Fillies First

2011: The Year in Review

2011-12-30T01:28:00.002-05:00

It’s a saying whose provenance is unclear: “The golden ageis before us, not behind us.” Taking a glass-half-full attitude is sometimeshard to do when so many things appear to conspire against us, yet it doesn’ttake an eternal optimist to acknowledge that we are in the midst of a goldenage for horse racing’s fillies and mares. This blog previously highlightedtheir performances in 2009and 2010,and once again in 2011, on every continent that horse racing is contested, afilly or mare won at the highest level against male competitors.

Still, American owners and trainers rarely contest theseopen company events, much to the detriment of racing and its fans. Thankfully,owner Rick Porter and trainer Larry Jones gave us Havre de Grace who thrilled with her battles against Blind Luck early in the year, beforeturning her attention to defeating males in the G1 Woodward. Although she couldonly manage a fourth-place finish in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic, Havre de Grace should rightly earn the 2011Eclipse Award for U.S. Horse of the Year, following in the hoof prints of thegreat Zenyatta (2010) and Rachel Alexandra (2009).

Yet, internationally, fillies and mares clearly dominated 2011’sheadlines, led by the Australian superstar BlackCaviar, an undefeated phenomenon (16 straight victories) whose fame now hastranscended her sport—and led to herown website. She’ll take on the world in 2012, beginning with Royal Ascotin June. Six times this year she defeated males in open company G1 races,including the prestigious Newmarket Handicap, first contested in 1874.

March 12—Black Caviar, 4yo, AUS-G1 Newmarket H. (6fT)

Black Caviar wasn’tthe only remarkable Aussie mare to capture a classic race. Pinker Pinker upset the Cox Plate, while Southern Speed took out the Caulfield Cup and Sacred Choice won the Doncaster. Promising 3-year-old Shamrocker pulled off the AustralianGuineas-Australian Derby double. Other great winning open company performanceswere put in by Typhoon Tracy (Orr), More Joyous (Futurity), Beaded (Doomben 10,000), Secret Admirer (Epsom) and Ortensia (Winterbottom).

Staying in the Southern hemisphere, it’s notable that threeof the four biggest G1 open company races on the South African calendar werecaptured by fillies: Mother Russia(J&B Met), Igugu (Vodacom DurbanJuly) and Dancewiththedevil (InternationalSummer Cup).

After winning the top German G1 races (Grosser Preis vonBerlin and Grosser Preis von Baden), Danedreamdominated the FR-G1 Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe—a race where the top threeplacings were fleshed out by fillies. The same kind of trifecta sweep happenedin the 15.5 furlong Prix Royal-Oak, won by BeFabulous. Margot Did gave jockeyHayley Turner her second career G1 win in the Nunthorpe, while juvenile La Collina defeated two subsequentG1-winning colts in the Phoenix Stakes. Maybe she wasn’t quite her gloriousself this year, but Goldikova stillwon the Prix D’Ispahan, and finished behind upcoming filly Immortal Verse in the Prix Jacques Le Marois.

In Canada, Ingloriouscaptured the Queen’s Plate, while SarahLynx shocked the Canadian International.

All told, at least 463times in 2011 fillies and mares won or placed in group/graded stakes racesworldwide—that’s another huge increase over last year’s number (380). Of those,151 were at the highest (G1) level,including 53 G1 victories, all ofwhich are recorded in the spreadsheetfound in this blog’s left-hand column.

For your viewing pleasure, here are some of the bestperformances of 2011:

January 8—Mother Russia, 5yo, SAF-G1 Queen’s Plate(8f T)

February 26—More Joyous, 4yo, AUS-G1 Futurity S. (7fT)

March 5—Shamrocker, 3yo, AUS-G1 Australian Guineas(8f T)

May 22—Goldikova, 6yo, FR-G1 Prix D’Ispahan (9f T)

June 26—Sarafina, 4yo, FR-G1 Grand Prix deSaint-Cloud (12f T)

July 2—Igugu, 3yo, SAF-G1 Vodacom Durban July (11f T)

August 7—La Collina, 2yo, IRE-G1 Phoenix S. (6f T)

August 15—Immortal Verse, 3yo, FR-G1 Prix Jacques LeMarois (8f T)

September 3—Havre de Grace, 4yo, US-G1 Woodward (9f )

October 2—Danedream, 3yo, FR-G1 Prix de L’Arc deTriomphe (12f T)

October 15—Southern Speed, 4yo, AUS-G1 Caulfield Cup(12f T)

October 16—Sarah Lynx, 4yo, CAN-G1 CanadianInternational (12f T)

October 22—Pinker Pinker, 4yo, AUS-G1 Cox Plate (10fT)

October 23—Be Fabulous, 4yo, FR-G1 Prix Royal-Oak(15.5f T)

November 19—Ortensia,6yo, AUS-G1 Burswood-Winterbottom (6f T)

November 27—BuenaVista, 5yo, JPN-G1 Japan Cup (12f T)

Just How Successful as Broodmares are BC Distaff Winners?, or Why $8.5 Million is a Helluva Risk

2011-11-11T15:54:00.000-05:00

The monstrous $8.5 million recently paid for Breeders’ CupLadies’ Classic (Distaff) winner RoyalDelta brings up an intriguing issue. Just how prolific are female Breeders’Cup Distaff winners at producing quality horses at stud? Obviously a myriad offactors come into play—health issues and poor breeding choices chief among them,as well as the subsequent handling of a mare’s progeny. It’s an inexact scienceto be sure. However, if the Breeders’ Cup series is intended to not onlyhighlight champion racehorses, but also promote these champions as viablefuture breeding stock, then an evaluation of how filly and mare champions havethus far fared as broodmares is a valid exercise.

The question that likely can’t be answer with authorityregards those deemed “failures” as broodmares; namely, is it the result oftheir own pedigree limitations, or does, in fact, winning on the trackcontribute in some way to their capacity to genetically pass on their talent? Still,it’s intriguing what history tells us.

Of the 21 Distaff winners before 2006, only three can beconsidered smashing successes as broodmares: Personal Ensign (1988), DanceSmartly (1991) and Hollywood Wildcat(1993). Two of them have produced subsequent Breeders’ Cup winners:Hollywood Wildcat’s son War Chant wonthe 2000 BC Mile, while Personal Ensign’s daughter My Flag captured the 1995 BC Juvenile Fillies—and then produced2002 BC Juvenile Fillies victress StormFlag Flying, a rare three-generation achievement. Two of Dance Smartly’sprogeny captured back-to-back editions of the prestigious Queen’s Plate inCanada: Scatter the Gold (2000) and Dancethruthedawn (2001).

Interestingly, two of these mares had extraordinarysiblings: Personal Ensign was afull-sister to multiple G1-winner PersonalFlag, while Dance Smartly was ahalf sister to G1 winner Smart Strike.On the other hand, Hollywood Wildcathad nothing significant on her damside.

Among the Distaff winners with modest success, Inside Information (1995) produced 2005champion 3-year-old filly Smuggler,while long-forgotten Sacahuista(1987) gave us Italian Group 1 victor Ekraarand successful Chilean and Australian sire Hussonet.Both Beautiful Pleasure (1999) and Spain (2000) produced unexceptional G1-placedrunners, Dr. Pleasure and Plan, respectively, while Life’s Magic (1985), Unbridled Elaine (2001) and Azeri (2002) each count a Grade 2performer among their brood.

Still others have been devastating disappointments: PrincessRooney, Lady’s Secret, Bayakoa, Paseana, and Ashadoamong them. Of those, several were high-priced broodmare purchases including Princess Rooney ($5.5 million) and Ashado ($9 million)—although only oneof them had much in their damline to recommend them. Ashado’s full brothers wereG1 winner Sunriver and G2-placed Saint Stephen, while her dam’s halfsister Quite a Bride was multipleG2-placed.

What, if anything, does that means for the future success ofRoyal Delta? Uncertain, of course,but she too has a quality damline—her G3-winning dam Delta Princess is out of G2-winner Lyphard’s Delta who has also produced the very nice Italian Group 1winner Biondetti, as well as G1winner Indy Five Hundred. Given thatshe’s likely to return to the track as a 4-year-old, thankfully it’s a questionwe won’t have to worry about any time soon.

We'll take a look at other female Breeders' Cup winners as broodmares in future posts as we consider whether or not issues like surface, distance and precociousness also help determine future success in the breeding shed.

Tough and Talented: Royal Heroine, BC Mile Winner

2011-10-07T14:26:00.001-04:00

Four weeks from now, 6-year-old Goldikova will attempt to dosomething no horse—male or female—has ever accomplished: become a four-timeBreeders’ Cup Mile winner. Coming in with a two-race losing streak obviouslyisn’t ideal, but the Anabaa mare loves the tighter turns of American turfcourses like Churchill Downs, so it will be hard to discount her chances.

Of all the Breeders’ Cup races, the turf Mile is probably myfavorite open company affair, and since 1984, eight times it’s been won by afilly or mare. Before Goldikova, there was Six Perfections (2003), RidgewoodPearl (1995), and two-time winner Miesque (1987, 1988), a brilliant racer and terrificbroodmare who not only produced champion East of the Moon and dynamic sireKingmambo, but a Breeders’ Cup Mile winner in (appropriately enough) Miesque’sSon.

Photo: Blood-HorseLibrary

The first BC Mile winner Royal Heroine (1984) is one that perhapshas faded from people’s memories over the past two decades, but should not beforgotten—and not just because of her North American record-setting effortagainst a field that include Cozzene (who came back to win the race thefollowing year). Her game effort in the G1 Arlington Million just before theBreeders’ Cup impresses me; after her jockey Fernando Toro made the unusualmove of gunning her to the lead, the Lypheor filly led the boys on a merrychase until, in the final furlong she was passed by the legendary John Henry,making the 81st start of his illustrious career.

Unfortunately, the only video available of her Breeders’ Cupvictory is in terrible condition, but here it is:

What makes Royal Heroine’s performance that year trulymiraculous is the fact that six months earlier, in the G1 Santa Ana Stakes atSanta Anita, she had been involved in a three-horse spill—one in which SweetDiane died instantly after breaking her neck and High Haven was latereuthanized due to her broken left front leg. Fortunately, Royal Heroinesuffered only minor cuts and severe body soreness, but Fernando Toro (who wouldalso ride her to BC victory) was thrown and then kicked in the face by RoyalHeroine as she attempted to rise from her knees. His physicalailments—lacerations and a concession—didn’t match the emotional trauma felt byjockey Ray Sibille who, although riding High Haven, was the regularrider of Sweet Diane (she was ridden by Laffit Pincay that fatal day).

“2 Horses Die, Toro Injured in 3-Way Spill at Santa Anita”by Bill Christine, Los Angeles Times (March 19, 1984).

After a three-month break, Royal Heroine made her return fortrainer John Gosden a winning one, capturing the open company G3 InglewoodHandicap, and followed that up with a victory in the G2 Beverly Hills Handicapin July. Next, in the race prior to the Million, she was disqualified fromfirst to third in the G3 Palomar at Del Mar. In her final prep for theBreeders’ Cup, Royal Heroine was upset by Flag De Lune, but then she put inthat world record-matching time in the Mile, a record that had been set back in1949. The final race of her career was a mere 15 days after her BC win, whenshe captured the G1 Matriarch over Sabin. It was enough to make her theEclipse-winning turf mare for 1984.

She may not have been a Miesque—let alone a Goldikova—but RoyalHeroine was one tough cookie.

"She Always Gave Her Ultimate": Anka Germania, G1 Sword Dancer Winner

2011-08-09T13:18:00.004-04:00

Saturday will mark the 37th running of the G1 Sword Dancer Invitational, a 12-furlong turf contest that has produced three Eclipse-winning champions (John Henry, Lemhi Gold and Theatrical), and host of other notable winners: El Senor, Kiri’s Clown, Awad, John’s Call, Better Talk Now and Grand Couturier. Only once has a mare won this race, and her uplifting story is fraught with injury and near-death experiences, all of which she overcame to not only defeat subsequent Eclipse champion turf horse Sunshine Forever in the 1988 Sword Dancer, but also to produce a tremendous G1 winner and sire as a broodmare. Her name is Anka Germania.

Out of an unraced Tudor Music mare named Affaire d’Amour, Irish-bred Anka Germania spent her early years racing in France with only modest success before she was purchased sight unseen by David Greathouse of Glencrest Farm fame, and shipped to the United States in 1986. Undoubtedly this purchase was in part based on the performance of her older half-brother Mourjane, a G2 winner in France who, when transferred to the U.S. in 1985, won the G3 Kelso prior to running third behind Peebles and Strawberry Road in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. The same month (August) that Anka Germania made her US debut, Mourjane won the G1 Arlington Handicap. Both siblings were trained by Thomas Skiffington.

As a 4-year-old in 1986, Anka Germania only won once—the Calder Breeders’ Cup Handicap—and was twice graded-placed in six starts. It was her 1987 campaign that saw her reel off five consecutive victories, including the G2 Orchid and New York Handicaps, and win a total of six times in 10 starts. Unfortunately, the great Miesque captured the first of her two consecutive Breeders’ Cup Mile titles that year, leaving Anka Germania’s Eclipse aspirations unfulfilled. However, that campaign was nothing less than miraculous in that Anka Germania was sidelined from late May to early October when an abscess burst in her lungs. She nearly died.

1988 began with Florida victories, in the G2 Black Helen and G3 Suwannee River (in a matter of just 10 days) before she failed miserably in the G2 Orchid at Gulfstream. Laid off from early February to mid-June, she came back to win a Belmont handicap before running third in the G2 Sheepshead Bay immediately before the Sword Dancer. In that race—her one and only G1 victory—as the highweight and over a turf course saturated by nearly two weeks of continuous rain, she won by 1-1/2 lengths over sharp 3-year-old Sunshine Forever and a formidable filly foe in Carotene, winner of the Pan American Handicap and, two years earlier, champion 3-year-old turf horse in Canada after victories in the Toronto Cup, Wonder Where Stakes and the third leg of the Triple Crown, the 12-furlong Breeders’ Stakes.

After her Sword Dancer win, Anka Germania had nothing but bad fortune, finishing out of the money in the G1 Arlington Million, Man O’War and Turf Classic—all against males—and in the G2 Long Island Handicap. It was after that last race that she contracted Potomac horse fever, a potentially fatal viral infection, leaving her trainer “wondering a couple nights if she would live.” She did, and came back in 1989 (after a disappointing sixth-place finish in the G2 La Prevoyante) to conclude her career in outstanding fashion, losing by a mere nose to Gaily Gaily in the G2 Orchid. Anka Germania retired with a record of 16-2-9 in 47 starts, with earnings of $952,354.

In a 1989 interview with Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel racing writer Dave Joseph marking her retirement, trainer Thomas Skiffington noted:

"I'd say 99 1/2 percent wouldn’t have been able to lick the problems she had. Despite them all, she always gave you her ultimate. She never cheated, she never lied. The races she lost she wasn’t ridden well in them, or I deserve the blame for them. The only thing she ever asked was that you give her a little time between her races. That was it."

As a broodmare, Anka Germania was sent to the absolute best sires—Nureyev, Danzig, Chief’s Crown, Theatrical, Irish River, Sadler’s Wells and Zilzal—with only modest results. However, her mating with Deputy Minister proved most fruitful, in the form of Deputy Commander, winner of the 1997 G1 Travers and G1 Super Derby, not to mention Breeders’ Cup Classic runner-up (albeit to a dominating Skip Away).

Different Flowers from the Same Garden

2011-08-02T18:22:00.004-04:00

Earlier this summer I wrote a piece for Hello Race Fans! on broodmare extraordinaire Better Than Honour, dam of back-to-back Belmont Stakes winners Jazil (2006) and Rags to Riches (2007). That research got me thinking about how often siblings out of the same dam capture the same top stakes races, and it’s actually a phenomenon that isn’t quite as rare as one might think, although perhaps less so today than in the past.

Those familiar with American racing history well remember the five daughters of the mare Barbarity, known as the “Barbarous Battalion” who included not only Belmont/Travers winner Ruthless, but also Alabama winners Regardless (1874) and Merciless (1876). Teresa Genaro over at Brooklyn Backstretch wrote a terrific piece on the Barbarous Battalion back in 2009, which you can read here.

The Alabama is, in particular, rich with sibling winners, including Running Water (1906) and Addie M (1914), as well as legendary Hall of Fame mare Miss Woodford (1883) and her full sister Belle of Runnymeade (1882). A daughter of Man o’ War, 1928 Alabama runner-up Valkyr outdid them all, producing Vagrancy (1942) and Hypnotic (1946) who each captured both the Alabama and the Coaching Club American Oaks. Also among CCA Oaks winners are two sets of full sisters: Florence Nightingale (1925) and Edith Cavell (1926); and How (1951) and Cherokee Rose (1954).

More often than not, the dams of such sibling winners are incredibly talented race mares in their own right. For example, Kentucky Oaks runner-up Quaze (1960) produced two Kentucky Oaks winners—Susan’s Girl (1972) and Quaze Quilt (1974)—as did 1893 Clipsetta winner Queenlike, with Kentucky Oaks winners Kings Daughter (1906) and Ellen-a-Dale (1908). Even more improbably, multiple stakeswinner Blue Delight gave us three Kentucky Oaks winners: Real Delight (1952), Bubbley (1953) and Princess Turia (1956), the last filly who eventually birthed Derby winner Forward Pass.

Interestingly, among male siblings the phenomenon appears to be a bit rarer (except for the Canadian-bred restricted Queen’s Plate for which there are actually numerous examples). Among the American Triple Crown races, in addition to Better Than Honour’s duo winning the Belmont, only the Preakness has been captured by brothers, Royal Tourist (1908) and Holiday (1914). The Arkansas Derby includes half brothers Al Davelle (1959) and Prince Davelle (1964), as well as Demons Begone (1987) and Pine Bluff (1992). Among the winners of the Wood Memorial are full brothers Gallant Fox (1930) and Fighting Fox (1938), while the German stakes-placed mare Blue Begum gave us back-to-back Virginia Derby winners, full brothers Orchard Park (2002) and Silver Tree (2003).

Because a filly contesting open company stakes races is such a rarity, it’s not surprising that I could find only one example of sisters winning the same stakes race against males—West Virginia Derby victresses Etimota (1963) and Kerensa (1966). Both were bred and owned by Frances W. Luro, wife of legendary trainer Horatio Luro at their Old Mill Farm in Carterville, Georgia. Both were trained by Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame trainer Frank Merrill Jr., although they ran at old Waterford Park in the name of local trainer Patsy Santo. When Etimota won, it was by a record 12 lengths; as a 4-year-old, she would win the Nettie Handicap (now called the E.P. Taylor Stakes). Her sister Kerensa (“love” in Cornish) enjoyed far more success in terms of winning top races. In fact, she was named champion 3-year-old filly in Canada after victories in the Selene, Nassau and Heresy Stakes, not to mention runner-up finishes in both the Toronto Cup and International Handicap, leading up to the West Virginia Derby.

When Clean Out Cleaned Up at Del Mar

2011-07-27T21:23:00.004-04:00

Feverish, last-minute preparations were being made today for the weekend opening. Most of it is clean-up work. The track is ready, the judges’ stand is in place, the tote board was given a dress rehearsal this afternoon, and the horses are champing at their respective bits.

The crowds will find the plant a gem, the accommodations ample, a track that has every modern device. The racing strip itself will probably turn out to be one of the finest in the country. It is fast, has a splendid cushion, and Clocker W. H. Browne told me this morning early morning workouts have indicated to him some splendid times will be registered. It is one of the safest tracks ever built for horses.

That’s how Paul Lowry of the Los Angeles Times reported on preparations for the 1937 opening of the new $1 million Del Mar race track, built with Works Progress Administration laborers. Broadcasted live on NBC radio by the legendary Clem McCarthy and viewed by an estimated crowd of 18,000 on site, the featured races that July day were the 8.5-furlong $2,500 Inaugural Handicap and the 6-furlong $1,000 San Diego Handicap.

Today, the G2 San Diego Handicap, contested at 8.5 furlongs, is not only a “Win and You’re In” race for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, but also serves as a major prep for the G1 Pacific Classic. Over the years it’s been won by some quality horses, most notably the great Native Diver who won three consecutive times, 1963-65. Perhaps the greatest upset occurred in 1990 when Quiet American upset the celebrated mare Bayakoa—she would go on to repeat as Breeders’ Cup Distaff champion later that fall.

That very first San Diego Handicap was won by a filly, a 5-year-old Pompey mare named Clean Out, and as a race horse, she tiptoed around fame like so many long-forgotten names. As a 2-year-old maiden winner, she had the misfortune to run into a tiny buzz-saw on a major winning streak, the legendary Black Helen. She ran second behind the very good Vicaress in the Spinaway, and, as a 3-year-old, she finished third to subsequent Aqueduct Handicap victress Good Gamble in the 7-furlong Test.

Sold in January 1936 and transferred to the California-based stables of Mrs. Vera S. Bragg, the mare only faced three other contestants on Del Mar’s opening day, and she didn’t exactly burn down the house, finishing just a half-length in front of Illeanna in a rather mundane 1:12, with front-running Boilermaker tiring badly to run third, just a head in front of Lady Florise. Her antics in the winner’s circle, however, were noteworthy enough for the Times:

Clean Out was led into the winner’s ring adjacent to the steward’s stand in the infield. And pretty Mary Carlisle was led in to crown the victor. But Clean Out and Mary failed to hit it off. Clean Out didn’t fancy the whitewashed trimmings of a ring which was square instead of round and vented her resentment in Mary’s direction. Clean Out kicked and Mary beat a hasty retreat, the Bragg color-bearer therefore going uncrowned.

What should have been a memorable moment for her connections unfortunately went unrealized. However, that Del Mar meet was spectacular for Clean Out, a kind of Renaissance for the one-time East Coast contender. She won the 6-furlong Playa Ensenada Handicap on July 21, finished second behind King Saxon in record-setting time (1:11) in the 6-furlong Oceanside Handicap on July 24, and followed that up on July 31 with a victory in the 6-furlong Escondido Handicap (now the 12-furlong Cougar II) by a nose over Lady Florise.

Even today, some horses shine oh-so-brightly for just a short time, and then fade into oblivion. But for Clean Out, what a month she enjoyed at the place where the turf meets the surf.

Flambette: Dubious Winner of the 1921 Coaching Club American Oaks

2011-07-19T22:51:00.000-04:00

Coupled horses entered by the same owner aren’t a rarityand, for horseplayers, frequently offer a bargain “two-for-one” wageringopportunity. At times, one of the entrants serves as a “rabbit”, a pacemakerfor their more talented stablemate; rarely (especially in stakes races) are twoequally-talented horses entered by the same owner where (barring a dead heat)one of them is guaranteed to lose. Apparently, we’ll witness just such an eventwhen George and Lori Hall enter G1 Louisiana Derby winner Pants on Fire and G1Belmont Stakes winner Ruler on Ice—“Fire and Ice” as they have been amusingcoined—in Monmouth’s G1 Haskell Invitational on July 31.

A similar situation took place in 1921 when owner P.A. Clarksent out the talented fillies Nancy Lee and Flambette to contest the CoachingClub American Oaks—although the suspect result would have caused bettors toburn down the grandstand if the two hadn’t been a single wagering interest.

Historically, the Coaching Club American Oaks is second onlyto the Kentucky Oaks as a dirt stamina test for 3-year-old fillies—thus, thedecision made in 2010 to shorten it to a mere nine furlongs is a damn shame.Since its inaugural running in 1917, the CCAO has been won by a bevy oftalented fillies—Top Flight, Vagrancy, Twilight Tear, Shuvee, Chris Evert,Ruffian, Our Mims, Davona Dale, Sky Beauty and My Flag, to name but a handful.It’s also a race that has served as a showpiece for fillies that later excelledin the breeding shed, passing on through their progeny and even further intothe next generation, talent and stamina. In this regard, one would be hardpressed to find a more appropriate Oaks champion than Flambette.

A French-bred daughter of Epsom Derby winner Durbar out ofunraced daughter of 15-furlong Grand Prix de Paris victor Ajax, Flambettepossessed an obvious stamina pedigree, but prior to the CCAO, she had neverbeen raced beyond one mile. She had, though, won three of six previous starts.

Her stablemate Nancy Lee was the more accomplished of thepair, having won as a juvenile the Demoiselle and United States Hotel Stakes,the latter against males. She had also twice finished behind the very talentedfilly Prudery in juvenile stakes races, and on May 14, Nancy Lee had set a newtrack record in defeated Prudery by a head in the Kentucky Oaks. This wasexactly one week after Prudery had outraced her male stablemate Tryster, butfinished a distant third behind (ironically) Edward R. Bradley’s coupled entryof Behave and Black Servant in the Kentucky Derby.

In the week leading up to the CCAO, Flambette had actuallyalready raced twice—first, an open company allowance race going one mile (whichshe won) on June 6, and then, on June 13, another one mile allowance race, thistime against older mares. As the highweight, she finished a distance fifth; twodays later she entered the 11-furlong CCAO against her stablemate and two otherentrants.

