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Mares on Monday: Lightning Strikes Twice for Lavant

11/24/2025

Talk about lightning striking twice. Last week, Perfect Plastic’s win in Cidade Jardim’s Grande Prêmio Diana (BRZ-G1) became the springboard to a discussion of the family of Lavant, who began her life as a “half-bred” and ended it as an acknowledged Thoroughbred due to the merit of her produce. This week, Lavant’s family came through with another Group winner in Brazil thanks to Shallow Now, who won Saturday’s Grande Prêmio Presidente Antonio Grisi Filho (BRZ-G3) at Cidade Jardim.

A 5-year-old mare, Shallow Now picked up her third Group 3 win of 2025 and her seventh victory of the year and has established herself as quite a useful sprinter-miler. She is a daughter of the Kitten’s Joy horse Camelot Kitten, a full brother to Grade 1 winner Bobby’s Kitten who stands at Haras Rio Iguassú. The winner of the 2016 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (USA-G2) and American Turf Stakes (USA-G2), as well as two Grade 3 races, Camelot Kitten was tenth on the Brazilian general sire list in 2023/24 and seventh in 2024/25. He is currently sixth in the 2025/26 standings.

Shallow Now and Perfect Plastic are both great-granddaughters of Brazilian Group 3-placed Femme Fatale (by Clackson), a fourth-generation descendant of Lavant. Their lines diverge at the next generation with the half sisters Next Star (by Royal Academy) and Precious Rafaela (by Know Heights). The former, a winning full sister to 2005 Grande Prêmio Henrique Possolo (BRZ-G1) winner Movie Star, is the granddam of Perfect Plastic. The latter, a winning full sister to multiple Brazilian Group 2 winner Simply the Best, is the granddam of Shallow Now via her daughter Band on the Run (by 2004 American champion sire Elusive Quality). A three-time winner over sprint distances at Gávea, Band on the Run has produced two other foals of racing age, neither of any distinction.

Aside from their common female-line descent, Shallow Now and Perfect Plastic share a common tail-male descent from Sadler’s Wells. In addition, both are maternal granddaughters of Elusive Quality. “Breed the best to the best and hope for the best” is a long-established breeding adage, but just as lightning tends to strike the tallest trees repeatedly, repeating successful pedigree patterns tends to yield more success than more random combinations at the same level of overall quality—a point worth considering when planning a mating.

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Mares on Monday: Lavant's Family Proves Fully Thoroughbred in Brazil

11/17/2025

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From the viewpoint of a North American observer, Brazil’s Classic scene is a delightful mess with both Gávea (Rio de Janeiro) and Cidade Jardim (São Paulo) hosting “Triple Crowns” for both sexes. As part of the confusion, both tracks host a Grande Prêmio Diana, a Group 1 event that is its host track’s premier event for 3-year-old fillies, and both are contested at the same 2000-meter distance on turf.

Generally, it is the Gávea race that is referred to when a racing enthusiast in the English-speaking sphere mentions the “Brazilian Oaks.” However, the Cidade Jardim race does not lack for prestige, and it is normally contested by quality fields. This year, a dozen fillies ran in São Paulo’s version of the Grande Prêmio Diana, and the winner by a comfortable 1¼ lengths was Perfect Plastic, who added the big race to two previous Group-level scores.

Bred by Haras Belmont, Perfect Plastic is by Irish import Goldikovic, who is as regally bred as any stallion on the planet. A son of the great Irish-based sire Galileo, who in turn was the most important son of the record-shattering Sadler’s Wells (by Northern Dancer), Goldikovic is out of the mighty mare Goldikova, a champion in both the United States and Europe and the only horse to win the same Breeders’ Cup event (the Mile) three times. Goldikovic could not live up to that heritage as a racehorse, managing only one third-place finish in three starts, but his bloodlines virtually guaranteed that he would receive a trial at stud somewhere. So far, he has justified the decision to give him that opportunity in Brazil; currently seventh on the nation’s general sire list, he has finished among Brazil’s top ten sires for the last four years.

