The Pegasus World Cup card at Gulfstream Park on January 27 saw a number of exciting performances, not least that of Didia in the TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational Stakes (USA-G2). Scoring her sixth win in eight North American starts, the Argentine import contended for the lead early and then outgamed late-running Surprisingly to prevail by a neck in a race run faster at the end than the finish: while the first half-mile went in a modest 48.62 on a firm course that made for some lively times in the day’s other races, the third quarter went in 23:39 and the last five-sixteenths in a sprightly 28.89, yielding a final time of 1:40.90 for the mile and one-sixteenth.
Bred by Haras La Manija, Didia earned Pellegrini Awards as Argentina’s champion 3-year-old filly and Mare of the Year in 2021 after winning that year’s Gran Premio Enrique Acebal (ARG-G1) and Gran Premio Copa de Plata-Roberto Vasquez Mansilla-Internacional (ARG-G1). Her other North American wins include the 2023 Rodeo Drive Stakes (USA-G2) at Santa Anita and Modesty Stakes (USA-G3) at Churchill Downs.
Didia is a daughter of Orpen, the Argentine champion sire of 2010 and an increasingly important broodmare sire in that country. The winner of the 1998 Prix Morny (FR-G1) during his own racing days, Orpen is the most important horse sired by the subfertile Danzig horse Lure, whose racing accomplishments—which included back-to-back victories in the 1992 and 1993 editions of the Breeders’ Cup Mile (USA-G1)—won him admission to the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame in 2013.
Produced from Bonita Francita, a granddaughter of Northern Dancer’s dam Natalma, Orpen is inbred 4x3 to E. P. Taylor’s great matron and has a rather similar pedigree to the great Australian and European sire Danehill, a son of Danzig out of another granddaughter of Natalma, Razyana. If not a success on quite the same level as Danehill, Orpen still has some significant credentials to his name as a stallion, with his 120 stakes winners including champions in eight countries.
On the dam’s side, Didia is out of Brazilian-bred Delambre, also the dam of the stakes-winning Orpen gelding Davide and of multiple Group 1-placed Dedini (also by Orpen). Another full sibling to Didia, Delirada, is the dam of 2020 Argentine Horse of the Year Tetaze (by Equal Stripes).
Group 1-placed in her native Brazil, Delambre is a daughter of 1992 Prix de Fontainebleau (FR-G3) winner Rainbow Corner, a son of the important European sire Rainbow Quest. She was produced from Group 2-placed Diya, whose sire, Argentine-bred Ariosto (by 1979 Argentine champion sire Good Manners, by Nashua), won the 1981 Gran Premio Santiago Luro (ARG-G1). Diya’s dam, Sevilla, is also an Argentine-bred; sired by the important Argentine-based stallion Ringaro (a stakes-winning son of Caro), she is a half sister to Seattle (by Southern Halo), dam of two-time Brazilian champion sprinter Pitu da Guanabara (by Ringaro).
Searching, the dam of Sevilla and Seattle, is by 1975 Manhattan Handicap (ARG-G2) winner Salt Marsh (by Tom Rolfe) out of Sun Cry, by the American import Solazo. Bred and owned by the famous Haras La Quebrada, she belongs to a major Argentine branch of Bruce Lowe family 16-e that entered the country via the English import Venusta, who became one of the great matrons of South American history after arriving in Buenos Aires in 1889.
Now a 6-year-old by Northern Hemisphere standards, Didia appears set to grace the turf for one more season before she retires to the paddocks. She has already done quite enough to merit dates with top sires in whatever country she may spend her broodmare career in, but it can be hoped that she will add more laurels to her name before she makes her genetic contribution to her breed.
Bred by Haras La Manija, Didia earned Pellegrini Awards as Argentina’s champion 3-year-old filly and Mare of the Year in 2021 after winning that year’s Gran Premio Enrique Acebal (ARG-G1) and Gran Premio Copa de Plata-Roberto Vasquez Mansilla-Internacional (ARG-G1). Her other North American wins include the 2023 Rodeo Drive Stakes (USA-G2) at Santa Anita and Modesty Stakes (USA-G3) at Churchill Downs.
Didia is a daughter of Orpen, the Argentine champion sire of 2010 and an increasingly important broodmare sire in that country. The winner of the 1998 Prix Morny (FR-G1) during his own racing days, Orpen is the most important horse sired by the subfertile Danzig horse Lure, whose racing accomplishments—which included back-to-back victories in the 1992 and 1993 editions of the Breeders’ Cup Mile (USA-G1)—won him admission to the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame in 2013.
Produced from Bonita Francita, a granddaughter of Northern Dancer’s dam Natalma, Orpen is inbred 4x3 to E. P. Taylor’s great matron and has a rather similar pedigree to the great Australian and European sire Danehill, a son of Danzig out of another granddaughter of Natalma, Razyana. If not a success on quite the same level as Danehill, Orpen still has some significant credentials to his name as a stallion, with his 120 stakes winners including champions in eight countries.
On the dam’s side, Didia is out of Brazilian-bred Delambre, also the dam of the stakes-winning Orpen gelding Davide and of multiple Group 1-placed Dedini (also by Orpen). Another full sibling to Didia, Delirada, is the dam of 2020 Argentine Horse of the Year Tetaze (by Equal Stripes).
Group 1-placed in her native Brazil, Delambre is a daughter of 1992 Prix de Fontainebleau (FR-G3) winner Rainbow Corner, a son of the important European sire Rainbow Quest. She was produced from Group 2-placed Diya, whose sire, Argentine-bred Ariosto (by 1979 Argentine champion sire Good Manners, by Nashua), won the 1981 Gran Premio Santiago Luro (ARG-G1). Diya’s dam, Sevilla, is also an Argentine-bred; sired by the important Argentine-based stallion Ringaro (a stakes-winning son of Caro), she is a half sister to Seattle (by Southern Halo), dam of two-time Brazilian champion sprinter Pitu da Guanabara (by Ringaro).
Searching, the dam of Sevilla and Seattle, is by 1975 Manhattan Handicap (ARG-G2) winner Salt Marsh (by Tom Rolfe) out of Sun Cry, by the American import Solazo. Bred and owned by the famous Haras La Quebrada, she belongs to a major Argentine branch of Bruce Lowe family 16-e that entered the country via the English import Venusta, who became one of the great matrons of South American history after arriving in Buenos Aires in 1889.
Now a 6-year-old by Northern Hemisphere standards, Didia appears set to grace the turf for one more season before she retires to the paddocks. She has already done quite enough to merit dates with top sires in whatever country she may spend her broodmare career in, but it can be hoped that she will add more laurels to her name before she makes her genetic contribution to her breed.
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