By Heather Anderson
In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This column is highlighted by the second victory of Rebel's Romance in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf.
Another Turf Title For Rebel's Romance
Godolphin's Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) delivered his second GI Breeders' Cup Turf in three years at Del Mar for trainer Charlie Appleby on Nov. 2 (video). He also took out the 2022 renewal at Keeneland.
A Group/Grade 1 winner in Hong Kong, the UAE, and Germany besides his American heroics, the homebred is out of the stakes-placed Minidress (GB) (Street Cry {Ire}). Besides producing the dual Breeders' Cup winner, Minidress foaled the listed-placed Petticoat (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) as her first foal, and her 2020 Frankel (GB) colt Measured Time (GB) won the G1 Jebel Hatta and GI Manhattan Stakes in his career so far. Her latest foal is a yearling full-brother to Rebel's Romance. Second dam Short Skirt (GB) (Diktat {GB}) is a two-time Group 3 winner who was also second in the G1 Yorkshire Oaks and third in the G1 Oaks.
Darley stallion Dubawi has sired 45 winners from 88 runners (51%) in America and Canada. His total stakes winners number 24 (27%), with 18 (20%) of those at the graded level. Rebel's Romance is one of 10 Grade I scorers (11%) and five multiple Grade I winners in that jurisdiction.
Breeders' Cup Redemption For Starlust
Fitriani Hay's Starlust (GB) (Zoustar {Aus}), third in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint last term, delivered in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar for trainer Ralph Beckett on Nov. 2 (video). The Branton Court Stud-bred 3-year-old colt was a 55,000gns Book 2 Tattersalls October yearling buy by Dermot Farrington.
A winner of the G3 Sirenia Stakes at two, Starlust added a listed event this term prior to his Breeders' Cup heroics. Beyond Desire (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) did her best work in the G3 Prix de Saint-Georges as a 5-year-old, and Starlust is one of two stakes winners for her, with Queen Of Desire (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) striking in a British listed affair in 2019. Group winners Mazuna (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and Beautiful Romance (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) are under the third dam, Keswa (Ire) (King's Lake), who placed in a stakes in Italy.
Former reverse shuttler Zoustar stood at Tweenhills Farm and Stud for several seasons, and he is responsible for seven winners from 12 runners (58%) in North America. Starlust is one of two stakes winners (17%) there, with the other the multiple stakes winner and GII Eddie D Stakes third King Of Gosford (GB).
Double For O'Brien On Breeders' Cup Friday
Wootton Bassett (GB)'s Henri Matisse (Ire) capped a strong Friday showing at Del Mar for the Coolmore partners with a neck victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (video). It was trainer Aidan O'Brien's second BC win on the card, after Lake Victoria (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) in the GI Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Racing for Merriebelle Stable, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, and Mrs. John Magnier, the two-time Group 2 winner and G1 National Stakes runner-up is a half-brother to dual Group 1 winner Tenebrism (Caravaggio), and G2 Airlie Stud Stakes heroine Statuette (Justify). Immortal Verse (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) won both the Coronation Stakes and Prix Jacques le Marois at the highest level, with her latest foal a weanling colt by Justify. She was covered by the American Triple Crown winner this spring. Bred by the Immortal Verse Syndicate, Henri Matisse is a grandson of stakes winner and G3 Prix Fille de l'Air second Side Of Paradise (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), while influential runner and sire Last Tycoon (Ire) (Try My Best) is under the third dam.
Coolmore's Wootton Bassett's American stats feature 19 winners from 39 runners (49%) lifetime. Eight of those are stakes winners (20%), and of his seven graded winners (18%), three of them are Grade I scorers (8%), with both Audarya (Fr) (F&M Turf) and Unquestionable (Fr) (Juvenile Turf) also Breeders' Cup winners.
Frankel Filly Remains Perfect In Juvenile Fillies Turf
Already a Group 1 winner in Ireland and England, 'TDN Rising Star' Lake Victoria (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) defended her perfect record with a 1 1/2-length score in the GI John Deere Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar at the beginning of the month (video). Racing for Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor, she was the first of two Breeders' Cup winners on the day for Aidan O'Brien.
Bred by Coolmore, the daughter of G1 Commonwealth Cup/G1 Sprint Cup victress Quiet Reflection (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) is the fourth foal and second stakes horse for her dam, after G2 Dante Stakes third Bluegrass (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Quiet Reflection has a pair of full-brothers to the winner foaled in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
Juddmonte's Frankel now has 32 winners (49%) from 65 runners in the U.S. Of his 13 stakes winners (20%), eight are graded winners (12%) and four are Grade I winners (6%). Lake Victoria is his second Breeders' Cup winner after the 2023 victory of Inspiral (GB) in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
Mehmas Colt Forces The Issue In Juvenile Turf Sprint
Sheikh Abdulla bin Isa Al Khalifa's homebred Magnum Force (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) kicked off Breeders' Cup Friday in fine style with a half-length win in the GI Juvenile Turf Sprint (video). Trained by Ger Lyons, the son of Tropical Rock (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) had placed in the G2 Flying Childers Stakes earlier in the year.
Magnum Force is the fourth foal and second winner out of his dam, who won twice as a juvenile over six furlongs for trainer Ralph Beckett. His granddam Tropical Treat (GB) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}) won the Listed Land O'Burns Fillies' Stakes, and farther back in the family is sire and G2 Champagne Stakes hero Sri Pekan (Red Ransom).
