Aqueduct’s Busanda Stakes on January 3 became a showcase for Dazzling Dame, who picked up the first 20-point race of 2026 towards a starting berth in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (USA-G1). Picking up her third stakes win from five starts, the admirably consistent filly romped by 11½ lengths and ran the one-mile distance 0.66 seconds faster than My World did in capturing the Jerome Stakes against sophomore males on the same card. The daughter of 2017 betfair.com Haskell Invitational Stakes (USA-G1) winner Girvin earned a solid Beyer Speed Figure of 91 for her effort.
Big winners at Aqueduct in January seldom figure at Churchill Downs when May rolls around, and Dazzling Dame’s well-beaten fourth-place run in the Pocahontas Stakes (USA-G3) last September 13 was not a good omen for future Kentucky Oaks glory—assuming that the filly is even pointed in that direction, as trainer Brittany Russell remarked after the Pocahontas that Dazzling Dame had never seemed comfortable at Churchill Downs prior to the race. Sophomore fillies can develop at remarkable speed in the spring, however, and the Busanda was certainly a step in the right direction for Respect the Valleys’ star, who represents an old American family.
Designated as American Family 4, Dazzling Dame’s lineage traces back to an unnamed daughter of Medley and includes such luminaries as National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame members Swaps and California Chrome. The latter horse is more closely related to Dazzling Dame as both trace their tail-female lines to Princess Ribot, a 1964 daughter of the unbeaten European champion Ribot and Princess Matoaka, by Princequillo. Stakes-placed in Ireland, Princess Ribot produced four stakes winners, the best of which was 1977 American champion older female Cascapedia (by Chieftain). Cascapedia, in turn, produced 1984 Malibu Stakes (USA-G2) winner Glacial Stream (by Crystal Water) and 1991 Rancho Bernardo Breeders’ Cup Handicap (USA-G3) winner Cascading Gold (by Mr. Prospector) and is the second dam of the popular sprinter Big Jag, a multiple Grade 2 winner and victorious in the 2000 Dubai Golden Shaheen (then a listed race).
California Chrome descends from another daughter of Princess Ribot, the Vaguely Noble mare La Belle Fleur, who never made it to the track but produced Chrome’s stakes-winning great-granddam Chase the Dream (by Sir Ivor). But two years prior to producing Cascapedia, Princess Ribot produced the Chieftain filly Tappahannock. The winner of the 1974 Pucker Up Stakes (USA-G3), Tappahannock was troubled by frequent barrenness but produced five named foals, including three fillies. The eldest, Peppermint Day (by Al Hattab), produced 1993 Fountain of Youth Stakes (USA-G2) winner Duc d’Sligovil (by Sezyou). The second, Alyannock (by Alydar), was no credit to either sire or dam.
Mostly Misty (by Grey Dawn II), Tappahannock’s third daughter, produced 1996 Pucker Up Stakes (USA-G2) winner Ms. Mostly (by Copenlan), who produced two stakes-placed runners and eight other winners from 15 named foals of racing age produced over 15 consecutive seasons. Her first foal, Most Awesome (by Awesome Again), was not one of those winners, managing only a single third-place finish from seven starts before producing two multiple stakes-placed runners and four other winners from nine named foals. Awesome Dama (by multiple Grade 1 winner Corinthian) was one of Most Awesome’s two black-type runners, and Dazzling Dame is her fifth foal and third winner. Awesome Dama has since produced an unnamed juvenile filly by Pinehurst and a yearling filly by Engage who has already been given the name Ms. Engaged.
Dazzling Dame is a confirmed front runner, and such animals can be quite dangerous when they can get loose on the lead—just ask those owners and trainers whose fillies were left in La Cara’s wake in last year’s Central Bank Ashland Oaks (USA-G1) and DK Horse Acorn Stakes (USA-G1). As La Cara also demonstrated, however, most front runners are much less dangerous when unable to take command early or when pressured throughout. To be a serious Oaks contender, Dazzling Dame needs to show the ability to be rated, and she will also need to step up her game substantially against better competition than the four hapless rivals she mauled on Saturday. Still, she is an interesting early development in the new racing season, and she should be a fun filly to keep an eye on.
