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

3/31/2025

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

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

Mares on Monday: Lady Be Good Just Gets Better in Brazil

Mares on Monday: Patience Pays Off with Grade 1 Win for Cavalieri

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

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