuista was sold privately to Peter Brant and Julian Schnabel. In 1997, Brant and Schnabel consigned Sacahuista to the Keeneland November mixed sale, in foal to A.P. Indy, and she was purchased for US$510,000 by the partnership of Calogo Bloodstock and Michael Tabor. She was purchased privately by Pacelco S.A. and Chelston Ireland, Ltd., prior to the birth of her 2001 Storm Cat colt, Dossier. Sacahuista then changed hands again and produced her final four foals as the property of Barnett Enterprises.
Pedigree notes
Sacahuista is inbred 3x4 to Nasrullah and 5x5 to French Classic winner and champion sire Tourbillon. She is a half sister to Grade 1-placed listed stakes winner Far Flying (by Far North), dam of multiple Grade 3 winner Dalhart (by Forty Niner) and stakes winner Rose Frances (by Crafty Prospector) and second dam of 1996 Oaklawn Handicap (USA-G1) winner Geri, Grade 2 winners A. P. Arrow and My Special J's and Australian Group 3 winner Blimey O'Reilly. Far Flying is also the third dam of multiple Australian Group 1 winner Santa Ana Lane, 2015 Premio Alberto Solari Magnasco (CHI-G1) winner Linda Linda, South African Group 2 winner Doublemint, and Sout African Group 3 winner Petala.
Sacahuista is also a half sister to stakes-placed Letty's Pennant (by Bold Forbes), dam of Grade 3 winner R. Associate (by Crafty Prospector); second dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Raging Fever and Grade 3 winners Stormin Fever and Secret Liaison; and third dam of Chilean Group 3 winner Noble Guerrero. Another half sister to Sacahuista, Banner Dancer (by Danzig), is the dam of multiple stakes winner Gold Streamer (by Forty Niner; dam of the Johannesburg gelding Gabby's Gold, a stakes winner in Trinidad).
Sacahuista and her sisters are out of unraced Nalees Flying Flag, a half sister to 1976 Irish St. Leger (IRE-G1) winner Meneval (by Le Fabuleux) and stakes winners Nalees Man (by Gallant Man) and Nalees Folly (by Tom Fool). The next dam in Sacahuista's tail-female line, the Nashua mare Nalee, won the 1963 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes and two other stakes races and is a full sister to two-time American champion older female Shuvee, whose dam Levee (by Hill Prince) won the 1956 Coaching Club American Oaks and was the 1970 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year.
Fun facts
- Sacahuista is the common name of a plant of the lily family native to the American Southwest. It has a clumping growth pattern and produces large clusters of flowers on stalks. Its flowers and seeds are poisonous to livestock.
Last updated: July 22, 2020