For bettors, there was no doubt that one of the Clarkfillies would win; the entry went to post as the 1-5 favorites, although it wasthought another filly, Ten Buttons, could prove better than Flambette. As themore seasoned horse, Nancy Lee toted the 121 pound highweight, eight and a halfpounds more than Flambette, and in the end they both finished 10 lengths aheadof Ten Buttons. Surprisingly, it was Flambette who upset her stablemate,winning by a neck, although newspaper accounts suggest that, literally, the fixwas in. According to the New York Times:

It was a rather hollow win for the Clark entry, as the pair had to race at their mercy at all stages, though there was some surprise at the end when Flambette rushed up and took the victory…Everyone looked for Nancy Lee to win at her pleasure and so there was some surprise when Flambette drew up beside her and began to make a battle. Mr. Clark had not declared to win with either of the fillies and in the last sixteenth of a mile both horses were under a drive, though in no danger from the other starters…There was some doubt whether Nancy Lee was extended fully, but at least McAtee did go to the whip and evidently made the filly do her best. Sande put up a strong finish on Flambette and rode her out to the end….It made little difference to the crowd which of the two won…

The Daily Racing Form was a little more to the point, claiming“Flambette was allowed to beat Nancy Lee by a neck. It was a question of penalty in the future.”

Whether true or not, apparently no action was taken (no penalty, no foul), and the very large and powerful Flambette subsequentlyvalidated her victory by winning the 11-furlong Latonia Oaks, onceone of the most prestigious dirt stamina races in America. Her promising careerended, however, on August 30 when she broke down in the 10-furlong Wilton Handicapat Saratoga.

Happily, her story doesn’t end there. As a broodmare,Flambette produced the very good stakeswinner Flambino, a filly unable to matchher dam’s CCAO win, but, after finishing third in the 1927 Belmont Stakes,Flambino did capture the Gazelle Handicap. Even more significantly, Flambinobirthed, by Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox, another Triple Crown winner Omaha. As if that wasn't enough, two of Flambette’s daughtersby Sir Gallahad—unraced La France (1928) and maiden Gallette (1929)—produced,respectively, 1939 Kentucky Derby winner Johnstown and the immortal mare Gallorette.

As a reine-de-course, Flambette’s legacy is seen in thedamside bloodlines of Kentucky Derby winner Decidedly, Belmont Stakes victors Phalanxand Danzig Connection, as well as Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Saint Liam. Andwho says good race mares leave all their quality on the track?

Note:

It’s worth mentioning that, as a broodmare, the outstanding Pruderyproduced both a Kentucky Derby winner (Whiskery) and a Preakness winner(Victorian)—as her first two foals.

Nancy Lee never raced again after the CCAO; in training for the Latonia Oaks, she went lame and was put away for the rest of 1921. A comeback as a 4-year-old failed and she was retired to broodmare duty.

Two Mares Attempt History in G1 United Nations

2011-06-30T23:05:00.000-04:00

Saturday’s running of the prestigious G1 United Nations atMonmouth features two standout mares among its 10 competitors—Chilean Horse ofthe Year Belle Watling, and multiple French Group 1 winner Stacelita. A win byeither would be a hallmark occasion as no filly or mare has ever captured thisprestigious turf race first contested at Atlantic City in 1953, although fourhave come close—and, interestingly, two of those were owned by GeorgeStrawbridge’s Augustin Stable, and trained by Jonathan Sheppard, Trevita andAlice Springs:

Trevita (Tyrant, outof Tack, by Tacitus)

Irish-born Trevita finished a half length behind 14-1longshot Acaroid in the 1983 edition; even though he had finished second in theprevious year’s running, the 5-year-old colt carried three pounds less than the6-year-old mare, winner of the G1 Flower Bowl the previous fall.

Career record: 36 starts, 13 wins-10 seconds-3 thirds($458,099)

Capades (Overskate,out of Medal of Valor, by Damascus)

In 1990, reigning champion turf horse Steinlen defeated NewYork-bred Capades by nearly four lengths in what had been temporarily renamedthe Caesars International.

Career record: 27 starts, 11 wins-9 seconds-2 thirds ($1,051,006)

Alice Springs (Val del’Orne, out of First Approach, by Northern Fling)

In the year Sandpit captured the first of his twoconsecutive Caesars Internationals (1995), the Pennsylvania-bred mare AliceSprings finished third, just 1-1/4 lengths back of the winner, but closingfast. The second-place finisher Celtic Arms numbered the 1994 G1 Prix du JockeyClub among his victories.

Career record: 26 starts, 9 wins-2 seconds-7 thirds ($768,889)

Honey Ryder (LastingApproval, out of Cuando Quiere, by Affirmed)

In 2007, gray mare Honey Ryder began her 6-year-old campaignwith a runner-up finish (by a neck) to Jambalaya in the G1 Gulfstream ParkBreeders’ Cup Turf; after a disappointing 11th place finish in the Dubai SheemaClassic, she won the G2 Sheepshead Bay. Off that race, she entered the G1United Nations—and finished second, just a length back of defending UN championEnglish Channel, and two lengths ahead of 2005 victor Better Talk Now.

Career record: 33 starts, 13 wins-4 seconds-8 thirds ($2,879,200)

The Queens of Canada's Queen's Plate

2011-06-24T00:45:00.001-04:00

On Sunday, Canada’s premier 3-year-old race—the Queen’sPlate—will be contested at Woodbine in Toronto. First run in 1860, the 2011 editionfeatures a full field of 17 starters, including the lone filly representative inInglorious, winner of the recent Woodbine Oaks, and trained by previous Queen’sPlate winner (with Edenwold in 2006) Josie Carroll.

Inglorious' 2011 Woodbine Oaks victory

Not surprisingly considering the number of high-qualityfillies (Rags to Riches, Eight Belles, Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta) that have emerged inrecent years to run competitively against their male counterparts, fillies haveperformed extremely well in the last three editions of the Queen’s Plate, withGinger Brew running second a mere head behind Not Bourbon in 2008; MilwaukeeBrew and Tasty Temptation finished third and fourth respectively in 2009, whileRoan Inish ran third last year.

In fact, 33 fillies have won this race over the years—the lastbeing Dancethruthedawn in 2001—and a number of others have been among the topthree place getters. Here’s a brief look at some of the best:

Young Kitty (Old Koenig out of Gallant Kitty, by Havoc)

When Young Kitty captured the 1928 King’s Plate, it was by anemphatic 12 lengths. She also won the Breeders’ Stakes that year, as wellas the Connaught Cup during her 4-year-old campaign. In 1935, her half-sisterGay Sympathy (Solace) won the Breeders’, but finished third in the King’sPlate; their dam Gallant Kitty was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hallof Fame for her broodmare prowess in 1977.

Queensway (Old Koenig out of Chrysoberil, by Verdun)

Although not formally recognized until 1959, the three races that makeup the Canadian Triple Crown (Queen’s Plate, Prince of Wales, and Breeders’Stakes) were all captured in the span of just two weeks in 1932 by thelegendary filly Queensway. Known as the King’s Plate in those days, the classichad been won by Queensway’s half-brother Froth Blower (Cudgel) the previousyear; big brother had also won the Breeders’ Stakes. In 2003, Queensway wasinducted in the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.

Canadiana (Chop Chop out of Iribelle, by Osiris)

On the very day of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953,Canadiana captured the newly renamed Queen’s Plate with American jockey EddieArcaro aboard. That summer she also won the Test, and finished second in boththe Gazelle and Diana, a fitting campaign for Canada’s reigning Horse of theYear, won as the result of a dominating juvenile season. Canadiana’s unracedyounger half sister Victoriana (Windfields) fared farther better than hersister in the breeding shed, producing 1960 Queen’s Plate winner (and Horse ofthe Year) Victoria Park—who had also finished second in the Preakness and thirdin the Kentucky Derby. Another Victoriana daughter Northern Queen (Nearctic)captured the 1965 Canadian Oaks, while other family descendants include EnglishSt. Leger runner-up High Accolade, True North victor Explicit, and 1968 CanadianHorse of the Year Viceregal and his full brother, leading sire Vice Regent whoproduced, among others, the great sire Deputy Minister and 1988 Queen’s Platewinner Regal Intention.

Jammed Lovely (Jamie K. out of Eolia, by Brick)

A daughter of Belmont Stakes runner-up Jamie K. (whofinished a mere neck behind the great Native Dancer), Jammed Lovely won the1967 Queen’s Plate—the same year her owner Conn Smythe captured the Stanley Cupwith his Toronto Maple Leafs, and, interestingly, the last time the Leafs havewon the Cup. Disliking the sloppy track, Jammed Lovely had finished second inthe Oaks, so her Plate victory came as a surprise. As a broodmare, she producedmultiple stakes winner Lovely Sunrise (Grey Dawn) who won the 1975 AutumnHandicap against males.

Fanfreluche (Northern Dancer out of Ciboulette, by ChopChop)

Runner-up in the 1970 Queen’s Plate, Fanfreluche captured theAlabama, Gazelle and Spinster during her 3-year-old campaign, en route towinning 11 of 21 lifetime starts. Sent off to broodmare duty, her very firstfoal L’Enjoleur (Buckpasser) captured both the Queen’s Plate and Prince ofWales, but was upset by the filly Momigi in the Breeders’ Stakes, although hewas still named 1975 Canadian Horse of the Year. Her fourth foal La Voyageuse (Tentam)counted the Canadian Oaks and open company Nearctic Stakes among her 26lifetime victories, while her unraced daughter L’On Vite (Secretariat)produced, among others, dual Group 1 winner Holy Roman Emperor.

Northernette (Northern Dancer out of South Ocean, by NewProvidence)

Champion juvenile filly in Canada, Northernette won the 1977Canadian Oaks just as her dam had before her, but could only manage a runner-upfinish to Sound Reason in the Queen’s Plate; as a 4-year-old, she captured theApple Blossom and Top Flight. Her daughter Scoot (Mr. Prospector) won the G1Flower Bowl, but Northernette is probably better known as a full sister of thegreat sire Storm Bird.

Dance Smartly's 1991 Queen's Plate victory

Dance Smartly (Danzig out of Classy ‘N Smart, by Smarten)

Talk about racing royalty! Regally-bred Classy ‘N Smart wonthe Canadian Oaks, but her achievements on the race track were overshadowed byher champion half-brothers—Sky Classic (Nijinsky), Regal Classic (Vice Regent),and Grey Classic (Grey Dawn). Another half-sister Classic Reign (Vice Regent)finished second against males in the 1991 Breeders’ Stakes.

Recognized as the first filly winner of Canada’s TripleCrown, Dance Smartly easily defeated Wilderness Song in the Canadian Oaks inthe period leading up to the 1991 Plate—and then conquered her female nemesisagain, this time by eight lengths, in the Plate itself. In the second leg, thePrince of Wales, Wilderness Song led early but tired to finish fifth whileDance Smartly drew off to win by two lengths. Wilderness Song sat out the finalleg, the Breeders’ Stakes, leaving Dance Smartly as the lone filly entrantagainst nine male competitors—and she never looked back, crushing the field byeight lengths. The next time the two fillies hooked up was the 1991 Breeders’Cup Distaff at Churchill Downs, which Dance Smartly easily captured whileWilderness Song finished seventh.

Dance Smartly's Triple Crown win in Breeders' Stakes

In her 17 career starts, Dance Smartly won 12 times—and neverfinished worse than third. As a broodmare, she’s been spectacular, foalingback-to-back Queen’s Plate winners in Scatter the Gold (2000) andDancethruthedawn (2001). Interestingly, her half-brother Smart Strike (Mr.Prospector) is the broodmare sire of Inglorious.

Dancethruthedawn's 2001 Queen's Plate victory

Dams of Belmont Stakes Winners Since 2000

2011-06-08T14:26:00.072-04:00

In your Belmont betting, don’t forget to carefully consider evidence of stamina in the dam line pedigree. Even more so than the Kentucky Derby, it’s important to mull over the possibility of an upset by a previous underachiever whose breeding indicates he’ll have no problem getting 12 furlongs.

From a historical point of view, consider this:

Dams of Belmont Winners Since 2000:

2010 Golden Ballet (Moscow Ballet-Golden Jewel Box, by Slew O’Gold)
2009 Hong Kong Squall (Summer Squall-Hong Kong Jade, by Alysheba)

2008 Torchera (Pirate’s Bounty-Kaylem Ho, by Salem) Da’Tara

2007 Better Than Honour (Deputy Minister-Blush With Pride, by Blushing Groom)

2006 Better Than Honour (Deputy Minister-Blush With Pride, by Blushing Groom)
2005 Maggy Hawk (Hawkster-Qualique, by Hawaii)
2004 Dear Birdie (Storm Bird-Hush Dear, by Silent Screen)
2003 Toussaud (El Gran Senor-Image of Reality, by In Reality)
2002 Rhythm of Life (Deputy Minister-Nalee’s Rhythm, by Nalees Man)
2001 Turko’s Turn (Turkoman-Turbo Launch, by Relaunch)
2000 Bought Twice (In Reality-Killaloe, by Dr. Fager)

Well-Bred and/or High-Achieving Dams:

The fact that breeding does matter is evident when looking at this group. Whether by their own achievements on the track, or by their dams, siblings or progeny, this group of mares on the whole exude class. Consider, just at the highest G1 level:

Of the nine who raced, two were G1 winners (Golden Ballet and Toussaud) and one was G1-placed (Better Than Honour), not to mention out of a G1 Kentucky Oaks winner Blush With Pride. Two were siblings of G1 winners; Torchera’s full sister Private Persuasion won the Vanity, while Rhythm of Life’s half sister Wilderness Song won the Spinster (in addition to finishing second behind Canadian Triple Crown winner Dance Smartly in both the Canadian Oaks and Queen’s Plate). Maggy Hawk’s dam Qualique won the G1 Demoiselle, while Dear Birdie also produced G1 Kentucky Oaks winner Bird Town.

Incestuous Connections:

Looking over this group, it’s interesting how often the same names appear in their pedigrees:

In Reality—Bought Twice (damsire), Turko’s Turn (his son Relaunch, damsire), Toussaud (second damsire), Hong Kong Squall (third damsire)
Storm Bird—Dear Birdie (damsire), Golden Ballet (second damsire)
Deputy Minister—Rhythm of Life and Better Than Honour (damsire)

Of course, Better Than Honour produced two Belmont winners, half siblings Jazil and Rags to Riches, but how about the fact that the sire of Empire Maker’s dam Toussaud, El Gran Senor is out of a half sister to Better Than Honour’s dam Blush with Pride? Or how about Bought Twice being a half sister to Met Mile champ Fappiano, while his son Rubiano is a half brother to Hong Kong Squall’s dam Hong Kong Jade?

Those close connections continue on the sire side, with Summer Bird repeating the achievement of his sire Birdstone. Thus, purely on breeding indicators, history seemingly most favors the chances of Stay Thirsty whose second dam Make Change and third dam Equal Change were both G1-placed, plus his Storm Bird dam Marozia has already produced G1 Belmont runner-up Andromeda’s Hero. I’ve outlined in more detail his damside pedigree and stamina breeding in this post, so be forewarned when the little underrated Stay Thirsty hits the board on Saturday.

Edited to add follow-up:

2011 Belmont winner Ruler On Ice certainly surprised at 24-1, but his dam fits beautifully with other dams of Belmont winners. Champagne Glow (Saratoga Six-Champagne Ginny, by L’Enjoleur) not only was a Grade 1 runner-up (Frizette) herself, but she’s also already produced a dual Grade 1 winner (Acorn, Test) in Champagne d’Oro. Champagne Glow is also a half-sister to multiple juvenile Grade 1 winner Grand Canyon, runner-up in the 1989 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Long-Forgotten Preakness Fillies: Intermission and Snowflake

2011-05-14T00:47:00.002-04:00

With Preakness Stakes 2011 right around the corner—and two years removed from Rachel Alexandra’s historic Preakness victory—I thought it might be interesting to examine two other long-forgotten fillies’ attempts at history making: Intermission (1896) and Snowflake (1930).

Intermission:

Intermission came from a high-class family, being a daughter of Epsom Derby winner Galopin, but her racing credentials went much deeper. Her dam Vacation’s sire was 1875 Preakness winner Tom Ochiltree—the third Preakness on record. Intermission’s second dam Minnie W won the juvenile Champagne Stakes as well as the Alabama at three. In addition to Intermission’s dam Vacation, Minnie W also produced Gazelle runner-up Holiday (dam of Champagne runner-up Smile), while another daughter Patricia birthed 1891 Kentucky Derby winner Kingman. Later, Intermission’s half-brother Bowling Brook would win the 1898 Belmont Stakes.

In the days leading up to the 1896 Preakness, Intermission undertook a racing campaign unheard of today. On April 18, she finished fifth, less than two lengths back of the winner, in a Washington allowance race against older horses. Wheeling back three days later, she finished second in the 6-furlong Potomac Stakes on April 21, and then just four days later, on April 25, she ran second in the 8-furlong Army and Navy Handicap, missing by 1/2 length. Then, on April 29, she finished third in the 8-furlong Capitol Stakes. Except for that first allowance race, in each effort Intermission led most of the race, before failing to win. On May 2, she finally broke through with a win, taking a 6-furlong selling race against two others before being sent to Morris Park where she ran second in 8.5-furlong open allowance race on May 16, and then third against fillies her own age in an 8-furlong allowance event on May 21. Only two days later, on May 23, she won the Ladies Handicap over one mile.

So, count ‘em. In a period of just over one month, Intermission raced eight times—all before attempting the Preakness Stakes on June 6. During this era, the Preakness was contested at Gravesend Race Track over 8.5 furlongs, and in 1896, only four horses went postward—two colts (Margrave and Hamilton II) and two fillies (Intermission and Cassette). The 4-5 favorite Margrave wired the field, winning by one length and leaving Hamilton II and Intermission battling for second place. Hamilton II came out the best, one length ahead of Intermission who finished more than 10 lengths better than Cassette who stopped rounding the final turn.

After such a rigorous campaign—one highly unlikely to be undertaken by today’s high-class race horses—you would think a rest were in order, but, no, four days later Intermission’s connections entered her in the June 10 Gazelle over 9 furlongs—and she won by four lengths. Six days later, on June 16, she finished second in the 10-furlong Brooklyn Derby, and, if that weren’t yet enough, on June 18, she battled Margrave again, again finishing second to him, one length back, in the 6-furlong Hempstead Handicap. Next transferred to Sheepshead Bay, Intermission easily captured the 8-furlong Foam Stakes on July 8. Incredible!

As a broodmare, Intermission didn’t have much success, although she did pass on her quality to her daughter Interval, by Kentucky Derby winner Fonso, who won the Hurricana Stakes as a juvenile, and, at three, just missed a placing in the Withers Stakes when the first four horses all finished heads apart. In the form chart it read: “Interval is much improved in her three-year-old form, a quick beginner and sustained her superior speed unexpectedly well.” Later descendents of Intermission include G2 Arkansas Derby winner Dazzling Falls.

Snowflake:

While not exactly a household name today, Snowflake ended up being the co-champion 3-year-old filly of 1930, along with Kentucky Oaks winner Alcibiades, the latter celebrated each year with a stakes race at Keeneland while poor Snowflake has passed into relative obscurity.

As a juvenile, Walter Salmon’s homebred Snowflake—a daughter of champion Mad Hatter, out of the Cicero mare Snowdrop—compiled a record of three wins and four third-place finishes in 13 starts, finishing third in both the Spinaway and Hiawatha Handicap before impressively capturing the 8.5-furlong Endurance Handicap at Bowie in late November. It was that last effort that impressed so many, promising her 3-year-old campaign could be something special.

In her first effort at three, Snowflake ran an impressive third, just one length back, of Flimsy (a full sister to both 1927 Preakness winner Bostonian and 1929 Travers victor Beacon Hill) in the Pimlico Oaks on May 3; subsequent Kentucky Oaks victress Alcibiades finished fifth. Just six days later, in an attempt to win his second consecutive Preakness, owner Walter J. Salmon entered stablemates Snowflake and Swinfield in the Preakness, a race about which the May 9 Daily Racing Form noted:

On the eve of the great race Gallant Fox, which will have the peerless Earl Sande in the saddle, rules an overwhelming favorite and it is the consensus of public opinion that the Belair Stud representative will carry off the valuable prize, though many of the experts declare the race to be the most open in years.

This favoritism, based on Gallant Fox’s victory in the Wood Memorial since the Kentucky Derby was not contested until May 17, proved well founded, as the subsequent Triple Crown winner defeated Crack Brigade by three-quarters of a length. Snowflake closed well to finish third. This newsreel captures portions of the race including the dramatic finish:

Not nominated for the Derby, Snowflake’s next start was the prestigious 8-furlong Ladies Handicap at Belmont Park and, in front of 25,000 spectators, she “came from the rear with a great rush on the turn into the stretch and drawing away won easily by a length” eased up, turning the tables on Pimlico Oaks winner Flimsy.

Next up, she finished out of the money in a Belmont allowance race, but rebounded with a victory in the 11-furlong Coaching Club American Oaks on June 4. After that win, her connections announced their intention to send her out in both the Illinois Oaks and American Derby, that latter for which the June 10 Daily Racing Form considered her a serious threat:

Snowflake has accomplished more than any other filly of the year to date, not excepting Alcibiades, winner of the Kentucky Oaks, and she seems right now to be the best-equipped filly in the country for a test with three-year-old colts such as the American Derby will provide.

Unfortunately, hindered by close quarters in the early going, Snowflake only managed to miss a placing by a nose, finishing fourth in the 10-furlong American Derby won by Reveille Boy (Alcibiades finished 11th of 12). Backed up just one week later, Snowflake overcame the far-outside post position 10 to win the 9-furlong Illinois Oaks by a neck over Pansy Walker, with Alcibiades three lengths back in third.

As the summer progressed into fall, Snowflake lost form, well-beaten in five additional starts including the Alabama, but was recognized as co-champion 3-year-old filly of 1930 along with Alcibiades. Her 4-year-old campaign didn’t begin well either, losing a Havre de Grace allowance race by 16 lengths. She scratched from several races in May, including the Dixie and Metropolitan Handicaps. Finally going postward on May 28 in the Spindrift Stakes, Snowflake trailed the entire race, finishing dead last. One of only four entries in the Minerva Handicap on June 4, she finished second—the last time she would run in the money, and her next-to-last career race.

As a broodmare, Snowflake produced 1942 Fashion Stakes runner-up Driven Snow and 1953 Atlantic City Turf Handicap victor Saddle Tramp. Probably the best of her descendents was G1 Arlington-Washington Futurity runner-up Jim’s Orbit who at three won the G3 Derby Trial and G2 Ohio Derby. There’s also G1-placed Hope of Glory, winner of the G3 Alcidiades; G2-placed Victory Pete; G3 Dixie Handicap winner Two Moccasins; and G3 Ak-Sar-Ben Oaks victress Lady Dom Alaric.

Family Legacy: Eliza and Dialed In

2011-04-25T20:56:00.000-04:00

Based upon his late-closing victory in the G1 Florida Derby, Dialed In has established himself as a legitimate Kentucky Derby contender. Those interested in horse betting consider various factors when selecting horses they think can traverse the 10-furlong Derby distance: running style, workouts, post position and previous form chiefly come into play. Breeding also plays a huge role, and being a son of multiple 10-furlong G1 winner Mineshaft certainly suggests Dialed In won’t have a problem covering the distance. However, this $475k Keeneland yearling purchase also has a lot going for him on his damside, particularly in terms of class.

While his dam Miss Doolittle never won beyond 6 furlongs, she was G2-placed (Schuylerville) as a juvenile. His half-sister Broadway Gold (Seeking the Gold) was precocious, winning her juvenile debut by 11-lengths, and then capturing the Astoria next out. However, like her dam, she couldn’t stretch out beyond a sprint, and neither did his half-brothers Hometown Boy (Came Home) or Backstabber (Elusive Quality). Only another half-brother Mambo Master (Kingmambo) won beyond 8-furlongs, both on turf and on dirt.

