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Mares on Monday: Be Your Best Flies Up the Flagpole in Pegasus Filly and Mare Turf

1/27/2025

On January 25, Michael Ryan’s Irish-bred mare Be Your Best took another step up the class ladder in the TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf presented by SirDavis American Whiskey (USA-G2). Already a multiple Grade 3 winner, the daughter of 2015 European champion sprinter Muhaarar ran down pacesetter In Our Time and then held off the closing rally of Sacred Wish to claim her first Grade 2 victory in the mile and one-sixteenth event and bump her earnings up to US$900,309. Her lifetime record currently stands at five wins and five placings from 18 starts, and she notched a career-best Equibase speed figure of 111 for her effort, besting the 109 given to fellow Saffie A, Joseph Jr. trainee White Abarrio for his victory in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (USA-G1).

Be Your Best is a fourth-generation descendant of the excellent matron Up the Flagpole, who proved a gem in William S. Farish III’s broodmare band. The winner of the 1984 Delaware Oaks (USA-G2), Up the Flagpole produced seven stakes winners from 10 named foals. Three earned honors at Grade/Group 1 level: Prospectors Delite (by Mr. Prospector), who won the 1992 Ashland Stakes and Acorn Stakes before going on to become the 2003 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year; 1995 Premio Presidente della Repubblica winner Flagbird (by Nureyev), the highweight older female over 9.5-11 furlongs in England, Ireland, and Italy; and Runup the Colors (by A.P. Indy), winner of the 1997 Alabama Stakes.

Flagbird was a disappointing producer during her time in the paddocks, with 2002 Arlington-Washington Futurity (USA-G3) runner-up Anasheed (by A.P. Indy) proving the best of her five winners on the track. She has fared better as a dam of broodmares, though. Her stakes-placed daughter Dubai Belle (by Mr. Prospector) is the dam of 2008 Ashland Stakes (USA-G1) winner and Kentucky Oaks (USA-G1) runner-up Little Belle (by A.P. Indy), herself the dam of 2017 Coolmore Jenny Wiley Stakes (USA-G1) winner Dickinson (by Medaglia d’Oro; dam of listed stakes winner Wadsworth, by Quality Road). Little Belle’s stakes-winning full sister Dubai Dancer is the second dam of 2021 Woodbine Oaks (CAN-R) winner and Canadian champion 3-year-old filly Munnyfor Ro.

Returning to Flagbird, she is also the dam of Scarlet Ibis (by Machiavellian), dam of 2012 Albany Stakes (ENG-G3) winner Newfangled (by New Approach). Another daughter of Flagbird, Lophorina (by King’s Best), is the dam of listed stakes winner Lady Alexandra (by More Than Ready), runner-up in the 2018 Highlander Stakes (CAN-G1). Finally, Flagbird is the dam of Kotuku (by A.P. Indy), dam of Grade 3-placed restricted stakes winner Bay of Plenty (by Medaglia d’Oro) and of Grade 1-placed Fortify (by Distorted Humor), a three-time runner-up on the Argentine general sire list. Kotuku’s best producing daughter so far is Kamakura (by Medaglia d’Oro), who produced Be Your Best as her third foal before producing an unnamed 2023 colt by Too Darned Hot and a 2024 filly by Baaeed.

Up the Flagpole traces back to the breed-shaping matriarch La Troienne through Ogden Phipps’s foundation mare Striking, a granddaughter of La Troienne and a stakes-winning full sister to 1945 American Horse of the Year Busher. This is a family that has created much of the rich legacy of the Phipps family’s breeding program and has yielded many a gold nugget for other breeders as well, among them Be Your Best’s breeder, St. Croix Bloodstock. As a Grade 2-winning member of this legendary lineage, Be Your Best will obviously be a valuable broodmare prospect when the time comes for her retirement, but it can be hoped that she will get a fair chance to add Grade 1 glitter to her name before she departs racing for motherhood,

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Mares on Monday: Promising Winners of Early Steps Along the Lily Lane

1/20/2025

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On Saturday, January 18, two listed races with Longines Kentucky Oaks (USA-G1) implications took place. The first was the 9-furlong Busanda Stakes at Aqueduct, which was won by Running Away. The other, the Fasig-Tipton Silverbulletday Stakes at the Fair Grounds, was contested at a mile and 70 yards and was won by Simply Joking. Both races offered points toward the Kentucky Oaks on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale, and both were won in gate-to-wire fashion by improving fillies with interesting backgrounds.

