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Mares on Monday: A Truly Royal Matriarch

5/5/2025

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​Over the Kentucky Derby weekend, much was made of the fact that Secretariat appears in the pedigree of every horse that ran in this year’s Run for the Roses. (If that doesn’t torpedo the persistent myth of “Secretariat was a bust at stud,” I don’t know what will.) But, as with every important man, behind every important stallion is his mother, and this seems a very good time to review the influence of Secretariat’s dam, Somethingroyal—especially since she is the direct female-line ancestress of the final Classic winner of the weekend, Desert Flower, who triumphed in the One Thousand Guineas (ENG-G1) on May 5.

Even if she had never produced Secretariat (who was the 13th of her 18 named foals), Somethingroyal would still merit memory as a remarkable producer. One could say that as a daughter of eight-time American champion broodmare sire Princequillo and the blue hen mare Imperatrice, she was bred to be a broodmare, and she lived up to the best of that heritage.

She took a couple of stutter steps getting started, producing the unraced gelding Havildar (by Bryan G.) as her first foal and then coming up barren the following year. Cherryville, a tough but not particularly talented Correspondent filly, followed. Stakes-placed as a juvenile, she was not an outstanding producer, but her branch of the family includes Strategic News and The Verminator, Group 1 winners in South Africa and Australia, respectively, and Mor’edah, a two-time champion in Saudi Arabia.

Somethingroyal’s fourth foal was Sir Gaylord (by Turn-to), a top-flight colt who headed the Daily Racing Form’s Free Handicap for 3-year-old males of 1962. After devastating his competition in Florida (which included American co-champion juvenile male Ridan and eventual Kentucky Derby winner Decidedly), he cracked a sesamoid on the day before the Kentucky Derby, for which he would have been favorite. That ended his racing career, but he became a successful sire in the United States and France, getting 12.9 percent stakes winners from foals and siring several successful stallion sons. He was also a noteworthy sire of broodmares. His 1962 three-quarters brother First Family (by Turn-to’s champion son First Landing) won the 1966 Gulfstream Park Handicap and three other stakes races but was nowhere near his equal as a stallion.

Swansea, Somethingroyal’s 1963 foal, was a full sister to Sir Gaylord but was unable to win or place in 10 starts. Her son Chairman Walker (by Buckpasser) never made it to the track at all but had some success as a sire in Chile, while his full sister Buck the Tide produced Arbulus (by Liloy), who ended up in Brazil, There, she produced 2002 Gran Prêmio Zeila Gonzaga Peixoto de Castro (BRZ-G1) winner Aviación (by Know Heights), Brazilian Group 2 winner Cerutti (by Ghadeer), and Brazilian Group 3 winner Persane (by Tampero). Aviación, in turn, produced the aptly named Intercontinental (by Mark of Esteem), a champion stayer in Mauritius, before being imported to the United States, where she produced multiple Group 2 winner Promising Run (by Hard Spun), now the proud dam of Desert Flower (by Night of Thunder) and Group 3 winner Aablan (by Dubawi). Other top horses descended from Swansea include two-time Turkish champion Tiramisu, Chilean champions Paula’s Girl and Domaine, multiple Group 1 winner Chichicastenango, and 2002 Gran Criterium (ARG-G1) winner Eddington.

Secretariat had two older full sisters that made their own marks, and the elder, Syrian Sea, won the 1967 Selima Stakes (then a race of Grade 1 importance) and two other stakes races before producing multiple Grade 2 winner Alada (by Riva Ridge). Alada, in turn, became the granddam of 1992 American champion 3-year-old filly Saratoga Dew, herself the granddam of 2013 Japanese Horse of the Year and important sire Lord Kanaloa. Somethingroyal’s 1969 Bold Ruler filly, The Bride, showed none of the talent that had marked Syrian Sea, but she produced Argentine Group 2 winner At Ease (by Hoist the Flag) and stakes winner Heavenly Match (by Gallant Romeo. The Bride is the second dam of 1990 John A. Morris Handicap (USA-G2) winner Personal Business and the third dam of three-time Japanese champion filly Nishino Flower.

Somethingroyal’s level of production dropped off following Secretariat’s birth, with her final five foals yielding two stakes-placed runners. Nevertheless, those foals were not without significant merit: Somethingfabulous (by Northern Dancer), third in the 1975 Flamingo Stakes (USA-G1), became a useful regional sire in California, and Queen’s Colours (by Reviewer) is the third dam of multiple Australian Group 1 winner Typhoon Zed and Australian Group 3 winner Captain Bax,

Somethingroyal was pensioned from broodmare duty in 1978 after failing to produce a foal the previous year, but the incredible vitality that she had put into her foals still persisted. She lived on as a pensioner for another five years, dying in 1983 at the advanced age of 31. During her last years, she served as a babysitter for new broodmares who were just coming off the track, and it is pleasant to think that this venerable matriarch had a few choice words of equine wisdom regarding the art of motherhood to pass on before heading on to the greener pastures that she truly deserved.



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Mares on Monday: The Numbers Game

4/28/2025

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​Trick question: Who was the last Kentucky Oaks winner to produce a Kentucky Oaks winner?

Answer: It hasn’t happened yet. And the record in the Kentucky Derby isn’t much better; only Princess Turia, the 1956 Oaks champion, has a Kentucky Derby winner to her credit, and that was by disqualification when Forward Pass was moved up after apparent winner Dancer’s Image tested positive for Bute, then illegal under Kentucky racing regulations.