The real class in this family, though, is Dialed In’s second dam, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies champion Eliza. In the space of little more than 3 months, Eliza went from winning her debut at Del Mar going 5.5 furlongs, to being G3 runner-up in the 7-furlong Sorrento, to crushing the 8-furlong G2 Arlington-Washington Lassie by 12 lengths, and finally winning the G2 Alcibiades going 8.5 furlongs before capturing the Breeders’ Cup in a new stakes record time:

As a 3-year-old, Eliza captured the G1 Santa Anita Oaks first up, a performance impressive enough for her connections to attempt open company for the first time, intent of following the path of 1988 Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors who captured both the Santa Anita Oaks and Santa Anita Derby. Caught and passed in the stretch, Eliza finished third, less than a length back of Personal Hope and Union City in the 9-furlong G1 Santa Anita Derby. It ended any thought of running her in the Kentucky Derby, according to owner Allen Paulson , who had two colts aimed that way already, Corby and Diazo. Her jockey Pat Valenzuela commented post-race:

"I thought if I could open up a clear margin entering the stretch, she would go on and we could win it. I could feel the last eighth of a mile that (Gary Stevens') horse was pretty strong and mine was starting to weaken. My filly ran a game race. She tried so hard. If Mr. Paulson wants to run her in the Oaks, I think that's a slam dunk." (LA Times, April 4, 1993)

Alas, that didn’t happen, as 81,882 race goers saw Ogden Mills Phipps’ Dispute run her down late, while odds-on favorite Eliza barely hung on for second against 34-1 Quinpool ridden by Julie Krone. Unfortunately, in four subsequent races Eliza only hit the board once—finishing third in the 6.5 furlong June Darling Handicap at Del Mar.

With that all in mind, it does appear Dialed In's damside may limit his ability to get that extra furlong, but combined with strong stamina sires (like his own Mineshaft), there’s also some promising indicators, such as his dam’s half-sister producing Attempted Humor (Distorted Humor), who finished third, a mere length back, in the 12-furlong G2 San Luis Obispo Handicap on turf. Overall, Dialed In doesn't have the strongest stamina pedigree in the field, but it's certainly one about which to be excited. And what a tribute it would be to his granddam Eliza.

Dams of Kentucky Derby Winners Since 2000

2011-04-23T14:32:00.000-04:00

Far too often, when evaluating Kentucky Derby contenders, only the sire’s breeding and accomplishments on the track receive serious consideration. However, as any pedigree aficionado knows, the damline is significantly more revealing, so I thought it would be interesting to examine the dams of Derby winners since 2000 to see if there are any patterns or remarkable areas of intersection—and there are.

Dams of Derby Winners Since 2000:

2010 Supercharger (A.P. Indy-Get Lucky, by Mr. Prospector)
2009 Mining My Own (Smart Strike-Aspenelle, by Vice Regent)
2008 Mien (Nureyev-Miasma, by Lear Fan)
2007 Bedazzle (Dixieland Band-Majestic Legend, by His Majesty)
2006 La Ville Rouge (Carson City-La Reine Rouge, by King’s Bishop)
2005 Set Them Free (Stop the Music-Valseuse, by Tyrant)
2004 I’ll Get Along (Smile-Don’t Worry Bout Me, by Foolish Pleasure)
2003 Belle’s Good Cide (Slewacide-Belle of Killarney, by Little Current)
2002 Sweetest Lady (Lord at War-Sweetest Roman, by The Pruner)
2001 Regal Band (Dixieland Band-Regal Roberta, by Roberto)
2000 Angel Fever (Danzig-Rowdy Angel, by Halo)

Strong Stamina Breeding:

At first glance, the damsires of this group are striking as stamina influences (that is, all but Breeders’ Cup Sprint champion Smile). Looking deeper, other strong distance horses repeatedly appear among the ancestors of this group of mares, chief among them Bold Ruler who’s present in the pedigrees of six of the 11. Through his sons Halo and Roberto, Hail to Reason is present in four, while through his sons His Majesty and Graustark, Ribot is present in three. Round Table and Herbager are found in two each.

Solid (if Not Spectacular) Racing Mares:

Of the 11 mares noted above, only one—Mining My Own—was unraced. All 10 starters were winners, with the most prolific being Smarty Jones’ stakes winning dam I’ll Get Along who won 12 of 39 starts. She was also arguably the most precocious, breaking her 2-year-old maiden going 6 furlongs, at first asking, by over 12 lengths. After breaking her maiden first out, Fusaichi Pegasus’ dam Angel Fever ran second in Monmouth’s juvenile Colleen Stakes, came up lame and then never raced again. The other stakes winners: Giacomo’s juvenile stakes winning dam Set Them Free, and Barbaro’s dam La Ville Rouge who was Grade 2-placed on turf.

Overall, seven of the 10 starters either won or placed going at least 8 furlongs.

Descendants of Great Race Mares and Producers:

Overall, this is quite a remarkable bunch of mares in terms of being born from families that produce good horses—that probably shouldn’t be surprising, given the necessary quality they should possess in order to be bred to the best stallions. However, not all Kentucky Derby entrants are endowed with this kind of class—and, judging by history, it does make a difference. Not surprisingly, the weakest family class foundation is found in the second-longest shot Derby winner ever, Mine That Bird. Breaking them down:

Supercharger’s dam Get Lucky won the G3 Affectionately (8.5f); her second dam Dance Number won the G1 Beldame (10f) and her third dam Numbered Account was champion 2-year-old filly. She is also a direct damline descendent of La Troienne. In addition to Super Saver, Get Lucky is also the second dam of Derby and Belmont Stakes runner-up Bluegrass Cat. This is also the family of G1 Gulfstream Park Handicap (10f) winner and sire Private Account.
Mining My Own’s lightly raced dam Aspenelle finished second in the Canadian Oaks (9f); her second dam Little To Do won the Selene (8.5f).
Mien’s dam Miasma was stakes placed in England (7f) while her third dam Friendly Circle won the G3 Rare Treat (8.5f). As a broodmare, Friendly Circle produced multiple G1 winning champion Hidden Lake, as well as sire and G3 Lingfield Derby Trial (12f) winner Ginistrelli.
Bedazzle’s dam Majestic Legend ran second in the Jenny Wiley (8.5f) while her third dam Lianga was 1975 champion sprinter in France after winning (among others) the G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois (8f) and G1 Prix de L’Abbaye de Longchamp (5f), as well as the July Cup at Newmarket and Sprint Cup at Doncaster. Majestic Legend’s half-brother Mr. Greeley ran second behind Desert Stormer in the 1995 Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
La Ville Rouge’s dam La Reine Rouge won and placed in her only two races, at 2, but you have to go back into her bloodline, her sixth dam to be precise, to find the champion War Plumage, winner of the Coaching Club American Oaks (11f). This is the family of Prince George's Stakes (8.5f) winner Silver Doctor.
Set Them Free’s dam Valseuse and second dam Barbarossa were unraced, but in the 1930s, her fourth dam Mistress Ford won a slew of prestigious French races including the Prix de Diane (10.5f) and Prix Vermeille (12f). This family is rich in European turf champions including Squill (France), Baiser Vole (France) and Mister Slippers (Germany).
I’ll Get Along’s dam Don’t Worry Bout Me won the My Dear Girl (6f); her second dam Stolen Base ran second in the Orchid Handicap (12f). Like Supercharger, I’ll Get Along is a direct descendent of La Troienne. Don’t Worry Bout Me is also a half-sister to G1 Delaware Handicap winner Basie, as well as G1 Arlington Classic-placed (9f) Passing Base.
Belle’s Good Cide’s unraced dam Belle of Killarney was the daughter of Cherished Moment, runner-up in the G3 Ashland (7f); further back in the family is Teresina, winner of the English Goodwood Cup (21f), Jockey Club Stakes (14f) and runner-up in the classic Cesarewitch (18f). Interestingly, the fifth dam of Funny Cide, Bravura, was also the fifth dam of that same year’s Derby runner-up Empire Maker.
Sweetest Lady’s dam Sweetest Roman was only a modest winner and you have to go back to her fourth dam Quiz Song to find a stakes winner, of the Correction Handicap (6f). This is the family of Carter Handicap winner Apache who set new track records in winning the Empire City Handicap (9.5f) and the Yonkers Handicap (8.5f).
Regal Band’s dam Regal Roberta never broke her maiden in 10 starts, but her second dam Regal Road won the My Fair Lady (8.5f). In addition to producing Regal Road, Monarchos’ fourth dam On The Trail also produced G1 Top Flight (9f) victress Andover Way—better known perhaps as the dam of stamina sire Dynaformer.
Angel Fever’s dam Rowdy Angel never won in 13 starts, but her second dam Ramhyde won the Virginia Belle (6f); further back is Erin, winner of the Gazelle (8.5f) and placed in the Coaching Club American Oaks (11f). Angel Fever’s full-brother Pine Bluff won the G1 Preakness.

So, as you consider your Kentucky Derby 2011 selections, don't forget to dig deep into the damside for indicators of stamina and success.

Best In Show

2011-04-06T23:23:00.003-04:00

One of the most acclaimed broodmare lines in recent decades originates with Best in Show, daughter of Traffic Judge out of the Mr. Busher mare Stolen Hour. Her daughters (and their daughters) have produced a litany of successful sires and multiple-graded/group winners, whose names are worth recording:

1. Unraced Sex Appeal (Buckpasser) produced two champions, G1 Irish Derby winner El Gran Senor and G1 Dewhurst victor Try My Best, both top sires as well. Among the other descendents of this vein are Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Domedriver, JPN-G1 QEII victress Fusaichi Pandora, Irish Derby runner-up Dr. Johnson, G1 Nunthorpe winner Bahamian Pirate, and G2 Jim Dandy victor Strong Hope.

2. IRE-G1 Phoenix victress Aviance, a daughter of Minnie Hauk (Sir Ivor), produced multiple G1 turf winner Denon, as well as ENG-G1 Coronation victress Chimes of Freedom, the latter’s offspring including two G1 winning sires, Good Journey and Aldebaran. Another Aviance daughter, G1-placed Imperfect Circle produced Breeders’ Cup Mile winner (and sire) Spinning World, while yet another daughter Remote Romance birthed German G1 winner Saddex.

3. Runner-up in the IRE-G1 Phoenix, Monroe (Sir Ivor) produced the European champion Xaar. Other notables from this line: G1 United Nations victor Senure, and G1 Manhattan runner-up Requet.

4. Nijinsky’s Best (Nijinsky) produced Yagli who, after finishing second in the 1998 Breeders’ Cup Turf, reeled off G1 victories in the United Nations, Manhattan and Gulfstream Park Turf handicaps in 1999.

5. Blush With Pride (Blushing Groom) not only won the Kentucky Oaks (among other black-type races), but also produced in the shed, including graded stakes winners Smolensk and Better Than Honour, the latter dam of dual Belmont Stakes winners Jazil and Rags to Riches, not to mention Breeders’ Cup Marathon victor Man of Iron. Blush With Pride also produced G1-placed Maryinsky (dam of G1 winners Peeping Fawn and Thewayyouare), and an unraced son named Desert God, whose best progeny at stud is the undefeated sensation Pepper’s Pride. Blush with Pride died in 2005.

While Blush With Pride usually gets the most attention, perhaps the greatest of Best In Show’s daughters was actually the unraced Sir Ivor mare Show Lady. While Show Lady didn’t actually produce many good race horses (her daughter Diamond Syl ran second to eventual Canadian Triple Crown winner Dance Smartly in the Star Shoot Stakes, the same year her son Great Regent won the listed Cup and Saucer), she did produce by the great Nijinsky a filly called Dancing Show.

In 12 lifetime starts, Dancing Show only finished in the money once, winning a maiden special weight event at Belmont Park on July 13, 1987. After two more unplaced starts that year, she retired. In foal to Miswaki, Dancing Show was sent to New Zealand where, in 1988, she birthed Umatilla—the first of her G1 winning sons Down Under. The other was Hurricane Sky, born in 1991. Both are successful sires.

Her daughters have also turned out to be tremendous producers. Show Dancing’s progeny includes G1 Australian Guineas victor and sire Al Maher, while Shantha’s Choice outdid them all, with her G1 winning sons Manhattan Rain (by Encosta de Lago), Platinum Scissors and Redoute’s Choice (both by Danehill). Redoute’s Choice in particularly has sired a host of remarkable Group 1 race mares—Miss Finland, Samantha Miss, Fashions Afield, Melito, Gallica, Allez Wonder, Dariana, and Anamato—that should continue this rich bloodline for generations to come.

Transatlantic Routes

2011-03-26T01:41:00.004-04:00

Long before the Breeders’ Cup or Dubai World Cup Night, an enterprising group of men tried to host an international horse race, a 10-furlong event for the princely purse of $50,000—the 1904 World’s Fair Handicap in St. Louis, Missouri. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned. As Joseph Freeman Marsten noted: “It was hoped to attract horses from England, France, Russian, Austria and Australia to this race, but foreign complications, and the difficulty of shipping horses in training, confined the entries to American-bred animals.” [“The Thoroughbreds of 1904” Munsey’s Magazine 31 (May 1904) pp. 262]

So, on June 25, following a day of heavy drenching rain, the World’s Fair Handicap field went to post with 12 contestants, including two-time Horse of the Year Hermis carrying 130 lbs. The venue was the one-mile Fair Grounds track, first constructed in 1885—and, unfortunately, doomed to be shuttered in 1905 following the election of reformist governor Joseph A. Folk.

However, that early summer day, a crowd of nearly 50,000 including the president’s daughter Alice Roosevelt saw the champion Hermis upset by the 5-year-old mare Colonial Girl, owned by Charles Rowe and local St. Louis brewer Otto Stifel. Chalk one up for the home team! When asked about receiving the $41,000 winner’s share, Stifel said, “I would have raced for the stake even if there hadn’t been a cent in it. The pleasure of winning in my hometown is all I wanted.”

Perhaps her victory wasn’t that much of a surprise, as Colonial Girl had won the Clark Handicap during Louisville’s spring meet that year. She would continue to race for two more years, finishing third in the 1905 Metropolitan Handicap and third in the 1906 Suburban Handicap. For her career, from age 2 to 7, Colonial Girl posted a formidable record of 33 wins, 10 places and 13 shows in 77 starts—meaning she hit the board nearly 73% of the time. She also earned a record (for the time) $71,275.

It wasn’t an easy path. At age 2, her original owner Michael Murphy of Philadelphia dispersed his stable, and she sold to her trainer W. M. Rogers who moved her and his entire stable west to St. Louis—where she rather promptly broke her maiden “without being extended.” (DRF, August 31, 1901). The following spring, Rogers shipped her to California, where she won first up in open company on January 10. Taking on older horses, she finished second behind Kenilworth in the San Bernardino Handicap, and just two weeks later, over a sloppy Oakland track and “plastered in mud,” Colonial Girl was a game runner-up in the 9-furlong California Oaks (DRF, February 9, 1902).

Moved to St. Louis, she eventually ended up in the Rowe and Stifel stables, only to be purchased after her racing career was over, in 1907, by J.E. Widener of Philadelphia as a broodmare, for a reported $10,000. In 1910, Widener exported Colonial Girl to France, where she stood at Bazoches-en-Houlme, in Orne (Lower Normandy), and, bred to a number of French studs, produced nothing of real quality.

Finally, in 1917, she gave birth to a bay filly by the imported American sire Irish Lad. Purchased as a juvenile by A.K. Macomber, Meddlesome Maid went on to be one of the most dynamic French turf stayers of 1920. She won the 10-furlong Prix Vantreaux at Longchamps and Prix Semendria at Saint-Cloud in the spring, before capturing the prestigious Prix Vermeille going 12 furlongs. Only a troubled trip prevented a placing in the Prix L’Arc de Triomphe, where she finished fourth, but she followed that up with a victory in the 12-furlong Prix du Conseil Municipal. Unfortunately, she went wrong the following spring, and retired to stud. Her son Parthenon ran in the 1930 Epsom Derby won by Blenheim, and finished dead last.

Another daughter of Colonial Girl, Pigeon Pie produced a 1923 colt by Maintenon called Pigeon Wing, and a 1925 gelding by Hollister named Pigeon Hole. Both ended up racing in America, with Pigeon Hole winning the 1930 Arlington Handicap, and running second to the great Sun Beau in the 1930 Hawthorne Gold Cup.

Embrace, Don't Fear, Social Media

2011-02-02T23:03:00.004-05:00

One of the great benefits of modern technology is the ability to connect across space and time with our favorite race horses, giving fans an intimate look into their lives in ways that have never been possible before.

An excellent example is the Zenyatta website, rich in information including videos and charts of her racing career, as well as a diary that updates the now-retired Horse of the Year’s daily activities. Add to that the nearly 63,000 people who “like” her Facebook page, and we’re talking about one of the most savvy information campaigns currently in action—and one that, for the sake of the sport, others should seriously consider mimicking.

Before Zenyatta, there was 3-time Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva whose website, unfortunately, hasn’t be updated in quite some time, although her Facebook page is still active. Others with sites include Kentucky Derby winners Mine That Bird and Funny Cide.

These are rarities, though. Most of the time it is fans themselves that lead the charge in keeping their favorites in the limelight. On my Foolish Pleasure blog, I have repeatedly dealt with the Hall of Fame-worthy racing achievements, as well as the progeny of Xtra Heat, one of my all-time favorite race horses. Now, fellow Xtra Heat aficionado Laurie Asseo has compiled a Flickr page that you shouldn’t miss exploring, while Xtra Heat’s Facebook page is often updated with photos and even videos of the great mare and her foals.

As part of a greater movement to keep racing in the spotlight—and, truly, to bring new (younger) fans world-wide to the sport—it’s time for owners and breeders to embrace modern multimedia and interactive outlets like Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and Twitter, in addition to personally hosted web pages. With some commitment and minimal cost, social networks provide for fan interaction and stimulate interest, which is a “win-win” situation. So embrace, don’t fear, the modern information superhighway, owners!

Grecian Princess, 1964 Louisiana Derby Winner

2011-02-02T01:39:00.005-05:00

Sometimes a horse story is really more of a people story.

This one begins with a chestnut filly that, while she enjoyed some success, was by no means a superstar, either on the race track or later in the breeding shed. In 47 lifetime starts, she won only six times, but ran in the money in nearly half her races, earning a total of $76,654. However, over a period of four months or so, Grecian Princess teetered on the edge of stardom—only to not quite fulfill the tantalizing promise of that oh-so-brief period.

As a juvenile, this daughter of Epsom Derby-winning Hyperion’s son Hesiod, out of an unraced Roman mare named Princess Lisa, was solid but not spectacular, although she did finish third in the 1963 Golden Rod Stakes before settling in for the winter at the Fair Grounds. There, on December 28, she won the six-furlong Sugar Bowl Handicap by one-half length over 13 rivals—at odds of 13-1. A month later, she ran second in an allowance race, solidly defeated by over four lengths, but only seven days later, on February 1, she closed from dead-last to win the six-furlong Thelma Stakes over fellow 3-year-old fillies. Next her trainer twice stretched her out to 8.5 furlongs in open company, where she failed to hit the board, beaten by a combined total of 16 lengths.

Thus, on March 14, it surprised no one when Grecian Princess entered the gate for the nine-furlong Louisiana Derby at odds of 29-1. Breaking well in the nine-horse field, she settled in two-lengths behind the front-running favorite Whit’s Pride and Susan’s Gent. At the half-mile pole, Susan’s Gent broke down, propelling Grecian Princess into second-place, and as the duo neared the wire, she stretched out to win by a head—only the second filly to win the Louisiana Derby, a feat that has not since been replicated.

After three subsequent disappointing efforts in April—twice at Keeneland and once at Churchill Downs—she entered the Kentucky Oaks slightly tarnished and finished seventh—a distant 12 lengths back—behind Blue Norther. Nominated for a number of races in which she didn’t run (including the Illinois Derby), she was a last minute vet scratch from the Cinderella Handicap on May 27. What exactly happened after that is lost to the vagrancies of racing history, but Grecian Princess only won once more in her career, and thus faded into distant memory.

Her owner wasn’t one of those whose racing stables enjoyed tremendous success, to the point where their names resonate through time. He was, it appears, the quintessential rich-boy owner who dabbled in the Sport of Kings. For over three decades, wealthy Detroit scion Theodore De Long Buhl enjoyed what only could be considered moderate success. His colt Air Sailor won the 1944 Breeders’ Futurity before running fourth in the 1945 Kentucky Derby, and twice Buhl runners captured the Clark Handicap—Second Avenue in 1953, and then Lemon Twist in 1964. It was the latter who undoubtedly was his most successful runner. Winner of the 1963 Illinois and Ohio derbies, Lemon Twist was withheld from the Kentucky Derby that year by Buhl after finishing a distant third behind Chateaugay in the Blue Grass Stakes. He would go on to run second to the great Gun Bow in the 1964 Washington Park Handicap, and finished runner-up to Moss Vale in the 1965 Hawthorne Gold Cup. In all, Lemon Twist made 104 starts, winning 17 times, with 23 places and 12 shows, for total earnings of $296,680.

The Buhl family has a long, rich history in Detroit, beginning with two brothers, Frederick and Christian arriving in 1833 from western Pennsylvania; both eventually served as Mayor of Detroit, Frederick in 1848 and Christian from 1860-61. The family’s business interests were many, extending from banking to manufacturing (including their own aircraft company). They even married into the Hiram Walker distillery (Canadian Club whiskey) empire—not to mention having a skyscraper with their name on it.

I’ve always been a genealogy buff, so digging around into the lives of early race horse owners have become a bit of a fascination, and I found several interesting tidbits of note about Buhl. For example, his namesake, his grandfather rather dramatically dropped dead outside the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York in 1907, from apoplexy, when young Theodore was a toddler. It also merited notice in Time magazine when Theodore (“heir to $24 million”) married in October 1927 Anastasia Reilly—a New York showgirl famously a member of the Ziegfeld Follies! How scandalous that must have been, as the wedding was performed in New York with nary a mention of his family being present, beyond his uncle Florenz Ziegfeld (yes, the showman himself).

From what I’ve uncovered, the Buhls built a house in the suburb of Grosse Pointe where Anastasia eventually founded the weekly Grosse Pointe News. They also built a home in Palm Beach, Florida where they wintered and entertained, as various newspaper accounts attest. However, in 1939, they decided to winter in California, where their horses ran at Santa Anita, and Mrs. Buhl even momentarily stepped back onto the stage at the Huntington’s big Gay Nineties party where, as the Los Angeles Times society page reported, she did a “strip tease. But modest.” What a howl that must have been!

On December 28, 1961, Anastasia Reilly Buhl died of cancer at age 58 in Grosse Pointe; her husband suffered a fatal heart attack on June 8, 1968, in Sarasota, Florida. What a life they must have had. What a story, still to be told.

Like Mother, Like Son: Carolyn A. and the Wood Memorial

2011-01-05T01:35:00.011-05:00

Prior to her victory in the 1980 Kentucky Derby, unbeaten filly Genuine Risk tested her mettle against males for the first time, in the Wood Memorial—and finished a strong third behind Plugged Nickle and Colonel Moran. That performance was good enough to convince her connections to enter her in the Derby, which she won with ease—the first filly in 65 years to win the “Run for the Roses.”

Thirty-three years before Genuine Risk’s Wood Memorial run, another filly (albeit one already with success against her male counterparts) was similarly tested, and narrowly missed becoming the only filly to win what is now New York’s most important spring test for 3-year-olds. Named for the young daughter of Eddie Arcaro—the jockey who rode her for much of her career—Carolyn A. was a potent race mare who looked well on her way to a brilliant broodmare career when she tragically died 20 days after birthing her first foal—a colt who replicated his dam’s Wood performance, while unfortunately running against arguably the greatest race horse of the twentieth century.

Carolyn A.’s sire Questionnaire was a New York legend, having won (among other races) two of the three legs of the New York Handicap Triple Crown in 1931 (the Metropolitan and Brooklyn handicaps) and finishing second in the Suburban. As a juvenile, he had lost the Lawrence Realization by a nose to subsequent Triple Crown victor Gallant Fox, and finished third behind him in the Belmont Stakes, but with Gallant Fox off to stud, Questionnaire bloomed into a serious handicap horse, although he failed to win championship honors, having the misfortune to be racing at a time when first Sun Beau and then Equipose dominated.

A decent race mare, her dam Albania (by the leading broodmare sire Bull Dog) excelled at stud for owner Ben F. Whitaker, producing 10 starters, all winners, including 1945 Roamer Handicap winner Chief Barker (Sickle). Her daughters produced stakes winners such as Gravesend-winning sire Distinctive , 1953 champion 3-year-old filly Grecian Queen, and 16-stakes race winner My Request. Among her descendents is even an Epsom Derby winner, the ingloriously-named Benny the Dip.

However, with a record of 8 wins (6 places, 8 shows) in 41 starts and $140,615 in earnings, Carolyn A. was Albania’s most successful runner. At two, she won the Demoiselle, but it was her 3-year-old campaign that revealed her true grit. Just one week after winning the 8.5 furlong Black Gold Purse at the Fair Grounds, Carolyn A. rallied from the back of the pack to streak to victory in the 1947 Louisiana Derby—the first filly to win that race (only Grecian Princess in 1964 would replicate the feat).

Thus, on April 19, Carolyn A. entered the first division of the Wood Memorial as an 18-1 shot. Unfortunately, also entered in the 10-horse field was subsequent Belmont Stakes winner Phalanx who, in the second-fastest clocking of the Wood (only Count Fleet’s had been faster), beat her by one and a half lengths. It would not be the last time the two met. However, it would not happen in the Kentucky Derby, although Daily Racing Form writer Charles Hatton rightly noted in his May 1 column “Judge's Stand” that “Carolyn A. is better qualified to start than are some of the colts, if anybody cares to make a point of it.”