Running Away struck first. After notching a record of 1-1-1-0 in three maiden special weight events at 2, the filly had no difficulty in capturing her stakes debut for breeder-owner Stud TNT and trainer Wesley Ward. Her profile thus far shows steady improvement, and there is no reason to think that her ceiling has been reached yet.

Sired by Gun Runner, Running Away is the seventh foal out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Allez Marie, who has previously produced stakes winners Workaholic (by Sky Mesa) and Legalize (by Constitution), as well as stakes-placed runners Tomato Bill and Fouette. The mare’s most recent foal is a 2024 colt by Munnings that went for US$320,000 to Three Chimneys Farm at the Fasig-Tipton December Digital sale. At the same sale, Allez Marie herself, in foal to Elite Power, was sold for a sale-topping US$750,000, also to Three Chimneys.

Allez Marie was Group 3-placed over 1600 meters in Brazil. She is one of two stakes-placed runners and eight winners produced from 2005 Kentucky Oaks winner Summerly. A daughter of Summer Squall out of the Grade 3-placed Mr. Prospector mare Here I Go, Summerly took the New Orleans route to the 2005 Oaks, winning the Silverbulletday Stakes (then USA-G3) and the Fair Grounds Oaks (USA-G2) on her way to the lilies. She was winless after the Kentucky Oaks, and Allez Marie is the only one of her daughters to produce a stakes winner thus far. Summerly has other, younger daughters still early in their producing careers, however, so her story as a broodmare is only partially completed.

On speed figures, Silverbulletday winner Simply Joking had the better of it (91 vs. 87 on Equibase), though figures posted in January often enough bear only a shaky relationship to positions at the finish in the Oaks four months later. Still, the filly’s record thus far can hardly be faulted: she has started twice, both times in stakes company, and has come back with two wins despite bumping the gate and running quite greenly in her debut, the Letellier Memorial Stakes on December 21. Her performance in the Silverbulletday was smoother, though still showing signs of immaturity, and provided something of a measuring rod as to how she stacks up against co-owner Grantley Acres’ other budding star, unbeaten Her Laugh (another daughter of Practical Joke), who on December 21 won the Untapable Stakes by 2½ lengths over Golden Gamble over the same track and distance as the Silverbulletday. Simply Joking left Golden Gamble 6½ lengths behind her on Saturday.

Sired by multiple Grade 1 winner Practical Joke, Simply Joking is a half sister to last year’s Jerome Stakes winner, Drum Roll Please (by Hard Spun), who placed in the 2023 Remsen Stakes (USA-G2) as a juvenile, and to a yearling filly by Uncle Mo. Their dam, Imply (by multiple Grade 2 winner E Dubai, by Mr. Prospector), won seven stakes races against Pennsylvania-bred competition and is a half sister to graded-placed stakes winners Dancinginthecircle (by Divine Park) and Drop a Hint (by Into Mischief) and to restricted stakes winner Advert (by Lonhro). Imply, in turn, is out of stake-placed Allude (by Orientate), whose dam Ed’s Holy Cow (by multiple Grade 2 winner Bet Big) is a winning half sister to 1994 Horse of the Year Holy Bull.

How far Running Away and Simply Joking will get along the Lily Lane to the Kentucky Oaks is anyone’s guess as yet. Most likely, given Wesley Ward’s preference for his home base in Kentucky, Running Away may head there next with the Ashland Stakes (USA-G1) at Keeneland tentatively penciled in as her stepping stone to the Oaks. Simply Joking may stay in New Orleans for the Rachel Alexandra Stakes (USA-G2) on February 15, or trainer Whit Beckman may seek another target for her if it seems that Her Laugh will be better suited for the Rachel Alexandra given the timing and the two fillies’ progression. Either way, both Running Away and Simply Joking are already showing that they can be useful runners and have pedigrees suggesting the possibility that they can be something more, and their connections can hardly be blamed if their dreams are touched with a scent of lilies.

