Broodmare and foal (photo: hamishNIVENPhotography)
While the likes of outstanding sires Galileo, Fastnet Rock, Tapit, Deep Impact and Dubawi provided many highlights during the year of 2015, a number of broodmares, the world over, also more than made their mark. Here are just a few notable examples:
YOU’RESOTHRILLING: Storm Cat – Mariah’s Storm
The full sister to Horse Of The Year and multiple champion sire Giant’s Causeway is without doubt one of the outstanding broodmares of today. Already dam of Gr1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner, Marvellous (Galileo), You’resothrilling’s son Gleneagles (Galileo) proved one of the top European milers this year with wins in the Gr1 Qipco 2000 Guineas, Gr1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas and Gr1 St James Palace Stakes in consecutive starts. Another full sibling to that pair, Coolmore (Galileo) herself looks another potential classic contender, having won the 2015 C.L. Weld Park Stakes. In addition, Hanky Panky, a Galileo half sister to You’resothrilling, topped the December Tattersalls Mare Sale when fetching 2.7 million guineas. This is also the family of outstanding broodmare Hasili, as well as the remarkable Kaaptive Edition, dam of Gr1 winner Presday (Domesday) and 2015’s Gr1 Caulfield Guineas winner, Press Statement (Hinchinbrook).
BUTTERFLY COVE: Storm Cat – Mr P’s Princess
An unraced half sister to unbeaten champion, 2YO Fasliyev (Nureyev) is Butterfly Cove, whose third dam, former Broodmare Of The Year, Anne Campbell, was an excellent producer, whose offspring included the top flight winners, Desert Wine (Damascus) and Menifee (Harlan). Now Butterfly Cove has emulated her dam in throwing a pair of Gr1 winners – daughter Ballydoyle’s win in the 2015 Gr1 Prix Marcel Boussac came five years after her own sister, Misty For Me, (Galileo) won the same race. Cartier Champion 2YO filly in 2010, Misty For Me trained on well to land the following year’s Gr1 Irish 1000 Guineas and Gr1 Pretty Polly Stakes.
RIVETING DRAMA: Notebrook – Special Token
In contrast to the blue blooded Gr2 winning, You’resothrilling, and the beautifully bred Butterfly Cove, Riveting Drama never raced and is out of a one-time winning daughter of Hyperborean. Nonetheless, she has herself become a highly successful broodmare and was represented by her second individual Gr1 winner when daughter, Sheer Drama (Burning Roma) won both the Gr1 Delaware Handicap and Gr1 Personal Ensign Stakes in 2015. Riveting Drama had previously produced Gr1 Breeders Cup Sprint hero and US Champion Sprinter, Big Drama (Montbrook). The latter has made a promising start to his stud career and currently ranks as USA’s sixth leading first crop sire by stakes. His dam is also responsible for the stakes winners, Little Drama and Queen Drama.
GET LUCKY: Mr Prospector – Dance Number
The blue blooded Get Lucky, winner of five races including the Gr3 Affectionately Handicap, has become one of the major blue hen mares of recent times in North America. Herself dam of four stakes winners, including Gr1 Vosburgh Stakes winner (and promising first crop sire) Girolamo, Get Lucky is also the second dam of 2015 Gr1 Spinster Stakes winner, Got Lucky (A P Indy), and the second dam of Gr1 Kentucky Derby winner, Super Saver, whose sensational first crop has produced three individual Gr1 winners, including sprint champion, Run Happy. Get Lucky is also granddam of Gr1 Haskell Invitational winner and sire Bluegrass Cat (sire of 2015 Gr1 winner Linda Linda), and the latter’s Gr2 winning half brother Dramedy (Distorted Humor), who begins his stud career this year.
EVERSMILE: Theatrical – Avasand
By champion turf horse and increasingly successful broodmare sire, Theatrical (also damsire of champion and successful sire English Channel), Eversmile recently joined the ranks of only a handful of mares to produce more than one Gr1 winner. Her 3yo son, Chiropractor (Kitten’s Joy) became his dam’s second Grade One winner when he won the recent Gr1 Hollywood Derby – three years after his half brother Coil (Point Given) won the Gr1 Haskell Invitational.
FRAPPE: Inchinor – Glatisant
A winning half sister to Gr1 winners Footstepsinthesand (Giant’s Causeway) and Pedro The Great (Henrythenavigator), Frappe (whose sire Inchinor has enjoyed considerable success as a broodmare sire) was represented by her second individual Gr1 winner, when daughter, Curvy (Galileo) won the E P Taylor Stakes at Woodbine. Curvy’s Oasis Dream half brother, Power, (now standing at Coolmore) had previously won the Gr1 National Stakes in 2011 and added the Gr1 Irish 2000 Guineas to his tally one year later. Frappe is also dam of Thakafaat (Unfuwain), who, like Curvy, won the Gr2 Ribblesdale Stakes.
AVA KNOWSTHECODE: Cryptoclearance – Ava Romance
A truly exceptional broodmare, the Gr3 performer Ava Knowsthecode, was represented by her sixth individual stakes winner, when son, Greenpointcrusader (Bernardini) won the 2015 Gr1 Champagne Stakes. His full brother, Algorithms (now standing at Claiborne) had been unbeaten with his wins including the Gr3 Holy Bull Stakes, while the pair’s half brother, Justin Phillip (First Samurai) was a top sprinter whose seven wins included the Gr1 Alfred G Vanderbilt Stakes.
EXPANSE: Distant View – Dial A Trick
A half sister to the dam of this season’s Gr1 Florida Derby winner, Materiality, Expanse’s second Gr1 winner came in the form of 2015 Gr1 Alabama Stakes winner, Embellish The Lace (since retired to stud). Her son Afleet Express (a three parts brother to above mentioned Materiality) was retired to Gainesway following a career which saw him win the Gr1 Travers Stakes, and his dam is also responsible for high class stakes winner of nearly $500 000, Reporting For Duty.
ROSIE’S POSY: Suave Dancer – My Branch
A half sister to Gr1 Haydock Sprint Cup winner Tante Rose, Rosie’s Posy was represented by her second Gr1 winner this year when her Makfi colt, Make Believe landed both the Gr1 French 2000 Guineas and Gr1 Prix de la Foret, before being retired to the Ballylinch Stud. Make Believe was preceded by Gr1 Gamely Stakes heroine Dubawi Heights, a three parts sister to this year’s French classic star.
VOLE VOLE MONAMOUR: Woodman – A Votre Sante
Dam of former Gr1 Prix Vermeille/E P Taylor winner, Mrs Lindsay, Vole Vole Monamour was represented by her second Gr1 winner this year when her Bernardini daughter, Dame Dorothy, won the Gr1 Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs. Mrs Lindsay herself produced a smart performer in 2015 – Mr Owen, a stakes winning son of Invincible Spirit, third in Gr1 French 2000 Guineas.