Magnum Force is his Tally-Ho sire's first Breeders' Cup winner. However, from 28 runners, Mehmas has 16 winners (57%) in North America, with six of them stakes winners (21%). A quintet of those are graded winners, and his other top-level scorers in the U.S. are Going Global (Ire) and Chez Pierre (Fr).
Blue Point Filly Strikes In Goldikova
On the Breeders' Cup Saturday undercard, Raqiya (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) made all to take the GIII Goldikova Stakes under Frankie Dettori (video). A homebred for Shadwell, the Owen Burrows trainee had landed the G3 Oak Tree Stakes during the Goodwood meeting in July.
Her dam, the Dansili (GB) mare Rihaam (Ire), was unraced, but that hasn't prevented her from popping out winners like clockwork, with the Goldikova winner her fourth foal and scorer. After selling in foal to Dark Angel (Ire) for 540,000gns to Blandford Bloodstock at the 2022 Tattersalls July Sale, Rihaam foaled a filly from that mating who sold for 100,000gns to Ollie Sangster from Camas Park Stud during Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale this autumn. She also has a colt foal by Camelot (GB). Raqiya is a half-sister to the listed-placed Ribhi (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), and she is also kin to Group 1 winners Alfareeq (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Bahri (Riverman) among others.
Already a Breeders' Cup sire with the victory of Big Evs (Ire) last year, Darley's Blue Point (Ire) has been represented by three winners from seven runners (43%) in the U.S. Raqiya is his second stakes winner (28%) there.
'TDN Rising Star' For Siyouni
LNJ Foxwoods-owned Earhart (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) bolted up a 6 3/4-length winner on her debut over the Woodbine all-weather on Nov. 9, good for a 'TDN Rising Star' nod (video). Bred by Ecurie des Monceaux and LNJ Foxwoods in France, the Josie Carroll-trained grey was a €1.4-million Arqana August yearling buy. Alex Solis and Jason Litt selected the youngster from the Monceaux draft.
Out of Aviatress (Ire) (Shamardal), Earhart is followed by a yearling filly by Dubawi (Ire). Their dam won the Listed Prix de Saint-Cyr, and is a half-sister to stakes winner and multiple graded placed 'TDN Rising Star' Gidu (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and GII Seaway Stakes heroine Marbre Rose (Ire) (Smart Strike), while Grade I winner and producer Zoftig (Cozzene) is under the third dam.
The Aga Khan Studs' Siyouni (Fr) has sired 18 winners from 44 runners in North America (41%). His five stakes winners (11%) are led by a quartet of graded winners (9%)–Sacred Life (Fr), La Signare (Fr), Love And Thunder (Ire), and Beautiful Love (Ire).
Muhaarar Filly Surprises In Long Island
Michael Ryan's 'TDN Rising Star' Be Your Best (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}) earned a career high in the GIII Long Island Stakes at Aqueduct on Nov. 10 (video). Trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., the 4-year-old filly was bred by St. Croix Bloodstock.
The daughter of Kamakura (Medaglia d'Oro) won on debut and the Listed P.G. Johnson Stakes in succession at Saratoga in 2022. After placing in four graded stakes including the 2023 GI Del Mar Oaks and GI American Oaks, Sunday's victory was her first since then. One of two winners for Kamakura, Be Your Best has a yearling colt by Too Darn Hot (GB), a weanling filly by Baaeed (GB), and she was covered by Cody's Wish this spring. Be Your Best is out of a half-sister to Medaglia d'Oro's stakes winner and GIII Discover Handicap winner Bay Of Plenty, with Italian Group 1 winner Flagbird (Nureyev) listed as the third dam.
Haras du Petit Tellier's Muhaarar has accrued seven winners (47%) from 15 runners in the U.S. All four of his stakes winners (27%) have prevailed at the graded level, with GII Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint Stakes victor Bran (Fr) his flagbearer.
All Together Now
Chad Brown saddled Venencia (Fr) (Recoletos {Fr}) to a neck victory in the Forever Together Stakes at Aqueduct on Nov. 10 (video). Campaigned by an ownership group of Bradley Thoroughbreds, Laura Leigh Stable, Jim Cone, Belmar Racing and Breeding, Team Hanley and Cambron Equine, the 4-year-old filly was bred by Patricia, Ines and Fernando Laffon Lomba.
A three-quarter length winner of her lone French start for Patricia, the wife of trainer Carlos Laffon-Parias, the filly was subsequently sold to her current connections. Sunday's victory was her fifth North American start. The second foal and winner out of Sign Of Life (Lemon Drop Kid), Venencia has a yearling full-sister. This is the clan tracing to high-class French runner Northern Trick (Northern Dancer), the third dam of Venencia, who won both the G1 Prix de Diane and G1 Prix Vermeille.
Recoletos, who stands at Haras du Petit Tellier, has done well from only a few runners in America, with two winners from three to race (66%). Besides Venencia, he has the Listed Sweet Life Stakes heroine Antifona (Fr), and Revalita (Fr), who has placed in a pair of graded races.
Repeat Winner
Imaboutago (Ire) (Calyx {GB}) featured in the final Making Waves column of 2023, and the consistent filly added a Del Mar allowance to her haul on Breeders' Cup Saturday (video). She is owned by e Five Racing Thoroughbreds and trained by Wesley Ward.
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