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Mares on Monday: Dale Flojita Rewards Patience in Uruguay

1/13/2025

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Racing and breeding in Uruguay have as long a history as in any nation in South America, but Uruguayan horses have registered on North American radar screens only a couple of times in the last half-century. One was in 1965, when the Uruguayan-bred Colonia ran second in the Beverly Hills Handicap after compiling a stakes-winning record in her native land. 13 years later, her stakes-winning daughter Sun Colony produced Pleasant Colony, winner of the 1981 Kentucky Derby and Preakness and an important sire. The other was in 2006, when Argentine-bred Uruguayan Triple Crown winner Invasor won the Breeders’ Cup Classic (USA-G1) to take honors as American Horse of the Year.

Part of Uruguay’s problem in securing greater international acclaim is numbers, as the nation is sandwiched between much larger neighbors in Brazil and Argentina. Both have substantially larger foal crops, and horsemen in both are not at all averse to sending raiders over the border after Uruguay’s major prizes. Thus, it was a substantial triumph for Uruguay’s racing and breeding industry when Uruguayan-bred Dale Flojita upheld her country’s honor on January 6 with a convincing win over multiple Brazilian Group winner Bloody Mary in Uruguay’s biggest race for fillies and mares, the Gran Premio Ciudad de Montevideo (URU-G1).

Previously the winner of the listed Premio Sarandi and placed in both the Gran Premio Estimulo (URU-G2) and Gran Premio Selección (Uruguayan Oaks, URU-G3), Dale Flojita races as a homebred for Haras El Trebol. She is a daughter of Sloane Avenue, an American-bred son of Candy Ride and the A.P. Indy mare Apt. A stakes winner in England and Group 2-placed in Dubai, Sloane Avenue is from the female family of standout sires Sadler’s Wells, Nureyev, and Fairy King. Exported in 2017 to stand at Uruguay’s Haras El Santo, Sloane Avenue made his presence felt early in his adopted country by finishing sixth on the Uruguayan general sire list in 2022 and second in 2023. He was third in 2024 and is currently second in the early 2025 standings behind Argentine stallion Equal Stripes, whose son El Kodigo crossed the border to take the Gran Premio Jose Pedro Ramirez (URU-G1) on the same card as the Ciudad de Montevideo.

Haras El Trebol has developed Dale Flojita’s family since the importation of the Argentine mare Fidelia, a daughter of the Embrujo horse Fierabras. The Ciudad de Montevideo winner is the only foal produced from unraced Flavia, whose sire, the Argentine import De Pizarro (by Mutakddim), won the 2006 Gran Premio Dardo Rocha (ARG-G1). Flavia, in turn, is out of Run Viola Run, whose sire, German Group 2 winner Robin des Pins (by Nureyev), led the Uruguayan general sire list at least eight times and was champion broodmare sire seven times.

Run Viola Run was unplaced in her only start. She is out of Vieja Viola, who established a reputation as the best filly of her crop at Uruguay’s Las Piedras track, where she won six of seven starts. Sent to Argentina, she was also a winner at Palermo before returning to Uruguay. Her sire Obstinado won two Uruguayan Group 2 races and two Group 3 events. Obstinado’s sire Harken was a champion sprinter in Uruguay and reversed the usual pattern of international raiding by traveling to Rio de Janeiro in 1977 and winning Brazil’s top sprint, the Grande Prêmio Major Suckow (BRZ-G1) at Gávea.