Whereas Goldikovic’s parentage could hardly be more orthodox or more patrician, Perfect Plastic’s tail-female line traces back to a mare whose lineage was not given Thoroughbred status in that most hallowed register of the breed, the General Stud Book, until March 1969. This was Lavant, a 1955 daughter of the useful French racer and sire Le Lavandou. As a son of Djebel and hence from a strain of French horses denied entry to the General Stud Book under the terms of the Jersey Act because of the taint of “impure” American strains, Le Lavandou’s pedigree had only received the cachet of full Thoroughbred status following a 1949 amendment to the Jersey Act that granted GSB admission to animals whose pedigree records showed them to be the result of eight or nine crosses of pure blood, to trace back for at least a century, and to have relatives in the immediate family whose racing merit gave reason to believe in the “purity of [their] blood.”

Lavant’s problem was that, while her female lineage could be traced to the first half of the nineteenth century, it could not show eight consecutive crosses to purebred sires thanks to Lavant’s great-granddam, Verdict (winner of the 1924 Coronation Cup), who was sired by the half-bred stallion Shogun. A good stakes winner at 2 and 3, Shogun also came from a line of mares with less than impeccable antecedents, and so his “half-bred” status canceled all the crosses to pure blood that had been made along Verdict’s dam line before he covered Verdict’s dam, Finale. Lavant, then, came from a female line that had only three consecutive crosses to stallions who were accounted Thoroughbreds, and so was recorded as a half-bred.

Lavant was not much of a race mare, but as a broodmare she was something else again, producing six winners. That number included Lucasland (by Lucero) and So Blessed (by Princelu Gift), both winners of the historic July Cup and accounted as the best or near the best sprinters of their respective crops. Their merit caused the keepers of the General Stud Book to reconsider Lavant’s case for admission, and she was finally recognized as a Thoroughbred after 14 years of being accounted a “half-bred.”

Perfect Plastic’s branch of Lavant’s family was imported to Brazil via Lavant’s Irish-bred granddaughter Rogeria (by Targowice), who produced On Pass Pas to a cover by 1967 Prix Jean Part winner and 1977 Brazilian champion sire Locris. A winner of three races from 1100 to 1400 meters at Gávea, On Pass Pas produced Brazilian Group 3 winner Access (by the top Brazilian racer and sire Clackson) and her Group 3-placed full sister, Femme Fatale. Femme Fatale, in turn, produced 2005 Grande Prêmio Henrique Possolo (BRZ-G1) winner Movie Star (by Royal Academy) and multiple Brazilian Group 2 winner Simply the Best (by Know Heights).

Next Star, a full sister to Movie Star, did not live up to her name; her resume boasted only one minor win from five starts. She did not particularly distinguish herself as a broodmare either but did produce unraced Artista Plastica (by Elusive Quality), who produced Perfect Plastic as her sixth foal. The mare’s most recent foals are Paint Monet, a 2023 full brother to Perfect Plastic who has yet to race, and a 2025 Drosselmeyer filly who has been given the name Raquelita.

For the most part, the caution exercised by the keepers of the General Stud Book over the centuries has been warranted; as a highly specialized breed, it has been long years since the Thoroughbred was apt to benefit as a racehorse by outcrossing to non-Thoroughbreds. Nevertheless, after generations of breeding a half-Thoroughbred and its descendants back to pure Thoroughbreds, there comes a time when the designation of “half-bred” represents a technicality more than it does a genetic distinction. Lavant and her family had clearly reached that point, and as Perfect Plastic demonstrated last Saturday, the breed has only benefited by admission of a mare with imperfect bloodlines but excellent genetics.

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Mares on Monday: Fully Subscribed Continues Tempted's Legacy in the Mother Goose

11/10/2025

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Following a first-out maiden win at the fall Belmont at the Big A meeting last year, Fully Subscribed got hurt and had to miss the next 10 months. After a couple of placings in allowance races in September, it would seem the rust is off. A narrow favorite off her most recent performances, she won her stakes debut in fine style, winning the Mother Goose Stakes (USA-G2) over Longines Kentucky Oaks (USA-G1) runner-up Drexel Hill by 4½ lengths. Her victory made her the sixth graded winner for second-crop sire Tiz the Law, who got his fifth such an hour earlier when Tiz Dashing won the Hill Prince Stakes (USA-G3) on the same card.

