On January 13, the New York road to the Longines Kentucky Oaks (USA-G1) kicked off in the Busanda Stakes at Aqueduct. The winner was Calumet Farm’s homebred Gin Gin, who collected 20 points toward an Oaks starting berth with a one-length victory over Princess Mayfair. Race favorite Shimmering Allure, previously the winner of the 2023 Tempted Stakes (USA-L) and second in the 2023 Demoiselle Stakes (USA-G2), was third. Ridden by Trevor McCarthy for trainer Brad Cox, Gin Gin stopped the clock for the 9-furlong race over a muddy, sealed surface in 1:53.31, earning an 82 Equibase speed figure.
Gin Gin is a daughter of the Mineshaft horse Hightail, who picked up his only win from 10 starts in the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint (USA-L). Produced from the winning Storm Cat mare Stormy Renee (whose full sister Ominous Cat is the dam of listed stakes winner Dark Artist, by Paynter), Hightail is a grandson of Fleet Renee (by Seattle Slew), winner of the 2001 Ashland Stakes (USA-G1) and Mother Goose Stakes (USA-G1), and is, thus inbred 3x3 to Seattle Slew and 4x4 to Secretariat.
Not many stallions can boast of having Triple Crown winners occupying four places in the first four generations of their pedigrees, along with having horses that earned the title of American Horse of the Year as sire, paternal grandsire, and male-line great-grandsire, and Hightail has made use of his genetic heritage to achieve good results from limited opportunities. He has 87 named foals in his first eight crops (foals 3 years old and older as of January 1), and six of those are stakes winners, including 2019 Awesome Again Stakes (USA-G1) winner Mongolian Groom. This year, in addition to Gin Gin, he is responsible for Khanate, third in the Jerome Stakes on January 6 in his first crack at stakes company.
On the distaff side, Gin Gin is the second named foal produced from Grade 3-placed Before You Know it (by Hard Spun), previously responsible for the winning American Pharoah colt Know It Now. The mare also has a newly-turned 2-year-old colt by City of Light, named Quick City, and was barren for 2023; she was bred to both Hightail and Lexitonian for 2024. She is a half sister to Grade 3-placed Instant Reflex (by Quality Road), dam of 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (USA-G1) winner Hard to Justify (by Justify).
A US$170,000 purchase as a broodmare prospect from the 2015 Keeneland November mixed sale, Before You Know It is out of the winning Seeking the Gold mare Without Delay, a half sister to 2013 La Coupe (FR-G3) winner Slow Pace (by Distorted Humor) and 2018 Pat Day Mile Stakes (USA-G3) winner Funny Duck (by Distorted Humor). Without Delay is also a half sister to Slow Sand (by Dixieland Band), dam of 2020 Lambolm South Tampa Bay Derby (USA-G2) winner King Guillermo (by Uncle Mo) and second dam of 2021 July Cup (ENG-G1) winner Starman (by Dutch Art). In addition, Without Delay is a half sister to Jolie Chanson (by Mount Nelson), dam of Group 3-placed English listed stakes winner Majestic Dawn (by Dawn Approach).
Without Delay’s dam Slow Down (by Seattle Slew) won the listed Hillsborough Handicap as a 4-year-old in 2001 and is a half sister to Grade 1-placed multiple Grade 3 winner Olmodavor (by A.P. Indy) and two-time Prairie Bayou Stakes winner Dac (by Distorted Humor). Slow Down, in turn, is out of 1994 Beverly Hills Handicap (USA-G1) winner Corrazona (El Gran Senor x Heartbreak, by Stage Door Johnny), a half sister to 1990 Wood Memorial Stakes (USA-G1) winner and Belmont Stakes (USA-G1) runner-up Thirty Six Red (by Slew o’ Gold). Gin Gin, thus, is inbred 4x4x4 to Seattle Slew and also carries a 4x4 cross to the great sire Mr. Prospector.
As a stakes winner with such a potent genetic package, Gin Gin will doubtless be a welcome addition to the Calumet broodmare band when the time comes. She has other tasks to attend to first, however, and her next step on her quest for a possible Oaks start may well be in the Gazelle Stakes (USA-G3) in April, another 9-furlong event at Aqueduct and one that carries 100-50-25-15-10 in Oaks qualifying points to the first five finishers. A first or second-place finish would lock up a Kentucky Oaks berth, and a third-place finish would put her in the hunt.
