Lady Apple (Curlin-Miss Mary Apples, by Clever Trick), third in the 2019 GI Kentucky Oaks, has been retired and will be bred to Grade I sire Quality Road, owner Phoenix Thoroughbred announced on Monday. A four-time Grade III winner-in the 2019 Fantasy S., Iowa Oaks, Remington Park Oaks-and in the 2020 Houston Ladies Classic, the bay was trained by Steve Asmussen for the majority of her career.
Bred by KatieRich Farms in Kentucky, the 5-year-old was a debut second at Keeneland in April of 2018 for trainer Mark Hubley after RNAing for $100,000 during the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Phoenix bought into the mare afterward and raced her with KatieRich in all of her starts barring her final two. They bought out KatieRich when going to $1.2 million during the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Mixed Sale last autumn. Lady Apple was third in December's Joseph E. Spanky Broussard Memorial S. at Fair Grounds and in Sunday's GIII Houston Ladies Classic S. in her final two starts and retires with a mark of 19-6-2-4 and $1,078,324 in earnings.
“She has been a fantastic race mare for us and she'll be an excellent addition to our breeding operation,” Phoenix Thoroughbreds CEO Amer Abdulaziz said in a statement. “She has a top-class pedigree with a race record to match while the cross with Quality Road looks very exciting.”
A daughter of GII Schuylerville S. bridesmaid Miss Mary Apples, Lady Apple is a half-sister to SW and GII Hendrie S. second Dr. Diamonds Prize (Pure Prize) and MSW Miss Red Delicious (Empire Maker). The latter has already thrown GIII Soaring Softly S. heroine Nootka Sound (Lonhro {Aus}); while yet another half-sister has produced GI Maker's Mark Mile runner-up Parlor (Lonhro {Aus}). GI Futurity S. winner Senor Pete (Green Dancer) is also under the fourth dam.
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