Making Waves: Milestone Week For Dubawi

   In this new series, the TDN takes a look at the success of European-based sires in North America, on a semi-weekly basis. This week's column (Feb. 18-Feb. 25) is highlighted by the victory of Godolphin homebred Lake Lucerne (Dubawi {Ire}) in the Albert M. Stall Memorial S. at Fair Grounds on Feb. 18.

A worldwide influence for class, Dubawi celebrated his 250th stakes winner with Lake Lucerne's two-length victory for Brendan Walsh and Tyler Gaffalione in a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes in New Orleans eight days previously. The 6-year-old mare was previously placed in Belmont's GIII Athenia S. and five other black-type races.

Part of the extensive international breeding programme of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Lake Lucerne is a daughter of GI Breeders' Cup Distaff and GI Acorn S. heroine Round Pond (Awesome Again), who joined the Darley broodmare band after selling for $5.75 million out of the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Mixed Sale of 2007. Lake Lucerne's half-brother Long River (A.P. Indy) won the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3, while another half-sister produced GI Carter H. victor and new Darley American stallion Speaker's Corner (Street Sense). Classic winners and subsequent sires Black Minnaloushe (Storm Cat) and Pennekamp (Bering {GB}) are under the third dam.

Looking at the stakes success and winners by Dubawi in North America, of his 69 runners, 35 (51%) have won, with 18 of those 69 (26%) winning at least one black-type race. Leading the charge are Grade I winners In Italian (GB), Dubawi Heights (GB), last year's American Champion Turf Male Modern Games (Ire), Almanaar (GB), Yibir (GB), Mubtaahij (Ire), Wuheida (GB), Rebel's Romance (Ire), and Space Blues (Ire). The last-named is standing his first season at Kildangan Stud in Ireland.

Sharing Is 'Caring' Down In Florida

Coolmore Stud's Australia (GB) celebrated a new maiden winner in Florida on Feb. 18 in the form of Ashbrook Farm, Matthew O'Connor, Upland Flats Racing and Amy E. Dunne's Just A Care (Ire). A 1 1/2-length winner of a five-furlong turf maiden for trainer Rusty Arnold (video), the filly was making her second start. From just 19 North American runners, Australia has 10 winners (53%) and five stakes winners (26%) led by GI Breeders' Cup Mile hero Order Of Australia (Ire), GI Gamely S. victress Ocean Road (Ire) and GIII Endeavour S. heroine Counterparty Risk (Ire).

Bred by China Horse Club International, Ltd. in Ireland and consigned by David Cox's Baroda Stud, the bay went through the Tattersalls October Book 1 ring in 2021, where Kerri Radcliffe snapped her up for 105,000gns. Just A Care made her racetrack debut with a fifth-place effort in a six-furlong turf affair for Dew Sweepers and Arnold at Belmont Park last June. Sent back through the sales ring at the Fasig-Tipton July Sale last year as a member of the Grovendale Sales draft, Just A Care was picked up by Bo Bramagen, agent, for $150,000.

Out of the one-time winner Greater Good (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), Just A Care is a half-sister to a 2-year-old filly by first-season sire Ten Sovereigns (Ire) and a full-sister to a yearling colt. Second dam is GIII Hollywood Juvenile Championship S. heroine Necessary Evil (Harlan's Holiday), and young sire Sergei Prokofiev (Scat Daddy), who won the G3 Cornwallis S., is under the third dam.

Just A Care | Ryan Thompson

Synthetic The Answer For Thunder Love

One day before Profitable (Ire)'s Kimngrace (Ire) became his newest stakes winner (number seven) in Lingfield's Listed Betuk Hever Sprint going just over five furlongs on the all-weather, Turfway Park in Kentucky hosted AMO Racing USA's Thunder Love (GB), who managed to take a six-furlong synthetic allowance optional claimer by a half-length on Feb. 24. It was the daughter of G2 Mill Reef S. third Nantyglo (GB) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire})'s second consecutive win at the northern Kentucky track for Paulo Lobo, although she has been based in America for some time.

Bred by Richard Kent and Clare Lloyd's Mickley Stud, the now-4-year-old filly was offered by her breeder at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale and caught the eye of Joanna Morgan for 13,000gns. Re-offered during the 2020 Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale by Bill Dwan's The Castlebridge Consignment, the Apr. 30 foal was knocked down to Robson Aguiar for £18,000. Bearing the deep purple Amo Racing silks of Kia Joorabchian, Thunder Love made her first pair of starts winning ones over the Kempton synthetic in the spring of 2021 for trainer George Boughey, and was transferred to Lobo after several stakes attempt in the UK.

Thunder Love's dam has a 3-year-old colt named Alfil (GB), an 11,000gns purchased by Wallhouse at the 2020 Tattersalls December Foal Sale and a juvenile filly, who was acquired by Rabbah Bloodstock for 20,000gns out of the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale last September, both by Massaat (Ire). Her extended family features the Classic heroine Moonstone (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}).

Lope De Vega Colt Shines At Gulfstream

As chronicled extensively in Sunday's edition of the TDN, Lope De Vega (Ire) sired his ninth 'TDN Rising Star' and third in America with the success of Bob and Kristine Edwards of e Five Racing's Carl Spackler (Ire) in a one-mile turf maiden special weight at Gulfstream Park (video). Previous American 'Rising Star's by the Ballylinch Stud resident include GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and GI Just a Game S. victress Newspaperofrecord (Ire), and fellow Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Aunt Pearl (Ire), trained by Chad Brown and Brad Cox, respectively. His rate of runners to winners in America and Canada sits at 46% (28 winners from 61 runners), and four of his five stakes winners (8.2% from runners) are graded winners Stateside.

The Fifth Avenue Bloodstock-bred was making his second start after finishing runner-up there when unveiled on Jan. 21. He was a 350,000gns buyback out of the 2021 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1 when offered by Ballylinch. His dam joined the e Five fold for $550,000 at the 2015 Keeneland November Sale and went on to take the GII Goldikova S. later that year. A half-sister to Grade I winner Western Aristocrat (Mr. Greeley), she foaled a Frankel (GB) half-sister to the winner that made 450,000gns at the 2022 edition of the October Sale and she also has a yearling filly by Lope De Vega.