Fully Subscribed is a seventh-generation descendant of Tempted, the American champion handicap female of 1959. A tough mare who ran for four seasons, Tempted was good enough to win the Alabama Stakes and Maskette Handicap as a 3-year-old but peaked the following year, when she won the Ladies Handicap in new American record time of 2:09 flat for 10.5 furlongs and also won the Beldame Handicap, New Castle Stakes, and Diana Handicap. She added second editions of both the Diana and the Maskette to her tally as a 5-year-old and retired having won 18 of 45 starts.

A mare of relatively modest antecedents, Tempted was a moderate success as a dam of winners and a greater success as a dam of broodmares. The best of her three winners was multiple stakes winner Lead Me On (by Native Dancer), dam of 1976 Comely Stakes (USA-G3) winner Tell Me All (by Cyane). Tempted also produced unraced Bee for Me (by Cyane), dam of 1985 Premio Umbria (ITY-G2) winner Nacacyte (by Star de Naskra) and second dam of multiple Grade 2 winner Channel Three (by Tri Jet). In addition, the champion became the dam of unraced Near Me Now (by Nearctic), dam of 1979 Tropical Park Derby (USA-G3) winner Bishop’s Choice (by King’s Bishop) and second dam of 1992 Prix du Jockey Club Lancia (French Derby, FR-G1) winner Polytain (by Bikala).

Turn to Me, Tempted’s 1965 daughter by Cyane, failed to win in nine tries but produced 1987 Countess Fager Handicap (USA-G3) winner Adorable Micol (by Riverman) and stakes winners Brokerette (by King’s Bishop; dam of multiple stakes winner Hushi, by Riverman) and Columbia Gold (by Key to the Mint). Adorable Micol, in turn, is the dam of 1999 New Hampshire Sweepstakes Handicap (USA-G3) winner Adcat (by Storm Cat) and Grade 1-placed restricted stakes winner Adorydar (by Alydar).

Unfortunately, Adorydar died without issue, but her Grade 2-placed half sister Adoryphar (by Lyphard) was able to keep the family going, producing listed stakes winner Ruthian (by Rahy) and stakes producers Adorable and Smart (by Gulch) and Adorable Heidi (by Gimmeawink). Ruthian, in turn, produced 2007 Del Mar Oaks (USA-G1) winner Rutherienne (by Pulpit), 2012 Lady Violet Stakes (USA-G3) winner Ruthenia (by Pulpit), and listed stakes winner Ruthville (by Afleet Alex). Ruthenia is the dam of Grade 3-placed listed stakes winner Pubilus Syrus and stakes winner Our Bay B Ruth (both by Candy Ride), and Rutherienne is the second dam of Fully Subscribed through her winning Candy Ride daughter, Sweetbaby. Since producing Fully Subscribed, Sweetbaby has become the dam of an unnamed 2023 filly by Union Rags, a yearling filly by Highly Motivated, and a weanling full brother to Fully Subscribed. She most recently visited Maxfield.

Tempted did not have the fortune of founding one of the great matriarchies of the turf, but her family has a better record than most, and Fully Subscribed has now proven a worthy representative. One can hope that with her physical problems now behind her, she can continue improving as a 4-year-old and continue the legacy of a fine mare perhaps little remembered now but deserving an honored place in memory.

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Mares on Monday: Shisospicy Sizzles for Cool Mood's Family in Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint

11/3/2025

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The 2025 Breeders’ Cup showcased both top racehorses and top female families, with representatives of the families of Best in Show, South Ocean, Dinner Partner, Nuit de Folies, and Native Street scoring big. Another top family with a Breeders’ Cup-winning scion is that of 1969 Canadian Oaks winner Cool Mood, whose sixth-generation descendant Shisospicy blitzed open company in the Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (USA-G1). The first 3-year-old filly to win the race, Shisospicy nailed down her first Grade 1 win with an impressive front-running performance and ran her lifetime record to six wins and two placings from nine starts. The daughter of 2019 American champion male sprinter Mitole also put herself in the driver’s seat for an Eclipse Award in the female sprinter division ahead of Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (USA-G1) winner Splendora, who has two 2025 stakes wins to Shisospicy’s four (three of them graded) and does not have the cachet of a major win over males. The other likely contenders in the division, Grade 1 winners Kopion and Hope Road, both hurt their chances by losing at the Breeders’ Cup.