After next finishing runner-up to lightweight (104 lbs. to her 121 lbs.) Harmonica in the Wistful, Carolyn A. soured, finishing well-back as the 9-10 favorite in the Acorn, scratched out of the Withers, and was never a threat in her subsequent autumn races.

As a 4-year-old, she returned with a vengeance, upsetting the Correction Handicap in April (paying $26.20 winning over favored Ocean Brief) and defeating the great 6-year-old Gallorette by 3 lengths in the Firenze Handicap. Gallorette would go on to win the Carter and Whitney handicaps that season, but, in October, Carolyn A. would defeat her again, this time while running second to Donor in the stakes race named for her sire, the Questionnaire Handicap at Jamaica racetrack (where she also defeated Phalanx).

Her summer foray at Saratoga included a victory over the sensational Miss Grillo in the Diana, a race that also featured Kentucky Oaks victress Challe Anne and English Oaks winner Imprudence II. It was to be her last win, however. That autumn, Carolyn A. placed in the Busher (third) and Comely (third), as well as finished third behind Phalanx in the Empire City Gold Cup—a race that was to be the 12th consecutive victory for Triple Crown victor and 1948 Horse of the Year, Citation.

Sent off to Charles Nuckols & Sons’ Hurstland Farm in Midway, Kentucky, she was bred to 1945 Preakness winner Polynesian, and, on April 18, 1950, her first foal was born. His name: Tahitian King. Unfortunately, Carolyn A. was killed in a “breeding paddock accident” little more than a fortnight after his birth, so Tahitian King grew up fostered by a Percheron mare.

A dynamic juvenile, Tahitian King won his first three starts at Belmont (including the National Stallion Stakes) before moving on to Saratoga where, on August 9, he captured the United States Hotel Stakes under the guidance of Eddie Arcaro. Two weeks later, in the Grand Union Hotel Stakes, he met another unbeaten son of Polynesian, a gray bullet named Native Dancer—and the rest is history.

In three years of racing, Native Dancer won 21 of 22 starts, his only defeat to Dark Star in the 1953 Kentucky Derby. However, that autumn of his juvenile year, Native Dancer defeated both Tahitian King and Dark Star in the Futurity at Belmont Park, equaling the world record for 6.5 furlongs in the effort. It was a superlative effort, charging through a narrow opening to wrangle in Tahitian King, and win by just over two lengths. Dark Star finished another four lengths back in third.

At three, Tahitian King won his first effort, at the Fair Grounds, but was withheld by his owner Texas oilman Ben F. Whitaker from the Louisiana Derby as “not ready” with only one race after a four-month layoff (he had suffered a leg injury—and out of the money—in the previous year’s Champagne Stakes). Back in New York, he won an allowance race at Jamaica before failing just five days later in the Experimental Free Handicap—a race in which, it turns out, he suffered a knee injury.

That didn’t stop him from running in the Wood Memorial, though, where Arcaro jumped off Tahitian King, in favor of Native Dancer’s stablemate Social Outcast. It was thus Canadian jockey Hedley Woodhouse who guided the pace-setting Tahitian King to his well-beaten runner-up finish against the Dancer. Plans to run in the Derby where scrapped, and the colt remained in New York where he won the 52nd running of the Swift Stakes on May 11. However, after Dark Star’s upset victory in the Derby, Whitaker decided to attempt the Preakness in spite of his colt’s sore feet. It didn’t go well, as Tahitian King finished well behind Native Dancer, in sixth-place.

Back in New York, he was nipped out of second money in the Peter Pan, and then finished out of the money in the Shevlin. Giving up a whopping 20 lbs. to his rivals, he ran third in a handicap race at Jamaica on the Questionnaire Handicap undercard in July, and then finished out of the money in the Saranac Handicap. After 17 months off, Tahitian King re-emerged at Tropical Park in Florida in December 1954, managing a second-place finish in his belated 4-year-old debut, but the new year did not bode well for his comeback, as he finished a well-beaten sixth in the January 4 Shelborne Purse. He never raced again. In 21 starts, he won 7 times, with 5 places and 3 shows, and earned $103,565. He did his dam proud.

Sources Consulted:

“Carolyn A. Takes Louisiana Derby” New York Times, March 9, 1947, p. S4.

“50,840 Jam Jamaica: Favored Phalanx Beats Carolyn A. in First Division of Wood” New York Times, April 20, 1947, p. S1.

Charles Hatton, “Judge's Stand” DRF, May 1, 1947, p. 32.

“Carolyn A. Captures Correction Handicap by Half Length” New York Times, April 8, 1948, p. 36.

“Carolyn A. Leads Home Gallorette by 3 Lengths in Firenze Handicap” New York Times, May 9, 1948, p. S1.

“Carolyn A. Shows Way to Miss Grillo by Length in Diana Handicap” New York Times, August 19, 1948, p. 26.

“Citation Captures Gold Cup by 2 Lengths over Phalanx” New York Times, October 17, 1948, p. S1.

“Undefeated Juvenile Equals World Mark in 8th Victory” New York Times, September 28, 1952, p. S1.

“Whitaker’s Tahitian King Takes the 52nd Running of the Swift Stakes at Belmont Park” New York Times, May 12, 1953, p. 33.

“Preakness Choice Reaches Pimlico” New York Times, May 20, 1953, p. 36.

2010: More Than Just Zenyatta

2010-12-26T14:52:00.003-05:00

This year, on every continent in which horse racing is contested, a filly or mare won at the highest level against male competitors. And, no, Zenyatta was not among them.

Yet, so much about 2010 will always be about the now-retired mare whose personality (and physical presence) was larger than life—and rightly so. If only her connections had a bit more of Jess Jackson’s sporting gumption and set her on a more ambitious campaign—unfortunately due to their conservatism, she may very well lose the Horse of the Year title to Blame. And how ironic that the same mantra about how winning the Classic last year trumped Rachel Alexandra’s championship campaign in some people’s eyes now may come back to bite Zenyatta’s fans in the ass. Unfortunately, her owners have no one to blame (pardon the pun) but themselves, making it all about one race in open company instead of challenging the best of the best all year long.

It’s also a damn shame that Zenyatta won’t stay in training just a bit longer and challenge the UAE-G1 Dubai Cup. Given the opportunity more often, I have little doubt that she could have proven to be as great (if not greater) than some of the toughest handicap horses in recent memory—Forego and Kelso included. Of course, she never came close to them in terms of race starts, but as a dominating force, few horses match Zenyatta. So, best wishes for your retirement, girl, and I along with many others hope your offspring can replicate your heart and soul—and breath-taking late closing style.

Beyond Zenyatta, 2010 proved to be a year dominated by top fillies and mares. Of course, there’s 5-year-old Goldikova who lost only one race in six starts this year (a second-place finish behind Makfi in the very wet FR-G1 Jacques Le Marois), and easily captured her third consecutive Breeders’ Cup Mile. The exciting 3-year-old Snow Fairy only got stronger as the year progressed, capturing both the G1 English and Irish Oaks in the summer, and then launched an autumn campaign in Asia that resulted in victories against older mares (JPN-G1 QEII Commemorative Cup) and against males (HK-G1 Hong Kong Cup). Both Goldikova and Snow Fairy will return to racing in 2011.

Down Under, Typhoon Tracy began the year with three straight G1 wins in Australia (two in open company), while super sprinting mare Black Caviar remained undefeated after eight starts. At age 6, Hot Danish won five G1 sprints, including back-to-back victories against males in the All-Aged Stakes and Doomben 1000. Trainer Gai Waterhouse’s superb More Joyous rattled off six consecutive wins—including two of the most important open company G1 mile races: the George Main and Toorak—before failing to place in the G1 Cox Plate against superstar colt So You Think. Finally, two of the three Australian Triple Crown races for 2-year-olds were captured by fillies—Crystal Lily (Golden Slipper) and Yosei (AJC Sires’ Produce)—and two fillies (Sasa and Divorces) ran second and third respectively in the third jewel, the Champagne.

While juvenile fillies did their part, so too did mares at the other end of the age spectrum. In addition to Hot Danish, 6-year-olds Veloce Bella and River Jetez won G1 races in New Zealand and South Africa respectively, while the oldest G1-placed mare was 7-year-old Alverta who finished third in the ENG-G1 July Cup. And how about 6-year-old Profound Beauty running second in the G1 Irish St. Leger, less than one length behind Sans Frontieres?

The year wrapped up with Buena Vista, the 4-year-old Japanese filly who has never finished out of the money in 14 starts (all G1 or G2 events), including a second-place finish in this year’s G1 Dubai Sheema Classic—an open company classic won by 5-year-old mare Dar Re Mi. In her four losses (one by a controversial disqualification against Rose Kingdom in the G1 Japan Cup) this year, Buena Vista has never lost by more than 3/4 length. And thus she ended 2010 losing by a mere nose to 3-year-old colt Victoire Pisa in the G1 Arima Kinen.

All told (and with some room for error as there is no one place to find such information), at least 380 fillies and mares won or placed in graded/group stakes this year worldwide—nearly 60 times more often than in 2009.

In all, 112 were at the highest (G1) level, including 42 G1 victories, all of which are visible in the right-hand column on this blog (counting Ortensia’s Galaxy win, although later disqualified). Even more impressive, fillies and mares finished one-two in 17 G1 events in Australia (Patinack Farm Classic, Queensland Derby, Sir Rupert Clarke, Doomben 10,000, Goodwood, Sydney Cup, TJ Smith and Golden Slipper); Chile (Gran Premio Hipodromo); Dubai (Sheema Classic); France (Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp and Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud); Germany (Grosser Dallmayr-Preis Bayerisches Zuchtrenner); New Zealand (International and Captain Cook S.); and South Africa (Summer Cup and J & B Met). They also swept the top three spots in the G1 Australian All-Aged S., the Chilean El Derby, and the New Zealand Levin Classic.

Thus, for your viewing pleasure, here are videos of some spectacular filly and mare open company G1 winners this year:

River Jetez, 6yo, SA-G1 J&B Met (January 30)

Casablanca Smile, 3yo, CHI-G1 El Derby (January 31)

Typhoon Tracy, 4yo, AUS-G1 Orr S. (February 6)

Jacqueline, 4yo, IN-G1 Indian Derby (February 7)

Veloce Bella, 6yo, NZ-G1 International (February 13)

Proviso, 5yo, US-G1 Frank Kilroe Mile (March 6)

Banchee, 2yo, NZ-G1 Diamond S. (March 13)

Dar Re Mi, 5yo, UAE-G1 Dubai Sheema Classic (March 27)

Noble Heir, 4yo, SAF-G1 Sprint (May 1)

Desejada Duda, 2yo, BRZ-G1 Jockey Club Brasileiro-Vale do Itajara (June 27)

Lady Jane Digby, 5yo, GER-G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis Bayerisches Zuchtrennen (July 25)

Keep the Peace, 4yo, NZ-G1 Mudgway S. (August 28)

Night Magic, 4yo, GER-G1 Grosser Preis von Baden (September 5)

Belle Watling, 4yo, CHI-G1 Gran Premio Latinoamericano (September 17)

More Joyous, 4yo, AUS-G1 Toorak H. (October 9)

Serious Attitude, 4yo, CAN-G1 Nearctic S. (October 16)

Buena Vista, 4yo, JPN-G1 Tenno Sho (October 31)

Black Caviar, 4yo, AUS-G1 Patinack Farm Classic (November 6)

Goldikova, 5yo, US-G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile (November 6)

Flirtation, 4, SAF-G1 Summer Cup (November 27)

Snow Fairy, 3yo, HK-G1 Hong Kong Cup (December 12)

And how can we go without showing the great Zenyatta's final hurrah?

Zenyatta, 5yo, US-G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic (November 6)

The Lingering Legacy of Friar’s Carse

2010-11-29T00:42:00.006-05:00

Brilliant juveniles who don’t race beyond their 2-year-old campaigns aren’t a new phenomenon. Either due to injury or simply being unable to compete successful at the highest level as they age, some horses only excel for an oh-so-brief time. Perhaps one of the best ever was Friar’s Carse.

Born in 1923 and named for owner/breeder Samuel D. Riddle’s ancestral home in Scotland, this chestnut filly’s sire was Friar Rock, 1916 Horse of the Year and winner of that year’s Belmont Stakes (not to mention the Brooklyn and Suburban handicaps). Her dam Problem was by Brooklyn Handicap winner (and Belmont Stakes runner-up) Superman. Overall, her pedigree featured crosses of no less than three Epsom Derby winners: Galopin (5 x 5), Hermit (5 x 5 x 5), and Bend Or (3 x 4). Riddle bred her not necessarily to race, but ideally as a future mate for Riddle's stallion Man o’ War, a mating that produced a 2 x 2 cross of half-brothers Fair Play and Friar Rock, as well as Epsom Derby victor Rock Sand.

A “wild tip” arose on Friar’s Carse at Pimlico on May 11, 1925, as she went postward an even money favorite as a first-time starter. Money well-invested as:

“Friar’s Carse never left the result in doubt after the start. She got off with the leaders and before they went a dozen strides she began drawing away and the further they went the bigger the gap she opened, until she led Shampoo by five lengths at the finish.”

As the Daily Racing Form (DRF) chart remarked, she won in a canter. After finishing second to the colt Galetian in the 17-horse field Juvenile Stakes at Belmont next out on May 23, she defeated 10 other fillies in Belmont’s Fashion Stakes on May 30—a race that in the two preceding years had been won by subsequent Preakness winner Nellie Morse and champion 2-year-old filly Mother Goose, respectively.

On the same day that Riddle’s American Flag captured the Belmont Stakes, Friar’s Carse defeated males for the first time in winning the Keene Memorial Stakes, carrying the top weight of 122 pounds. She followed that up with a facile victory against six of her own sex in the Clover Stakes at Aqueduct on June 17.

Several race accounts note the “peculiar” habit Friar’s Carse had of swishing her tail as she ran, as well as her calm demeanor at the barriers. All agreed she was something special. The June 19 DRF column “Here and There on the Turf” prematurely crowned her champion 2-year-old, “a filly of heroic proportions” and “agile as a cat”, noting that her nearly $20,000 in earnings was “almost twenty times as much as Mr. Riddle paid for the dam of this great filly.”

Yet, in her next race, the Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga, Friar’s Carse failed to stay on after taking the early lead but carried wide on the turn, finishing 14th and defeating only one competitor. In addition to the winner Pompey, among those who defeated her were 1927 Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Chance Play and 1926 Kentucky Oaks winner (and prodigious open handicap winner) Black Maria. Exactly why she failed is uncertain, although an October 29 article in the Washington Post by J.B. Snodgrass hints, “It is not known how good Friar’s Carse is, but it has been understood that she has been progressing satisfactorily since her affliction in August.” A follow-up story post-race elaborated upon the affliction as a “cough.” Whether it was before or after the Hopeful is unclear.

Unable to run as planned in the Eastern Shore handicap at Havre de Grace in September, her seventh lifetime start was a 5.5-furlong allowance race at Laurel on October 29, which she won, although in the stretch she “faltered, showing she yet is not back to her best.” Friar’s Carse never raced again.

While her racing career was short-lived, her impact was profound in differing ways. Much due to her success in 1925, her 12-year-old sire Friar Rock was purchased by W.R. Coe from John E. Madden for a U.S. sire record of $130,000. Also, during much of that champion juvenile campaign, the trainer of Friar’s Carse, Gwynn Tompkins suffered from ill-health, and, as the New Year 1926 dawned, it was announced he had resigned as Riddle’s stable trainer.

The progeny of Friar’s Carse were predictably hit-and-miss as racehorses, although three became stakes winners—all sired by Man o’ War. Her first offspring—a Black Toney filly named Black Carse—failed to live up to her dam’s early brilliance, losing her first two races by a combined 21 lengths. Her second daughter Yellow Flag (by Man o’ War son American Flag) never won in six starts, but her third foal Black Jacket (Black Toney) finished third at three in the Fall Highweight Handicap.

Her fourth foal (and first of five Man o’ War offspring), a filly named Speed Boat, won the Adirondack at two and the Test at three. Her son War Relic (Man o’ War) didn’t race at two, and started his 3-year-old campaign slowly, but wrapped it up with eight wins in 10 starts including the 1941 Mass Cap—not to mention defeating Triple Crown champion Whirlaway in the Narragansett Special. Unfortunately, his full-brother Gun Site won only once in 36 starts, but a few years later, his full-sister War Kilt won 1945 Demoiselle. Both stakes-winning siblings are today buried at the Man o’ War Memorial at Kentucky Horse Park.

Through her unraced daughter Anchors Ahead (Man o’ War), Friar’s Carse is a direct tail-female descendent of (among others): 1955 Vanity victress Countess Fleet and her daughter, 1976 G2 Sheepshead Bay winner Fleet Victress; 1962 Flamingo Stakes victor Prego; 1968 Widener Handicap winner Sette Bello; 1989 G2 Arlington Matron winner Between the Hedges; 1982 Arkansas Derby victor Hostage; 1996 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly Storm Song; and Canadian champion and 2003 Queen’s Plate runner-up Mobil.

Through Speed Boat (Man o’ War), her descendents include 1940 champion juvenile filly Level Best (Equipoise), whose son Level Lea won the 1953 Jockey Club Gold Cup; 1959 Vosburgh Handicap victor Tick Tock; and two Belmont Stakes winners—Sword Dancer (1959 Horse of the Year) and Hail to All (1965). Even her less-than-spectacular racing daughter Black Carse produced offspring whose descendents include the last of four New York’s handicap Triple Crown (Metropolitan, Suburban, Brooklyn) winners, Fit to Fight.

And what of her son War Relic? Among his progeny was two-time San Juan Capistrano winner Intent; as a broodmare sire he produced 1959 juvenile filly champion My Dear Girl. Both of these horses show up in the pedigree of multiple-stakes winner and influential sire In Reality—his descendents include Smile (and thus Smarty Jones) and Relaunch (grandsire of Tiznow), as well as Bertrando and Unbridled, among others.

Even today the tail-female line of Friar’s Carse continues to produce top-quality racehorses—such as 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra and multiple G1 turf victress Honey Ryder, both direct descendents through Speed Boat. G1 turf winners Dynaforce (Flower Bowl, Beverly D) and Elusive Wave (Poule d'Essai des Pouliches) trace their tail-female line back to Anchors Ahead, while War Kilt’s descendents include 2003 Fountain of Youth winner (and now sire) Trust N Luck and 2010 G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen victor Kinsale King.

And among 2010 juveniles to carry on the Friar’s Carse bloodline: G1 Norfolk winner Jaycito who ran seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (Speed Boat); G1 Frizette third-place finisher Joyful Victory who finished fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (War Kilt); and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf third-place finisher Willcox Inn (Anchors Ahead) whose third-place form in the G1 Dixiana Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland was upheld when runner-up Santiva later won the G2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes.

Thus, the legacy lives on.

Source Material Consulted:

“Wise Counsellor Winner” DRF, May 12, 1925, p. 1, 9.
“American Flag Wins Belmont Stakes” DRF, June 15, 1925, p. 1, 16.
Henry R. Ilsley “American Flag Wins the Belmont” New York Times, June 14, 1915, p. S1, S4.
Henry R. Ilsley “Friar’s Carse Wins The Clover Stakes” New York Times, June 18, 1915, p. 19.
“Here and There on the Turf” DRF, June 19, 1925, p. 2.
Henry R. Ilsley “$50,000 Hopeful Won Easily by Pompey” New York Times, August 30, 1925, p. S1, S3.
“W.R. Coe Pays Record Price for Friar Rock” Washington Post, September 15, 1926, p. 1.
J.B. Snodgrass “Friar’s Carse Picked for Sixth” Washington Post, October 29, 1925, p. 20.
J.B. Snodgrass “Rider Scores in Feature Event” Washington Post, October 30, 1925, p. 18.
“Tompkins Resigns as Riddle Trainer” New York Times, January 3, 1926, p. S6.

Avalyn Hunter, American Classic Pedigrees (1914-2002): A Decade-by-Decade Review (Eclipse Press, 2003) pp. 215-216.

Natalma: A Name to Remember

2010-09-10T00:43:00.008-04:00

As horse players and fans of the sport, we don’t always pay much attention to the origins of race names. Some are self-explanatory, like the Belmont Stakes or Kentucky Derby, but others maintain decades-old names that have perhaps lost their meaning for us in the 21st century.

One of the premier juvenile filly races at Woodbine is the CAN-G3 Natalma Stakes, contested over eight furlongs (one mile) on turf. First run in 1965 on dirt going 8.5 furlongs, it was transferred to the turf in 1968, and shortened to its present distance in 1980. Over the past 45 years, this race has been won by not only a host of champion fillies, but also by those who later made their mark as broodmares. Among the winners:

•Jammed Lovely (1966), 1967 Queen’s Plate winner

•Fanfreluche (1969), Canadian Horse of the Year in 1970, and dam of two-time Canadian Horse of the Year L’Enjoleur

•Rainbow Connection (1980), dam of champion Rainbows for Life, and grand dam of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies champion Tempera

•La Lorgnette (1984), 1985 Queen’s Plate winner

•Wavering Girl (1989), dam of G1 winner and sire Military

•Dance Smartly (1990), who not only won the Canadian Triple Crown and the Breeders’ Cup Distaff as a 3-year-old, but also produced consecutive Queen’s Plate winners, the colt Scatter the Gold (2000) and filly Dancethruthedawn (2001)

•All An Angel (1992), dam of 2001 Champion Older Mare in Canada, Mountain Angel

•Alywow (1993), 1994 Canadian Horse of the Year

•Pico Teneriffe (1998), dam of two-time Sovereign champion older male Marchfield

•Arravale (2005), 2006 Canadian Horse of the Year

So, who exactly was this Natalma for whom this race is named?

A $35,000 Saratoga yearling purchase, if nothing else, she was the blueblood product of decades of Whitney family breeding, although not bred by them directly. Her third dam Mother Goose (yes, THAT Mother Goose) won the Belmont Futurity against males as a 2-year-old. Her dam Almahmoud was a stakeswinner who, in addition to Natalma, produced a stakes-winning filly named Cosmah—whose son Halo sired two Kentucky Derby winners, Sunny’s Halo and Sunday Silence, and whose daughter Queen Sucree produced yet another Kentucky Derby winner, Cannonade.

As a 2-year-old in 1959, Natalma broke her maiden at first asking in Race 4 at Belmont Park on May 28—paying a whopping $30. On June 5, she entered in an allowance race at Belmont, but scratched after dumping her jockey and running off before the start. Next her connections entered her in the filly division of the National Stallion Stakes at Belmont on June 15, but scratched her the morning of the race due to a cough.

Moving on to Saratoga, on August 6 in Race 7(an allowance race), Natalma finished third behind the fillies Warlike and Fair and Windy. When she won the second race at Saratoga on August 15, the payout was a reasonable $6.40. Still, going into the Spinaway Stakes on August 24, Natalma was a 9-1 longshot while the Wheatley Stable entry of Irish Jay and Warlike was the odds-on choice, likely since the undefeated Irish Jay had already won the Fashion and Schuylerville stakes.

The New York Times account of the race notes that:

"Natalma led virtually from the start, and Warlike ran with her to the far turn. There [Warlike’s jockey] Moreno sought to go in on the rail but Natalma closed in and blocked off Warlike, causing her to scrape the rail. Irish Jay was fourth most of the way, and showed speed on the outside to finish second."

Natalma won by three-quarters of a length, but, to the joy of most bettors, a jockey’s objection was upheld by the stewards, and Natalma was taken down and placed third behind both Wheatley fillies. For Irish Jay’s jockey Eddie Arcaro, it was his first Spinaway victory, albeit via disqualification. Irish Jay would go on to win the Demoiselle as a juvenile and at three both the Comely and Acorn (and as a broodmare, she produced 1964 champion juvenile filly Queen Empress).

After healing from a hind leg injury suffered several days after the Spinaway, Natalma was set for the November 7 Frizette. In preparation for that start, she ran in a six-furlong allowance race for 2-year-old fillies at Aqueduct (Race 6) on October 23—and finished 12th of 13 as the 4-1 third choice, more than a dozen lengths behind the winner Cleo the Cat.

According to the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame website, Natalma made two starts as a 3-year-old, losing her first start at Keeneland on April 9, but coming back two weeks later to win her final race. Preparing for the Kentucky Oaks, Natalma suffered a chipped knee and rather than attempt to bring her back to the track, the decision was made by her owner E.P. Taylor to breed her under a late mid-June cover to his champion stallion Nearctic.