The next trick question is a bit subtler than the first. In 150 years, why haven’t Kentucky Oaks winners had much luck in reproducing themselves in America’s biggest races?

The likeliest answer is simple math. Unlike a Kentucky Derby-winning stallion, who may be represented by over 200 foals in a single year, a Kentucky Oaks winner can have only one. Given that no more than 10 Oaks winners are likely to have 3-year-old foals in a given year—and in most years, it has been less than that—the odds are heavily stacked against them even compared to their Kentucky Derby-winning brethren, who in any given year will have hundreds of foals of the requisite age between them. For 2022, the year in which this year’s Derby and Oaks contenders were born, 17,146 Thoroughbred foals have been registered in the United States. Even if only foals out of stakes-winning or stakes-producing mares are considered, the Oaks winners’ progeny are outnumbered by hundreds if not thousands to one by other foals which at least have some chance of having inherited the genetic wherewithal to be top-level winners.

At this time, eight Kentucky Oaks winners have current 3-year-olds. While a review of these offspring proves nothing in itself, it does serve as a snapshot of the odds against even a well-bred, high-performing mare with excellent breeding opportunities to produce a runner showing high enough class in the spring of its 3-year-old season to make the starting gate on Churchill Downs’ biggest days.

2004 Kentucky Oaks winner Ashado’s 2022 foal is Bernardo, a Bernardini gelding who has placed third twice from 10 starts. He is a full brother to 2018 Runhappy Stakes (USA-L) winner Westwood, Ashado’s only black-type winner from 12 other named foals.

Lemons Forever (2006 Oaks) has an unraced 2022 filly by Speightstown, Forever Speighty. The only Kentucky Oaks winner to be named the Kentucky Broodmare of the Year, Lemons Forever is the dam of 2017 American champion dirt female Forever Unbridled (by Unbridled’s Song) and her Grade 1-winning full sister, Unbridled Forver, who took her top-level win in the 2015 Ballerina Stakes.

Proud Spell (2007 Oaks) was exported to Japan, where her 2022 filly by Duramente, Proud Moment, was foaled; this filly has started once without placing. Proud Spell’s first foal, indian Spell (by Indian Charlie), is her only stakes winner, having captured the 2013 Miss Woodford Stakes at Monmouth.

Plum Pretty (2011 Oaks) is the dam of the 2022 Speightstown filly Pretty Speightful, who has not raced. Plum Pretty has produced only one winner during her broodmare career.

Believe You Can (2012 Oaks) is the dam of Bells of Maranello, a Nyquist filly who is unraced, Believe You Can has previously produced multiple Grade 2 winner Conclude (by Collected) and Grade 3-placed stakes winner Believe in Royalty (by Tapit) from five previous named foals.

Lovely Maria (2015 Oaks) was exported to Japan. Her 2022 foal, the Lord Kanaloa filly Heart Meteor, has raced once without placing. Neither of Lovely Maria’s two previous foals were winners.

Abel Tasman (2017 Oaks) has a 2022 filly by Into Mischief named Take a Look. She is unplaced in two starts, and Abel Tasman has yet to have a winner from three foals of racing age.

Serengeti Empress (2019 Oaks) produced the Into Mischief colt Invictus as her first foal in 2022. He has won one of his two starts.

Rags to Riches (2006 Oaks), Blind Luck (2010 Oaks), Untapable (2014 Oaks), and Cathryn Sophia (2016 Oaks) had no live foal in 2022 although they were still active producers at that time. None of the Oaks winners from 2020-2024 began producing foals until after 2022.

Among this year’s Oaks and Derby contenders, the one with the closest connection to an Oaks winner is Bourbonette Oaks (USA-L) winner Bless the Broken, whose dam is a half sister to 2013 winner Princess of Sylmar. She’s currently listed at 30-1. Take that for what it’s worth, and perhaps next year the stars will come together to bring the son or daughter of an Oaks winner into the spotlight on one of racing’s biggest days.
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Mares on Monday: Remembering Winning Colors

4/21/2025

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With the 2025 Kentucky Derby fast approaching, this seems an appropriate time to review the last filly to win the great race. Winning Colors lived up to her name in 1988, flying the colors of Eugene Klein to a neck victory over Forty Niner. She failed to live up to hopes as a broodmare, but on April 19, her granddaughter Princess Aliyah became a stakes winner and continued the growth of her legacy through her daughters.

Bred in Kentucky by Echo Valley Horse Farm, Winning Colors was sired by 1971 French champion older male Caro, a big, strong horse whose other North American progeny included 1989 Canadian Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year With Approval and Siberian Express. The last-named horse crossed the Atlantic back to his sire’s native land and won the classic Poule d’Essai des Poulains (French Two Thousand Guineas, FR-G1) in 1984, a race that Caro had won in 1970 on the disqualification of Faraway Son. Caro’s male line persists today through the sons and grandsons of Siberian Express’s grandson Indian Charlie, whose son Uncle Mo was the American champion juvenile male of 2011. Uncle Mo, in turn, sired the line’s current banner-bearer, Nyquist, who was the American champion juvenile male of 2015 and won the 2016 Kentucky Derby.

