Babies On Parade
Juvenile racing starts this week, and along with it, great expectations and high hopes. But none, perhaps, are higher than for the offspring of a horse that was talented enough to earn the coveted “A” rating on the track. While the odds are against you that a champion can outdo herself in the breeding shed – think Lady’s Secret and Genuine Risk – but there are the Personal Ensigns and Miesques of the world – who not only raced at the highest level, but their offspring do as well. As of this writing, there are 14 juveniles meeting this criteria, and I added another two who are the offspring of Eclipse Award winners, who were good enough to win championship honors, but retired with only a “B” rating. For some readers, it may be a walk down memory lane, remembering some of these mares’ accomplishments; for others it may be some horses to track, and for still others it may simply be interesting to see the pedigree combinations. In any event, enjoy!
A Cause for Minsky, filly (Giant’s Causeway x Minsky by Deputy Minister)
Fourth foal out of the Breeders’ Bowl Juvenile victress, champion 2yo filly and earner of almost $1.7 million.
Championship Hope, filly (Seeking the Gold x Kristeene S. by Kris S.)
Dam won 20 of 47 starts, including the Breeders’ Bowl Turf Distaff, and more than $2.5 million. As a broodmare, she has a stakes winning, G1 placed foal in Blessed Road (3yo colt by Kingmambo).
Exalted Cat, filly (Vision and Verse x Granny Exalted by Rahy)
Dam won the G1 Denny Tario by 10 lengths at three, and added five other graded wins, including two more G1s, before retiring to the breeding shed with 16 wins from 48 starts, and earnings just over $1.3 million. Granny Exalted has already produced two stakes winners from three foals – Granny’s Girl (6yo mare by Storm Cat), who was very lightly raced from ages 2 to 4, but responded with two dirt route stakes victories last year, and Gold Sacrifice (4yo colt by Seeking the Gold), who captured a 6 ½ furlong dirt sprint stakes last season.
Go Hard, filly (Doyen x One Attack by Gone West)
Dam won the Breeders’ Bowl Distaff and two other G1 races, as well as Champion Older Mare honors, while earning $2.3 million. As a broodmare, she has produced three other foals, the best of which is Saddle Me Up (8yo horse by Sadler’s Wells), who won the G3 Holy Bull Stakes as a 3yo.
Gum Drop Mountain, colt (Lemon Drop Kid x Green Apples by Touch Gold)
Second foal out of a champion 2yo filly, who won the G1 Frickazee and Movie Starlet on the way to earning divisional honors, and retired with six wins from 20 starts and just over $1 million.
Honor Thy Mother, filly (Rahy x Mother Story by Wild Again)
Fifth foal out of a Breeders’ Bowl Juvenile Filly winner, who stormed through the division, winning two more G1s and a G3 on her way to champion 2yo filly honors. At three, she beat the boys in the G3 Thousand Island Stakes, and won the G1 Black Middle Flower, and eventually retired with 12 wins from 45 starts, and a bankroll of more than $2.1 million.
Land Champ, filly (Golden Missile x Land Slam by Grand Slam)
Third foal out of a Breeders’ Bowl Juvenile Filly winner and champion 2yo filly who went on to win the G1 Sweet Nanette at three, and retired with earnings of just over $1.5 million in 41 career starts.
Northern Gibraltar, colt (Rock of Gibraltar x Saddle Up Partner by A.P. Indy)
Second foal out of an 2003 Oaks de English heroine, who placed in five other G1 races and earned more than $1.8 million.
Perils of Love, colt (Afleet Alex x Dangerous Reward by Kingmambo)
Second foal out of a GSR Oaks winner, who earned more than $2.5 million.
Pgpg Filly’s Arazi, colt (Arazi x Pgpg’s Filly by Forestry)
Third foal out of a G1 winner who was also an Equinics silver medallist, and third against Storm Dog and the boys in the Breeders’ Bowl Mile. The “Filly” retired with an impressive 25 wins from 47 starts, a more than 50% strike rate, and earnings just shy of the $2.7 million mark.
Pharsyn, colt (Nysaean x Pharsea Seattle by Seattle Slew)
Fourth foal from a champion 3yo filly, who won the G1 Exam Stakes. She retired with 16 wins from 70 starts and more than $1.6 million in earnings.
Please Baby Please, filly (Woodman x Virginia Well x Pleasant Colony)
Fourth foal out of a California Oaks-G1 winner and Breeders’ Bowl Juvenile Filly runner up, who earned more than $1.6 million in a 52 race career.
Sox Theatre, filly (Theatrical x Smokey Prospector by Mr. Prospector)
Every year there’s a dash to Smokey Prospector’s barn, as she is the only A rated mare with no active owner. What’s amazing is this mare raced only 18 times, winning twice, but still did enough to earn the A rating. But if your two wins are in G1 stakes, and all but one of your seconds and thirds are in graded stakes, it’s understandable. This is the popular mare’s fifth foal – Smokey has already produced a four-time stakes winner in Ironhorse Award (6yo filly by A.P. Indy), a G3 placed winner in Smokey Coon (5yo filly by Forestry), and a stakes placed winner in Did I Get It (4yo filly by Thunder Gulch). Smokey’s lone colt is the underachiever in the bunch, with just a maiden win to his credit as of this writing.
Special Report, colt (Rahy x Van Halen by Sadler’s Wells)
“He-mare” won 10 of 27 starts, and slightly more than $2 million, including the G1 Chicago Derby and Swamps Stakes at three. Van Halen had an equally successful campaign at four, earning another G1 victory, but tailed off in his final two starts, prompting the decision to retire him.
Texas Legend, filly (A.P. Indy x Texas Tornado by Deputy Minister)
Second foal out of the speedy Texas Tornado, who led from start to finish in the Bluegrass Oaks. She ended her career with 6 wins from 23 starts and earnings just over a million. Her first foal, America’s Horse (3yo filly by Smarty Jones) is a stakes winner.
Tribal Odyssey, filly (War Chant x Jaw Dropper by Kingmambo)
Second foal out of an Equinics gold medallist, who also captured the G1 QE2 Challenge that year, and retired after a brief 28 race career with almost $1.4 million in the bank.