Big winners at Aqueduct in January seldom figure at Churchill Downs when May rolls around, and Dazzling Dame’s well-beaten fourth-place run in the Pocahontas Stakes (USA-G3) last September 13 was not a good omen for future Kentucky Oaks glory—assuming that the filly is even pointed in that direction, as trainer Brittany Russell remarked after the Pocahontas that Dazzling Dame had never seemed comfortable at Churchill Downs prior to the race. Sophomore fillies can develop at remarkable speed in the spring, however, and the Busanda was certainly a step in the right direction for Respect the Valleys’ star, who represents an old American family.
Designated as American Family 4, Dazzling Dame’s lineage traces back to an unnamed daughter of Medley and includes such luminaries as National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame members Swaps and California Chrome. The latter horse is more closely related to Dazzling Dame as both trace their tail-female lines to Princess Ribot, a 1964 daughter of the unbeaten European champion Ribot and Princess Matoaka, by Princequillo. Stakes-placed in Ireland, Princess Ribot produced four stakes winners, the best of which was 1977 American champion older female Cascapedia (by Chieftain). Cascapedia, in turn, produced 1984 Malibu Stakes (USA-G2) winner Glacial Stream (by Crystal Water) and 1991 Rancho Bernardo Breeders’ Cup Handicap (USA-G3) winner Cascading Gold (by Mr. Prospector) and is the second dam of the popular sprinter Big Jag, a multiple Grade 2 winner and victorious in the 2000 Dubai Golden Shaheen (then a listed race).
California Chrome descends from another daughter of Princess Ribot, the Vaguely Noble mare La Belle Fleur, who never made it to the track but produced Chrome’s stakes-winning great-granddam Chase the Dream (by Sir Ivor). But two years prior to producing Cascapedia, Princess Ribot produced the Chieftain filly Tappahannock. The winner of the 1974 Pucker Up Stakes (USA-G3), Tappahannock was troubled by frequent barrenness but produced five named foals, including three fillies. The eldest, Peppermint Day (by Al Hattab), produced 1993 Fountain of Youth Stakes (USA-G2) winner Duc d’Sligovil (by Sezyou). The second, Alyannock (by Alydar), was no credit to either sire or dam.
Mostly Misty (by Grey Dawn II), Tappahannock’s third daughter, produced 1996 Pucker Up Stakes (USA-G2) winner Ms. Mostly (by Copenlan), who produced two stakes-placed runners and eight other winners from 15 named foals of racing age produced over 15 consecutive seasons. Her first foal, Most Awesome (by Awesome Again), was not one of those winners, managing only a single third-place finish from seven starts before producing two multiple stakes-placed runners and four other winners from nine named foals. Awesome Dama (by multiple Grade 1 winner Corinthian) was one of Most Awesome’s two black-type runners, and Dazzling Dame is her fifth foal and third winner. Awesome Dama has since produced an unnamed juvenile filly by Pinehurst and a yearling filly by Engage who has already been given the name Ms. Engaged.
Dazzling Dame is a confirmed front runner, and such animals can be quite dangerous when they can get loose on the lead—just ask those owners and trainers whose fillies were left in La Cara’s wake in last year’s Central Bank Ashland Oaks (USA-G1) and DK Horse Acorn Stakes (USA-G1). As La Cara also demonstrated, however, most front runners are much less dangerous when unable to take command early or when pressured throughout. To be a serious Oaks contender, Dazzling Dame needs to show the ability to be rated, and she will also need to step up her game substantially against better competition than the four hapless rivals she mauled on Saturday. Still, she is an interesting early development in the new racing season, and she should be a fun filly to keep an eye on.
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