Caro bequeathed his rugged make and a fair measure of the rather infamous disposition of Grey Sovereign (his grandsire and a son of the tempestuous Nasrullah) to Winning Colors, a US$675,000 yearling purchase by trainer D. Wayne Lukas on behalf of Eugene Klein. Her price reflected her size and excellent conformation as well as an excellent female family. Produced from the stakes winner All Rainbows (by Bold Hour), she is a “niece” to 1974 American champion 3-year-old filly Chris Evert (by Swoon’s Son), whose branch of the family includes 1984 American champion 2-year-old male and good sire Chief’s Crown and Grade/Group 1 winners Classic Crown, Dominican, Etoile Montante, Giulia, Lambent Light, Pasqualetti, Sightseek, Special Duty, and Tates Creek. Miss Carmie (by T. V. Lark), the dam of All Rainbows and Chris Evert, was a stakes winner in her own right and had several other stakes-producing daughters.

After winning at first asking in a seven-furlong maiden race at Saratoga, Winning Colors did not run again until the winter/spring Santa Anita meeting. She picked up wins in a six-furlong allowance race and the 1988 La Centinela Stakes before running into a tough customer in Goodbye Halo, who handed her a surprise loss by a neck in the one-mile Las Virgenes Stakes (G1). The Caro filly avenged herself in their next meeting, the Santa Anita Oaks (USA-G1), which Winning Colors took by eight lengths from Jeanne Jones with Goodbye Halo third.

With the Southern California sophomore colts appearing to lack any clear standouts, Lukas had no qualms about wheeling his big filly back in the Santa Anita Derby (USA-G1) four weeks later. She won laughing by 7¼ lengths in her usual front-running style over Lively One, who would win the Swaps Stakes, USA-G1, at the Hollywood meeting later in the year. That race punched her ticket to the Kentucky Derby. She trained splendidly up to the race and entered the starting gate as second choice in the betting behind Private Terms, who held favoritism by a razor-thin margin.

The story of the race is simply told. Gary Stevens put Winning Colors on the lead from the start and no one went with her, letting the filly coast through fractions of :46-4/5 for the first half-mile, 1:11-2/5 for the three-quarters, and 1:36 for the mile. It took her 26-1/5 seconds the run the last quarter-mile, but that was just enough to hold Forty Niner’s furious closing run by a neck.

Winning Colors followed 1980 Kentucky Derby winner Genuine Risk through the Triple Crown races, becoming the second filly to compete in all three, but a suicidal speed duel with Forty Niner in the Preakness Stakes (USA-G1) cost both any chance of winning the middle jewel of the Triple Crown. Winning Colors ended up a leg-weary third behind Risen Star, who had been third in the Derby after a rough trip; Forty Niner finished seventh and was not seen again until the Monmouth summer meeting, when he won an epic duel against Seeking the Gold in the Haskell Invitational Handicap (USA-G1). The two turned in an encore performance in the Travers Stakes (USA-G1) at Saratoga, with Forty Niner again winning by a nose, and Forty Niner was later a strong second to eventual Horse of the Year Alysheba in the Woodward Handicap (USA-G1) and won the NYRA Mile Handicap to finish his year.

Winning Colors probably should have skipped the Belmont Stakes (USA-G1) as well; a shadow of what she had been in the Derby, she led for the first mile but was easily overhauled by eventual American champion 3-year-old male Risen Star, who won the “Test of the Champion” by 14¾ lengths with the filly sixth and last. The remainder of her year is remembered for two tremendous races against unbeaten Personal Ensign, the year’s American champion older female. In the one-mile Maskette Stakes (USA-G1), Winning Colors ran a game race on the front end before going down to her 4-year-old rival by three-quarters of a length. In the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (USA-G1), Winning Colors was back to her very best form and caught a wet Churchill Downs track that she relished and Personal Ensign did not. Winning Colors ran what would have been a winning race against any other rival, and that Personal Ensign managed to catch her in the final stride to win by a nose marked her as a champion for the ages. Scrappy Goodbye Halo, whose four Grade 1 wins during the year included both the Kentucky Oaks and the Coaching Club American Oaks, was another half-length back in third, rounding out the top three in one of the best Breeders’ Cup races ever.

At four, Winning Colors failed to recover her best form and retired to the paddocks at the end of the season with eight wins and US$1,526,837 in earnings to her credit from 19 starts. She produced 10 named foals, all by top Kentucky stallions, but none were remotely close to what she had been as a racer. To say that her results were disappointing was an understatement, especially considering the record of her much less accomplished half sister All Dance (by Northern Dancer), who produced 2003 Japan Cup (JPN-G1) winner Tap Dance City (by Pleasant Tap) and two other stakes winners. Another half sister, Forever Rainbows (by Deputy Minister), is the second dam of 2018 Gran Premio General San Martín (ARG-G1) winner Tiger Feet.

Fortunately for Winning Colors’ legacy, four of her daughters have become stakes producers. The first, Shbakni (by Mr. Prospector), produced 2014 Swiss champion steeplechaser Shaabek (by Byron) and is the second dam of three stakes winners including 2010 Czech champion sprinter and 2011 Slovakian champion sprinter Line Honey. She is also the third dam of Indian Horse of the Year Adjudicate. She was followed by Golden Colors (by Mr, Prospector), dam of Japanese Group 3 winner Cheerful Smile (by Sunday Silence), and Stormin Winnie (by Storm Cat), dam of French listed stakes winner La Conseillante (by Elusive Quality).

Winning Colors saved the best for last with Silver Colors, a daughter of the good Mr. Prospector grandson Mr. Greeley. This mare is the dam of 2018 Alabama Stakes (USA-G1) winner Eskimo Kisses (by To Honor and Serve) and is also the dam of 3-year-old Princess Aliyah (by Into Mischief), now the winner of the Valley of the Vapors Stakes at Oaklawn Park. She is trained by none other than D. Wayne Lukas, and though she won’t be going in either the Kentucky Oaks or the Kentucky Derby, she brings the story full circle, back to a fire-eating filly who showed the boys her heels in America’s most storied race 37 years ago.



