Moon Colony could hardly have picked a better time to step up his game than in the US$500,000 Penn Mile Stakes (USA-IIT). Showing a nice closing kick, the bay son of Uncle Mo used a hole on the inside to run past pacesetter Real News and finished with plenty of run left in him.
The race augurs well for Moon Colony's future in the turf division, but in some ways is no more than should be expected given his breeding. His fifth dam is Goofed, who in spite of her name was anything but an error either as a racer or as a broodmare.
A daughter of 1945 Two Thousand Guineas winner Court Martial, Goofed was the only stakes winner produced from the Formor mare Barra II. She was a pretty good one, too, winning the 1963 Ladies Handicap (then a race of much higher standing than it is now) and earning a respectable rating of 113 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old fillies of 1963.
Goofed proved herself even more valuable as a broodmare than as a racer with her third foal, the Northern Dancer colt Lyphard. A multiple Group I winner in France, Lyphard was a two-time champion sire in France, led the American general sire list in 1986 and was also a two-time champion broodmare sire in France.
As good a runner as Lyphard was, his Vaguely Noble half sister Nobiliary was probably even better. A winner of the Prix Saint-Alary (FR-I), Nobiliary was second in the 1975 Derby Stakes (ENG-I) and Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French One Thousand Guineas, FR-I) and third in the Irish Guinness Oaks (IRE-I) before coming across the Atlantic to capture the 1975 Washington, D.C., International (USA-IT).
Goofed also produced multiple Grade II winner Barcas (by Sailor) and the stakes-placed mares Anya Ylina (by Bold Reasoning) and Barb's Bold (by Bold Forbes), but the daughter who established the best branch of her family had no such credentials. Named Dumfries, the daughter of Reviewer showed little of the talent of either sire or dam, placing once in two starts, and produced only three winners from her nine foals.
Dumfries' record looked considerably better after her daughters entered the paddocks, as she had two good producers among them. Dumfries' Pleasure (by Pleasant Colony) produced multiple Grade I winner Urbane (by Citidancer) and 2001 Kildangan Stud Irish Oaks (IRE-I) third Karsavina (by Sadler's Wells), and Urbane, in turn, produced multiple Grade II winner Suave and listed stakes winner Worldly, both by A.P. Indy.
Dance Review (by Northern Dancer), the other important daughter of Dumfries, scored twice from 16 races and was placed another five times. She was a much better producer than racer, her foals including 1989 Santa Barbara Handicap (USA-IT) winner No Review (by Nodouble), 1992 Californian Stakes (USA-I) winner another Review (by Buckaroo) and multiple Grade II winner Dance Colony (by Pleasant Colony).
Neither No Review nor Dance Colony really lived up to expectations as broodmares (though No Review did produce listed stakes winner Smashing Review, by Pleasant Tap), but Dance Colony's full sister Promenade Colony did her part to keep the family going by producing Promenade Girl (by Carson City), winner of the 2006 Molly Pitcher Breeders' Cup Handicap (USA-II) and twice Grade I-placed, as well as the restricted stakes winner Dattts Awesome (by Awesome Again). Promenade Girl is, in turn, the dam of both Moon Colony and of multiple Grade I winner Cavorting (by Bernardini), now a young broodmare. Moon Colony is Promenade Girl's youngest foal of racing age, and the mare has since produced a 2018 filly by Tapit and a 2019 filly by Liam's Map.
The 50th stakes winner for Uncle Mo, Moon Colony still has some progress to make if he is to be successful at racing's top level. Nonetheless, he is a worthy member of a distinguished family whose record has proved it to be no goof.
The race augurs well for Moon Colony's future in the turf division, but in some ways is no more than should be expected given his breeding. His fifth dam is Goofed, who in spite of her name was anything but an error either as a racer or as a broodmare.
A daughter of 1945 Two Thousand Guineas winner Court Martial, Goofed was the only stakes winner produced from the Formor mare Barra II. She was a pretty good one, too, winning the 1963 Ladies Handicap (then a race of much higher standing than it is now) and earning a respectable rating of 113 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old fillies of 1963.
Goofed proved herself even more valuable as a broodmare than as a racer with her third foal, the Northern Dancer colt Lyphard. A multiple Group I winner in France, Lyphard was a two-time champion sire in France, led the American general sire list in 1986 and was also a two-time champion broodmare sire in France.
As good a runner as Lyphard was, his Vaguely Noble half sister Nobiliary was probably even better. A winner of the Prix Saint-Alary (FR-I), Nobiliary was second in the 1975 Derby Stakes (ENG-I) and Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French One Thousand Guineas, FR-I) and third in the Irish Guinness Oaks (IRE-I) before coming across the Atlantic to capture the 1975 Washington, D.C., International (USA-IT).
Goofed also produced multiple Grade II winner Barcas (by Sailor) and the stakes-placed mares Anya Ylina (by Bold Reasoning) and Barb's Bold (by Bold Forbes), but the daughter who established the best branch of her family had no such credentials. Named Dumfries, the daughter of Reviewer showed little of the talent of either sire or dam, placing once in two starts, and produced only three winners from her nine foals.
Dumfries' record looked considerably better after her daughters entered the paddocks, as she had two good producers among them. Dumfries' Pleasure (by Pleasant Colony) produced multiple Grade I winner Urbane (by Citidancer) and 2001 Kildangan Stud Irish Oaks (IRE-I) third Karsavina (by Sadler's Wells), and Urbane, in turn, produced multiple Grade II winner Suave and listed stakes winner Worldly, both by A.P. Indy.
Dance Review (by Northern Dancer), the other important daughter of Dumfries, scored twice from 16 races and was placed another five times. She was a much better producer than racer, her foals including 1989 Santa Barbara Handicap (USA-IT) winner No Review (by Nodouble), 1992 Californian Stakes (USA-I) winner another Review (by Buckaroo) and multiple Grade II winner Dance Colony (by Pleasant Colony).
Neither No Review nor Dance Colony really lived up to expectations as broodmares (though No Review did produce listed stakes winner Smashing Review, by Pleasant Tap), but Dance Colony's full sister Promenade Colony did her part to keep the family going by producing Promenade Girl (by Carson City), winner of the 2006 Molly Pitcher Breeders' Cup Handicap (USA-II) and twice Grade I-placed, as well as the restricted stakes winner Dattts Awesome (by Awesome Again). Promenade Girl is, in turn, the dam of both Moon Colony and of multiple Grade I winner Cavorting (by Bernardini), now a young broodmare. Moon Colony is Promenade Girl's youngest foal of racing age, and the mare has since produced a 2018 filly by Tapit and a 2019 filly by Liam's Map.
The 50th stakes winner for Uncle Mo, Moon Colony still has some progress to make if he is to be successful at racing's top level. Nonetheless, he is a worthy member of a distinguished family whose record has proved it to be no goof.
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