Only one previous Busanda winner, Princess of Sylmar (2013), has gone on to wear the lilies in Kentucky, and Gin Gin is going to need to make substantial progress this spring to become the first Kentucky Oaks winner for Calumet Farm since Davona Dale took the spring classic on the way to an Eclipse Award as the champion 3-year-old filly of 1979. Still, as the saying goes, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and the filly made her first step along the Lily Lane a good one. Time will tell whether that is as far as she goes or whether she will earn the right to proceed further.
Gin Gin is a daughter of the Mineshaft horse Hightail, who picked up his only win from 10 starts in the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint (USA-L). Produced from the winning Storm Cat mare Stormy Renee (whose full sister Ominous Cat is the dam of listed stakes winner Dark Artist, by Paynter), Hightail is a grandson of Fleet Renee (by Seattle Slew), winner of the 2001 Ashland Stakes (USA-G1) and Mother Goose Stakes (USA-G1), and is, thus inbred 3x3 to Seattle Slew and 4x4 to Secretariat.
Not many stallions can boast of having Triple Crown winners occupying four places in the first four generations of their pedigrees, along with having horses that earned the title of American Horse of the Year as sire, paternal grandsire, and male-line great-grandsire, and Hightail has made use of his genetic heritage to achieve good results from limited opportunities. He has 87 named foals in his first eight crops (foals 3 years old and older as of January 1), and six of those are stakes winners, including 2019 Awesome Again Stakes (USA-G1) winner Mongolian Groom. This year, in addition to Gin Gin, he is responsible for Khanate, third in the Jerome Stakes on January 6 in his first crack at stakes company.
On the distaff side, Gin Gin is the second named foal produced from Grade 3-placed Before You Know it (by Hard Spun), previously responsible for the winning American Pharoah colt Know It Now. The mare also has a newly-turned 2-year-old colt by City of Light, named Quick City, and was barren for 2023; she was bred to both Hightail and Lexitonian for 2024. She is a half sister to Grade 3-placed Instant Reflex (by Quality Road), dam of 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (USA-G1) winner Hard to Justify (by Justify).
A US$170,000 purchase as a broodmare prospect from the 2015 Keeneland November mixed sale, Before You Know It is out of the winning Seeking the Gold mare Without Delay, a half sister to 2013 La Coupe (FR-G3) winner Slow Pace (by Distorted Humor) and 2018 Pat Day Mile Stakes (USA-G3) winner Funny Duck (by Distorted Humor). Without Delay is also a half sister to Slow Sand (by Dixieland Band), dam of 2020 Lambolm South Tampa Bay Derby (USA-G2) winner King Guillermo (by Uncle Mo) and second dam of 2021 July Cup (ENG-G1) winner Starman (by Dutch Art). In addition, Without Delay is a half sister to Jolie Chanson (by Mount Nelson), dam of Group 3-placed English listed stakes winner Majestic Dawn (by Dawn Approach).
Without Delay’s dam Slow Down (by Seattle Slew) won the listed Hillsborough Handicap as a 4-year-old in 2001 and is a half sister to Grade 1-placed multiple Grade 3 winner Olmodavor (by A.P. Indy) and two-time Prairie Bayou Stakes winner Dac (by Distorted Humor). Slow Down, in turn, is out of 1994 Beverly Hills Handicap (USA-G1) winner Corrazona (El Gran Senor x Heartbreak, by Stage Door Johnny), a half sister to 1990 Wood Memorial Stakes (USA-G1) winner and Belmont Stakes (USA-G1) runner-up Thirty Six Red (by Slew o’ Gold). Gin Gin, thus, is inbred 4x4x4 to Seattle Slew and also carries a 4x4 cross to the great sire Mr. Prospector.
As a stakes winner with such a potent genetic package, Gin Gin will doubtless be a welcome addition to the Calumet broodmare band when the time comes. She has other tasks to attend to first, however, and her next step on her quest for a possible Oaks start may well be in the Gazelle Stakes (USA-G3) in April, another 9-furlong event at Aqueduct and one that carries 100-50-25-15-10 in Oaks qualifying points to the first five finishers. A first or second-place finish would lock up a Kentucky Oaks berth, and a third-place finish would put her in the hunt.
Only one previous Busanda winner, Princess of Sylmar (2013), has gone on to wear the lilies in Kentucky, and Gin Gin is going to need to make substantial progress this spring to become the first Kentucky Oaks winner for Calumet Farm since Davona Dale took the spring classic on the way to an Eclipse Award as the champion 3-year-old filly of 1979. Still, as the saying goes, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and the filly made her first step along the Lily Lane a good one. Time will tell whether that is as far as she goes or whether she will earn the right to proceed further.
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