Cover image courtesy of Sportpix
Samaready's success brings to mind the many other mares who made great contributions to racing both on and off the track - making it timely to have a look at some of the great race mares who passed on their own outstanding ability to their progeny.
Urban Sea (USA) (Miswaki {USA})
She may have 'only' won one major race, though, but it was one of the very big ones... this well-related half-sister to the G1 2000 Guineas hero King's Best (USA) emerging best from an exciting three-horse battle to take out the 1993 G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
The winner of another seven races - three in Group company and two at Listed level - Urban Sea (USA) (Misawki {USA}) died, aged 20, in 2009. She left in her wake a legacy.
Urban Sea (USA) at the Irish National Stud | Image courtesy of Peter Mooney
Eight of Urban Sea's nine foals to race from 11 born were winners and remarkably only one of those failed to earn black type. Seven were stakes winners with Galileo (Ire), Black Sam Bellamy (Ire), My Typhoon (Ire) (Giant's Causeway {USA}) and Sea The Stars (Ire) between them winning 12 Group 1 races.
Twelve times crowned Champion Sire, Galileo won the G1 Epsom Derby, the G1 Irish Derby and the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. before embarking on an outstanding stud career that has seen him sire 359 stakes winners including 97 Group 1 horses.
Emulating his mother's deeds by taking out the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and his half-brother by taking out the G1 Epsom Derby, Sea The Stars also won the G1 Irish Champion S., the G1 York International S., the G1 2000 Guineas and the G1 Eclipse S. He too has excelled at stud with 19 Group 1 winners amongst his 104 stakes winners.
Gallery: Some of Urban Sea's (USA) remarkable Group 1-winning progeny
A dual Group 1 winner of the Tattersalls Gold Cup and the Gran Premio del Jockey Club, Black Sam Bellamy sired eight stakes winners whilst the Listed Blenheim S. winner Born To Sea (Ire) - Urban Sea's final foal - has sired six.
Ancestress of another 21 stakes winners including four Group 1 winners including the G1 W.S Cox Plate winner Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), Urban Sea is now making her name as a line-breeding subject with the G1 Epsom Derby winner Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) and the dual Group 1 winner Mac Swiney (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) both boasting a cross.
Miesque (USA) (Nureyev {USA})
One of the great mares of the turf - the US Hall of Fame member who has races named in her honour in America and France - Miesque (USA) (Nureyev {USA}) won 12 of her 16 starts with 10 of her memorable successes coming at Group 1 level.
Miesque (USA) | Image courtesy of Breeders' Cup
And in three countries - France (the Prix Morny, the Prix de la Salamandre, the Prix Marcel Boussac, the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, the Prix d'Ispahan and the Prix Jacques Le Marois twice), England (the 1000 Guineas) and America (consecutive runnings of the Breeders' Cup Mile).
The Stavros Niarchos homebred enjoyed a lengthy career at stud, producing 14 foals - 10 of whom raced, six being winners including the triple Group 1 winners Kingmambo (USA) and East Of The Moon (USA) (Private Account {USA}), the Group 3 winner Miesque's Son (USA) and the Listed winner Moon Is Up (USA) (Woodman {USA}).
Five of Miesque's sons have sired stakes winners, Kingmambo leading the way with 24 of his 85 being Group 1 winners whilst her unraced son Judpot (USA) - her final foal - has sired 17 stakes winners including five big-race winners.
Kingmambo (USA)
Miesque is ancestress of another 30 stakes winners with 10 of those being Group 1 winners... Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), Karakontie (Jpn) (Bernstein {USA}), Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) and Rumplestiltskin (Ire) (Danehill {USA}) all successful at that level on multiple occasions.
Dahlia (USA) (Vaguely Noble {Ire})
A superstar mare who lived to the wonderful age of 31, Dahlia (USA) (Vaguely Noble {Ire}) earned many accolades during a career that saw her win 15 races - nine at Group 1 level... in four different countries: America, England, France and Ireland.
The US and Canadian Hall of Fame member was crowned British Horse of the Year on two occasions and she was the first mare to surpass US$1 million (AU$1.5 million) in earnings.
Dahlia (USA) | Image courtesy of Claiborne Farm
Producing 13 foals, Dahlia was represented by 11 runners... eight winners, six stakes winners. Her son Dahar (USA) won four Group 1 races in the US and France, going on to sire 12 stakes winners including four Group 1 winners.
Her daughter Rivlia (USA) (Riverman {USA}) was a triple Group 1 winner whilst Delegant (USA) and Dahlia's Dreamer (USA) (Theatrical {ire}) won one each - the former taking out the San Juan Capistrano and the latter the Flower Bowl H.