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Mares on Monday: Naturally Good in Brazilian Classics

4/14/2025

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​With the starting lineup for the Longines Kentucky Oaks (USA-G1) fairly well settled, this seems a good time to turn attention back to South America. April 6 saw a very good card at Rio de Janeiro’s Gávea track, topped by the Grande Prêmio Zelia Gonzaga Peixoto de Castro (BRZ-G1), third leg of Rio’s Filly Triple Crown, and the Grande Prêmio Cruzeiro do Sul (BRZ-G1), also known as the Brazilian Derby.

The Grande Prêmio Zelia Gonzaga Peixoto de Castro drew only four entries, and the presence of Naturalizada is the presumed reason. A solid third in the Grande Prêmio Diana (Brazilian Oaks, BRZ-G1) on March 9, she took full advantage of the absence of Diana winner Ethereum and runner-up Night of Rose (previously the winner of two legs of São Paulo’s Filly Triple Crown). She also took advantage of the 2400-meter distance, which she clearly relished. Keeping company with her three overmatched rivals through the first 2000 meters, she said “Adeus” at that point and kicked on for home. That was the last the others saw of her as she rolled to victory by 16¼ lengths. Her time of 2:34.65 was 3.05 seconds faster than the time for the next race on the card, a Group 2 stakes for all horses ages 3 and up that was won by multiple Group 1 winner Underpants, last year’s Grande Prêmio Cruzeiro do Sul winner. It was also 1.73 seconds faster than the time Nudini posted in winning the Grande Prêmio Cruzeiro do Sul three races after that.

In fairness to the boys, it did start raining at Gávea after the fillies’ race, though how much of a difference that made is beyond my ability to answer. As shown by the race replay, Naturalizada and company were already kicking up some pretty fair divots, so the course seems to have already had some cut in it at the start of the day. In any event, it was a visually impressive performance by a filly who was making only her fifth lifetime start.

A full sister to Lah Lah Lah, who won the Grande Prêmio Zelia Gonzaga Peixoto de Castro in 2022, Naturalizada is a daughter of 2012 Forego Stakes (USA-G1) winner Emcee. Sold to Brazilian breeder Haras Santa Maria de Araras (the breeder of Naturalizada and Lah Lah Lah) in 2018, the son of Unbridled’s Song is also the sire of Underpants and two Group 3 winners of 2025 and is currently ninth on the Brazilian general sire list

Haras Santa Maria de Araras has breeding operations in both Brazil and Argentina, and Naturalizada’s dam Macchiatta was bred by their Argentine facility. Sired by the A.P. Indy horse Jump Start, she never raced. She was produced from the Royal Academy mare Ma Cherie, a product of Brazil-based Stud TNT and a half sister to Stick Around (by Roi Normand), dam of 2017/18 Brazilian champion 2-year-old filly Bay Ovar (by Drosselmeyer) and 2019 Grande Prêmio Julio Capua (BRZ-G2) winner Bavaro Beach (by Agnes Gold) as well as listed stakes winner Fronteira Around (by Drosselmeyer). Produced from Lady de Paris (by the stakes-winning Nureyev horse Nugget Point), Ma Cherie is also a half sister to Toujour Paris (by Our Emblem), dam of Gran Premio de Honor (URU-G2) winner Cerro Largo (by Drosselmeyer). This female line has been in South America since the early 20th century and traces to the Persimmon mare Reine Claude, whose full sister Lisma is the dam of 1917 Kentucky Derby winner and co-champion American 3-year-old male Omar Khayyam (by Marco).

Drosselmeyer, whose racing career was highlighted by wins in the 2010 Belmont Stakes (USA-G1) and 2011 Breeders’ Cup Classic (USA-G1), has been doing well as a sire in Brazil, including two-runner up finishes among his six appearances in the top 10 on the nation’s general sire list. He currently holds a narrow lead in the Brazilian sire standings thanks to Nudini, who is yet another representative of the Brazilian branch of Lady Be Good’s family via her great-granddaughter Ex Facto. This clan has been reviewed recently in greater detail (“Mares on Monday: Lady Be Good Just Gets Better in Brazil,” March 17, 2025), but suffice it to say that in Brazil, as elsewhere in the world, deep female families keep proving their worth again and again.
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Mares on Monday: The Last Mile on the Lily Lane

4/7/2025

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​Time has run out for 3-year-old fillies to accumulate the points needed to make the starting gate for the Longines Kentucky Oaks (USA-G1). As of last weekend, only three such opportunities still remained: the Santa Anita Oaks (USA-G2) on April 5; the Gazelle Stakes (USA-G2), also on April 5; and the Ashland Stakes (USA-G1), now to be run on April 6 due to weather conditions forcing cancellation of Keeneland racing over the weekend. (Quick update: La Cara won, with Take Charge Milady second and Muhimma third; all three have earned Oaks bids, with Muhimma getting the tiebreaker over other fillies with 50 points by earnings.)

In Southern California, Tenwa was expected to dominate a short field in the Santa Anita Oaks and she duly won, though not with the brilliance expected. Nonetheless, she had long since guaranteed herself a Kentucky Oaks berth and, barring injury or illness, will be among the favorites at Louisville. Ballerina d’Oro was in a different position. With only 20 points on her record, she needed to finish first or second in the Gazelle to move forward to Churchill Downs. She got the job done, gutting out a nose victory over Early On. That rival also assured herself of an Oaks starting spot with the 50 points she got for her second-place finish, giving her a total of 75 points; Ballerina d’Oro picked up 100, vaulting her to fifth on the Oaks leaderboard with 120 points.

