breeders’ cup He’s also had another 11 stakes winners, seven Graded, from his first two Australian crops, among them Melbourne Cup (G1) victor Vow And Declare, and Grade 1 scorers Warning and Winning Ways. Fire At Will is out the Kitten’s Joy mare Flirt, a half-sister to the aforementioned Decorated Invader, who gained his Grade 1 win in the Summer Stakes at two, and added two more Graded events at three. Flirt is also half-sister to stakes winner Jubilant Girl, the dam of the French blacktype scorer, Native American. The second dam Gamely Girl is half-sister to Dr Arbatach, a champion in Puerto Rico, and to French Listed winner, Stern Opinion. Third dam Helstra was by Nureyev out the Santa Anita Oaks (G1) heroine Hail Atlantis. She is also dam of sire Stormy Atlantic.
Pearl adds to Lope De Vega’s resume
Having won a maiden and the Jessamine Stakes (G2) in her first two starts in impressive style, Aunt Pearl made it three straight going wire-to-wire to take the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1). A daughter of the increasingly impressive Lope De Vega (Shamardal), Aunt Pearl is out of the Hurricane Run mare Matauri Pearl. She was a champion three-year-old filly in Scandinavia and a sister to Wekeela, a Group/Graded winner in the US and France and Group/Grade 1 placed. The grand-dam Moonrise is half-sister to Moonlight Melody, dam of Molly Malone, who took the Prix Cadran (G1). Her covering to Lope De Vega’s sire Shamardal produced French Group winner Morgan Le Faye. The third dam Morning Queen is a sister
Into Mischief maintains his Dirt dominance
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NTO MISCHIEF was represented by another spectacular three-year-old in Gamine, who stormed home 6l clear in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1). Like Authentic, she scored in a track-record time on what was admittedly an exceptionally fast Dirt surface. She was recording her third Grade 1 victory in four stakes starts, her sole defeat in black-type company coming when third in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) – the nine furlongs there beyond her compass. Gamine is the third foal of her dam Peggy Jane. A New York-bred, Peggy Jane did show above-average ability in that programme winning in state-bred maiden special weight and allowance company, and finishing second in the Windswept Wings Stakes. Peggy Jane was a daughter of the Blushing Groom line horse Kafwain, who stood for just $10,000 in 2008 the year she was conceived. She was the first foal out of Seattle Splash, a mare claimed as a broodmare prospect for $22,500. A daughter of Chief Seattle, Seattle Splash was half-sister to Splasha, a multiple stakes winner and graded stakes performer, also dam of the stakes winner Grand Cash and to Canadian black-type winner Murani. The pedigree subsequently received a
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notable upgrade when Murani produced Dynamic Sky, a 2015 champion Turf horse in Canada. Grand Splash, the dam of Seattle Splash, won four black-type events from 7f to a mile, all at Calder. Grand Splash’s own second dam Little Flota was out of Gaslight. She was a halfsister to the top-class Sailor, a versatile six-time stakes winner who was just below the best of a crop headed by Nashua and Swaps. He later sired the Eclipse Award champions Bowl Of Flowers and Ahoy. Flota, the dam of Gaslight and Sailor, is sister to High Fleet, who took the Coaching Club Oaks in 1936, and was champion threeyear-old filly that year.
Whitmore strikes for the older generation
The open version of the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1), run over 6f, went to veteran Whitmore, a seven-year-old gelding making his 38th start and his fourth in this event. Whitmore doesn’t have a pedigree immediately associated with a short-course specialist, and earlier in his career placed in a trio of Kentucky Derby trials before finishing a weary 19th in the race itself. He is by Pleasantly Perfect, who numbered
to the outstanding German racehorse and sire Monsun and half-sister to Morning Light. She is the dam of Poule d’Essai des Poulains (G1) and Jockey-Club winner Brametot.
Another score for Uncle Mo
British racing got a look at Golden Pal when, on his second start and still a maiden, he finished second in the Norfolk Stakes (G2), beaten a neck by The Lir Jet. Subsequently a decisive winner of the Bolton Landing Stakes on his only other start, Golden Pal started favourite for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) and duly delivered, going wire-to-wire to win by three-quarters of a length. Golden Pal is by the champion two-yearthe Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) and Dubai World Cup (G1) amongst his successes. Whitmore is the only stakes winner under his first four dams, but his dam Melody’s Spirit does have a rather intriguing pedigree as she is by Scat Daddy. His sire Johannesburg is by a son of Storm Cat out of a mare by Yarn. Melody’s Spirit’s dam is by Tale Of The Cat, who is by Storm Cat out of Yarn. The first previous black-type in the family comes under the fifth dam French Flag, who produced a trio of stakes-winning siblings by Raja Baba, including Drapeau, who is dam of Hollywood Futurity (G1) winner Swiss Yodeler and sire of a string of speedy performers when standing in California.
Monomoy Girl: simply the best
The Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) saw the wonderful five-year-old mare Monomoy Girl complete a perfect season with victory over her determined pursuer Valiance. It is an effort that will secure her an Eclipse Award as champion older mare to go with the award she earned as champion three-year-old filly. The year marked a remarkable return for Monomoy Girl, who due to injury and illness, was out of action after her first Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) victory in 2018 until this May. Monomoy Girl’s record now places her among history’s great racemares.
