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.
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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