Bred by Rock Ridge Thoroughbreds, Ballerina d’Oro is a daughter of Medaglia d’Oro, already the sire of two Oaks winners in Rachel Alexandra and Plum Pretty and also the sire of leading 2025 Oaks candidate Good Cheer. She is the second foal of the Tapit mare In the Moonlight, whose first foal, the City of Light gelding Blue Light, is a solid performer at the allowance/optional claimer level. In the Moonlight produced a 2023 Gun Runner colt who has yet to race or be named and this year gave birth to a filly by Taiba.

Although In the Moonlight failed to gain a placing in five starts, she has excellent connections. Produced from the Carson City mare Moonlight Sonata, she is a half sister to 2008 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (USA-G2) winner Beethoven (by Sky Mesa), 2011 Indiana Derby (USA-G2) winner Wilburn (by Bernardini), and Grade 3-placed listed stakes winner La Appassionata (by Bernardini). In the Moonlight is also a half sister to Venetian Sonata (by Bernardini), dam of 2021 Las Virgenes Stakes (USA-G1) winner Moonlight d’Oro (by Medaglia d’Oro), and to A. P. Sonata (by A.P. Indy), dam of 2024 FanDuel TV Kentucky Cup Turf Stakes (USA-G2) winner Grand Sonata (by Medaglia d’Oro).

Moonlight Sonata was herself a good race mare, winning the 2002 Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes (USA-G3) and placing in three other stakes races. A half sister to 1999 Futurity Stakes (USA-G1) winner Bevo (by Prospectors Gamble), she is also a half sister to Vargas Girl (by Deputy Minister), dam of 2017 Kentucky Oaks winner and American champion 3-year-old filly Abel Tasman (by Quality Road) and of 2013 Dogwood Stakes (USA-G3) winner Sky Girl (by Sky Mesa).

Based on her bloodlines as well as past performance, Ballerina d’Oro should have no trouble with the Kentucky Oaks trip of 9 furlongs, and neither should Early On, a “cousin” of Gulfstream Park Oaks (USA-G2) winner Five G and fellow Kentucky Oaks qualifier Five G (“Mares on Monday: Five G Becomes Latest Contender for the Kentucky Oaks,” March 31, 2025). A daughter of 2012 Belmont Stakes (USA-G1) winner Union Rags, Early On is out of the Distorted Humor mare Sally O’Brien, whose half sister Triumphant (by Quality Road) is the dam of Five G. As discussed in connection with Five G’s pedigree, both fillies are from the family of another Belmont Stakes winner in Bet Twice, a half brother to their fourth dam, 1992 Santa Anita Oaks (USA-G1) winner Golden Treat.

La Cara, the latest entry to the Kentucky Oaks field as of two hours ago, should also have no trouble with the distance as a daughter of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense from the fine old Darby Dan family of Golden Trail. The same can be said for Take Charge Milady, who is by 2012 Florida Derby (USA-G1) winner Take Charge Indy out of a daughter of 2007 Florida Derby winner Scat Daddy, so at this point, a large field with plenty of legitimate contenders appears set for the “Lilies for the Fillies” on May 2. May the best and fleetest win.


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Mares on Monday: Five G Becomes Latest Contender for the Kentucky Oaks

3/31/2025

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​Saturday’s Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Park Oaks (USA-G2) marked the end of Kentucky Oaks (G1) dreams for The Queens M G, who was vanned off with a knee injury. Now retired, she will have to await the arrival of daughters to perhaps pursue the lilies in her stead. One star’s setting is often accompanied by another’s rising, however, and Five G became the day’s rising star. Rebounding from a one-length loss to Quietside in the Honeybee Stakes (USA-G3) on February 23, Five G, the race favorite, made use of her natural speed to control the tempo throughout the race and came home a winner by 2¼ lengths. Her victory gave her 100 points toward a Kentucky Oaks starting berth to go with the 25 points she earned in the Honeybee, easily clinching a spot in the Oaks starting gate.

A homebred campaigned by Michael Gatsas’s Gatsas Stables, Five G is the fourth stakes winner of March and the fifth stakes winner of 2025 for 2024 American champion freshman sire Vekoma, who stands at Spendthrift Farm. The winner of the 2020 Runhappy Carter Handicap (USA-G1) and Runhappy Metropolitan Handicap (USA-G1), Vekoma had frightful action in front as seen head-on but was a very fast horse nonetheless, and 222 mare owners were ready and willing to take a chance that his speed would be transmitted more faithfully than his foreleg conformation when he served his first book of mares in 2021. Their faith in the son of Candy Ride and 2010 Humana Distaff Stakes (USA-G1) winner Mona de Momma (by Speightstown) appears to have been justified; of the 163 named foals of his first Northern Hemisphere crop, 65 are already winners and nine are stakes winners, with three quarters of their 3-year-old season still to come.

Five G is the second foal and first winner produced from the Quality Road mare Triumphant, a half sister to listed stakes winner Lipstick City (by City Zip). The sisters are out of the winning A.P. Indy mare Star Torina, a full sister to 2008 Lane’s End Stakes (USA-G2) winner Adriano. Star Torina is also a half sister to Grade 3-placed Gold d’Oro (by Medaglia d’Oro), dam of 2018 Swale Stakes (USA-G3) winner Strike Power (by Speightstown).

