The Premio Alberto Vial Infante (CHI-G1) is one of Chile’s most important events for juvenile males, and this year’s edition was taken by Gran Dali. The son of 2008 American champion 2-year-old male Midshipman and Group 3-placed Glamorosa Soy (by Group 2 winner Viscount Nelson, by Giant’s Causeway) proved the strongest and most determined out of a cavalry charge in the late going, putting himself in line for a possible championship.
Gran Dali is the latest star from a good Chilean family descended from the American import Samantha Gal, who on the surface was an unlikely candidate to become a matriarch of any standing anywhere. Although her sire, Sensitivo, was a good stakes winner in both Argentina and the United States, he was a disappointing sire in North America. The distaff side of her pedigree was likewise unfashionable though connected to good racing strains as she was produced from stakes-placed Rose Island, a daughter of the Australian champion and good but noncommercial sire Pago Pago. Rose Island was herself a half sister to four stakes winners (three of graded class or the equivalent) and was from a female line that had a solid record for popping up stakes winners but nothing of remarkable talent.
As an unraced sister to nine winners but no stakes winners, Samantha Gal had no significant commercial value, and she was exported to Chile in 1977. There, she produced Gran Premio de Honor (CHI-G1) winner Barzio (by the winning Prince John horse Bricken) and listed stakes winner Brocata (by the high-class Australian runner Broker’s Tip II). She also produced several daughters that cemented her place in Chilean breeding, beginning with Mocita Erotica, a daughter of the good Chilean sire and broodmare sire Mocito Guapo. The dam of Group 2-placed listed stakes winner Chez Gerald (by the Buckpasser horse Chairman Walker), she is also the second dam of 2007 Chilean champion 2-year-old male Matto Mondo (by the Grade 2-winning Storm Cat horse Sir Cat) and the third dam of Group 1-placed Group 3 winner Hakuna Matata (by Layman).
Night Girl, Samantha Gal’s 1990 daughter by 1985 Turf Classic Stakes (USA-G1) winner Noble Fighter (by Vaguely Noble), is the dam of Noches de Rosa (by multiple Grade/Group 2 winner Stagecraft, by Sadler’s Wells), winner of the 2001 Las Oaks (Chilean Oaks, CHI-G1) and 2004 Gamely Breeders’ Cup Handicap (USA-G1), second dam of 2022 Santa Anita Mathis Mile Stakes (USA-G2) winner One More Bid (by California Chrome), and third dam of 2022 El Derby (Chilean Derby, CHI-G1) winner Nenufar Azul (by Lookin At Lucky) and . Night Girl is also the dam of 2007 Premio Paddock Stakes (CHI-G3) winner Night Gumbler (by 1994 Santa Anita Handicap, USA-G1, winner and 2007 Chilean champion sire Stuka) and his full sister Stuka’s Girl, dam of 2017 Premio Raimundo Valdes Cuevas (CHI-G3) winner Sensa Paura (by 2007 European Horse of the Year Dylan Thomas). In addition, Night Girl is the dam of the Stormin Fever mare Nimbar, dam of multiple Chilean Group 2 winner Nombar (by Mastercraftsman), 2017 Premio Cotejo de Potrillos (CHI-G3) winner Bicampeon Chileno (by Dylan Thomas), and Chilean listed stakes winner Terminar en Paz (by Fantasmagorico).
Samantha Gal finished her producing career with Liqen, a 1995 daughter of Stagecraft. For two generations, this branch of the line remained dormant, as neither Liqen nor her daughter Gerezade (by the Mr. Prospector horse Gold Tribute) produced anything worth remembering as a racehorse, In June 2024, however, Liqen came up with two major wins for her descendants within a five-day period. First, her great-grandson El Terrible (Cunco x Gran Emperadora, by Holy Roman Emperor x Geologa, by Stuka x Gerezade) took his third Group 2 race, the Premio Copa de Plato Italo Traverso P., on June 19. Four days later, Gran Dali, whose dam is out of Geologa’s half sister Glase (by Stuka’s multiple Grade/Group 1-winning son Total Impact), put in his bid for a championship. (In the process, he set up a double for Midshipman, who on June 28 was represented by winner Cassis Violeta in the filly counterpart to the Alberto Vial, the Group 1 Premio Arturo Lyon Peña).
El Terrible is the last foal recorded for Gran Emperadora, who is also responsible for Group 2-placed listed Chilean stakes winner Mis Mejores Amigos (by War Command), a horse that is still in action as a Southern Hemisphere 5-year-old. Glamorosa Soy, however, is still in production at Haras Don Alberto and most recently produced a 2022 filly by rising Chilean sire Ivan Denisovich and a 2023 colt by Tacitus. They and other descendants seem likely to keep Samantha Gal prominent in Chilean pedigrees for some time to come.
