A rising star in the female sprint ranks, Emery appears to be a case of “pretty is as pretty does.” Frequently admired for her resemblance to her handsome sire, the late More Than Ready, she regularly runs to her looks, as she did when she picked up her second graded stakes win in the Lexus Raven Run Stakes (USA-G2) on October 19. In that race, she stalked the pace before launching a strong bid in the stretch, defeating multiple graded stakes winner My Mane Squeeze (see “Mares on Monday: My Mane Squeeze Heats Things Up for Cool Mood,” September 23, 2024) by two lengths. Emery now owns a lifetime record of 5-1-0 from seven starts with earnings of $655,986.
Emery is the second winner and first stakes winner for the Street Sense mare Athena, who has since produced the unraced American Pharoah 2-year-old Athena’s Secret, a 2023 filly by Improbable (sold for US$280,000 through this year’s Keeneland September sale), and a 2024 filly by Good Magic. Herself the winner of three stakes races including the 2017 American Beauty Stakes (USA-L) at Oaklawn Park as a 5-year-old, Athena is one of six winners out of seven starters for unraced Race Rocks, a daughter of 2002 European Horse of the Year Rock of Gibraltar.
Race Rocks is a half sister to 2001 Carter Handicap (USA-G1) winner Peeping Tom, and is actually more closely related than that as Peeping Tom’s sire, Eagle Eyed, is a full brother to Danehill, sire of Rock of Gibraltar. Her dam, Grade 3-placed Artful Pleasure (by 1978 Brooklyn Handicap, USA-G1, winner Nasty and Bold), is a half sister to 1996 Futurity Stakes (USA-G1) winner Traitor (by Cryptoclearance), multiple Grade 2 winner Sun King (by Charismatic), multiple Grade 3 winner Ocean Drive (by Belong to Me; dam of stakes winners West Ocean, by Elusive Quality, and Hollywood Don, by Tapit), and listed stakes winner Beavers Nose (by Demons Begone). Artful Pleasure is also a half sister to Clever Bertie (by Timeless Native), dam of 1998 Prioress Stakes (USA-G2) winner Hurricane Bertie (by Storm Boot) and multiple Grade 2 winner Allamerican Bertie (by Quiet American; dam of multiple stakes winner Homerun Berti, by Forestry) and second dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Beach Patrol (by Lemon Drop Kid).
The next dam in Emery’s tail-female line, Artful Pleasure’s dam Clever but Costly, won two of her 11 starts. A daughter of the good bread-and-butter sire Clever Trick (by Icecapade), she is a half sister to stakes winners Cool Perfection (by Sadair) and Avenging Gossip (by Staunch Avenger) and is one of 13 winners from 14 foals out of Swoonlow (by the stakes-winning Swoon’s Son horse Swoonen). This female line descends from Tea’s Over, a Hanover mare whose five stakes winners include 1904 American co-champion 3-year-old male Ort Wells and his extremely fast full brother Dick Welles, the king of Chicago in 1903.
Although this female line has shown the ability to produce two-turn horses when crossed to sires with the ability to transmit stamina, its strength has lain in speed in the 7-8 furlong range, and this is right where Emery fits in. If she continues to develop as a 4-year-old, look for her to be a contender among American female speedsters in 2025.
Emery is the second winner and first stakes winner for the Street Sense mare Athena, who has since produced the unraced American Pharoah 2-year-old Athena’s Secret, a 2023 filly by Improbable (sold for US$280,000 through this year’s Keeneland September sale), and a 2024 filly by Good Magic. Herself the winner of three stakes races including the 2017 American Beauty Stakes (USA-L) at Oaklawn Park as a 5-year-old, Athena is one of six winners out of seven starters for unraced Race Rocks, a daughter of 2002 European Horse of the Year Rock of Gibraltar.
Race Rocks is a half sister to 2001 Carter Handicap (USA-G1) winner Peeping Tom, and is actually more closely related than that as Peeping Tom’s sire, Eagle Eyed, is a full brother to Danehill, sire of Rock of Gibraltar. Her dam, Grade 3-placed Artful Pleasure (by 1978 Brooklyn Handicap, USA-G1, winner Nasty and Bold), is a half sister to 1996 Futurity Stakes (USA-G1) winner Traitor (by Cryptoclearance), multiple Grade 2 winner Sun King (by Charismatic), multiple Grade 3 winner Ocean Drive (by Belong to Me; dam of stakes winners West Ocean, by Elusive Quality, and Hollywood Don, by Tapit), and listed stakes winner Beavers Nose (by Demons Begone). Artful Pleasure is also a half sister to Clever Bertie (by Timeless Native), dam of 1998 Prioress Stakes (USA-G2) winner Hurricane Bertie (by Storm Boot) and multiple Grade 2 winner Allamerican Bertie (by Quiet American; dam of multiple stakes winner Homerun Berti, by Forestry) and second dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Beach Patrol (by Lemon Drop Kid).
The next dam in Emery’s tail-female line, Artful Pleasure’s dam Clever but Costly, won two of her 11 starts. A daughter of the good bread-and-butter sire Clever Trick (by Icecapade), she is a half sister to stakes winners Cool Perfection (by Sadair) and Avenging Gossip (by Staunch Avenger) and is one of 13 winners from 14 foals out of Swoonlow (by the stakes-winning Swoon’s Son horse Swoonen). This female line descends from Tea’s Over, a Hanover mare whose five stakes winners include 1904 American co-champion 3-year-old male Ort Wells and his extremely fast full brother Dick Welles, the king of Chicago in 1903.
Although this female line has shown the ability to produce two-turn horses when crossed to sires with the ability to transmit stamina, its strength has lain in speed in the 7-8 furlong range, and this is right where Emery fits in. If she continues to develop as a 4-year-old, look for her to be a contender among American female speedsters in 2025.
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