Star Torina, in turn, is out of the winning Mr. Prospector mare Gold Canyon, a half sister to Grade 3-placed restricted stakes winner Double Scoop (by Seeking the Gold). Gold Canyon’s dam Golden Treat (by Theatrical) won the 1992 Santa Anita Oaks (USA-G1) and is a half sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Bet Twice, whose victories include the 1987 Belmont Stakes (USA-G1). Adding to the appeal of this pedigree, 1987 Dwyer Stakes (USA-G1) winner and excellent sire Gone West appears 4x4 as the sire of Speightstown (maternal grandsire of Vekoma) and Elusive Quality (sire of Quality Road).

Five G did not meet a particularly strong field of fillies in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (the only graded stakes winner in the field of six was The Queens M G), and her Equibase speed figure of 93 represented both a slight regression from the 97 she posted from the Honeybee Stakes and a level of performance significantly below that of the season’s best fillies. On the other side. Quietside franked the form of the Honeybee by stepping up and winning the Fantasy Stakes (USA-G3) at Oaklawn Park in a long, sustained drive, earning an Equibase figure of 100. Both of these fillies will probably cross swords again in the Kentucky Oaks, giving another opportunity to assess their form relative to one another and to the best members of their division.


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Mares on Monday: Bourbonette Goes Down Smoothly for Bless the Broken

3/24/2025

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​Last weekend served as confirmation of Good Cheer as the likely favorite for the Longines Kentucky Oaks (USA-G1). The unbeaten filly, whose background was discussed in this column on February 17 (“Mares on Monday: Good Cheer Looks Good in Rachel Alexandra Stakes”), scored a solid win in the Fasig-Tipton Fair Grounds Oaks (USA-G2) on March 22 to run her record to six-for-six. Adding a cherry to the ice cream, she also had her form franked by one of her beaten rivals in the Rachel Alexandra. Deciding against a rematch with the pro tem leader of the division, the connections of Bless the Broken opted to go to the listed Bourbonette Oaks at Turfway Park on the same day as the Fair Grounds Oaks. They were rewarded by the first career stakes win for their filly, who won by 2¾ lengths while completing the mile and one-sixteenth over Turfway Park’s all-weather surface in 1:44.65.

After picking up 50 points on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard for her performance, Bless the Broken has probably guaranteed herself a starting spot in the Oaks if breeder-owner Kevin Moody (Cypress Creek Equine) and co-owner Sol Kumin (Madaket Stables) want it. The question is whether they will. On the plus side toward going is Bless the Broken’s Equibase figure of 101, just a point off the 102 Good Cheer posted in the Fair Grounds Oaks and higher than any 3-year-old filly other than Good Cheer has earned in any of the Oaks preps thus far. On the negative side is that this synthetic-surface performance represents a 20-point jump up from Bless the Broken’s last outing (in the Rachel Alexandra) and an 11-point improvement over her next best lifetime figure. The positive interpretation is that Bless the Broken is blooming at the right time to be a genuine Oaks contender and will continue her improvement. The negative interpretation is that Bless the Broken is much better suited to synthetics or possibly turf than dirt. There is also the possibility that, regardless of surface, she could be set up to bounce off her big effort.

Bless the Broken is from the final crop of the Uncle Mo stallion Laoban, who scored his sole career win from nine starts in the 2016 Jim Dandy Stakes (USA-G2) but was injured in his next start, the Travers Stakes (USA-G1), and was retired to Sequel Stallions in New York. A surprise second behind the similarly sired Nyquist on the 2020 American freshman sire list, he was relocated to WinStar Farm in Kentucky but died suddenly in May 2021. His best runners include 2020 Alcibiades Stakes (USA-G1) winner Simply Ravishing and Grade 2 winners Keepmeinmind and Un Ojo.

On the dam’s side, Bless the Broken has a close-up Kentucky Oaks connection as her dam, The Nightingale, is a Tapit half sister to 2013 Oaks winner Princess of Sylmar, a mare whose resume includes three other Grade 1 wins as a 3-year-old. The Nightingale was much less able on the track, failing to win or place in three starts. She has two other named foals: Because the Night, a 2021 ridgling by Uncle Mo who has won two of 16 starts, and the unraced Quality Road 2-year-old Bourbon Dream. The Nightingale did not produce a foal in 2024 and was bred to Jackie’s Warrior that spring.

Storm Dixie, the dam of The Nightingale and Princess of Sylmar, placed in a restricted stakes for New York-breds. Sired by the successful New York regional sire Catienus (by Storm Cat) from the winner Golden Wave Band (by Dixieland Band), she is a half sister to Group 3 winner Rhythm Band (by Cozzene) and to Poppy’s Baby Girl (by Yankee Victor), dam of 2013 Canadian champion female sprinter Youcan’tcatchme (by The Daddy).

Bless the Broken’s pedigree does not look particularly turfy, but stranger things have happened in bloodstock breeding, and her performance in the Bourbonette at least suggests that there will be multiple options for planning the filly’s summer campaign. In the meantime, decision time is approaching as to whether she will be allowed to “take her chance,” as the English say, in the biggest spring event for her sex in the United States or will seek what may be lower-hanging fruit elsewhere. Off her Bourbonette win, she looks as if she can at least be competitive with the other sophomore fillies of the current season.
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Mares on Monday: Lady Be Good Just Gets Better in Brazil

3/17/2025

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​Ethereum, the blockchain, is popular among cryptocurrency investors, second only to bitcoin for market capialization. Ethereum, the Brazilian filly, is looking like a pretty good investment too, at least for owner Stud New Bridge. On March 9, while racing in Gávea’s Grande Prêmio de Diana (BRZ-G1), second leg of Rio de Janeiro’s Triple Crown for 3-year-old fillies, Ethereum unleashed a powerful stretch drive down the center of the track and downed dual Group 1 winner Night of Rose by 4½ lengths. In doing so, Ethereum claimed her second Group 1 win and franked the form that saw her named Brazil’s champion 2-year-old filly for 2023/24.