Dahlia's first foal, the Group 1-placed two-time Group winner Wajd (USA) (Northern Dancer {Can}) produced three stakes winners including the G1 St Leger winner Nedawi (GB), sire of 39 stakes winners including 16 Group 1 horses. And she is the third dam of the New Zealand big-race winner Mission Critical (Fantastic Light {USA}).
Mission Critical | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Her stakes-placed daughter Dahlia's Image (USA) (Lyphard {USA}) is the grandam of the G1 Ascot Cup winner Rite Of Passage (GB) (Giant's Causeway {USA}) who in 2010 earned the title of European Champion Stayer.
There are another 11 stakes-winning descendants of Dahlia who has races named after her in England and America.
Personal Ensign (USA) (Private Account {USA})
A mare with something rather big in common with Black Caviar (Bel Esprit)... not once did this star American taste defeat; 13 starts, 13 wins... and she overcame the odds to do it.
After winning her first two starts - her maiden by just short of 13l and the first of her eight Group 1s, the Frizette S. Personal Ensign (USA) (Private Account {USA}), after pulling up lame in trackwork, was found to be suffering from a fractured pastern.
With five screws inserted into the bone, she was back at the races eleven months later, winning an allowance race in easy fashion before making her return to stakes racing - taking out the G2 Rare Perfume S. and the G1 Beldame S. before being given another break.
Another six Group 1 victories followed, and it was a big crowd that roared her home to her final victory in G1 Breeders' Cup Distaff in November 1988.
A member of the US Hall of Fame with a race at Saratoga named in her honour, Personal Ensign went on to further title glory in retirement - in 1996 named Kentucky Broodmare of the Year.
A full sister to the dual Group 1 winner Personal Flag (USA), Personal Ensign produced 10 named foals, nine of whom made it to the track - all being winners. She hit the ground running with her first foal being the G1 Belmont Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Miner's Mark (USA) who went on to sire of nine stakes winners.
Miner's Mark (USA)
Her fourth foal was the four-time Group 1 winner My Flag (USA) (Easy Goer {USA}) - in turn dam of Storm Flag Flying (USA) (Storm Cat {USA}), a four-time Group 1 winner named US Champion 2-Year-Old Filly.
Four years later Personal Ensign foaled the G1 Oaklawn H. winner Traditionally (USA) who sired five stakes winners. Another three of her progeny were stakes placed and she is ancestress of another 29 stakes winners including the Group 1 winners Mr Speaker (USA) - sire of two Group 1 winners - and Seeking The Soul (USA) (Perfect Soul {Ire}).
Darara (Ire) (Top Ville {Ire})
There wasn't much to Darara (Ire) (Top Ville {Ire}), hence her short racing career - but what racegoers did see of her was impressive, the half-sister to the G1 French Derby winner Darshaan (GB) from just six starts winning three races including the G1 Prix Vermeille and the G3 Prix Vermeille.
Taking her place - finishing sixth - in a particularly strong running of the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Dancing Brave (USA), Darara was the highest-rated European 3-year-old filly over distance and if not for her delicate constitution we may well have seen more of her.
Darara (Ire) | Image courtesy of the Aga Khan Studs
As it was, she was retired to stud - foaling 12 foals, 11 runners, 10 winners. Doing a great job in a career hindered by issues... prior to an issue with her fallopian tubes being diagnosed she missed four breeding seasons.
Before that she had produced the Listed winner Dariyoun (USA), the G1 Ranvet S. winner Darazari (Ire) and the G1 HKJC Queen Elizabeth II Cup winner River Dancer (Ire) (Sadler's Wells {USA})... as well as the Group 1-winning chaser Dardjini (USA) (Nijinsky II {Can}).
And after treatment she was represented by the triple Group 1 winner Dar Re Mi (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}) and the dual Group 1 winner Rewilding (GB) (Tiger Hill {Ire}) who so sadly had to be put down after breaking down as favourite in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S.
Dar Re Mi (GB) | Image courtesy of Wikipedia
Dar Re Mi probably deserves her own story as she has also done a great job at stud with three stakes winners... the triple Group 1 winner Too Darn Hot (GB) who shuttles to Darley, NSW, the Group 2 winner Lah Ti Dar (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and the Group 3 winner So Mi Dar (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).
Darara, who died aged 29 in 2012, is also grandam of the four-time Group winner Darasim (Ire) (Kahyasi {Ire}) and two other stakes winners.