The story, as told by Windfields Farms racing manager Joe Thomas and retold by Richard Rohmer in his book E.P. Taylor (1983):

"After the Queen’s Plate we always used to have a luncheon party down at Oshawa. After that luncheon Gil Darlington, Mr. Taylor, Horatio Luro and I went over to Darlington’s stone house and we sat down to decide what we should do with Natalma... It was almost the middle of June, which was awfully late to think about breeding a mare. If Natalma was to race again she would need some surgery on her knee and wouldn’t be able to race any more that year. So there was a consensus—we’d breed her. Nearctic had just gone to stud. We brought Natalma home and bred her to Nearctic in about the middle of June."

The result? On May 27, 1961, Natalma gave birth to unquestionably the most influential sire of the 20th century—the great Northern Dancer.

Her second foal, the stakes-winning Native Victor (by Victoria Park) was followed by a full-sister to Northern Dancer, the stakes-placed Arctic Dancer who as a broodmare produced by Buckpasser the champion filly La Prevoyante. Her other offspring included Jacques Cartier Stakes winner Regal Dancer (Grey Monarch), Queen’s Plate Trial runner-up Northern Native (Nearctic), Plate Trial third-placed Tai (Buckpasser) and stakes-winner Born a Lady (Tentam). Her 1974 Buckpasser daughter Spring Adieu is the second dam of English Group 1 winner and champion sire Danehill, while her unraced daughter Raise the Standard produced French Group 1-placed mare Coup de Folie, dam of two juvenile champions in France—Machiavellian and Coup de Genie, the latter of whom herself produced the French champion filly Denebola, and the former most famously the sire of Street Cry—sire of the undefeated Zenyatta.

Natalma, indeed a worthy name to remember.

Sources and Suggested Readings:

Edward L. Bowen, Legacies of the Turf: A Century of Great Thoroughbred Breeders (Eclipse Press, 2003) pp. 110-111.

Avalyn Hunter, American Classic Pedigrees, 1914-2002 (Eclipse Press, 2003) p. 350.

Josepth C. Nichols, “Irish Jay Takes Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga; Foul Claim Drops Natalma to Third” New York Times, August 25, 1959, p. 41.

Richard Rohmer, E.P. Taylor (Formac Publishing, 1983) p. 259.

Happy Issue and the 1944 Hollywood Gold Cup

2010-07-10T04:27:00.004-04:00

The list of Hollywood Gold Cup winners reads like a “who’s who” of great handicap horses—Seabiscuit, Citation, Swaps, Round Table, Gallant Man, Native Diver, Ack Ack, Ancient Title, Affirmed, Cigar, and Lava Man.

More the pity that not many people easily recall Happy Issue, the first of only three fillies to win the Gold Cup. Racing during the 1940s, she was overshadowed by the likes of Vagrancy, Twilight Tear, Busher, Gallorette and Bewitch, but “Eppy Ish” was a beloved fan favorite with a Hollywood-style story, filled with both highs and lows.

Of modest breeding (Bow to Me-Achieve, by Insco) and apparently imperfect conformation, Happy Issue went from being a 2-year-old $1,500 claimer to a stakes winner of $225,424—sporting a record of 27 wins, 23 seconds and 22 thirds in 157 starts over the course of nine years. She often challenged the best of the best, and won or placed in nearly half of her races.

Ridden to perfection in the 1944 Hollywood Gold Cup by future Canadian Hall of Fame jockey Hedley Woodhouse, Happy Issue settled far back in the field of 13, before letting out like a sprinter in the stretch, passing early leader Okana and never threatened by runner-up Bull Reigh, world record holder for 1-1/16 mile.

In post-race comments, Woodhouse said: “When I saw [George] Woolf go to the outside with Paperboy, I looked for an opening along the rail. It is a little softer there than through the stretch and sometimes the horses swing wide to avoid it. I spotted my hole and through it I went. I had good luck, and that’s how I won the race with one of the hardest hitting and gamest fillies I have ever ridden.”

I love this passage later printed in Time magazine:

"After the race, his chubby French wife straightened his bow tie and Frenchy filled the ten-inch-across gold cup with water so that Happy Issue might quench her well-earned thirst. That evening, a dozen celebration guests straw-sipped champagne from the cup—and glowed with hopes for Happy Frenchy in the Santa Anita Handicap, scheduled to be run again March 3 for the first time since Pearl Harbor."

During her 4-year-old campaign, Happy Issue raced a whopping 21 times, culminating in winning the Gold Cup in a new track-record time (2:01 3/5). Her other significant wins that year included the Clang and Hawthorne Handicaps, as well as the Vanity. Leading up to the Gold Cup, she had finished a narrow half-length behind Vosburgh co-winner Paperboy in the sloppy American Handicap at Hollywood Park. In all, she banked $119,100 that year—including $61,425 from Gold Cup win.

Unfortunately, her 5-year-old campaign didn’t match its predecessor as she failed to win a single race. After a second-place finish in the Santa Margarita Handicap and a disastrous 18th place showing in the Santa Anita Handicap in early 1946—and with an apparent career as a broodmare beckoning—6-year-old Happy Issue was bred to her former opponent Bull Reigh. Thus, after little success since her Gold Cup win, it was with virtually no expectation that she was entered in the marquee event of Hollywood’s opening day card in May—and, in foal, paid $40.10 to win the Hollywood Premiere Handicap (now the Shoemaker Mile), just missing the track record by 1/5 second.

Every year that followed bore a familiar pattern. Happy Issue was bred, and yet could not conceive or bear a foal full term, so she returned to the race track. At age 7, the mare won the $10,000 added Burlingame Handicap at Bay Meadows—and finished second in the Beverly, Alameda, Oaklawn and San Francisco County Handicaps.

One of the more peculiar yet delightful aspects of Happy Issue’s story was her trainer-owner Jean Charles “Frenchy” Pinon. An Algerian-born former jockey in Europe and the United States, Pinon had never had a “big” horse as a trainer after more than a decade of plying his trade in the U.S., but he saw something special in that 2-year-old chestnut filly he claimed at Arlington in September 1942. Somewhat unusual for the time, Pinon not only worked his own horses, but served as groom as well. That way he knew his Happy Stables horses literally inside and out.

Taking it one step farther, in May 1948, after jockey Euardo Cotero backed out of riding 8-year-old Happy Issue in the prestigious 1-1/4 mile Handicap de Las Américas in Mexico City, 60-year-old Pinon applied for and received a jockey license—and rode his mare himself! Unfortunately, she never recovered from heavy interference early in the race, and finished well back. However, the day before, Pinon had “practically carried his mount Fate over the finish line” in winning the featured Premio Guayamas, receiving a rousing ovation from the crowd for what the Daily Racing Form (DRF) called “one of the finest exhibitions of horsemanship seen at the local track.”

Returning to Chicago after their foray in Mexico, Happy Issue finished third in the Arlington Matron Handicap, and seemingly repeated that performance in the $57,800 Hawthorne Gold Cup—only to be set back to fourth by the stewards after fouling Scotch Secret who was placed ahead of her.

She continued to race—and win—until age 10. On April 26, 1952, at age 12, Happy Issue finally birthed a live foal, a bay colt by Free America (of whom I could find no record). Bred back to Free America, she produced a colt named Tuna Capitol in 1953—the same year she was finally sold by Pinon, to John Madruga. None of her offspring amounted to much—Tuna Capitol did sire British Columbia Derby winner Hanko. Happy Issue died in 1964.

Sources and Notes:
Paul Lowry “Happy Issue Wins Vanity; Mutuel Record Set” Los Angeles Times, November 19, 1944, p. B5.

Paul Lowry “Filly Cracks Record; Bull Leigh Places and Okana Gets Show” Los Angeles Times, December 17, 1944, p. A5.

“Happy Issue First in $75,000 Gold Cup” New York Times, December 17, 1944, p. S1.

“Sport: Six-Figure Hunch” Time Magazine, January 1, 1945.

“Happy Issue Suit Settled” Los Angeles Times, April 12, 1946, p. 11.

“Happy Issue Mated March 13; May Next Start in Sequoia” Daily Racing Form, May 24, 1946, p. 1.

“Hipodromo Patrons Give Pinon Grand Ovation; 60-Year-Old Veteran Displays Perfect Form in Winning Race” Daily Racing Form, May 18, 1948.

“Billings, 7-5, Takes Rich Chicago Race; Favorite Leads Sun Herod by 1 ¼ Lengths at Hawthorne in $57,800 Gold Cup” New York Times, October 3, 1948, p. S8.

“Happy Issue Has Colt Foal by Free America; First Offspring for Only Mare to Win Hollywood’s Gold Cup” Daily Racing Form, May 9, 1952.

In March 1946, “Frenchy” Pinon’s former employers A.P. Kaiser and Stanley Smutzki (Victory Stables) sued him and his wife Louise, alleging that he had misrepresented Happy Issue’s physical condition in 1942 (telling them she was lame and unable to race again), and thus had acquired her from them by less-than-honest means (i.e. by convincing them to sell the filly to a third party, yet the filly ultimately ending up in Pinon’s wife’s name). In April the suit was settled in California Superior Court, with Pinon retaining ownership and all purse money won by his filly. A nasty piece of business that I’d love to find more about.

Sadly, according to the DRF, “Frenchy” Pinon worked the last 10 years of his life in the mutuel department at Hollywood, Santa Anita and Del Mar; he slipped into a coma after suffering acute heart failure in May 1967.

Nellie Morse’s Most Worthy Foe: A Little Known Filly Called Outline

2010-05-12T17:22:00.002-04:00

The accomplishments of Nellie Morse are legendary—winner of the 1924 Pimlico Oaks (now Black-Eyed Susan Stakes) on May 8, followed up with a victory in the Preakness Stakes on May 12. She went into the May 31 Kentucky Oaks favored, but due to rough tactics by the rider of Glide, finished third (though placed second via disqualification) to Princess Doreen, a budding superstar in her own right. As a broodmare, Nellie Morse would produce (among others) the stakes-winning filly Nellie Flag whose daughter Nellie L won the 1943 Kentucky Oaks; her direct descendents include such champions as Forego and Bold Forbes.

What many don’t realize is that Nellie Morse’s racing career didn’t start out all that well—in her maiden effort as a 2-year-old on May 3, 1923, at Jamaica race track, she finished last of 10, well-beaten by 17 lengths. Just seven days later, however, she came back to win a five-furlong maiden special weight race, wire-to-wire, in open company over the same track. All told, during her juvenile campaign, Nellie Morse won four races, was second six times and third twice in 22 races—not exactly the stuff of legends, but Nellie Morse’s real forte it appears was on off-tracks, over which both her Pimlico Oaks and Preakness victories occurred.

A much lesser documented aspect of Nellie Morse’s story is that she was twice bested in track-record setting times by a little known bay filly called Outline.

Bred by Harry Payne Whitney, Outline was by Brooklyn Derby winner Chicle out of the Peter Pan mare Sketchy whose second dam was Artful, the terrific race mare who not only handed the champion colt Sysonby his sole lifetime loss (as a 2-year-old in the Futurity Stakes), but also (as a 3-year-old) defeated the great 4-year-old Beldame in the 1905 Brighton Handicap.

Purchased at the 1922 Saratoga yearling sale by oil baron Harry F. Sinclair’s Rancocas Stable, one of the leading money-winning stables in the country, Outline made her racing debut on May 16, 1923 in the five-furlong Rosedale Stakes at Jamaica. Trainer Sam Hildreth boosted jockey Earl Sande aboard for the ride. Here’s how the New York Times reported the race:

“Although eight horses went to the post in the seventh running of the Rosedale for a purse of $5,000, at the finish it was a two-horse race of the kind that lovers of the thoroughbreds delight to see. The final strides of the race were as thrilling as anything seen on the local track this season. Nellie Morse broke in front when starter Mars Cassidy sent the field on its way, with Anna Marrone 2nd next, and Outline in third position. Sande kept his mount in this same spot until the turn into the stretch was reached, where he sent her along and quickly overhauled the faltering Anna Marrone, but there was no cessation of the telling pace that the leader was setting.”

“Bit by bit, however, the flying Outline closed the gap. As the two horses raced through the final sixteenth, Nellie Morse was still in front, with Outline creeping up inch by inch. All this time Sande contented himself with giving Outline a vigorous hand ride, but in the closing steps he went to the whip, and just in time, for he had fairly to pick the Rancocas filly up to get her across the line a winner by the scantiest of noses.”

The two fillies finished seven lengths ahead of the rest of the field, and the winning time of :58 3/5 seconds smashed the previous track record by nearly a full second. What an auspicious beginning for Outline! [It should also be noted that Anna Marrone turned into smashing filly, defeating Nellie Morse in the Spinaway later that summer, and continuing to be stakes-placed through age 5]

The next time Outline and Nellie Morse would meet would be as 3-year-olds, in the six-furlong Lady Violet Handicap at Aqueduct on June 20. Prior to that race, on June 3, Outline had finished second by a head (as the 2-1 favorite) to Pimlico Oaks’ runner-up Relentless in the one-mile Ladies’ Handicap at Belmont Park.

Unfortunately for Nellie Morse, the spiriting distance of the Lady Violet didn’t suit; she finished a well-beaten fourth. Instead, the race was between the fleet Outline and the sole 4-year-old race entrant, Avisack. The two of them drew away from the field early, with Outline ultimately winning by nearly a length, with third-place finisher Ohone five lengths back. The race time of 1:10 4/5 shaved a fifth of a second off the old track record.

After the race, the Daily Racing Form called her “about the best filly in the three-year-old division that has been seen about New York.” Still, from what I’ve been able to piece together about her racing record, it’s apparent her connections had no illusions with the fact that Outline was pure sprint speed.

On July 18, she defeated a crack field of colts, including Knickbocker Handicap winner Lucky Play, in the Yankee Purse, a six-furlong allowance race at Empire City. As described in the NY Times:

“The field was sent away to a good start, Outline being the first to show after the barrier was sprung. Lucky Play, however, soon poked his nose out in front and opened a lead of a length, which the Fair Play colt held until they reached the turn for home. Then the filly again took command and came home to win cleverly by two lengths from Lucky Play. Noon Fire was always well placed in third position, but never could get on terms with the two leaders. He finished a length and a half back of Lucky Play. Nine ran, but the rest of them might as well have been in their barns. The nearest to them at the winning post was ten lengths back.”

It was Outline’s fourth straight victory and her sixth in only seven starts.

Wheeled back just four days later in the Unity Purse (a six-furlong allowance race), Outline was defeated by the multiple-stakes winning colt Wise Counsellor who needed to equal the track record of 1:07 4/5 in order to beat her and her stablemate Bracadale, third-place finisher in the 1924 Kentucky Derby. Accounts of the race note: “They got off to a good start, and Laverne Fator back in the saddle, took Outline out into the lead, with the evident intention of killing off some of the opposition with her dazzling speed and leaving Bracadale to come home with the money.” Evidently, that plan failed when Bracadale never got going, and Outline was beaten by a mere head in the end.

I couldn’t find any additional accounts of Outline racing beyond these eight races, but what a resume, setting two track-records and forcing an opponent to equal another. In 1926 she gave birth to a chestnut Lucullite filly named Design. Although unraced, Design produced eight foals, all eight starters and seven of them winners, including stakes-winners Challite and Blensign. One of Design’s daughters, Designate produced Hollywood Derby winner Specify, the last horse to defeat Seabiscuit.

Sources:

“Another Fast Chicle: His Daughter Outline Makes a New Jamaica Record” Daily Racing Form, May 17, 1923.
“Outline Sets Mark to Win Rosedale” NY Times, May 17, 1923, p. 16.
“Here and There on the Turf” Daily Racing Form, May 24, 1924
“Outline Sets Mark in Aqueduct Race” NY Times, June 21, 1924, p. 11.
“Laurano At His Best. Shows Return of Form Displayed in Winning Metropolitan. Rancocas’ Outline Establishes New Track Record of 1:10 4/5 to Win from Avisack” DRF, June 21, 1924, p. 1.
“Two Fillies Score at Empire City” NY Times, July 19, 1924, p. 7.
“Wise Counsellor Equals Track Mark” NY Times, Jully 23, 1924, p. 12.

Notes:

For an outstanding piece on Nellie Morse, see “Nellie Morse Wins the Preakness, 1924” by Kevin Martin, the incomparable “Colin’s Ghost.” Bennett Liebman also wrote a provocative post “The Fillies of 1924” over at the New York Times racing blog The Rail last year, about Nellie Morse and Princess Doreen.

While researching this piece, I discovered that just a month prior to Outline’s record-setting maiden race, Harry F. Sinclair suffered a devastating fire at his Rancocas Stock Farm which killed 60 stallions, broodmares and foals (“60 Rancocas Horses Lost in Stable Fire” NY Times, April 15, 1923, p. 1). Sinclair as quoted in the April 16 NY Times (“Promising Colts Lost in Rancocas Fire” p. 5):

“My breeding work at Rancocas has been set back at least five years. The stock destroyed represented most of the best breeding combinations on the farm and was the pride of my breeding operations. I do not know how I can replace them. You can’t go to another owner and ask him to sell you his brood mares and colts any more than you would go to a man and ask him to sell you his wife and children.”

After serving six months in prison for his role in the Teapot Dome scandal, Sinclair was eventually forced out of racing, selling his racing stable in 1931 and most of his breeding stock in 1932.

Vodka Enters Retirement [Updated]

2010-03-05T01:03:00.002-05:00

The incomparable 6-year-old Japanese turf mare Vodka is nearing the end of her illustrious career, which will culminate in the March 27 UAE-G1 Dubai World Cup, run over the new Tapeta synthetic surface at Meydan. On Thursday, in preparation for that race, Vodka made her first appearance on Tapeta in the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Race 3, and unfortunately it was a tad disappointing, as she finished eighth of 14, 4-1/2 lengths back. However, the winner was the other Japanese filly in this field of older males, 4-year-old Red Desire who last out finished third to Vodka in the G1 Japan Cup on November 29.

Here’s the race replay; Vodka wears 8, and Red Desire is 13:

Addendum:
Unfortunately, the news is not good, as Vodka bled during the race, and will be retired immediately rather than risk running in the Dubai World Cup. Japanese sources report that she will be sent to Ireland, and bred to champion Sea the Stars.

Sayonara, great mare.

Fillies to Watch Down Under

2010-02-12T22:29:00.003-05:00

Just as the Kentucky Derby/Oaks prep races are getting underway here in the U.S., so too are 2-year-olds in Australia preparing for their Triple Crown: the G1 Golden Slipper on April 3, the April 10 G1 AJC Sires Produce Stakes, and the G1 Champagne Stakes on April 24. What makes these races so different from American 2-year-old races is not just that they are run on turf rather than dirt, but also that fillies regularly and competitively race against males at the highest level.

First run in 1957, the Golden Slipper is the youngest of the big three races, but at A$3.5 million, it is also the richest race for 2-year-olds in Australia. Since Magic Night became the first filly to win in 1961, 22 fillies have won the open company Golden Slipper, including Miss Finland, Bint Marscay (second dam of American colt Friesan Fire), and Burst, who in 1992 became the first filly (and only fifth horse) to win the Aussie two-year-old Triple Crown.

The AJC Sires Produce (first run in 1867) and Champagne (first run in 1864) are significantly older races, but with equally impressive results for fillies. In fact, since 1974, 15 fillies have won the AJC Sires Produce—that’s a win rate of over 40% —and in only eight years did a filly not fill at least one of the top three placings. Many of these winners ended up being named champion two-year-old (of both sexes) in Australia, including Fashions Afield (2005), Hasna (2003), Victory Vein (2002), Merlene (1996), Burst (1993) and Shaybisc (1980). The Champagne has shown equal success, with at least 43 filly winners in its history, 21 since 1965 alone, the latest being Samantha Miss in 2008.

This year, a number of fillies have already proven themselves worthy of fall glory, so keep your eyes on them:

Chance Bye (Snitzel, out of Rouge Femme by Red Ransom)
Two-year-old Chance Bye is undefeated in two starts, winning the Inglis Nursery on Dec 19 at Randwick, and following that up with a dominant victory in the Inglis Classic at Rosehill on Jan 23. A feel-good story with a 75-year-old multi-millionaire owner (Jack Knight) who fronted her trainer Michael Tubman A$15,000 to purchase her as a yearling and female jockey Kathy O’Hara, Chance Bye is a “dream horse” likely to be a major player leading up to the Golden Slipper. Because both of her wins were in sales-restricted races, she’ll need to earn additional money to secure a Slipper start, so Tubman is likely to start her in the G2 Silver Slipper on Feb 27.

What’s particularly interesting about her for American race fans is her third dam Warfever not only birthed the talented handicap horse Luthier Fever, but also is a half-sister to the fantastic champion mare Waya.

Military Rose (General Nediym, out of Bella Maddelena by Flying Spur)
In her short career, undefeated Military Rose has banked over A$1.3 million, with four wins including the lucrative Magic Millions 2-year-old Classic vs. open company on Jan 9. Winning that race on her Gold Coast home track was a dream come true for her trainer Gillian Heinrich, and marked another high point on jockey Stathi Katsidis’ return from injury, as well as alcohol and drug problems. After a short break, Military Rose may have only one race before the Golden Slipper, as she has earned enough in non-restricted listed races to gain a starting post.

Both her sire and damsire won the Golden Slipper. Also among her family stand-outs are: multiple-G1 winning sire Zeditave; G2 Caulfield Sprint winning sire Jet Spur; G2 Silver Slipper winner and G1 Thousand Guineas runner-up Melito; multiple-G1 South African winner Greys Inn; and sire Alannon whose one and only crop included two-time Hong Kong Sprint champion sire Falvelon.

Solar Charged (Charge Forward, out of Soul Singer by Danehill)
In her debut effort over Randwick’s Kensington track last Nov 28, Solar Charged blew away the eight-horse field, setting a new track record (57.97 for 1000 meters) in winning by five lengths with Corey Brown aboard for trainer John O’Shea. She’s been on the shelf since then, but will trial at Randwick next week, and likely next appear in either the Silver Slipper or Kindergarten Stakes, according to her trainer.

There’s not a tremendous amount of success in her immediate family, but her half-sister Causeway Queen did rattle off six wins in a row as a 3-year-old, culminating in a victory in the listed Tasmanian Oaks. Her sire Charge Forward finished second to Dance Hero in the 2004 Golden Slipper, and ended his racing career with a victory in the G1 Galaxy in 2005.

Elimbari (Fastnet Rock, out of Shalt Not by St. Covet)
This filly won her maiden effort at Rosehill on Jan 16 for trainer Kris Lees, and she has some big family shoes to fill—her dam won over A$800,000 and her three-quarter sister is one-time Golden Slipper favourite Amelia's Dream who, severely injured after her victory in the 2008 G2 Silver Slipper, never returned to the races, and is in foal to Encosta de Lago. Elimbari will next appear in the Kindergarten Stakes at Warwick Farm on March 6.

Psychologist (Choisir, out of Miss Conception by Danzero)
In her debut effort, Psychologist set a class record for 1100 meters (1:02.67), winning the Feb 6 G3 Blue Diamond Prelude Fillies in smashing style for trainer Tony Vasil and jockey Mark Zahra. Unfortunately, in the very next race, 2-year-old colt Beneteau ran .22 seconds faster in winning the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude for colts and geldings, and thus vaulted over her for favouritism for the Feb 20 G1 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield.

And while it’s highly unlikely that she will run in the Australian 2-year-old Triple Crown races, I did want to mention another filly to keep your eyes on:

Banchee (Oratorio, out of Miss Jessie Jay by Spectacularphantom)
This is a 2-year-old Kiwi filly to keep on your watch list for 2010—Banchee, a half-sister to dual G1 New Zealand 1000 and 2000 Guineas winner Katie Lee, who made an impressive debut on December 14:

She followed that up with striking second-place finish in the open company G3 Eclipse Stakes on January 1, a race whose form held up when the winner Cellarmaster finished second, a long neck behind Jimmy Choux, in the G2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes on Jan 23:

On January 31, she came from dead last to finish a superb third in the open company NZ$1 million Karaka Million over six furlongs—watch her on the far outside, as she had to circle around the entire field and lost a ton of ground:

Her damsire Spectacularphantom (who died in 2003) was a son of Spectacular Bid, and, through his dam Imanative, a half-brother to G1 Arlington Classic winner Fairway Phantom and Arlington Classic runner-up Par Flite, as well as to Inreality Star, dam of the 1990 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies champion Meadow Star.

Banchee’s dam Miss Jessie Jay is a half-sister to NZ-G1 Telegraph Handicap and AUS-G1 BTC Cup victress Gee I Jane. As for Banchee’s 3-year-old half-sister Katie Lee, coming off a second-place finish in the G2 NZ Bloodstock Royal Stakes on Jan 1, she finished third (less than one length behind the winner) in the G3 Desert Gold Stakes on Jan 30, and remains on target for both the March 6 G1 NZ Derby and March 20 G1 NZ Oaks.

*Just a note on race videos: New Zealand Racing is extremely active in posting videos of top races on YouTube; unfortunately, it's up to Australian fans to record and post videos of their top races. Too bad the Aussie racing authorities don't stand up and help promote the sport by making videos available.