Bred by Carlos Dos Santos, Ethereum is a daughter of the Pioneerof the Nile horse Courtier. A Grade 2-placed listed stakes winner on turf in the United States, Courtier entered stud at Brazil’s Haras São José da Serra in 2016. He is well on his way to notching his third consecutive top-10 finish among Brazilian general sires (he is currently 5th on the list), which is perhaps not surprising considering that his third dam, 1993 French champion juvenile filly Coup de Genie, is a full sister to 1989 French champion juvenile male and highly successful European sire Machiavellian. Further back, this is the family of Northern Dancer, Halo, and Danehill, who all need no introduction as sires.

Ethereum was produced from 2016 Grande Prêmio Francisco Villela de Paula Machado (BRZ-G2) winner Etapa Vencida, whose late sire Wild Event (winner of the 1999 Early Times Turf Classic Stakes, USA-G1) has notched six Brazilian broodmare sire titles to go with his three Brazilian general sire titles and is atop the 2024/25 broodmare sire list by a wide margin. A five-time winner of the Mossoró Trophy as Brazil’s Stallion of the Year, Wild Event is a Wild Again half brother to 1994 American champion turf male Paradise Creek (by Irish River) and 2001 Manhattan Handicap (USA-G1) winner Forbidden Apple (by Pleasant Colony) and so had all the credentials one could want for stud service in a country where almost all the important races take place on turf and the stamina to run 2000 to 2400 meters (about 1¼ to 1½ miles) is still at a premium.

A full sister to Brazilian Group 3 winners Mrs. Boss and Aspiración (dam of listed Brazilian stakes winner Gone Hollywood, by Bal a Bali), Etapa Vencida is out of the winner Lychee, whose sire De Quest (by Rainbow Quest) won the 1995 Prix Conseil de Paris (FR-G2) before being exported to Brazil for stallion duty. Lychee is a half sister to Infini (by Dynaformer), dam of 2005 Grande Prêmio Juliano Martins (BRZ-G1) winner Parfum Parfait (by Clackson) and 2009 Grande Prêmio Mario de Azevedo Ribeiro (BRZ-G3) winner Taos (by Signal Tap) and second dam of 2024 Grande Prêmio Marques de Almirante Tamandare (BRZ-G2) winner Nudini (by Drosselmeyer). Lychee is also a half sister to Quantia Exata (by Trempolino), dam of 2014/15 Brazilian champion 3-year-old filly Cruiseliner (by Wild Event), and to Voltagem Alta (by Wild Event), dam of 2018/19 Uruguayan champion 2-year-old male Alto Voltage (by the Pulpit horse Ecclesiastic).

Ex Facto (by Known Fact), the dam of Lychee and her siblings, was a winner in the United States and served as a broodmare in both Brazil and Uruguay. She was produced from the sprint stakes winner Premier Princess (by Exclusive Native), whose dam, Foresight Princess (by Reviewer), produced two other stakes winners and was a daughter of the Phipps family foundation mare Lady Be Good. It took a few generations for the latent power of this branch of Lady Be Good’s family to kick in, but it has served Brazilian breeding well and, if Ethereum continues her winning ways, may soon have another championship title to add to an already excellent record.
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Mares on Monday: Patience Pays Off with Grade 1 Win for Cavalieri

3/10/2025

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​Back in 2007-2010, the adage “Good things come to those who wait” was illustrated by John Shirreffs, who took his time with a big, lanky filly named Zenyatta and developed her into one of the greatest race mares in American history. Unraced until November of her 3-year-old season, Zenyatta rewarded Shirreffs’s patient approach with four Eclipse Awards, topped off by the golden statuette as the 2010 American Horse of the Year. Now Bob Baffert is taking a page from Shirreffs’s book with a big, growthy filly of his own. While it’s too soon to say that his trainee Cavalieri is the next Zenyatta, Speedway Stables’ filly is certainly moving in the right direction. Chasing down her Group 1-winning stablemate Richi, who had everything her way on the front end, Cavalieri strode smoothly to the front in the last 100 yards of the B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile presented by FanDuel TV (USA-G1) and prevailed by three-quarters of a length. The victory ran Cavalieri’s record to a perfect four-for-four and boosted her bankroll to US$318,000.

Bred by Alastar Thoroughbred Co., Cavalieri is the eighth Grade/Group 1 winner for 2015 American champion 2-year-old male Nyquist. The leading son of the late Uncle Mo, Nyquist is now the primary representative of the Grey Sovereign branch of the Nasrullah male line in North America. This sire line came to the United States in 1977 via that year’s French champion sire, Caro, whose North American runners included 1985 American champion turf male Cozzene, 1988 Kentucky Derby winner and American champion 3-year-old filly Winning Colors, and 1989 Canadian Triple Crown winner and Canadian Horse of the Year With Approval. While in Kentucky, Caro also sired 1984 Poule d’Essai des Poulains (French Two Thousand Guineas, FR-G1) winner Siberian Express, whose blinding-fast multiple Grade 1 winner In Excess sired 1998 Santa Anita Derby (USA-G1) winner Indian Charlie, sire of Uncle Mo.

