Nitrogen’s gallant second-place effort in Saturday’s Whitney Stakes (USA-G1) justly drew much admiration. She is not the only filly in the Americas to have faced males in a recent Grade/Group 1 race, though. The Brazilian 4-year-old Summer do Iguassu, a Group 1 winner at 3, recently took down the boys in the Grande Prêmio Copa ABCPCC Clássica-Matias Machline over 2000 meters (about 1¼ miles) at Gávea. Racing for breeder-owner Haras do Iguassu, the filly defeated 12 rivals in one of the bigger races on the Brazilian winter calendar and continued a history of Group 1 success for a Brazilian branch of an Argentine family.
Summer do Iguassu’s family entered Brazil via Revisa, whose Irish-bred sire Flintham (by 1962 Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp winner Fortino II, also the sire of champion racer and sire Caro) was exported to Argentina after winning the 1974 Goldene Peitsche (GER-G3). In winning the Goldene Peitche, historically one of Germany’s top sprint races, Flintham expressed the sprinting proclivity of his sire rather than the staying blood found on the distaff side of his pedigree.
Sent to Brazil as a youngster, Revisa was a consistent performer in her class, winning five races at Gávea over 1300-1600 meters and finishing second in another five out of 13 starts. Put to the more stamina-oriented Present the Colors (a stakes-winning son of Hoist the Flag who became a good sire for Haras Santa Maria de Araras) for her first mating, Revisa produced Tawanna, winner of the 1989 Grande Prêmio Zélia Gonzaga Peixoto de Castro (BRZ-G1) over 2000 meters. Another mating to Present the Colors produced Vannieres, a winner over 1200 meters who was exported back to Argentina and there produced Vanguardia (by Sekari), winner of the 2005 Gran Premio Polla de Potrancas (Argentine One Thousand Guineas, ARG-G1).
Revisa’s other two important foals were both by the great Brazilian-based sire Ghadeer. The first, Azzedine, ran third in the 1992 Grande Prêmio Henrique Possolo (BRZ-G1) over 1600 meters and became the dam of Brazilian listed stakes winner Ligeiro e Corredor (by Notation), who scored his signature win over 1200 meters. The other, Fit to Fly, scored her only win from nine starts in an 1100-meter event at Gávea but proved a valuable broodmare with three Group stakes winners to her credit. They were Must Be Flying (by the Forty Niner horse Jules, the Brazilian champion sire of 2002/03), who won the 2003 Grande Prêmio Henrique Possolo (BRZ-G1); Time to Fly (by five-time Brazilian champion sire Roi Normand), who won the 2011 Grande Premio Henrique de Toledo Lara (BRZ-G3); and Montardon (by 2012/13 Brazilian champion sire Northern Afleet), who won the Grande Premio Dezesseis de Julho (BRZ-G3).
Best on the track, Must Be Flying was also the most important in the breeding shed despite having produced only two foals. Her daughter Catch a Wave (by 1999 Early Times Turf Classic, USA-G1, winner Wild Event, a five-time Brazilian champion sire and a great sire of broodmares) was a winner over 1000 meters at Gavea and produced Summer do Iguassu (a daughter of multiple Grade 2 winner Camelot Kitten, by Kitten’s Joy) as her fourth foal and fourth winner. Her only subsequent foal is Maracatana, a 2023 daughter of multiple Grade 2 winner Synchrony (by Tapit) who has yet to race.
As Tawanna and Summer do Iguassu has demonstrated, this family is capable of throwing runners capable of winning at the highest level over 2000 meters, but the rest of its produce record suggests that speed is its true forte; in fact, none of Summer do Iguassu’s older siblings have won at more than 1500 meters. It will be interesting to see if “Summer” reverts to the family type when she enters the paddocks. In the meantime, observers can hope that she will get at least a few more opportunities to showcase her talent against all comers, male and female alike.
Summer do Iguassu’s family entered Brazil via Revisa, whose Irish-bred sire Flintham (by 1962 Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp winner Fortino II, also the sire of champion racer and sire Caro) was exported to Argentina after winning the 1974 Goldene Peitsche (GER-G3). In winning the Goldene Peitche, historically one of Germany’s top sprint races, Flintham expressed the sprinting proclivity of his sire rather than the staying blood found on the distaff side of his pedigree.
Sent to Brazil as a youngster, Revisa was a consistent performer in her class, winning five races at Gávea over 1300-1600 meters and finishing second in another five out of 13 starts. Put to the more stamina-oriented Present the Colors (a stakes-winning son of Hoist the Flag who became a good sire for Haras Santa Maria de Araras) for her first mating, Revisa produced Tawanna, winner of the 1989 Grande Prêmio Zélia Gonzaga Peixoto de Castro (BRZ-G1) over 2000 meters. Another mating to Present the Colors produced Vannieres, a winner over 1200 meters who was exported back to Argentina and there produced Vanguardia (by Sekari), winner of the 2005 Gran Premio Polla de Potrancas (Argentine One Thousand Guineas, ARG-G1).
Revisa’s other two important foals were both by the great Brazilian-based sire Ghadeer. The first, Azzedine, ran third in the 1992 Grande Prêmio Henrique Possolo (BRZ-G1) over 1600 meters and became the dam of Brazilian listed stakes winner Ligeiro e Corredor (by Notation), who scored his signature win over 1200 meters. The other, Fit to Fly, scored her only win from nine starts in an 1100-meter event at Gávea but proved a valuable broodmare with three Group stakes winners to her credit. They were Must Be Flying (by the Forty Niner horse Jules, the Brazilian champion sire of 2002/03), who won the 2003 Grande Prêmio Henrique Possolo (BRZ-G1); Time to Fly (by five-time Brazilian champion sire Roi Normand), who won the 2011 Grande Premio Henrique de Toledo Lara (BRZ-G3); and Montardon (by 2012/13 Brazilian champion sire Northern Afleet), who won the Grande Premio Dezesseis de Julho (BRZ-G3).
Best on the track, Must Be Flying was also the most important in the breeding shed despite having produced only two foals. Her daughter Catch a Wave (by 1999 Early Times Turf Classic, USA-G1, winner Wild Event, a five-time Brazilian champion sire and a great sire of broodmares) was a winner over 1000 meters at Gavea and produced Summer do Iguassu (a daughter of multiple Grade 2 winner Camelot Kitten, by Kitten’s Joy) as her fourth foal and fourth winner. Her only subsequent foal is Maracatana, a 2023 daughter of multiple Grade 2 winner Synchrony (by Tapit) who has yet to race.
As Tawanna and Summer do Iguassu has demonstrated, this family is capable of throwing runners capable of winning at the highest level over 2000 meters, but the rest of its produce record suggests that speed is its true forte; in fact, none of Summer do Iguassu’s older siblings have won at more than 1500 meters. It will be interesting to see if “Summer” reverts to the family type when she enters the paddocks. In the meantime, observers can hope that she will get at least a few more opportunities to showcase her talent against all comers, male and female alike.
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