Because good mares produce far fewer foals during the course of their breeding careers than do good stallions; it is uncommon for a mare to have two Grade/Group 1 winners during a single racing year. It is even rarer for a mare to have two of her foals earn top-level wins over the course of a single weekend. That is what Antonoe accomplished on November 29 and 30 at Del Mar through her 3-year-old son Salamis (by Speightstown) and her 4-year-old daughter Segesta (by Ghostzapper). Less than 24 hours after Salamis claimed the Hollywood Derby with a determined stretch run, Segesta completed the double in the Matriarch Stakes. Both siblings were claiming their first wins at the Grade 1 level.
Antonoe is no stranger to Grade 1 glory herself, having captured the 2017 Longines Just a Game Stakes (USA-G1) during her own racing days. Sired by 2008 Forego Stakes (USA-G1) winner First Defence (who was exported to Saudi Arabia in the same year as Antonoe’s big win), she is the best of five foals produced from the unraced Dynaformer mare Ixora.
Ixora is a half sister to English listed stakes winner Posteritas (by Lear Fan), dam of 2011 Prix Jean Prat (FR-G1) winner Mutual Trust (by Cacique), and to Elbe (by Dansili), dam of the stakes-winning Bernardini mare Eclair. The dam of Ixora and her sisters, Imroz, is a Grade 3-placed daughter of Nureyev and a half sister to English listed stakes winner Insinuate (by Mr. Prospector), dam in turn of 2005 Supreme Stakes (ENG-G3) winner Stronghold (by Danehill), 2017 Winter Derby (ENG-G3) winner Convey (by Dansili), and listed stakes winner Take the Hint (by Montjeu).
Imroz, in turn, was produced from 1993 Emirates Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (FR-G1) winner All at Sea (by Riverman), a half sister to multiple Group 3 winner Over the Ocean (by Super Concorde), to English listed stakes winner Quandary (by Blushing Groom; dam of English listed stakes winner Double Crossed, by Caerleon), and to stakes winner Full Virtue (by Full Out). A daughter of the Cloudy Dawn mare Lost Virtue (whose dam, Aunt Tilt, is a Tulyar half sister to 1967 American Horse of the Year Damascus), All at Sea is also a half sister to Quack a Doodle Doo (by Quack), second dam of 1998 American champion 3-year-old filly Banshee Breeze.
Segesta and Salamis are the third and fourth foals of Antonoe, who raced for Juddmonte Farms and is now a treasured member of the stellar Juddmonte broodmare band. Following Salamis, the mare produced the 2023 Gun Runner filly Directive, who has yet to race, and a 2024 full sister to Salamis. Barren to Munnings for 2025, Antonoe most recently visited Justify.
Given that Segesta and Salamis both won their Grade 1 races late in the season, raced on turf, and had only a Grade 3 win and a lesser stakes between them this year prior to their big weekend, the likelihood that Antonoe’s Grade 1 double will earn her Broodmare of the Year honors does not seem particularly high. Then again, far stranger things have happened, and Antonoe certainly deserves at least a good look for the title. She may have come late to the party, but as the saying goes, better late than never.
Antonoe is no stranger to Grade 1 glory herself, having captured the 2017 Longines Just a Game Stakes (USA-G1) during her own racing days. Sired by 2008 Forego Stakes (USA-G1) winner First Defence (who was exported to Saudi Arabia in the same year as Antonoe’s big win), she is the best of five foals produced from the unraced Dynaformer mare Ixora.
Ixora is a half sister to English listed stakes winner Posteritas (by Lear Fan), dam of 2011 Prix Jean Prat (FR-G1) winner Mutual Trust (by Cacique), and to Elbe (by Dansili), dam of the stakes-winning Bernardini mare Eclair. The dam of Ixora and her sisters, Imroz, is a Grade 3-placed daughter of Nureyev and a half sister to English listed stakes winner Insinuate (by Mr. Prospector), dam in turn of 2005 Supreme Stakes (ENG-G3) winner Stronghold (by Danehill), 2017 Winter Derby (ENG-G3) winner Convey (by Dansili), and listed stakes winner Take the Hint (by Montjeu).
Imroz, in turn, was produced from 1993 Emirates Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (FR-G1) winner All at Sea (by Riverman), a half sister to multiple Group 3 winner Over the Ocean (by Super Concorde), to English listed stakes winner Quandary (by Blushing Groom; dam of English listed stakes winner Double Crossed, by Caerleon), and to stakes winner Full Virtue (by Full Out). A daughter of the Cloudy Dawn mare Lost Virtue (whose dam, Aunt Tilt, is a Tulyar half sister to 1967 American Horse of the Year Damascus), All at Sea is also a half sister to Quack a Doodle Doo (by Quack), second dam of 1998 American champion 3-year-old filly Banshee Breeze.
Segesta and Salamis are the third and fourth foals of Antonoe, who raced for Juddmonte Farms and is now a treasured member of the stellar Juddmonte broodmare band. Following Salamis, the mare produced the 2023 Gun Runner filly Directive, who has yet to race, and a 2024 full sister to Salamis. Barren to Munnings for 2025, Antonoe most recently visited Justify.
Given that Segesta and Salamis both won their Grade 1 races late in the season, raced on turf, and had only a Grade 3 win and a lesser stakes between them this year prior to their big weekend, the likelihood that Antonoe’s Grade 1 double will earn her Broodmare of the Year honors does not seem particularly high. Then again, far stranger things have happened, and Antonoe certainly deserves at least a good look for the title. She may have come late to the party, but as the saying goes, better late than never.
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