On December 4, Nest survived both a wide trip and a claim of foul to take the victory in the Demoiselle Stakes (USA-G2). While her final time for the 9 furlongs was an unimpressive 1:55.07---nearly a second and a half slower than the time posted by Mo Donegal in the Remsen Stakes (USA-G2) one race earlier on the same card---it was still a highly promising juvenile outing for a filly bred for stamina top and bottom and backed by a Classic-producing family.
Sired by Curlin, who is well established as a sire of two-turn runners that need some time for development, Nest is a full sister to 2021 Santa Anita Handicap (USA-G1) winner Idol and is a direct female-line descendant of Gay Hostess. A beautifully bred mare who was unable to race after injuring both knees in a fall while in training, Gay Hostess lived up to her pedigree in the paddocks. Her foals include three stakes winners: 1969 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Majestic Prince (by Raise a Native), a member of the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame; Crowned Prince, a full brother to Majestic Prince who was the English champion 2-year-old male of 1971; and multiple stakes winner Lovely Gypsy (by Armageddon). Majestic Prince brought further credit to his dam as a sire, his 33 stakes winners from 362 foals including 1979 Belmont Stakes (USA-G1) winner Coastal and multiple Grade 1 winner Majestic Light, a good sire in his own right.
As a dam of dams, Gay Hostess had her first great success with Betty Loraine, a stakes-placed daughter of Prince John. Betty Loraine produced only one stakes winner, but he was Caracolero, who reigned as the French champion 3-year-old male of 1974 after winning that year's Prix du Jockey-Club (French Derby, FR-G1). Betty Loraine also produced unraced Betty's Secret (by Secretariat), whose first foal was Secreto, winner of an epic duel with El Gran Senor in the 1984 Ever Ready Derby Stakes (ENG-G1). In further removes, Betty Lorraine's branch of the family is responsible for Roi Estate, a five-time champion in Austria and Slovakia; Close Conflict, winner of the 1994 Gran Premio d'Italia (ITY-G1); Smooth Roller, winner of the 2015 Awesome Again Stakes (USA-G1); and Sioux Nation, winner of the 2017 Phoenix Stakes (IRE-G1).
Both Rollabout (My Babu x Gay Hostess) and Caronatta (Raise a Native x Gay Hostess) became stakes producers, but it is Gay Hostess's last foal, Meadow Blue, who is responsible for the other major branch of the family. A full sister to Majestic Prince, Meadow Blue never made it to the track, and her one stakes winner as a producer is Group 3-placed French stakes winner Nureyev's Best (by Nureyev). Nureyev's Best in turn produced 2005 Milady Breeders' Cup Handicap (USA-G2) winner Andujar (by Quiet American), but it was Nureyev's Best's Believe It half sister Really Blue who came through with another Classic winner in Real Quiet, winner of the 1998 Kentucky Derby (USA-G1) and Preakness Stakes (USA-G1) and beaten a nose in the Belmont Stakes (USA-G1). Meadow Blue is also the dam of Mining My Business (by Mining), dam of 2001 Fair Grounds Oaks (USA-G2) winner Real Cozzy (by Cozzene).
Andujar, in the meantime, did not produce any runners as exalted as Real Quiet, but she did not do badly as a broodmare either, producing Grade 3-placed stakes winner Abstraction (by Pulpit) and stakes winner Marion Ravenswood (by A.P. Indy). As the dam of Nest and Idol as well as stakes-placed Dr. Jack (by Pioneerof the Nile), Marion Ravenswood has already proven herself among the best broodmares produced by this family in recent years, and there may be more to come, as the rising 14-year-old has a yearling colt by Violence (named Lost Ark) and was bred to both Curlin and Quality Road for 2022 after going barren in 2021.
In the meantime, Nest now has 10 points toward a starting berth in next year's Kentucky Oaks (USA-G1). Bred on the same cross as this year's star filly Malathaat, there is every reason to believe that she will improve at 3 to become a Classic contender in her own right, adding further prestige to a family that has already given racing fans much cause for gaiety.
Sired by Curlin, who is well established as a sire of two-turn runners that need some time for development, Nest is a full sister to 2021 Santa Anita Handicap (USA-G1) winner Idol and is a direct female-line descendant of Gay Hostess. A beautifully bred mare who was unable to race after injuring both knees in a fall while in training, Gay Hostess lived up to her pedigree in the paddocks. Her foals include three stakes winners: 1969 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Majestic Prince (by Raise a Native), a member of the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame; Crowned Prince, a full brother to Majestic Prince who was the English champion 2-year-old male of 1971; and multiple stakes winner Lovely Gypsy (by Armageddon). Majestic Prince brought further credit to his dam as a sire, his 33 stakes winners from 362 foals including 1979 Belmont Stakes (USA-G1) winner Coastal and multiple Grade 1 winner Majestic Light, a good sire in his own right.
As a dam of dams, Gay Hostess had her first great success with Betty Loraine, a stakes-placed daughter of Prince John. Betty Loraine produced only one stakes winner, but he was Caracolero, who reigned as the French champion 3-year-old male of 1974 after winning that year's Prix du Jockey-Club (French Derby, FR-G1). Betty Loraine also produced unraced Betty's Secret (by Secretariat), whose first foal was Secreto, winner of an epic duel with El Gran Senor in the 1984 Ever Ready Derby Stakes (ENG-G1). In further removes, Betty Lorraine's branch of the family is responsible for Roi Estate, a five-time champion in Austria and Slovakia; Close Conflict, winner of the 1994 Gran Premio d'Italia (ITY-G1); Smooth Roller, winner of the 2015 Awesome Again Stakes (USA-G1); and Sioux Nation, winner of the 2017 Phoenix Stakes (IRE-G1).
Both Rollabout (My Babu x Gay Hostess) and Caronatta (Raise a Native x Gay Hostess) became stakes producers, but it is Gay Hostess's last foal, Meadow Blue, who is responsible for the other major branch of the family. A full sister to Majestic Prince, Meadow Blue never made it to the track, and her one stakes winner as a producer is Group 3-placed French stakes winner Nureyev's Best (by Nureyev). Nureyev's Best in turn produced 2005 Milady Breeders' Cup Handicap (USA-G2) winner Andujar (by Quiet American), but it was Nureyev's Best's Believe It half sister Really Blue who came through with another Classic winner in Real Quiet, winner of the 1998 Kentucky Derby (USA-G1) and Preakness Stakes (USA-G1) and beaten a nose in the Belmont Stakes (USA-G1). Meadow Blue is also the dam of Mining My Business (by Mining), dam of 2001 Fair Grounds Oaks (USA-G2) winner Real Cozzy (by Cozzene).
Andujar, in the meantime, did not produce any runners as exalted as Real Quiet, but she did not do badly as a broodmare either, producing Grade 3-placed stakes winner Abstraction (by Pulpit) and stakes winner Marion Ravenswood (by A.P. Indy). As the dam of Nest and Idol as well as stakes-placed Dr. Jack (by Pioneerof the Nile), Marion Ravenswood has already proven herself among the best broodmares produced by this family in recent years, and there may be more to come, as the rising 14-year-old has a yearling colt by Violence (named Lost Ark) and was bred to both Curlin and Quality Road for 2022 after going barren in 2021.
In the meantime, Nest now has 10 points toward a starting berth in next year's Kentucky Oaks (USA-G1). Bred on the same cross as this year's star filly Malathaat, there is every reason to believe that she will improve at 3 to become a Classic contender in her own right, adding further prestige to a family that has already given racing fans much cause for gaiety.
RSS Feed