By Heather Anderson
In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by a pair of new stakes winners by No Nay Never on Saturday.
No Nay Never Sires Stakes Double
Coolmore sire No Nay Never sired a stakes double in America on Saturday, to bring his international total to 49 stakes winners.
First it was No Nay Mets (Ire), a colt from his 2021 crop, taking the Royal Palm Juvenile S. at Gulfstream Park (video), a Royal Ascot qualifier. Owned by Bregman Family Racing, LLC, the colt is trained by George Weaver.
Bred by Coolmore, the son of Etoile (War Front) was a €180,000 yearling out of the Arqana August Sale, and was a $335,000 buyback at the OBS Spring Sale in April. The first foal out of his Group 3-winning dam, No Nay Mets was making his racecourse debut. His granddam, Gagnoa (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), has produced group winner and G1 Criterium International second Ancient Rome (War Front), while this is also the family of G1 Derby winner Pour Moi (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies' Turf heroine Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}).
Later in the afternoon, No Nay Never's No Nay Hudson (Ire) won the William Walker S. at Churchill Downs for trainer Wesley Ward (video). The 3-year-old colt is owned by Andrew Farm and For the People Racing Stable, LLC.
Part of the RJB Bloodstock breeding programme, the half-brother to the stakes-placed Tailor's Row (Street Cry {Ire}) was a $190,000 Keeneland September yearling when selected by Demi O'Byrne and Sean Grassick. His Grade II-winning dam has a juvenile colt named Old Flag (Ire) (U S Navy Flag) and a yearling full-brother to the winner still to come.
No Nay Never has sired 35 winners from 66 runners (53%) in the U.S. and has 17 stakes horses (26%). Of his nine stakes winners (13.6%) in that jurisdiction, GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine Meditate (Ire) is his best runner so far.
NO NAY HUDSON takes The $225k William Walker Stakes with @James_D_Graham aboard for Wesley Ward!
5 1/2 Furlongs | 1:02.3 | Turf pic.twitter.com/lhlYZYY5fS
— Churchill Downs (@ChurchillDowns) May 13, 2023
Lope De Vega Winners For Familiar Connections
No Nay Never was not the only stallion to sire a pair of winners in the U.S., as Ballylinch Stud's Lope De Vega (Ire) teamed up with Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables and his go-to trainer Chad Brown with 3-year-old winners Reflexivity (Ire) at Belmont Park (video) and Program Trading (GB) at Monmouth Park (video) this past week.
The Niarchos Family's Flaxman Stables Ireland bred Reflexivity out of their G3 Lacken S. heroine Only Mine (Ire) (Pour Moi {Ire}). Originally a €250,000 Goffs Orby yearling, the chestnut filly was bought back for $240,000 out of the OBS Spring Sale last month. Distant kin to Group 2 winner and multiple Grade I-placed Dream Peace (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) whose Soul Sister (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) won the G3 Musidora S. at York on Wednesday–she is followed by a yearling filly by Wootton Bassett (GB).
Orby graduate REFLEXIFITY impresses at Belmont Park for trainer Chad Brown & owner Klaravich Stables.
Purchased by Goffs US Agent @Westbloodstock from @camaspark for €250,000, this daughter of @BallylinchStud Lope De Vega looks an exciting prospect. #GoffsOrby pic.twitter.com/S1nZxKgnzp— Goffs (@Goffs1866) May 12, 2023
Fittocks Stud & Arrow Farm & Stud bred Klaravich's first-out Monmouth winner, Program Trading, who was bought by Mike Ryan out of Book 1 at Tattersalls October for 250,000gns. His half-sister Alabama Anna (GB) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) has yet to race. From the family of G2 Park Hill S. winner Silk Sari (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}), who also ran second at Group 1 level, he is a half to a Pinatubo (Ire) filly born in 2022. Third dam Gossamer (GB) (Sadler's Wells) won the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas in 2002.
Lope De Vega has also sired 35 winners from 66 U.S. runners (53%). Of that batch, 16 are stakes horses (24%) and five are stakes winners (7.5%). Both Newspaperofrecord (Ire) and Aunt Pearl (Ire) won editions of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, the former for Brown and Klaravich.
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