Cavalieri is the third foal of Stiffed, whose sire Stephen Got Even (by A.P. Indy) won the 2000 Donn Handicap (USA-G1). Previously the dam of 2023 Gulfstream Park Oaks (USA-G2) winner Affirmative Lady (by Arrogate), Stiffed was a nice filly during her own racing days, taking the listed Monmouth Beach Stakes and the restricted Jersey Girl Handicap as a 4-year-old in 2015.

A half sister to five-time stakes winner Speaking (by Mr Speaker) and to dual stakes winner Sea Streak (by Sea Wizard), Stiffed is out of the unraced Silver Deputy mare High Noon Nellie. The next dam in the tail-female line, Full and Fancy (by 1983 Santa Anita Derby winner Marfa, by Foolish Pleasure), won the 1997 Next Move Handicap (USA-G3) and is out of Full Twirl (by Full Out), a winning half sister to multiple stakes winners Big Daddy’s Dream (by Big Earl) and Flying Baton (by Accipiter). This family has a decent production record, but Cavalieri is arguably the best horse produced by any mare in the direct female line since 1904 Clark Handicap winner Colonial Girl, whose dam Springtide was Cavalieri’s 13th dam.

For what it is worth, Colonial Girl, a big, rugged mare who made a habit of beating males in good races, was at her best at ages 5 and 6, perhaps foreshadowing the development of her many-times-over “grand-niece.” In any event, patience has paid off with a Grade 1 win for a filly who looks as though she may still have some development coming to her. If so, she should be a significant player in this year's older female division.


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Mares on Monday: The Queens M G Cruises in Davona Dale

3/3/2025

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​Saturday’s Fasig-Tipton Davona Dale Stakes (USA-G2) scratched down to a five-horse field that contained three fillies with graded black type and two that had only maiden wins to their credit. The race turned out to be quite formful. Moving forward off her seasonal debut in the Forward Gal Stakes (USA-G3), in which she was third, 2024 Adirondack Stakes (USA-G2) winner The Queens M G stalked early, took control in the upper stretch, and never looked back as she won by 2¾ lengths. 2024 Pocahontas Stakes (USA-G3) victress La Cara, a last-out winner of the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa, recovered from hitting the gate to get the place, and 2024 Demoiselle Stakes (USA-G2) runner-up Ballerina d’Oro closed to finish a nose behind La Cara.

All three placers would need to improve substantially off this performance to be up with the best fillies in the sophomore division. The time was 1:37.85 for a mile on a fast track, and while Gulfstream does not have a particularly quick surface, a final quarter-mile in :25.53 is not overly encouraging. Still, spring is often a season of rapid change for 3-year-olds, and all of these fillies should have a chance to get another prep in before their connections make a decision about going to the Longines Kentucky Oaks (USA-G1).

For The Queens M G, the question will be how much further she can develop. Had she run to the form she showed in her maiden victory, a 4½ furlong dash at Keeneland that saw her awarded a 97 Equibase figure, she would be among the best of this year’s sophomore misses. But in seven starts since then, she has only once run back within 10 points of that form, this while winning the 6-furlong Schuylerville Stakes. That does not bode well for stretching out to 9 furlongs two months from now against the likes of Tenma and Good Cheer.

That being said, many a trainer would be more than happy to have The Queens M G in the barn whether she proves to be Oaks material or not. There are worse things to have occupying one of one’s stalls than a multiple graded stakes winner who seems to have the makings of a capable sprinter.

The Queens M G’s success at Keeneland made her the first winner credited to multiple graded stakes winner Thousand Words (by Pioneerof the Nile), whose marquee wins came in the 2019 Los Alamitos Futurity (USA-G2) and 2020 Robert B. Lewis Stakes (USA-G3). Produced from multiple Grade 2 sprint winner Pomeroys Pistol (whose sire, Pomeroy, was a multiple Grade 1 winner over sprint distances), Thousand Words is also the sire of 2024 stakes winner and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (USA-G1) runner-up Vodka With a Twist and of Puerto Rican Grade 3 winner Caribbean Gal.

The Queens M G is the second foal and second winner produced from Show Queen, a daughter of 1996 Kentucky Derby (USA-G1) winner Grindstone. Show Queen, in turn, is out of Talent Queen (by the world-record-setting miler Elusive Quality), who is a half sister to 2006 Sorrento Stakes (USA-G3) winner Untouched Talent (by Storm Cat), juvenile stakes winner King Gulch (by Gulch), and Saudi Arabian champion Obay (by Kingmambo).

Talent Queen’s dam, multiple Grade 3 winner Parade Queen (by A.P. Indy), was something of an anomaly among the better horses coming from this family in that she did not reach her best form until late in her 3-year-old season and was at her best around two turns on turf. The female line traces back to 1973 English champion 2-year-old filly Bitty Girl, a fleet daughter of 1968 English champion miler Habitat.

Looking to the future, La Cara, whose sire is Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense and who already has a stakes win at more than a mile to her credit, may have more Kentucky Oaks potential than The Queens M G, given that she posted a 95 Equibase figure in the Suncoast and had her excuses in the Davona Dale. Based on this race, though, Florida;s 3-year-old fillies have some catching up to do if any of them hope to wear the lilies in May.
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    I'm Avalyn Hunter, an author, pedigree researcher and longtime racing fan with a particular interest in Thoroughbred mares and their contributions to the history of the breed.

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