Beyond Rachel and Zenyatta: Oh, What a Year for Fillies and Mares!

2010-01-02T02:18:00.004-05:00

Notwithstanding the tired clichés being flung about these days (“Year of the Girl” is particularly overdone), 2009 will long be remembered as an extraordinary year for horse racing’s fillies and mares—and rightly so. Goldikova successfully defended her G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Mile title, while the legendary Vodka finally captured the G1 Japan Cup. Trainer Bobby Frankel set Ventura on an abbreviated, yet ambitious campaign, including a victory against males in the G1 Woodbine Mile and a career-capping victory in the G1 Matriarch after Frankel’s death. And, what more can be said about undefeated G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic victress Zenyatta, and the brilliant filly Rachel Alexandra, dominating winner of the G1 Kentucky Oaks and G1 Mother Goose, not to mention the G1 Preakness, G1 Haskell and G1 Woodward against males?

While a few superstars have fittingly captured the attention of not only industry publications, but also mass media sources, there were so many more quality filly and mare performers this year that have been overlooked. Thankfully, individuals like the excellent Sid Fernando provide coverage beyond North America, chronicling the racing exploits of those often unheralded by the English-language press.

One of the primary projects I undertook with the launching of Fillies First was keeping track of a particularly-under recognized group—those fillies and mares who successfully raced world-wide in graded (or group) races in open company (i.e. against male competitors). In America, where mixed gender racing is rare, it is a broadly-held misconception that fillies and mares are rarely competitive at the highest levels against males (and, boy, didn't Rachel and Zenyatta smash that stereotype this year?). By keeping record of these achievements, even I was surprised by just how well female horses performed in open company at this level.

All told, in 2009, there were 321 (!) times when fillies and mares won, placed or showed in group/graded open company races—at all ages, over all distances and on all surfaces. Ninety-two were at the highest (G1) level, including 35 G1 victories, all of which as visible in the left-hand column on this blog.

So, in a year when either Rachel Alexandra or Zenyatta will be named “Horse of the Year,” let’s take time to appreciate some achievements of these lesser-heralded 2009 G1 winners—fillies and mares who performed at their peak and thrilled us with their spirit:

Culminate, 5yo, NZ-G1 Otaki Maori (February 20):

Tuesday Joy, 5yo, AUS-G1 Chipping Norton S. (March 7):

Sangseung Ilro, 3yo, KOR-G1 Korean Derby (May 17):

Bambera, 3yo, VEN-G1 Clásico José Antonio Páez (May 24):

Lady Shatzi, 4yo, PER-G1 Clasico Jockey Club del Peru (June 28):

Jolie’s Shinju, 4yo, SING-G1 Singapore Derby (July 12):

Set Alight, 4yo, IND-G1 President of India Gold Cup (September 13):

Daffodil, 4yo, NZ-G1 Windsor Park Plate (September 19):

Allez Wonder, 4yo, AUS-G1 Toorak Handicap (October 10):

Headway, 3yo, AUS-G1 Coolmore Stud S. (October 31):

Belle Watling, 3yo, CHI-G1 Clasico El Ensayo-Cristal (November 1):

Cuan Linda, 3yo, CHI-G1 St. Leger Cristal (December 5):

Bambera, 3yo, and Vivian Record, 3yo, PUR-G1 Clásico del Caribe (December 6):

Daryakana, 3yo, HK-G1 Hong Kong Vase (December 13):

Jacqueline, 3yo, IND-G1 Indian 2000 Guineas (December 20):

Beldame, 1904 Horse of the Year

2009-12-07T01:19:00.005-05:00

“The part that fillies and mares have played in the racing on the metropolitan tracks this season long ago marked the season as one destined to live in the memory of turfmen.”—New York Times (September 12, 1904) p. 10.

In every way possible, 1904 was a banner year for females in horse racing. In England, 3-year-old Pretty Polly captured the fillies’ Triple Crown—the 1,000 Guineas, Epsom Oaks and open company St. Leger—and won 7 of 8 starts. Two-year-old fillies Artful and Tradition finished one-two in the prestigious Futurity, defeating the promising colt (and later 1905 Horse of the Year) Sysonby—the only loss in his career—and a field of 13 others. The rich National Stallion Stakes, as well as the Spinaway and Hopeful, was won by 2-year-old filly Tanya who, the following year, became only the second filly to win the Belmont Stakes. Three-year-old filly Hamburg Belle captured the open company Fall Handicap over 1902 Kentucky Derby winner Alan-a-Dale, while 5-year-old Western-based mare Colonial Girl not only won the Clark Handicap, but also defeated Suburban Handicap winner Hermis and other top males in the $50,000 World’s Fair Handicap in St. Louis. For the first time ever, the Kentucky Derby winning colt Elwood was bred and owned by women, Mrs. J.B. Prather and Laska Durnell respectively.

However, it was the 3-year-old filly Beldame who emerged as the “Alpha Mare.” As a 2-year-old, first trained by John Hyland, and then Fred Burlew, she had posted a record of 3-1-1 in 7 races, including victories in the Vernal and Great Filly stakes for her owner/breeder August Belmont II. Late in her juvenile campaign, with major projects occupying his time, Belmont leased Beldame to his friend Newton Bennington who took the promising youngster to a whole new level during her 3-year-old campaign.

On April 15—opening day of the Aqueduct meet—Beldame defeated a field of 16 peers and older males, winning the 7f Carter Handicap. In addition to admiring the perseverance of 15,000 fans who braved the chilly weather, a New York Times reporter noted: “All three of the placed horses were three-year-olds, an occurrence rather unusual so early in the season, though the fact might well be explained by the rather ordinary class of older horses in the contest.” So, it wasn’t the greatest field, but it was a tremendous start for Beldame as she galloped home easily the winner.

Apparently there was no consideration for running her in either the Kentucky Oaks or Derby, as she next appeared on May 5, running in the 8f Metropolitan Handicap—the “Ascot of America,” so declared the New York Times. She finished third, behind top weight favorite Irish Lad (1903 Brooklyn Handicap winner) and Toboggan, as well as 14 others. Again, the New York Times was critical of the field’s quality: “The field, aside from Irish Lad, was not remarkably high class, even the most prominent of the three-year-olds basing their chief claims to consideration on performances as two-year-olds a year ago over short courses, but for all that the field was one that compared favorably with any that has run for the race since its distance was reduced to one mile.”

On May 21 at Morris Park, Beldame captured the 8f Ladies’ Stakes over Kentucky Oaks winner Audience. Reports noted:

“Beldame was on her bad behavior, and ran away nearly a half a mile up the stretch when starting to the post, and then, after being pulled up, bolted again, and ran away a second time while going up the chute for the start of the Withers mile. A gap in the fence saved her the chance of injury, as she switched through the opening with the agility of a polo pony, and ran on through the trees and around the houses until a stable hand caught her.”

Apparently her misadventures affected her not a bit, as she won wire-to-wire, and “all but pulled up when she got to the winning post.” Beldame next met, and defeated the nice sprinting mare Mamie Worth and six others in a 6f event at Gravesend on June 1.

By early June, four of the great Eastern handicap races had been run—the Carter, Excelsior, Metropolitan and Brooklyn handicaps—with two remaining (the Suburban and Brighton Beach). Each had been won by a different horse, but Irish Lad was tipped as leading Horse of the Year candidate, based on his Met win and head loss to The Picket in the Brooklyn, a race he had won the previous year. As for our heroine:

“Beldame is a marvelously fast filly, and some shrewd judges are willing to concede that she is the best of her age and sex, but there still is doubt of her ability to go a mile and a quarter.”

In the 8.5f Gazelle on June 9, Beldame proved she could stretch out, defeating “four moderate class opponents” over a sloppy Gravesend track, “romped in front to the end, winning pulled up by six lengths.” Less than two weeks later, she again crushed a field of her peers, winning the 9f Mermaid Stakes at Sheepshead Bay by a cantering 3 lengths, carrying 126 lbs and giving 5-15 lbs to her foes. As the press noted, “Beldame so far overshadowing her field and winning with so much ease that the result never was in doubt after the first furlong had been run.”

However, in an 8f race at Sheepshead Bay on June 30, Beldame’s incredible year was very nearly ended. Excused from parading by the stewards and flighty while in the starter’s hands, Beldame was all but left at the barrier when the race began, and then she was run into by Revane “with such force that Revane fell, and Beldame went away nearly a dozen lengths behind Hortensia.” Beldame straightened out and “went on with such an electrical burst of speed that when the first quarter pole was reached she had made up the ground lost at the start and was galloping two lengths in the lead.” She won by 2-1/2 lengths. Only her great physicality kept her from being seriously injured.

One week later, on July 6, Beldame faced the great 5-year-old horse Hermis, winner of the Suburban, in the 8f Test Handicap at Brighton Beach, and despite getting 18 lbs less than her competitor, Beldame finished second by one length—in a race won in track record time, and a fraction of a second off the world’s record. It was only the second (and last) time that year that she did not win.

Calls began for a meeting between Beldame and the other top 3-year-old filly, Hamburg Belle, but, when she would have conceded 18 lbs. to her rival in the Brighton Oaks, Beldame was held out of the race. As racing moved to Saratoga, Beldame won the 9f Alabama Stakes on August 4—against only 2 rivals, and minus Hamburg Belle. The two never did match up that year, as handicappers burdened Beldame with significantly higher weights than Hamburg Belle, and both refused to run in the October 10 Westchester Handicap when Beldame was given top weight of 140 lbs and Hamburg Belle 132 lbs—between 11 and 43 lbs to the rest of the field.

Just over 2 weeks later (on August 20), Beldame became the first 3-year-old filly winner of the 14f weight-for-age Saratoga Cup, over a sloppy Saratoga track. The runner-up was 4-year-old colt Africander, winner of the 1903 Belmont, Suburban, Lawrence Realization, and Saratoga Cup, while in third was the current Brooklyn victor (and Suburban runner-up) The Picket. Beldame led wire-to-wire, winning by nearly six lengths, as “her hoofs hardly sank into the sloppy going, so easily did she get over the ground.”

On August 30, Beldame easily defeated three others in the 9f open company Dolphin Stakes at Sheepshead Bay—carrying 126 lbs, and giving away 12-21 lbs to each competitor. She followed that up with a definitive victory over Belmont Stakes runner-up Graziallo and Lawrence Realization and Brighton Derby victor Ort Wells, as well as the filly Ocean Tide, runner-up to Beldame in the 1903 Great Filly Stakes, who acted as a “rabbit” for her stablemate Graziallo.

After her convincing September 19 victory in the 10f weight-for-age open company First Special Stakes, the New York Times noted:

“All through the year horsemen have tried to believe that Beldame simply was a filly with some pretensions of stoutness allied to a phenomenal burst of early speed, and the commonest prediction of the racing season has been that some day a fast horse with a heart in him would take hold of her and show where she belonged. If there is a horse with speed enough to take hold of her and heart enough to hold her, the racing of 1904 has not brought him into the light. Beldame, on her record for the year, is champion without the question of a doubt.”

That position was further solidified by her wire-to-wire victory in the 12f open company Second Special Stakes at Gravesend a mere 5 days later (September 24). According to press accounts, “Beldame went to the post looking as fresh and fiery as when she made her first appearance of the season away back in April, and so much in the humor of running that she tugged against the hold of the groom, who, following the custom with the filly, led her to the starting post several minutes in advance of the other horses.” As was her custom, she shot to the lead and never looked back, winning by 4 lengths over Travers victor Broomstick.

It would be her last race of the year. In all, 7 of her 12 victories were against open company, and 12 of her 14 starts were stakes or handicaps. Beldame won from 6f to 14f, amassing winnings of $53,525—less than 3-year-old colts Delhi ($75,910) and Ort Wells ($69,135), both of whom she defeated, and the 2-year-old fillies Artful ($55,235) and Tanya ($54,215). Odd, but true—Beldame ran mostly against older horses for lower purses, and missed the higher purses 3-year-old races enjoyed. It was unfortunate that so many quality racers that year failed to maintain form or were lost to injuries. Yet, the Horse of the Year title was clearly hers, as the Washington Post noted:

“With speed to burn, the courage of a lion, and the honesty of the sun, she completely captured the American public, and they hailed her as champion before the season closed. She could run any distance, and always won as if she was out for a playful frolic.”

As a four-year-old, Beldame won only 2 of 10 races, but one was the June 15 Suburban Handicap—only the second filly to do so (5-year-old Imp won the 1899 edition). A crowd of 30,000 saw her defeat a field of 10 opponents, including Brooklyn Handicap victor Delhi and eventual-second place finisher Proper, the latter to whom she conceded 23 lbs—all in near record time, a mere 3/5 second off the stakes record. It was a popular win, as the New York Times reporter noted:

“The spectators were in just the mood to applaud the popular mare’s triumph, and it was sufficient to cause another outbreak of demonstrations when the band greeted Beldame’s return to the stand by playing once more the old air ‘There’s Only One Girl,’ which last season was the inevitable sequel to each one of Beldame’s many winning races.”

Nine days later, on June 24, the great filly lost by a neck to Kentucky Derby winner Agile in the 11f Advance Stakes at Sheepshead Bay, and, on July 5, she finished second, a length behind Ort Wells in the Brighton Mile. Three days later, Beldame placed third behind 3-year-old filly sensation Artful and Ort Wells in the Brighton Handicap—11 lengths behind the winner. The New York Times account of the race poignantly termed her “the one-time queen of the turf.” What a difference a month made! On July 31, she finished third again, this time in the Saratoga Handicap, behind Caughnawaga and Waterlight, but ahead of Ort Wells and Belmont Stakes victress Tanya. Things didn’t get any better when, on August 8, she ran fifth in the 8f Delaware Handicap at Saratoga, but she did rebound to finish second to Caughnawaga in the 14f Saratoga Cup on August 19.

She retired sound in late August, but unfortunately, as a broodmare, Beldame did not replicate the success she achieved on the track. Even so, her legacy lived on. Aqueduct instituted a 5f Beldame Handicap for 2-year-old fillies, first run on November 14, 1905, and won by Flip Flap who, the following year, took out the Gazelle and Advance stakes. Winners in subsequent years include Veil (1906), Berry Maid (1907) and Imprudent (1909) after which the race apparently was retired.

In 1939, a newly-endowed $10,000 added 8.5f Beldame Handicap was inaugurated at Aqueduct—won by 50-1 longshot Nellie Bly. In the years that followed, the now-G1 Beldame boasted such spectacular filly and mare winners as Vagrancy (1942), Gallorette (1946), Conniver (1948), Next Move (1950, 1952), Cicada (1962), Gamely (1968, 1969), Shuvee (1970), Susan’s Girl (1972), Waya (1979), Lady’s Secret (1985, 1986), Personal Ensign (1987, 1988), Go For Wand (1990), Serena’s Song (1995) and Sightseek (2003, 2004). What better way to celebrate a truly magnificent race mare.

Sources Consulted:
• “Racing in New York Opens at Aqueduct” New York Times (April 16, 1904) p. 6.
• “Irish Lad Wins the Metropolitan” New York Times (May 6, 1904) p. 1.
• “Hermis, First Romping, Surprised Horsemen” New York Times (May 22, 1904) p. 13.
• “Season’s Handicap Winners” New York Times (June 5, 1904) p. 8.
• “Odds On Choices Beaten” New York Times (June 10, 1904) p. 7.
• “Beldame Won in a Romp” New York Times (June 23, 1904) p. 7.
• “Beldame Runs Fast Race” New York Times (August 21, 1904) p. 6.
• “Beldame Won in a Romp” New York Times (September 8, 1904) p. 8.
• “Beldame Shows Herself Champion of the Year” New York Times (September 20, 1904) p. 12.
• “Beldame Proved Her Title to Championship” New York Times (September 25, 1904) p. 10.
• “Bad Year for Racers. Many in the Older Division Went Wrong Early. Beldame Best of Her Year” Washington Post (December 25, 1904) p. 6.
• “Beldame’s Suburban Near Record Time” New York Times (June 16, 1905) p. 1.
• “Artful Always First in Brighton Handicap” New York Times (July 9, 1905) p. 5.
• “Racing in New York Ends in Three Days” New York Times (November 13, 1905) p. 10.

Other Recommended Blog Readings:
Brooklyn Backstretch
Colin’s Ghost

Twilight Tear, 1944 Horse of the Year

2009-11-22T22:09:00.004-05:00

The 2009 Eclipse award for Horse of the Year is yet undecided, but one thing is certain—it will be either Rachel Alexandra or Zenyatta—and it won’t be the first time American horse racing’s top award has gone to a filly or mare.

Since the Eclipse awards were instituted in 1971, three 4-year-old fillies have won top honors—All Along (1983), Lady’s Secret (1986) and Azeri (2002). In 1965, Turf & Sport Digest named 2-year-old filly Moccasin its Horse of the Year, sharing the award with the Daily Racing Form’s victor, 4-year-old gelding Roman Brother.

Three-year-old fillies Twilight Tear (1944) and Busher (1945) captured successive Horse of the Year titles, while in the era prior to the Daily Racing Form selection (which began in 1936) we find 3-year-olds Beldame (1904) and Regret (1915) honored with the top award, as well as 5-year-old Imp (1899) and the only back-to-back filly Horse of the Year, Miss Woodford (1883, 1884).

Over the next month or so, this blog will explore the Horse of the Year campaigns as well as the subsequent careers and breeding impact of these honored few, beginning with Calumet Farm’s Twilight Tear (by Bull Lea, out of the Blue Larkspur mare Lady Lark).

Twilight Tear (1944 Horse of the Year):

In 1943, trainer Ben Jones didn’t have long to mourn the recent retirement of his Triple Crown champion Whirlaway, as a new superstar in the making, a 2-year-old bay filly named Twilight Tear, won at first asking, thus setting off on a stunning career. The first stakes winner for her sire Bull Lea when she took out the Arlington Lassie in only her second life-time start, Twilight Tear ended up co-champion 2-year-old filly in 1943, posting 4 wins in six races and never finishing out of the money.

During her championship 3-year-old campaign, Twilight Tear won 14 of 17 starts—11 straight—including facile victories over top-quality fillies and dynamic wins over males, often in stakes- or track-record time, and at some of the shortest odds ever recorded in betting.

She began the year running a good third against older male horses in Hialeah’s Leap Year Handicap on February 29; the 6-year-old winner Mettlesome had won the 1940 Remsen and was recognized as a crack sprinter. Back against her own age and sex, the bay filly coasted to an easy victory in a 6f event at Tropical Park on March 10, followed up a week later with a similar win, before shipping north to Pimlico where she won again on April 25.

Speculation regarding a Kentucky Derby run began in publications like the Washington Post, but Calumet already had the colt Pensive pointed for the Derby, thus Twilight Tear remained at Pimlico to win the 10-horse field Rennert Handicap over colts Galactic and Ideal Gift—both who came back next out to win and place in the Survivor Stakes. Another conquered foe in the Rennert: future (1947) Horse of the Year Armed.

After winning the May 10 Pimlico Oaks “never out of a tight hold”, Twilight Tear came back a week later to easily win the Acorn at Belmont in stakes-record-tying time over Whirlabout—a very talented filly in her own right (and later dam of Black-Eyed Susan victress Spinning Top and second dam of Hollywood Oaks and Santa Monica Handicap winner Market Basket). On June 21, Whirlabout would return to win the Gazelle in near track-record time by four lengths over Good Thing—a filly whose legacy lies in her Hall of Fame daughter Bed O’Roses, 1949 champion 2-year-old filly, runner-up in the 1950 Travers and 1951 champion handicap mare. In August, Whirlabout won the Test, once again verifying the quality of company Twilight Tear faced.

In his May 19 Daily Racing Form column “Reflections”, Nelson Dunstan voiced the question all veteran horsemen where thinking—could Twilight Tear defeat Pensive, her stablemate and winner of both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes? Yet, her connections refused to again run her against males—yet.

On May 27, Twilight Tear took out the Coaching Club American Oaks by five lengths—where she was “such a leadpipe cinch that a fortune was bet on her to show” (to the tune of 1-to-20 vs. 1-to-10 to win), forcing Belmont Park to cover a show bet pool deficit of nearly $25k for a race worth $10k.

Moving on to Arlington Park, she won the 6f Princess Doreen Stakes on June 28 in near track-record time, and—in her ninth straight victory—won the open company Skokie Handicap toting 121 lbs, not only setting a new track record, but coming within 3/5 of a second of the 7f world record set by Clang in 1935. Among the defeated: her stablemate Pensive. Jockey Conn McCreary rode both Pensive and Twilight Tear that year, but fortunately never had to choose between the two of them, as an automobile accident in late June fractured his right wrist. However, it was reported that when Pensive won the Derby, McCreary said Twilight Tear was the better horse (amazing how that smacks of Calvin Borel!).

It was only mid-year, but Twilight Tear’s reputation was already established. On July 8, 1944, the Washington Post’s Shirley Povich wrote in his “This Morning” column:

“Shall we discuss Twilight Tear, the filly that has won nine races in a row and, despite her sex, is the fastest 3-year-old now on the tracks? Girl horses, you know, aren’t supposed to excel the colts because they’re too apt to have their minds on romance instead of racing, but Twilight Tear is strictly race-minded….Like most good fillies, among which Top Flight was a notable exception, Twilight Tear has the bigger, masculine lines. And unlike others of her sex, she isn’t bothered by the proximity of male horses. She’s no man-chaser. And it isn’t because of her sex appeal that the colts have been pursuing her this season. If they’re racing with Twilight Tear there’s no choice but to pursue her because she has the most speed.”

A little ridiculous sexism there (horny girls, you know), but Povich continued:

“Twilight Tear’s performances to date, the latest of which was her triumph in the Skokie Handicap at Arlington in which she beat such colts as Pensive, the Derby-Preakness winner, and Occupy, recall in a sense the career of Man O’War. No horse that has raced since Man O’War has gone to the post odds-on as many times as Twilight Tear this season….The charts of her last seven races have this story to tell of the finish of each one. “Drew Out.” “Won Easily.” “In Hand.” “Going Away.” “Easily Best.” “In Hand.” “Easily.” Her triumphs have been at every distance from six furlongs to a mile and three-eighths.”

Man O'War?!? Now we're talking serious race horse comparison. Povich then states when undoubtedly many felt to be true this year as well about Rachel Alexandra:

“The pity is, of course, that Twilight Tear wasn’t entered in the Derby. The evidence is that she would have been the second filly in Derby history (Regret, 1915) to win the race…Twilight Tear might have started in the Derby except for a change in the racing policy of Calumet Farm. Trainer Ben Jones always raced the stable in Kentucky in the spring, but last year Dave Woods, Alfred Vanderbilt’s man at Pimlico, persuaded him to bring the Calumet stars to Maryland for spring racing. ‘If I hadn’t shipped to Pimlico, we’d have been on the ground in Kentucky and I would have started Twilight Tear in the Derby,’ says Jones.”

Any discussion that Twilight Tear was not the best 3-year-old, let along the best horse in the country period, was settled when she won the 10f Arlington Classic by two galloping lengths over Old Kentuck (who later in August ran second in the American Derby) and seven lengths over Pensive. Coupled with Pensive, she paid $2.20 to win, but, in fact, she went off at 1-to-50—the shortest price since Man O’War went off at 1-to-100. It was then that Shirley Povich and other writer began to voice the inevitable “she may be the best filly of all time.”

When she returned to New York in August, Twilight Tear was installed as a massively-short priced favorite in the Alabama—only to be upset by Vienna who subsequently finished second behind Whirlabout in the Test. Still, commentators ranked the champ’s defeat as “a greater upset in itself than the defeat of Man O’War by Upset.” A small field (4) inevitably did her in, as Vienna had a rabbit stablemate Thread o’ Gold whose job it was to wear Twilight Tear out, and the extra 12 lbs she carried didn’t help, nor did the quick run after the long train trip from Chicago. Regardless, the 11-race win streak ended.

After a rest to regain lost weight, Twilight Tear returned to the winner’s circle on October 2, winning the Meadowview Handicap at Belmont, carrying 126 lbs with Eddie Arcaro up, and defeating older fillies and mares. Ten days later, she won the 9f Queen Isabella Handicap at Laurel under the guidance of Doug Dodson, eased up five lengths ahead of 4-year-old Good Morning, runner-up to Whirlabout in the Diana and subsequent third-place finisher behind Armed in the 1945 Washington Handicap.

However, on October 21, Twilight Tear finished out of the money in the first of what would be only two times in her entire career, managing only a fourth-place and beaten by more than 13 lengths in the muddy Maryland Handicap. The winner, Dare Me had been readily defeated by Twilight Tear in the Coaching Club American Oaks, so it appeared clearly the surface, not competition, did in the bay miss that day—as well as the 130 lbs she carried, which was nearly 30 lbs more than most of her competitors.

The real test came on November 1 when, over a fast Pimlico track, she took on the 5-year-old handicap champion Devil Diver in the Pimlico Special.

