American Classic Pedigrees
  • Home
  • Books
    • American Classic Pedigrees
    • Dream Derby
    • Gold Rush
    • The Kentucky Oaks
    • The Kingmaker
    • Recommended Reading
  • Blogs
    • Mares on Monday
    • Horse Tales
  • Articles
  • Horse Profiles
    • Horse Profiles A-E
    • Horse Profiles F-K
    • Horse Profiles L-Q
    • Horse Profiles R-Z
  • Links
  • About ACP
    • Author
    • For Contributors >
      • Contact

Mares on Monday: An "Almost" Derby Double for Darling My Darling

5/13/2024

0 Comments

 
One of the more unusual doubles in Kentucky Derby history turned up during this year’s 150th anniversary renewal as two “cousins” came bumping and driving down the long Churchill Downs stretch in pursuit of Mystik Dan. Both second-place Sierra Leone and third-place Forever Young are grandsons of the mare Darling My Darling, and though no one can deny the courage shown by Mystik Dan in bursting through a narrow hole in the inside and then hanging on to win by the width of a flared nostril, it is entirely possible that without the repeated contact during the stretch run, Darling My Darling might be the second dam of both a Derby winner and a Derby runner-up.

Foaled in 1997, Darling My Darling was a good race mare on her own account, running second in the Matron Stakes (USA-G1) and Frizette Stakes (USA-G1) as a juvenile. At 3, she won the listed Raven Run Stakes at Keeneland, clicking off seven panels in a swift 1:20.88, and at 4 she added the Doubledogdare Stakes, also at Keeneland, at a mile and one-sixteenth.

Sired by two-time American champion sire Deputy Minister (the 1981 Canadian Horse of the Year and American champion 2-year-old male), Darling My Darling was produced by the Mining mare Roamin Rachel, making her a half sister to 2004 Japanese Horse of the Year Zenno Rob Roy (by Sunday Silence). Darling My Darling is also a half sister to Stray Cat (by Storm Cat), dam of Japanese Group 3 winners Cat Coin (by Stay Gold), One Breath Away (by Stay Gold), and Rock This Town (by Orfevre) as well as Japanese listed stakes winner Tagano Elisabeth (by Special Week).

Roaming Rachel was probably the best runner sired by the brilliant but unsound 1988 Vosburgh Stakes (USA-G1) winner Mining. Like her sire, she could pick ‘em up and put ‘em down, picking up the marquee score of her career in the 1994 Ballerina Handicap (USA-G1). A full sister to Canadian restricted stakes winner Hello Rachel and to Choice Claim, dam of 2001 First Lady Handicap (USA-G3) winner Another (by Seattle Slew), Roaming Rachel is also a half sister to Tangled (by Linkage), dam of 1995 Acorn Stakes (USA-G1) winner Cat’s Cradle (by Flying Paster), Roamin Rachel is out of the unraced Clever Trick mare One Smart Lady, whose dam Pia’s Lady (by the top-class handicapper Pia Star) also produced stakes winner Not Tomorrow (by Moonsplash).

Darling My Darling produced two good fillies on her own account to matings with stallions from the A.P. Indy male line. The elder, Forever Darling (by Congrats), won the 2016 Santa Ynez Stakes (USA-G2) and is the dam of Forever Young, who has the UAE Derby (UAE-G2) and Saudi Derby (KSA-G3) to his credit along with his Kentucky Derby third. The younger, Heavenly Love (by Malibu Moon), won the 2017 Darley Alcibiades Stakes (USA-G1) and is the dam of Sierra Leone (by Gun Runner), who came into the Run for the Roses off wins in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (USA-G1) and Risen Star Stakes (USA-G2). Darling My Darling is also the dam of Sky My Darling (by Sky Mesa), dam of multiple Brazilian Group 3 winner Charles Do Bronxs (by Carrocel Encantado).

Darling My Darling’s last name foal is Lovely Darling, an unraced 2021 filly by Flameaway, but both Forever Darling and Heavenly Love remain in production. The former produced a 2022 filly by Kizuna and a 2023 filly by Epiphaneia, while the latter is the dam of the unraced 2022 Nyquist colt Domestic Policy and a 2024 filly by Gun Runner. As for the participants in Darling My Darling’s double of Derby placers, they will undoubtedly be heard from again later in the year, though perhaps in not such dramatic fashion as when they nearly kept the Kentucky Derby all in the family.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    I'm Avalyn Hunter, an author, pedigree researcher and longtime racing fan with a particular interest in Thoroughbred mares and their contributions to the history of the breed.

    Categories

    All
    General News
    General Pedigree Info
    Mares: Canada
    Mares: South America
    Mares: USA
    Racing Commentary
    Special

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014

    RSS Feed

© 2014-2025 by Avalyn Hunter. All rights reserved. Contributors' materials remain the property of the copyright owners and are used by permission. For information regarding use or licensure of photographs, please contact the copyright holder.

Home     Books     Articles     Horse Profiles    Hoofprints    Contact    Links