Vieja Viola’s dam Nostalgia did not race but was sired by 1986 Gran Premio Jose Pedro Ramirez winner Chapulin out of Arrusafa, winner of the 1988 Premio Sarandi. Sired by the Good Manners horse Inaco, Arrusafa is a daughter of Gata Rusa, a winner by the Argentine-bred stallion Dorigny (by 1960 Two Thousand Guineas winner Martial, by 1952 Kentucky Derby winner Hill Gail) out of Fidelia. Thus, Haras El Trebol has persevered with this female line through eight generations to come up with Dale Flojita, exhibiting a patience seldom seen among breeders anywhere in the world. But then, this is a country where racing survived the closure of its primary track, Maroñas, in 1997-2003 and came back to host Group 1 racing once more at that same oval. Its horsemen have learned patience in a hard school, and on this occasion at least, patience has been well rewarded.

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Mares on Monday: A Bouquet for Richi in the Las Flores

1/6/2025

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On January 4, Chilean-bred Richi got her first win in the United States, scoring by 1½ lengths over stablemate Pleasant. Running at a distance probably shorter than her best, the 5-year-old signaled that, now that she has had time to acclimate to Northern Hemisphere conditions, she may have a bright future ahead of her this year.

Bred by Haras Paso Nevado, Richi compiled a fine record in her native land. Her six wins from nine starts included the 2023 Tanteo de Potrancas (CHI-G1) as a juvenile and the 2023 Premio Alberto Solari Magnasco (CHI-G1) at 3. The champion juvenile filly on dirt of 2023, she turned in her only bad effort when running against males in the 2023 Premio St. Leger (Chi-G1), her final Chilean start and perhaps one at a little more distance (about 11 furlongs) than she truly wanted. She did not run for six months after coming to the United States, checking in second in the Desert Stormer Stakes (USA-L) at Santa Anita on June 2, 2024, and the Las Flores marks her first start since then. Given that her top-level wins were at 1500 meters (about 7½ furlongs) and 2000 meters (about 1¼ miles), respectively, she should be able to handle more distance without an issue.

Richi is a daughter of three-time Grade 1 winner Practical Joke, a son of Distorted Humor who has gotten off to a good start at stud. Ranking only behind Gun Runner among sires of his cohort in North America since his first runners came out in 2021, he has also done well in Chile, where he was second to Constitution on the 2023 general sire list. He has sired 11 Grade/Group 1 winners thus far.

On the distaff side, Richi is the third foal out of Rich Baby, a Group 2-placed daughter of Scat Daddy who was also bred at Haras Paso Nevado. A half sister to 2012 Gran Premio de Honor (CHI-G2) winner Rich Court (by Powerscourt), Rich Baby is also a half sister to Group 1-placed Rich Lady (by Lookin At Lucky). Rich Baby has produced two winners by Verrazano in addition to Rich and has since produced Rubidia, a winning 2021 filly by Classic Empire, and a 2024 colt by Tiz the Law.

Rich Baby is out of American-bred Richwood Royal, a winning daughter of Royal Academy. A half sister to multiple English listed stakes winner Atmospheric (by Irish River), Richwood Royal, in turn, is out of Irish-bred Magic Feeling (by 1986 Prix Jean Prat, FR-G1, winner Magical Wonder, by Storm Bird), a stakes winner over hurdles in Ireland and the winner of the 1996 Estrapade Stakes (USA-L) at 1½ miles on the Hollywood turf course. Magic Feeling’s dam Papsie’s Pet was a daughter of Busted, a top-class horse at 10 to 12 furlongs, so Richi’s female line shows an interesting mix of speedy, stout, and intermediate influences.

Exactly how far Richi will want to go under American conditions, where the early pace tends to be hotter than in Chile, has yet to be determined, but her previous performances and her bloodlines suggest that 8 or 9 furlongs should not be beyond her scope. In any event, she looks like an interesting addition to the West Coast older female division and should be worth keeping an eye on.

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Mares on Monday: Be Your Best Flies Up the Flagpole in Pegasus Filly and Mare Turf

Mares on Monday: Promising Winners of Early Steps Along the Lily Lane

Mares on Monday: Dale Flojita Rewards Patience in Uruguay

Mares on Monday: A Bouquet for Richi in the Las Flores

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