In 1944, Devil Diver had won just about every major handicap race on the East Coast—seven stakes races in all, including the Toboggan (for the second consecutive year), Metropolitan (the second of three consecutive wins), Paumonok (the first of two consecutive wins), Whitney (over Princequillo), Manhattan, Wilson and American Legion handicaps. In each of those races, he toted more than 130 lbs. Here, he carried 126 lbs to her 117—would he provide the filly with the greatest challenge of her career, in what was, for all practical purposes, a match race as there was only one other entrant?

Matching the stakes-record time established by Seabiscuit in defeating War Admiral in 1938, Twilight Tear romped by six lengths over Devil Diver who finished 10 lengths ahead of Pimlico Cup Handicap winner Megogo. She was the first filly to ever run in the Pimlico Special, and remains the only to have won the race (although two years later, Bridal Flower finished third behind the great Assault and Stymie).

In the Daily Racing Form’s end-of-year poll, Twilight Tear garnered 26 of 28 votes for Horse of the Year (the other two votes were for 2-year-olds Pavot and Free For All). She was also the unanimous choice for best 3-year-old, best 3-year-old filly and best handicap filly or mare. By Jimminy beat out Pensive as top 3-year-old colt, while Devil Diver was named best handicap horse. Futurity and Hopeful stakes winner Pavot won best 2-year-old and best 2-year-old colt honors (he would win the 1945 Belmont Stakes), while the 2-year-old filly award went to Adirondack, Matron and Selima victress Busher—whose championship 3-year-old campaign we’ll explore in a future blog entry.

In the Turf & Sport Digest poll, Twilight Tear received 121 of 154 votes for Horse of the Year—Pavot had 20 votes, followed by By Jimminy (6), Pensive (3), Devil Diver (2), Seven Hearts (1) and Okana (1). Guess it goes to show you that some stubbornly-opinionated and outright contrarian turf writers have always cast their votes idiotically (like the imbecile who voted for Tale of Ekati last year).

She raced sprints and routes, from Florida to New York, Chicago to Maryland, against the best fillies and colts of her age group, and against quality older mares and handicap horses like Devil Diver. And while she didn't always win, her 11-race win streak and the manner in which she dominated her competition, often in stakes- or track-record times, left little doubt that Twilight Tear deserved her "Horse of the Year" title. Contemporary writers, as well as modern ones such as Avalyn Hunter, speculate that had she been campaigned for it, Twilight Tear could almost certainly have won the 1944 Triple Crown.

As a 4-year-old, Twilight Tear only made one start, finishing out of the money after bleeding badly, and was retired. As a broodmare, she produced (by the Epsom Derby winner Blenheim) the impressive A Gleam, multiple-stakes winner including twice victress of the Milady Handicap and third-place finisher vs. open company in the Hollywood Gold Cup. A Gleam’s daughter A Glitter repeated her second dam’s achievement in winning the Coaching Club American Oaks, while another A Gleam daughter Moonbeam produced Before Dawn, champion 2-year-old filly of 1981.

Sources Consulted:

“Twilight Tear Seen As Derby Possibility” The Washington Post (March 13, 1944) p. 12.

“This Morning with Shirley Povich” The Washington Post (July 8, 1944) p. 6.

“Twilight Tear Voted ‘Horse of the Year’” The Washington Post (December 4, 1944) p. 12.

“Writers Name Twilight Tear Horse of the Year” The Washington Post (December 18, 1944) p. 15.

“#59 Twilight Tear” Thoroughbred Champions: Top 100 Racehorses of the 20th Century (Bloodhorse, 2000) pp. 166-167.

Avalyn Hunter, American Classic Pedigrees, 1914-2002 (Eclipse Press, 2003) p. 233.

Think Short to Go Long

2009-10-21T01:55:00.003-04:00

Just as much as a Breeders’ Cup victory in the Mile, Turf or Classic can make stallion prospects, the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (formerly known as the Distaff) winners are much prized as broodmare prospects following their racing careers—and some actually succeed at it.

For example, 1993 BC Distaff winner Hollywood Wildcat went on to produce Ivan Denisovich who was G1-placed in France, England and the U.S., and his three-quarter brother War Chant won the Breeders’ Cup Mile. Canadian Triple Crown victress and 1991 BC Distaff winner Dance Smartly produced two Queen’s Plate winners, Scatter the Gold and the filly Dancethruthedawn, as well as Plate Trial victor Dance With Ravens.

Then there is the quintessential overachiever: undefeated 1988 BC Distaff winner Personal Ensign who produced multiple-G1 placed Our Emblem (sire of Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner War Emblem), G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup victor Miners Mark, and G1 Oaklawn Handicap winner Traditionally—in addition to Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly champion and multiple G1 winner My Flag, who herself produced Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly champion and Breeders’ Cup Distaff runner-up Storm Flag Flying.

Female sprinters are perhaps not held in as high esteem as their route-loving counterparts—both when racing and later in the breeding shed—but history bears out their legacy is just as strong:

• In 1936, the four-year-old Blue Larkspur mare Myrtlewood was named both champion U.S. sprinter and champion handicap female. As a broodmare, Myrtlewood produced 1942 Kentucky Oaks winner Miss Dogwood and 1943 champion two-year-old filly Durazna, and through her daughters and their progeny are found Mr. Prospector and Seattle Slew.

• A daughter of Kentucky Derby winner and handicap champion Swaps, out of the War Admiral mare Searching—a Racing Hall of Fame member herself—whose second dam was the influential La Troienne, five-year-old mare Affectionately was named champion sprinter in 1965. Her son Personality won the Wood Memorial, Preakness, Jim Dandy and Woodward en route to being named 1970 Horse of the Year.

• Being the half-sister to champion Dr. Fager didn’t guarantee success, but Ta Wee excelled, being named champion sprinter in 1969 and 1970. As a broodmare, she produced several stakes winners (Entropy, Tweak, and Tax Holiday), but her multiple-track record-setting son Great Above sired 1994 champion three-year-old and Horse of the Year Holy Bull.

• My Juliet won the Vosburgh against males the year she was named champion sprinter (1976). Her multiple-G1 winner daughter Stella Madrid (Frizette, Spinaway, Matron, Acorn) produced the FR-G1 placed Isle de France and 2002 Japanese champion older mare Diamond Biko; another daughter Tis Juliet won the G1 Shuvee.

• 1977 champion sprinter What a Summer produced graded-turf stakes winner Gather The Clan, whose progeny include multiple-graded stakes winner Greater Good, multiple-G1 victress Pure Clan, and Swift Girl who produced G1-placed Quick Little Miss and G1 Frizette victress (and BC Juvenile Fillies third-place finisher) Sky Diva.

• 1982 champion sprinter Gold Beauty was another overachiever like Personal Ensign. Her champion son Dayjur lost the 1990 Breeders’ Cup Sprint to filly Safely Kept, but was still named champion three-year-old colt in England and France. Her daughter Maplejinsky won the G1 Alabama and G1 Monmouth Oaks—and subsequently produced multiple G1 victress and Triple Tiara winner Sky Beauty, and Silence Beauty, dam of multiple-G1 winner Tale of Ekati. Maplejinksy’s unraced daughter Our Country Place produced Breeders’ Cup Distaff victress Pleasant Home, as well as Matlacha Pass, dam of the tragic multiple-G1 winner Pine Island, and multiple-graded stakes winning daughter Country Hideaway who produced G1 Test runner-up Boca Grande.

This is by no means a comprehensive or even controlled scientific study, merely anecdotal observations. Maybe those with more insightful knowledge of breeding can chime in. However, at first glance, it appears that, while celebrating the achievements of fillies and mares like Zenyatta and others running in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (“Ladies’ Classic”) this fall, we should be looking to the female sprinters as the future broodmare producers—going short themselves, but producing those who go long.

Fillies First Watch—Jolie’s Shinju

2009-09-10T23:56:00.002-04:00

On Saturday (approximately 1:40 a.m. EST here in the U.S.), the Aussies will get their first look at Singapore Triple Crown winner Jolie's Shinju when she runs in the 8f G2 Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes at Moonee Valley. If you haven’t had a chance to watch this exciting 5-year-old mare in action, you won’t want to miss her campaign for the October 24 AUS-G1 Cox Plate.

Although Japanese-born and Singapore-raced, this daughter of G1 Donn victor Jolie’s Halo has deep blueblood American breeding. Out of the Danzig mare Endearing Quality, her third dam is 1967 US champion handicap mare Straight Deal, who finished third behind Damascus in the Aqueduct Handicap that year, as well as third behind track-record-setting Stupendous in the Whitney. She is a direct damline descendent of blue hen mare La Troienne, and closely related to successful sire Belong to Me, recent Jersey Derby winner Endymion, G1 Jim Dandy victor Scorpion, G1 QEII Challenge Cup winner Alwajeeha, G1 Delaware Handicap victress Adored, G1 King’s Bishop winner Commemorate, and Kentucky Derby runner-up Eight Belles.

A sampling of her recent races will give you an idea of the impressive turn-of-foot Jolie’s Shinju displays, beginning with her May 31 victory in the SING-G1 Patron’s Bowl:

On June 21, she took out the SING-G2 Singapore Derby Trial, wire-to-wire:

Her July 12 SING-G1 Singapore Derby victory is most impressive, as she ran her last half faster than the first, while easily pulling away from the field:

* Special thanks to Sid Fernando for getting me hooked on this talented mare; you can read his excellent blog here.

Before Rachel Alexandra, There Was Good Gamble

2009-09-06T04:48:00.003-04:00

Contrary to what some sources claim, Rachel Alexandra is not the first 3-year-old filly to win a route dirt race against older males in New York since 1887. In fact, five 3-year-old fillies have won the typically-season-ending Aqueduct Handicap over 1-1/16 mile—Wild Thyme (1903), Black Maria (1926), Black Mammy (1930), Coequal (1934) and Good Gamble (1935).

To 22-year-old Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt’s good fortune, he purchased Good Gamble for $4,500 at a mid-May Belmont paddock sale, and a few days later, ridden by jockey Sammy Renick, she won the Acorn by five lengths, at 30-1. Less than two weeks later, she finished third—a mere half-length behind Florida Derby victress Black Helen and her stablemate Bloodroot—in the Coaching Club American Oaks.

Black Helen would go on to be the first filly winner of the prestigious American Derby (over defeated Kentucky Derby favorite—and daughter of Preakness victress Nellie Morse—Nellie Flag) since Modesty in 1884. After a loss to Triple Crown winner Omaha in the Arlington Classic, Black Helen won the Maryland Handicap over colts en route to being named 1935’s champion 3-year-old filly, 1991 Hall of Fame inductee and producer of, through her daughters and their descendants, Princess Rooney, Pleasant Tap, and Go for Gin.

Surely, a tough act to follow. However, Good Gamble became quite a phenom herself with an ambitious campaign not even Jess Jackson would attempt, both in number of races and in the quality of her competition.

On June 29 at Aqueduct, Good Gamble challenged the top 3-year-old colts, and finished second by 1-1/2 lengths in the Dwyer—to Triple Crown victor Omaha.

Moving on to Saratoga, Good Gamble won the Test on August 2, and just five days later, she defeated not only her female rivals, but also 3-year-old males in the 1-1/16 mile Saranac Handicap at Saratoga, winning wire-to-wire over a field that included Wood Memorial victor Today.

The Saranac third-place finisher Esposa, one of her most persistent filly rivals, would go on to become a two-time (1937, 1938) champion handicap mare, counting among her many wins the 1937 Whitney Handicap and 1938 Hawthorne Gold Cup—as well as a win over Seabiscuit in the Bowie Handicap, and several second-place finishes behind Triple Crown victor War Admiral. Esposa also twice finished behind the great Discovery in the Whitney, including as a 3-year-old.

One week after her Saranac victory, shouldering a top weight 125 lbs, Good Gamble finished second, three length back, to 111 lbs lightweight Alberta, in the Alabama. As had happened several times before (and would again), Good Gamble’s bad behavior delayed the race start.

With Triple Crown winner Omaha on the sidelines, the Travers offered a tantalizing opportunity for the red-hot filly, but, as the 120 lbs top weight, Good Gamble failed to place, finishing fourth in a field of eight. The winner Gold Foam, a $5,000 claimer, was nearly as big an upset winner as 100-1 Jim Dandy had been in 1930 over Gallant Fox, while third-place finisher Count Arthur would become a stubborn adversary for our heroine.

Before 15,000 spectators at Aqueduct on September 14, the gutsy 3-year-old filly attempted to replicate the feat of her sire Chance Play, victor of the 1928 Aqueduct Handicap. In what turned out to be a “ding-dong” battle with Count Arthur, Good Gamble won by a nose, with heavily-favored 4-year-old top-weight champion miler King Saxon in third (he would be disqualified, however, and another filly Vicaress placed third). Good Gamble’s time of 1:43 3/5 not only set a new race record, but was a mere 3/5 second off the track record.

A son of Kentucky Derby winner Reigh Count, Count Arthur was no slouch—winner of that year’s Manhattan Handicap and Saratoga Cup, he also ran second in the American Derby and Lawrence Realization Stakes as well as in the Potomac, Washington, and Continental handicaps. Among the many additional wins Count Arthur would record over his next three years of racing was the 1936 Jockey Club Gold Cup.

A noted miler who occasionally won longer, King Saxon in 1935 won the Carter and Metropolitan handicaps (among others), and finished a distance second to Discovery in the Brooklyn (but ahead of Omaha).

Of the other older horses Good Gamble defeated in the Aqueduct, Only One won the Dixie and American Legion handicaps, finished second to Discovery in the Butler, and third in both the Metropolitan and Washington handicaps. 4-year-old Chicstraw had been runner-up in the 1934 Potomac Handicap, and finished second in the 1935 Delaware Handicap (before it was restricted to mares). Good Gamble’s 3-year-old stablemate Good Harvest won the Jerome and Yorktown handicaps, and, in the following year, would win the Metropolitan.

A mere week after her Aqueduct Handicap win, Good Gamble again defeated Count Arthur and a field of ten other 3-year-olds, this time in the Potomac Handicap at Havre de Grace—becoming the third filly to win in the race’s 17 year history.

As a 4-year-old, Good Gamble won the inaugural Queens County Handicap at Aqueduct before finishing second to her older stablemate Discovery in the Brooklyn Handicap—his third victory in that race. After a second-place finish behind Esposa in the Empire Handicap (giving Esposa a 10 lbs weight advantage), Good Gamble surprisingly turned the tables on her rival, breaking the Empire City track record by two full seconds in winning the 1-3/16 mile Butler Memorial Handicap on July 11—toting 119 lbs to Esposa’s 97 lbs.

To that point, Good Gamble had run 9 times in 1936, winning 3 times and running second 4 times, and this victory took her lifetime earnings over the $50,000 mark. Next out, however, she failed as the pacesetter in the Massachusetts Handicap, finishing last of eleven, but rebounded in capturing the seven furlong American Legion Handicap at Saratoga, over Carter Handicap place-getters Sation and Cycle.

Unfortunately, she was eased in finishing last of six against her stablemate Discovery in the Saratoga Handicap. Discovery next shouldered 143 lbs in the Merchants’ and Citizens’ Handicap at Saratoga—and finished last in a field of 5, with 4-year-old mare Esposa (with a mere 100 lbs) defeating Count Arthur (107 lbs). The second high-weight, Mantagna (108 lbs) finished third. Back down to 126 lbs, Discovery captured his third straight Whitney next out.

About a month before her Aqueduct Handicap victory, John Kieran of the New York Times did a special piece for his column Sports of the Times, called “The Vanderbilt Jewels.” Hanging out in Saratoga Barn 56, owner Alfred G. Vanderbilt and his trainer Bud Stotler introduce Kieran to the “White Diamond Express”—their champion Discovery, who would not only win the 1935 Horse of the Year title over Triple Crown winner Omaha, but also later, as a broodmare sire, produce Bold Ruler and Native Dancer.

After Discovery, what was the owner’s next choice in the White Diamond line?

“Good Gamble—she’s the best filly around,” said the young owner.

Sources:

“Belmont Purse Won by Good Gamble” The Washington Post, May 22, 1935

“Omaha, 7-10, First in Dwyer Stakes; Good Gamble Next” New York Times, June 30, 1935

“Good Gamble, 7-2, Breaks Empire City Track Record” New York Times, July 12, 1936.
John Kieran, “The Vanderbilt Jewels” New York Times, August 29, 1935

“Good Gamble, 10-1, Wins By a Nose at Aqueduct” New York Times, September 15, 1935 (with photo)

“Good Gamble is Victor at Aqueduct” The Washington Post, September 15, 1935.

“Renick Rides Vanderbilt’s Good Gamble to Victory in $10,000 Added Event” New York Times, September 22, 1935

“King Saxon Fourth as Good Gamble Captures Inaugural Feature at Aqueduct” New York Times, June 9, 1936 (with photo)

Rachel Alexandra's Date with History

2009-08-27T02:57:00.004-04:00

Rachel Alexandra to Woodward!, originally uploaded by Rock and Racehorses.

With the news that Rachel Alexandra will indeed aim for the G1 Woodward Handicap against older males on September 5, questions have been raised regarding the historical importance of such an undertaking. As I wrote previously, no filly or mare has ever won the Woodward—the last filly to attempt it was 4-year-old Lady’s Secret who finished second to Precisionist in 1986—and only thirteen 3-year-olds have won the race in 55 years, the last being Holy Bull in 1994. The only 3-year-old filly to place in the Woodward was CCAO and Alabama winner Summer Guest who finished third behind Key to the Mint and Autobiography in 1972.

Beyond the Woodward itself, when was the last time a 3-year-old filly ran against older males over a route distance on dirt in North America in a graded or its equivalent race—and been successful?

In his excellent blog, Colin’s Ghost has already examined the two best examples—1944 Pimlico Special winner Twilight Tear, and 1945 Washington Park Handicap victress Busher. But, how many others are there? By examining the history of great handicap races, the results are quite remarkable.

Metropolitan Handicap:
Only 4 mares have won the Metropolitan, all at the age of 4—Gunfire (1903), Black Maria (1927), Nimba (1928), and Gallorette (1946)—and the two most recent place getters, Honest Lady (second, 2000) and Lady’s Secret (third, 1986), were both 4-year-olds. Only sixteen 3-year-olds colts and geldings have won the Met Mile since 1891, the latest being Honour and Glory, in 1996. How have fillies fared? The great Beldame in 1904 ran third behind Irish Lad and Toboggan, while Casseopia finished third against Voter and The Winner in 1897.

Brooklyn Handicap:
Reina (1902), Tokalon (1906), Gallorette (1946) and Conniver (1948) are the only mares to win the Brooklyn, although several have been runners-up: Gunfire (1903), Regret (1917), Good Gamble (1936), Gallorette (1948) and, most recently, Life’s Magic (1985). While thirteen 3-year-old colts/geldings have won, the last being Any Given Saturday in 2007, the only 3-year-old filly place-getter was Fleam, who finished third behind Discovery and Dark Secret in 1934.

Suburban Handicap:
Five mares have won the Suburban—Imp (1899), Beldame (1905), Bateau (1929), Harmonica (1948) and Busanda (1951)—and none were 3-year-olds. In fact, no 3-year-old filly has placed in this race, and, since first being run in 1884, only seven 3-year-old colts and geldings have won, the last being Buffle in 1966.

Whitney Handicap:
Six mares have won the Whitney, beginning with Black Maria who won the inaugural race in 1928, followed by Bateau (1929), Esposa (1937), Gallorette (1948), Lady’s Secret (1986) and Personal Ensign (1988)—none were 3-year-olds. However, Esposa did finish second at age 3 in 1935 behind Discovery, and then repeated that performance in 1936 before winning as a 5-year-old—and then finished second, at age 6, to the Triple Crown victor War Admiral. In all, twelve 3-year-old colts/geldings have won, the last being Easy Goer in 1989. In 1996, 4-year-old Serena’s Song finished second, a neck behind Mahogany Hall, runner-up in both the Suburban and Brooklyn handicaps.

Jockey Club Gold Cup:
The only mare to win the JCGC is the great Shuvee who won back-to-back editions in 1970 and 1971. Three-year-olds have done well in this race, though, with 34 winners since 1919, including Curlin in 2007. The first 3-year-old filly to place was a daughter of Man O’War, Judy O’Grady who finished second behind Firethorn in 1935. Her daughter Irish Nora produced, by Triple Crown winner Count Fleet, Kiss Me Kate who finished third behind eventual Horse of the Year Counterpoint and reigning Horse of the Year Hill Prince on route to winning champion 3-year-old filly honors in 1951. In 1976, Coaching Club American Oaks victress Revidere finished third behind Great Contractor, while in 1982, champion filly Christmas Past fleshed out the trifecta behind two 4-year-old warriors, Lemhi Gold and Silver Surprise.

Manhattan Handicap:
Now run on turf, prior to 1970 this was a dirt race, albeit contested over various distances. In those years when it was at least 8 furlongs and run on dirt, filly/mare winners include the only 3-year-old filly winner Lady Primrose (1887), in addition to older mares Firenze (1888), Los Angeles (1889), and Harem Lady (1969). Other 3-year-old fillies that ran successfully in the Manhattan: Jacoba finished third behind Belmont winner The Finn in 1916; Kentucky Oaks winner Untidy ran second to Little Chief in 1923; Princess Tina was runner-up to Preakness winner Victorian in 1928; and 1935 JCGC runner-up Judy O’Grady repeated that performance, this time behind Count Arthur.

Aqueduct Handicap:
First run in 1902, the second winner of this race was a 3-year-filly named Wild Thyme. The brilliant Black Maria won back-to-back editions, at age 3 in 1926 and 4 in 1927. Other 3-year-old filly winners are Black Mammy (1930), Coequel (1934), and Good Gamble (1935), while Alabama victress Maskette (1909) finished second to Firestone during her 3-year-old campaign. Sixteen 3-year-old colts/geldings have won over the years, but the last was Damascus in 1967—the same year that 5-year-old mare Straight Deal finished third. In 1947, the mares Gallorette and Elpis finished second and third respectively, behind the great Stymie. One quirk: the colt Cannonade won the race at age 2.

Washington Park Handicap:
A recently-defunct race (or so it appears), this race has an impressive list of winners: Armed, Swaps, Coaltown, Round Table, Majestic Light and Spectacular Bid. When run on dirt, at a distance of at least 8 furlongs, there have been, in addition to 3-year-old victress Busher (1945), several mare winners: Late Date (1935), War Plumage (1940), Sickles Image (1953) and Pucker Up (1957). In 1949, 3-year-old Lithe, daughter of champion filly Alcibiades, ran third behind Coaltown and Armed.

Santa Anita Handicap:
No filly or mare has even won the Big ‘Cap, although a couple have come close, including runners-up Next Move (1951), Gamely (1969) and Island Fashion (2004)—none were 3-year-olds. From its inception in 1935 until 1969, it was open to 3-year-olds, but no longer, and only one 3-year-old has ever won this race, colt Stagehand (1938).

Hollywood Gold Cup:
Three older mares have won the Gold Cup—Happy Issue (1944), Two Lea (1952), and Princessnesian (1968). Only three 3-year-old colts/geldings have won this race—Round Table (1957), Quack (1972), and Island Whirl (1983)—but in 1946, the 3-year-old filly Honeymoon finished second behind Triplicate. The two other mare runner-ups are Bewitch, who finished behind Citation in 1951, and Cascapedia in 1977. Honeymoon (1947), A Gleam (1953) and Manta (1971) were older when they finished third.

Pimlico Special:
Defunct between 1959 and 1987, this race was first won in 1937 by War Admiral, and counts among its victors Seabiscuit, Whirlaway, Armed, Assault, Citation and Tom Fool. The 3-year-old filly Twilight Tear’s victory over Devil Diver in 1944 marks the only time a filly or mare has won, but champion 3-year-old filly Bridal Flower finished third behind subsequent Horse of the Year Assault and Stymie in 1946—she had previously defeated Assault in the Roamer Handicap.

Massachusetts Handicap:
Despite its spotty recent history, the Mass Cap has long drawn top handicap horses—but it’s never been won by a filly or mare. Three mares have been runners-up, namely CCAO winner Elpis (1947), Suburban victress Harmonica (1948), and Canadian International champion Drumtop (1970). Gallorette (1946) once finished third, but perhaps the most notorious place finisher was 4-year-old mare Fair Knightess, workmate of the great Seabiscuit, who ran third to him in 1937 edition. Only four 3-year-old colts/geldings have won; no placings by 3-year-old fillies.

Michigan Mile and One-Eighth Handicap:
Sporadic history with this race, first run in 1958 and for the last time in 1993, but three mare winners: Old Hat (1965), My Juliet (1977), and Glorious Song (1980). Named Canadian Horse of the Year in 1980, Glorious Song was a wonderful broodmare, producing exemplary sires Rahy and Singspiel. My Juliet produced, among others, multiple-G1 victress Stella Madrid and G1 Shuvee winner Tis Juliet.