Cool Mood made a previous appearance in the “Mares on Monday” column on September 23, 2024, when she was profiled in connection with multiple graded stakes winner My Mane Squeeze. A fifth-generation descendant of Cool Mood through her daughter Moody Maiden (by Apalachee), My Mane Squeeze is still in training and has added a win in the Johnstone Stakes for New York-breds and four graded stakes placings to her resume since being profiled.

A tough, sound mare who made 41 starts, Cool Mood was even more productive as a broodmare as a racehorse and was especially noteworthy as a dam of broodmares. Two of her five stakes-producing daughters, Shy Spirit (by Personality) and Passing Mood (by Buckpasser) earned Canadian Broodmare of the Year honors after producing Canadian Triple Crown winners Izvestia (by Icecapade) and With Approval (by Caro), respectively, and the two accounted for six other stakes winners between them including 1997 Belmont Stakes (USA-G1) winner Touch Gold (Deputy Minister x Passing Mood).

Shisospicy descends from another of Cool Mood’s black-type producers, Princess Laika. A daughter of French champion juvenile and excellent sire Blushing Groom, Princess Laika was unable to win in 13 starts and produced only one stakes winner, Cool Gold Mood (by Premier Ministre)—not exactly an inspiring overall record. Her profile looked much better after her 1993 Gone West daughter, Lady Laika, got into production. After producing two stakes-placed runners, Lady Laika dropped Healthy Addiction (by Boston Harbor) as her fourth foal. Healthy Addiction won the 2006 Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap (USA-G1) and three Grade 2 stakes before heading to the paddocks, where she produced 2015 Vanity Stakes (USA-G1) winner My Sweet Addiction (by Tiznow). Through another daughter, Ashlee’s Lady (by Gilded Time), Lady Laika is also the second dam of 2012 Davona Dale Stakes (USA-G2) winner Yara (by Put It Back) and the third dam of 2021 Frank J. DeFrancis Memorial Stakes (USA-G3) winner Jalen Journey (by With Distinction).

Princess Laika had two other daughters who were multiple stakes producers and produced a Grade 3 winner each. The better of the two was Gold Liaka (by Yukon, a Northern Dancer half brother to the great sire Mr. Prospector), who produced multiple Grade 3 winner Maren’s Meadow (by Meadowlake) and listed stakes winners Golden Path (by Slew o’ Gold; dam of 2008 Premio Jose Rodriguez Razzeto, PER-G3, winner Mukhtar, by Grindstone) and Chamul (by Mutakddim). Maren’s Meadow, in turn, produced Maren’s Melody (by Unbridled’s Song), whose winning Into Mischief daughter Mischief Galore produced Shisospicy as her second foal. Mischief Galore has since produced the unraced 2023 colt Yasup and a 2024 filly, both by Yaupon. She was covered for 2026 by Jackie’s Warrior.

Shisospicy is cataloged as Hip 147 for tonight’s Fasig-Tipton “Night of the Stars” sale as a racing or broodmare prospect, and her dam, Mischief Galore, is also in the sale as Hip 160. Both, of course, have just gotten a huge boost to their potential price tags. Interestingly, My Mane Squeeze is also up for sale as Hip 122, selling as a racing or broodmare prospect. With a bit of luck and the right mates, any of these mares could go on keeping the heat turned up for Cool Mood’s family.

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Mares on Monday: Lightning Strikes Twice for Lavant

Mares on Monday: Lavant's Family Proves Fully Thoroughbred in Brazil

Mares on Monday: Fully Subscribed Continues Tempted's Legacy in the Mother Goose

Mares on Monday: Shisospicy Sizzles for Cool Mood's Family in Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint

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