Gran Dali is the latest star from a good Chilean family descended from the American import Samantha Gal, who on the surface was an unlikely candidate to become a matriarch of any standing anywhere. Although her sire, Sensitivo, was a good stakes winner in both Argentina and the United States, he was a disappointing sire in North America. The distaff side of her pedigree was likewise unfashionable though connected to good racing strains as she was produced from stakes-placed Rose Island, a daughter of the Australian champion and good but noncommercial sire Pago Pago. Rose Island was herself a half sister to four stakes winners (three of graded class or the equivalent) and was from a female line that had a solid record for popping up stakes winners but nothing of remarkable talent.
As an unraced sister to nine winners but no stakes winners, Samantha Gal had no significant commercial value, and she was exported to Chile in 1977. There, she produced Gran Premio de Honor (CHI-G1) winner Barzio (by the winning Prince John horse Bricken) and listed stakes winner Brocata (by the high-class Australian runner Broker’s Tip II). She also produced several daughters that cemented her place in Chilean breeding, beginning with Mocita Erotica, a daughter of the good Chilean sire and broodmare sire Mocito Guapo. The dam of Group 2-placed listed stakes winner Chez Gerald (by the Buckpasser horse Chairman Walker), she is also the second dam of 2007 Chilean champion 2-year-old male Matto Mondo (by the Grade 2-winning Storm Cat horse Sir Cat) and the third dam of Group 1-placed Group 3 winner Hakuna Matata (by Layman).
Night Girl, Samantha Gal’s 1990 daughter by 1985 Turf Classic Stakes (USA-G1) winner Noble Fighter (by Vaguely Noble), is the dam of Noches de Rosa (by multiple Grade/Group 2 winner Stagecraft, by Sadler’s Wells), winner of the 2001 Las Oaks (Chilean Oaks, CHI-G1) and 2004 Gamely Breeders’ Cup Handicap (USA-G1), second dam of 2022 Santa Anita Mathis Mile Stakes (USA-G2) winner One More Bid (by California Chrome), and third dam of 2022 El Derby (Chilean Derby, CHI-G1) winner Nenufar Azul (by Lookin At Lucky) and . Night Girl is also the dam of 2007 Premio Paddock Stakes (CHI-G3) winner Night Gumbler (by 1994 Santa Anita Handicap, USA-G1, winner and 2007 Chilean champion sire Stuka) and his full sister Stuka’s Girl, dam of 2017 Premio Raimundo Valdes Cuevas (CHI-G3) winner Sensa Paura (by 2007 European Horse of the Year Dylan Thomas). In addition, Night Girl is the dam of the Stormin Fever mare Nimbar, dam of multiple Chilean Group 2 winner Nombar (by Mastercraftsman), 2017 Premio Cotejo de Potrillos (CHI-G3) winner Bicampeon Chileno (by Dylan Thomas), and Chilean listed stakes winner Terminar en Paz (by Fantasmagorico).
Samantha Gal finished her producing career with Liqen, a 1995 daughter of Stagecraft. For two generations, this branch of the line remained dormant, as neither Liqen nor her daughter Gerezade (by the Mr. Prospector horse Gold Tribute) produced anything worth remembering as a racehorse, In June 2024, however, Liqen came up with two major wins for her descendants within a five-day period. First, her great-grandson El Terrible (Cunco x Gran Emperadora, by Holy Roman Emperor x Geologa, by Stuka x Gerezade) took his third Group 2 race, the Premio Copa de Plato Italo Traverso P., on June 19. Four days later, Gran Dali, whose dam is out of Geologa’s half sister Glase (by Stuka’s multiple Grade/Group 1-winning son Total Impact), put in his bid for a championship. (In the process, he set up a double for Midshipman, who on June 28 was represented by winner Cassis Violeta in the filly counterpart to the Alberto Vial, the Group 1 Premio Arturo Lyon Peña).
El Terrible is the last foal recorded for Gran Emperadora, who is also responsible for Group 2-placed listed Chilean stakes winner Mis Mejores Amigos (by War Command), a horse that is still in action as a Southern Hemisphere 5-year-old. Glamorosa Soy, however, is still in production at Haras Don Alberto and most recently produced a 2022 filly by rising Chilean sire Ivan Denisovich and a 2023 colt by Tacitus. They and other descendants seem likely to keep Samantha Gal prominent in Chilean pedigrees for some time to come.
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