Clark Handicap:
Overall, 11 fillies and mares have won the Clark Handicap since its inception in 1875 (although it was restricted to 3-year-olds until 1902). They include (with age):

1904 Colonial Girl (5)
1908 Polly Prim (5)
1910 Kings Daughter (7)
1927 Helen’s Babe (4)
1934 Esseff (4)
1945 Sentiment Sake (4)
1951 Wishful (5)
1959 Las Olas (4)
1970 Watch Fob (5)
1972 Fairway Flyer (3)
2000 Surfside (3)

Notice, the most recent two winners. Fairway Flyer, third-place finisher in the Kentucky Oaks behind the outstanding Susan’s Girl, and eventual 3-year-old champion filly Surfside—daughter of Triple Crown champion Seattle Slew, out of the Eclipse-winning mare Flanders—who defeated a field that included Aptitude and Guided Tour. When Surfside won the Clark, it was a G2; the graded system did not exist when Fairway Flyer won. The only other 3-year-old filly that has even placed in the Clark is Ashland Oaks winner Anna M. Humphrey who finished second behind the great 7-year-old Audacious in 1923.

Other notable recent placings in important handicaps include 4-year-old filly Glorious Song’s second place effort behind Winter’s Tale in the 1980 Marlboro Cup Handicap; 5-year-old Heavenly Prize’s third place finish behind Cigar in the 1996 G1 Donn Handicap; and, of course, 5-year-old Life is Sweet’s third place finish in the G1 Hollywood Gold Cup this year.

So, what does it all mean? While fillies and mares have had some success in open company against older males on dirt, they are relatively few in numbers—but extraordinary in talent. Additionally, most were well-seasoned campaigners, age 4 and above. Whether through misfortunate injuries or simply bad historical timing, none of these great mares were able to accomplish what Rachel Alexandra may do on September 5—win a G1 dirt route vs. older males as a 3-year-old. That’s pretty incredible.

[edited to add]
Gulfstream Park Handicap:
Sid Fernando reminded me that, in 1983, 4-year-old mare Christmas Past won the G1 Gulfstream Park Handicap, so I went back into this race to find that 6-year-old mare Rampart defeated the great Armed in the third running of this race, back in 1948. The only other mare place-getter in the history of this race is 5-year-old Intencion, back in 1954.

Goldikova Crushes FR-G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois

2009-08-16T15:08:00.001-04:00

Goldikova not only destroyed her male competition in the FR-G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois by six lengths, she took a full second off the 1981 race record, leading her trainer Freddie Head to declare she may in fact rival the celebrated Miesque in talent. According to reports, she will break until the FR-G1 Prix de la Foret on October 3 before returning to defend her Breeders’ Cup Turf Mile title in early November.

Here’s the race video in French. Goldikova breaks second from the left, with her jockey in white cap, white sleeves and light blue (#6)—just watch her accelerate from the field mid-race with her ears back. Wow!

At The Curragh in the IRE-G3 Royal Whip, mare Deauville Vision was beaten out for third by Red Rock Canyon, as Curtain Call outdueled Casual Conquest for the win, while in the IRE-G3 Phoenix Sprint the fillies Girouette and Perfect Polly battled to a photo finish, with Girouette getting the nod. The colt Icelandic got third, while 2-1 favorite Vocalised finished fifth behind Croisultan. Last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Filly runner-up Heart Shaped only beat the unfortunately-named Gluteus Maximus in the soft going.

BC Runners Goldikova, Heart Shaped in Action on Sunday

2009-08-15T21:36:00.006-04:00

Sunday Preview:
Sunday’s top European race promises to be the FR-G1 Prix du Jacques Le Marois at Deauville, with the very-talented Goldikova taking on the top-rated racehorse in the world, UAE-G1 Dubai Duty Free winner Gladiatorus. Off four consecutive victories last year—culminating in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Mile—Goldikova was well-beaten stretching out to 9f first out this year, in the FR-G1 Prix d’Ispahan. However, she rebounded with victories in the ENG-G1 Falmouth Stakes and FR-G1 Prix Rothschild—the latter of which she also won last year, and both at her preferred distance.

In addition to Goldikova , last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf runner-up, 3-year-old Heart Shaped, makes her first start in open company, in the IRE-G3 Phoenix Sprint at The Curragh. Other fillies/mares entered: 4-year-old Girouette who last out won the listed Sweet Mimosa Stakes over 4-year-old Perfect Polly who’s also in here as well as the unfortunately-named 3-year-old Statue of Liberty filly Gluteus Maximus who has only 1 win in 10 starts. The likely-favorite 3-year-old colt Vocalised—disappointing last out in the FR-G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains—is by Vindication out of Serena’s Tune, daughter of the great American champion filly Serena’s Song. The sentimental choice will be 8-year-old gelding Benbaun in his 48th career start (37 stakes); he comes in off a victory in the IRE-G3 Sapphire Stakes.

Also at The Curragh, in the IRE-G2 Royal Whip Stakes, 6-year-old mare Deauville Vision takes on a field that includes salty 8-year-old PA-bred Lord Admiral, runner-up in the IRE-G3 Meld Stakes last out, and promising 4-year-old colts Curtain Call and Casual Conquest, the latter winner of the IRE-G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup in May.

Saturday Results in Australia:
With her inside run blocked in the stretch, Fritz’s Princess could only muster a fourth-place finish in the AUS-G2 Premiere Stakes, just behind 3-year-old Phelan Ready who took third. The winners—in a dead-heat—were longshots Mentality and Kroner.

In the AUS-G2 Liston, Typhoon Tracy didn’t win, but her third-place showing was promising against much saltier open company. The winner Predatory Pricer is already G1-placed—and a half-brother to international sprinter Takeover Target. Second-place Whobegotyou is a G1 winner who does well first up as he was here.

In the AUS-G3 Cockram, poor little Romneya looked good around the final turn, but her 127 top weight got to her late and she wilted to ninth; the winner Cats Whisker, only carrying 119, was able to nose out Annesong (123), while 12-1 longshot Flying Ruby got third.

Aussie "Zenyatta" Typhoon Tracy Seeks to Continue Win Streak

2009-08-14T01:35:00.006-04:00

Saturday in Australia (late Friday night here in the U.S.) sees the first G2 races of the new season, and both feature exciting fillies and mares racing in open company.

At Rosehill, in the AUS-G2 Premiere Stakes, 7-year-old Fritz’s Princess makes her second start in two weeks, after finishing fourth of 11 in the G3 Missile Stakes. Before her 9-month injury-induced break, Fritz’s Princess enjoyed the best form of her career, including a third-place finish behind Typhoon Zed and Keen Commander in the AUS-G1 Galaxy, a second-place finish behind Absolut Glam in the AUS-G1 Winter Stakes, and a superb win in the AUS-G2 Shorts over Hot Danish.

Her top competition in the 6f event includes last year’s Premiere victor Triple Honour, AUS-G1 V.R.C. Classic winner Turffontein, and newly-minted 3-year-old Phelan Ready, winner of the AUS-G1 Golden Slipper this past April. It’s a tough spot for him, going up against seasoned older horses, but the weight-for-age conditions will help.

Approximately 20 minutes after the Premiere, at Caulfield the other AUS-G2 race will be run, the 7f Liston Stakes. A much larger field for this, with several top fillies and mares including favorite Typhoon Tracy, an undefeated 4-year-old Red Ransom mare last seen in March winning the AUS-G1 Coolmore Classic. This will be her first foray into open company, in what will be the beginning of a Cox Plate campaign. Also in here is the 5-year-old mare Zarita—winner of the AUS-G1 South Australian Oaks and AUS-G1 South Australian Derby as a 3-year-old—who didn’t win any of her 10 races last campaign, but was third in the AUS-G3 St. George Stakes in February, and only 1.5 lengths back of Niconero in the AUS-G1 Australian Cup in March. The other mare in the field, 4-year-old Gallica makes her first start after finishing off-the-board in the AUS-G1 AJC Oaks in April, but she won the AUS-G1 Schweppes Oaks at Morphettville in March. She appears to want longer than 7f.

[Let me mention here that Typhoon Tracy is a favorite of blogger friend Anne from Melbourne; check out her blog Cat Politics for a nice mixture of horse racing and music from Down Under]

Also at Caulfield, older mares go in the AUS-G3 Cockram Stakes over 6f. The top-weight favorite is the gutsy 4-year-old Romneya, last seen in March running out of the money in the AUS-G1 Robert Sangster Stakes. An interesting connection for Americans: Romneya’s dam Mannington is a half-sister to Bollinger, the dam of recent Kentucky Derby hopeful Friesan Fire.

Last year’s Cockram winner, 5-year-old Princess Gisella is back for new connections after selling for $140k at the 2009 Australian Broodmare sale; the idea is to increase her value this campaign with more group wins or placings. Lee Freedman-trained Marchelle Belle has won 6 of nine starts, including the listed Tasmanian Oaks in February, and the Yalumba Masters first-up on August 1—a race in which Princess Gisella finished fourth. The second and third-place finishers in that race, Annesong and With Apologies respectively, are here as well.

Thursday Results in Europe:
Profound Beauty breezed to victory against 3-year-old colt Mourayan in the IRE-G3 Ballyroan Stakes, with the other filly in the field, Shreyas, five lengths back in third. Profound Beauty's next target: IRE-G1 Irish St. Leger on September 12.

In the FR-G3 Prix Minerve, Zarkava’s half-sister finished out of the money, as Kalla nipped Peinture Rare by a short head, followed 2.5 lengths back by Pearlescence in third, just a neck in front of Zerkerya; Jakonda was fifth in the 10-horse field.

Favored Soneva won the FR-G3 Prix de Lieurey, and may aim for the FR-G1 Prix du Moulin at Longchamp next. Wilside finished third, a length behind the Dr. Fong filly Emergency; Sweet Hearth was 10th in the 11-horse field, but relatively close-up with the main pack. Article Rare scratched.

Upcoming European Races of Interest

2009-08-13T00:37:00.003-04:00

On Thursday, 5-year-old mare Profound Beauty runs in the IRE-G3 Ballyroan Stakes (12f T) at Leopardstown. Last year, trainer Dermot Weld shipped Profound Beauty to run in the AUS-G1 Melbourne Cup, where she finished a promising fifth, and thus punters have made her an early co-favorite for this year’s edition, along with multiple-G1 winner Rebel Raider. Her chief competition in the Ballyroan is likely to be 3-year-old colt Mourayan, last seen running third in the G1 Irish Derby behind Fame and Glory. However, another one to watch is 4-year-old filly Shreyas, going for three straight wins over this Leopardstown course after two straight listed race victories. Shreyas is also a half-sister to the extremely-talented Youmzain (winner of the FR-G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, and twice second in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, behind Dylan Thomas in 2007, and Zarkava in 2008), as well as G1 winner Creachadoir.

Another filly to mention racing on Thursday is Zerkeriya—learn the name—she’s the half-sister of undefeated FR-G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe victress Zarkava. After winning last out going 12f in her fourth start, she’ll tackle group company for the first time, in the FR-G3 Prix Minerve (12.5f T) at Deauville. Among her competitors is Peinture Rare, a half-sister to 1997 Arc winner Peintre Celebre, last seen running out of the money in the FR-G2 Prix de Malleret; Pearlescence, a half-sister to 2002 G1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf victress Starine; Jakonda, whose unraced dam Mystery Trip is a half-sister to AP Indy and Summer Squall; and Kalla, a half-sister to ITY-G1 Gran Criterium victor Konigstiger, who finished third last out in the Prix de Malleret.

Also on Thursday at Deuville for 3-year-old fillies is the FR-G3 Prix de Lieurey (8f T), featuring recent FR-G1 Prix Saint-Alary runner-up Article Rare. She has an impressive pedigree, as her FR-G3 winning dam Action Francaise is the daughter of 1974 filly Arc winner Allez France. Also entered is last-out FR-G3 Prix Chloe winner Wilside; FR-G3 Prix d’Aumale victress Soneva; and Sweet Hearth, a half-sister to G1 Santa Maria victress Santa Teresita.

After winning the G1 Prix Rothschild against fillies and mares on August 2, Goldikova returns to take on males in the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville on Sunday. Chief among them figures to be Gladiatorus, winner of this year’s UAE-G1 Dubai Duty Free (9f T)—and officially rated the best horse in the world off that win—who recently missed the G1 Arlington Million due to a “corn in his foot.” However, Irish-bred Paco Boy will not be among her challengers, as his trainer Richard Hannon announced on his website that the 2008 FR-G1 Prix de la Foret winner will spell and return in time to defend his Prix de la Foret title during the Arc meeting at Longchamp in October. As his trainer added, “I have made no secret of the fact that I would be against taking him to the Breeders Cup, but there is Hong Kong in December to consider and we'll sit down again after the Foret and make a plan.”

While Goldikova plans a return to Santa Anita to defeat her G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Mile title in November, a host of other 3-year-old European fillies—perhaps inspired by the achievements last year of Zarkava—are dreaming of Arc glory. They include Sariska, back-to-back victress of the G1 English and Irish Oaks, who will attempt a treble with the ENG-G1 Yorkshire Oaks on August 20. Stacelita, undefeated in five races including the G1 Prix Saint-Alary and G1 Prix de Diane, will return on September 13 in the FR-G1 Prix Vermeille, while her stablemate FR-G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches victress Elusive Wave (who finished second to Goldikova in the G1 Prix Rothschild last out) will aim for the FR-G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp on September 6.

Elusive Heat Scorches in Return, Zenyatta Remains Undefeated and Other Weekend Filly News

2009-08-09T23:22:00.003-04:00

Rather than jumping back immediately into G1 stakes company, trainer Angel Penna Jr. took a more conservative route by entering future Hall of Famer Xtra Heat’s three-year-old daughter Elusive Heat in the 6f Geyser Spring Stakes (rather than the G1 Test or G2 Honorable Miss) at Saratoga on Sunday—and she didn’t disappoint! With Rajiv Maragh up, Elusive Heat went to the lead and never looked back, finishing under a hand ride in a blistering 1:08.93. Just five races later, Game Face won the G2 Honorable Miss in 1:10.70, followed by Fabulous Strike winning the G1 Vanderbilt in 1:08.69. In that context, Elusive Heat looks powerful! Next up could be the G3 Victory Ride on Travers Day.

In Sunday’s G1 Clement L. Hirsch at Del Mar, Zenyatta attempted her 12th consecutive win. Sent off as a very short favorite, she didn’t disappoint, making her now-trademark wide run from the back of the pack to squeak out a win over 22-1 longshot Anabaa’s Creation, a European G3-placed turfster making her second start on an all-weather surface. Front-running Lethal Heat appears to have regained her good 3-year-old form, staying on strong for third, but after her nice third-place finish in the G1 Hollywood Gold Cup, Life Is Sweet disappointed, as she could muster only a fourth, followed by Dawn After Dawn, Tidal Dance and Champagne Eyes.

I know I may be nit-picking, but Zenyatta’s final time was pretty pedestrian (1:43.24), well off her track record of 1:41.48 set in last year’s Clement Hirsch, and her slowest 8.5f time in 8 tries. Mike Smith said afterward, “I underestimated the competition,” but, honestly, the competition didn’t appear to be all that tough. One of these days I fear hanging back and making one big move isn’t going to be in time... However, she certainly is breathtaking! And that prancing before the race—you think that’s her way in intimidating her competition? Kind of like Muhammad Ali’s “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee”?

Also at Del Mar on Sunday, in race 6—a 5.5f MSW for 2-year-old fillies—the winner was (surprise, surprise!) yet another daughter of Medaglia d’Oro, Champagne d’Oro, who last out had finished a well-beaten last in the Landaluce. It was an impressive win, as her time of 1:03.50 was just a tick off the track record (1:03.26), thus proving the Del Mar surface wasn’t playing inherently slow today.

As a sire, Medaglia d’Oro had a very good Sunday, as all four runners placed. In addition to Champagne d’Oro, son Cedros lost by a head to Structural in race 5 at Del Mar (8f, turf), while daughter Gold d’Oro finished second by a neck to Minishaft in a MSW (9f, turf) in race 2 at Saratoga. At Mountaineer, daughter Oriental Sunshine finished third in an allowance (7f turf) by a half length.

A nice filly to watch: the odd-sounding Romacaca, 3-year-old daughter of Running Stag out of the Kris S mare Romaca, has improved by leaps and bounds after being claimed for $25,000 at Gulfstream in April from Cashel Stud and trainer David Fawkes. She’s undefeated in three turf routes at Arlington for owner Frank Calabrese and trainer Dan Miller, most recently running away with the Hatoof Stakes on the Arlington Million undercard, and taking her earnings this year to $119,990. She totally controlled the speed, thus the pedestrian fractions, but still won with extraordinary ease.

Rachel, Zenyatta, Rachel, Zenyatta…

2009-08-07T22:59:00.003-04:00

Dana Byerly over at Green but Game has an excellent post up regarding the exasperating part of the “Zenyatta vs. Rachel Alexandra” phenomenon, specifically the idea that some fans feel it’s an “either/or” situation when it comes to emotionally supporting one horse or the other. It’s an attitude I just don’t get.

Sports fan dynamics are not new to me—come on, I grew up in Pittsburgh where we loathe fans of the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens and just about anyone from Philadelphia. I get regional competitiveness, which certainly is a strong component in the Zenyatta/Rachel saga, made manifest by the greater discussion revolving around the relative merits of synthetic surfaces in California where Zenyatta is based. It’s also not unheard of in the sport of horse racing, as even in the nineteenth century races like the American Derby at Chicago’s Washington Park (and now Arlington) were established on “neutral” ground between East and West to determine champion horses. Some of the best known match races—Seabiscuit vs. War Admiral at Pimlico, Swaps vs. Nashua at Washington Park—were driven by bi-coastal rivalries.

That said, the tone of today’s debate about these two fillies, on chat boards, blogs and even among industry media types, appears more rigid, more hypersensitive. While dissent is human nature, we are taught (lamentably) all too often in terms of black and white—good guys and bad guys are absolutes, and there’s no middle ground or overlap. As an educator, I see this way too often—students find it virtually impossible to understand nuances, multifaceted causes-and-effects that form the “big picture.” It is moreover symptomatic of the polarization so in vogue in American politics and culture in general. Take a position and then be hypercritical of anything or anyone that “threatens” the perceived status quo.

I don’t know the answer to alleviating this mentality, but it’s unproductive. Let’s celebrate both fillies—sure, we can debate the relative merits of each, but until they actually meet face-to-face, what exactly are they competing for besides this truly subjective title “Horse of the Year”? Horse racing fans are few and far between in America as it is—do we really need to perpetuate further divisiveness?

By the way, has anyone considered they could share the title “Horse of the Year” if they don’t actually meet this year—co-honorees? Wouldn’t that build suspense for next year? I know I may be dreaming here, but what I’d love to see is the Mosses and Jess Jackson sit down with a neutral third party and plot out a course of action, or joint campaign for the two, one with enough flexibility that each filly could run at her preferred distances and on her preferred surfaces, yet ensure that they meet head-to-head at least twice before next year’s Breeders’ Cup, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Golden Girls in a Golden Age

2009-08-07T01:11:00.002-04:00

Obscured by the seemingly constant bombardment of bad news about the sport is the fact that we are in the midst of a golden era for racing fillies and mares worldwide. Consider, in this decade we have witnessed:

● New Zealand iron-mare Sunline winning 32 of 48 starts (finishing out of the money only four times)—with 13 G1s, including back-to-back victories in the prestigious G1 Cox Plate against males.

● Future Hall of Fame sprinter Xtra Heat who won 26 races in 35 starts (including 11 graded stakes) losing the 2001 G1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint—by ½ length—to Squirtle Squirt.

● Legendary Aussie mare Makybe Diva winning not one or two, but three consecutive G1 Melbourne Cups over males, the only horse to do so in a race first run in 1861.

● Three-year-old turf phenom Ouija Board finishing a closing third in the FR-G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe against older males, before taking the 2004 G1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, and again in 2006.

● Aussie sprinter Miss Andretti crushing Takeover Target (among others) in the G1 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot, on her way to being named 2007 Australian Racehorse of the Year.

● Rags to Riches battling down the stretch against future UAE-G1 Dubai World Cup victor and Horse of the Year Curlin, winning the 2007 G1 Belmont Stakes.

● Three-year-old Zarkava soundly defeating older males in the 2008 FR-G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

● Three-year-old Vodka becoming the first filly in 64 years to win the JPN-G1 Japanese Derby, and then winning back-to-back editions of the prestigious JPN-G1 Yasuda Kinen over males in 2008 and 2009.

● Gutsy sprinter Indian Blessing falling ½ length short of victory in the 2009 UAE-G1 Golden Shaheen, in her first start against older males and on a straight track.

● Three-year-old Goldikova not only defeating dual classics winner and G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic runner-up Henrythenavigator in the FR-G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, but also a strong field that included returning champion Kip Deville in the 2008 G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Mile.

These are but a few examples, all of which demonstrate the exceptional talent that has captured the hearts and imagination of fans.

At present, two brilliant fillies stand at the summit of American racing—undefeated Zenyatta on the West Coast and “colt-destroyer” Rachel Alexandra in the East. In many ways, this regional divide (surprisingly, in this day and age) drives the rivalry between them. The Mosses prefer to race Zenyatta in California where she is unbeaten on the artificial surfaces prevalent there (although she did win the 2008 G1 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn on the dirt). Rachel Alexandra is devouring her three-year-old competition, including males in the G1 Preakness and G1 Haskell Invitational. Her owner Jess Jackson appears to have no problem setting her on an ambitious campaign that may including trying older males in the G1 Woodward. However, to the consternation of some fans, it appears highly unlikely the two will meet this year, as Jess Jackson has been adamant regarding not racing Rachel at Santa Anita in either the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (Ladies Classic) or the Classic against males due to the Pro-Ride surface, and the Mosses see little reason to leave their home state to race.

Much as I would like to see these two meet, there is a silver lining here—keeping the two separate builds drama, and focuses attention on both coasts. Let Zenyatta win the Breeders’ Cup Classic this fall, while having Rachel run against older males in the Woodward, Jockey Club Gold Cup and/or Clark Handicap. Rest them over the winter, and then meet in the Apple Blossom in April, but don’t stop there—commit them to a series of matchups like the G1 Stephen Foster at Churchill (June), or G2 Molly Pitcher at Monmouth (August), avoiding New York’s detention barns and California’s artificial surfaces. Maybe even card special races or tracks could get creative and move stakes around to have them meet at Keeneland, Woodbine or even Presque Isle. The big event, of course, would be the Breeders’ Cup Classic when it returns to Churchill next fall.

In the meantime, market the hell out of these two—starting with actually getting their races on network television. Bring horse racing back into some semblance of mainstream recognition. These two forces-of-nature not only could it pull off, but deserve nothing less.

Why Fillies First?

2009-08-05T00:39:00.003-04:00

For quite some time, I’ve been debating whether or not to branch out, and start a second horse racing blog.

My original blog—in initial inspiration dedicated to my childhood devotion to champion Foolish Pleasure—emerged out of my re-awakening in 2007 to the sport I loved as a girl, but moved away from as university, graduate school and then (finally) work took me in other directions. It’s a mélange of handicapping, reactions and history, often rooted in the current race meetings or big racing events, whether here in North America, Europe, Dubai, or more often of late, Australia—and I like it’s diversity. However, I’ve always felt that if I concentrated too much on one subject or another, I’d get pigeonholed as a certain type of blogger—and I’m a generalist at heart.

That said, there is definitely a place for a voice that resonates with a specific agenda so what I envision here is a mix of racing and breeding news from around the world, along with a strong dose of thoroughbred racing history—all focused exclusively on current and past fillies and mares. I certainly wish to appeal to fans of both sexes, but most particularly to women and girls who like me love horses with a passion, and find themselves reawakened to, or falling in love with, the sport of horse racing.

It won’t be trite. It won’t be “girly” in a negative or stereotypical way. And it certainly will not be patronizing.

It will be informative, and, most importantly, serious in presenting the sport of horse racing—past, present and future—with a clear intent of...Fillies First!

To start things off, you’ll notice on the left sidebar the results of a continuing project I have undertaken over the past year—a list of successful fillies and mares running in open company (against males) in graded stakes races around the world.

All too often (but particularly in the United States) there is a preconception that female horses cannot compete against male horses due to inherent physical capabilities, or mental weakness, usually the result of anthropomorphically projecting our own gender prejudices. You know, the old “frailty, thy name is woman.” However, the best fillies and mares can and do compete against colts, horses and geldings at the highest level of racing all around the world, on all surfaces and distances, from age 2 until they are ready to retire.

To prove my point, I’ve compiled a Google spreadsheet listing the names and ages of every filly and mare who won or placed (second or third) in a G1, G2 or G3 stakes race around the world just this year—as of this post, there are 158. In the sidebar, I’ll keep a current listing of just the G1 winners, but you will always be able to access the complete list which I’ll update on a regular basis.