There is plenty happening in Australia over the spring but astute breeders are also thinking about Keeneland with the prolific and popular Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale being conducted over nine sessions kicking off on Melbourne Cup Day (November 5).
With all studies worldwide showing that the better class race mares tend to make the best broodmares, it is important to note which mares are competing at the highest level. Each of these mares did just that; on top of their already impressive records, also finishing fourth in Group 1 contests noting that those records appear in Australian catalogues.
It’s a big catalogue to work through but there are several whose race records and pedigrees suggest that they are going to be of great interest to Australian buyers. We take a look at a few of those…
Hip 24 - Oakhurst (USA) (Mr Speaker {USA} x Happiness Is {USA})
A Group 3-placed, three-time winner from 16 starts, Oakhurst (USA) is a daughter of the G1 Belmont Derby winner Mr Speaker (USA) who has quietly been doing the job with 15 stakes winners amongst his first 202 winners.
Served on March 4 by Lane’s End’s US Champion Male Turf Horse Up To The Mark (USA), Oakhurst is a daughter of the Listed winner Happiness Is (USA) (Dynaformer {USA}) whose dam Mckaymackenna (USA) (Ends Well {USA}) certainly knew how to find the line; winning 15 of her 38 starts including two Group 3 events and five Listed races.
Several other members of this tough family boast great winning records; namely the stakes winners Loud (USA) (Herbager {Fr}); 15 wins, Amazing Star (USA) (Emmons Corner {USA}); 16 wins, Overpass (USA) (Slavic {USA}); 10 wins, Pre Op Scrub (USA) (List {USA}); 18 wins and Arleen (Ven) (Jaguey {Ven}); 11 wins.
This is a strong American branch of the prolific Chelandry (GB) (Goldfinch {GB}) family which works so well in Australia; I Am Invincible one great example. He and his sons are picking up exceptionally well on the Chelandry influence making this Danehill (USA) free mare, who boasts a 5 X 4 cross of the great Secretariat (USA), an easy mare to mate.
Hip 58 - Selcourt (USA) (Tiz Wonderful {USA} x Azure Spring {USA})
A talented and consistent mare, Selcourt (USA) won four of her 12 starts, figuring in the placings on a further five occasions. She hit form fast and early, successful at four of her first six outings.
A winner at Group 2, Group 3 and Listed level, the attractive chestnut was described as “a gem of consistency” and “scary good”. Selcourt is one of the 29 stakes winners for her G2 Kentucky Jockey Club S.-winning sire, a son of the great Tiznow (USA).
The sire of three Group 1 winners has made a most encouraging start to his career as a broodmare sire with 11 stakes winners (two at Group 1 level) amongst the first 167 winners produced by his daughters.
Selcourt is one of the eight winners (from nine foals to race) for her dam Azure Spring (USA) (Open Forum {USA}); full sister to the stakes winner Open Concert (USA).
She is already showing promise as a broodmare with her first-born son Middleburg (USA) (Tapit {USA}); a US$485,000 (AU$737,000) yearling, close to a win having been in the placings at each of his last four starts. And her second Cyawouldntwanabeya (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}) is a yet to race US$800,000 (AU$1,215,750) purchase.
The second foal of Selcourt (USA), Cyawouldntwanabeya (USA) as a yearling | Image courtesy of Fasig-Tipton
Hip 62 - Shimmering Allure (USA) (Enticed {USA} x Shimmering Tale {USA})
With recent black-type form, Shimmering Allure (USA) is an appealing prospect. The winner of three of her 12 starts, she has also figured in the placings on four occasions and she is a Group 2-placed dual Listed winner who on two occasions has not been far away in Group 1 company.
Her G2 Kentucky Jockey Club S. winning sire Enticed, a son of Medaglia D’Oro (USA) who fared so well during his Australian stint (his champion son Golden Sixty bred in Queensland), has sired three stakes winners amongst his first 49 winners.
A half-sister to two stakes placegetters out of a stakes-placed mare, Shimmering Allure has plenty of black-type on her page with her grandam also stakes-placed; as are three of her progeny.
Mares who are suited by Danehill (USA)-line stallions are highly sought-after in Australia and this girl certainly fits that bill with Medaglia D’Oro and Danehill combining so well in the pedigrees of 43 stakes winners, six of whom are Group 1-winners.
Hip 97 - Vegas Magic (USA) (Good Magic {USA} x Heidi Maria {USA})
A lightly raced mare who really looked the goods winning her first three races; progressing from a maiden to a Listed race to a Group 2 event, Vegas Magic (USA) at her next outing out was just behind the placegetters in Group 1 company.
Vegas Magic (USA) | Image courtesy of Keeneland
Served on April 20 by Win Star Farm’s US$110,000 stallion (AU$167,200) Constitution (USA); the high-class stallion who has 11 Group 1-winners amongst his 70 stakes winners, Vegas Magic is one of the 20 stakes winners for her G1 Breeders Cup Juvenile-winning sire, a son of the mighty Curlin (USA).
She is one of the four winners produced by the dual Listed winner Heidi Maria (USA) (Rockport Harbor {USA}) whose stakes-winning half-sister Doc’s Doll (USA) (Out Of Place {USA}) is also a successful broodmare; providing plenty of black-type on Vegas Magic’s page.
There is some Australian history to Vegas Magic’s pedigree, her fourth dam a daughter of the mighty Bernborough!
Hip 187 - Gam’s Mission (USA) (Noble Mission {GB} x Auntie Martha {USA})
Five times in the winner’s circle from 15 starts, Gam’s Mission (USA) did a great job winning two races at Group 3 level. A consistent performer with another four placings on her record, she was close up in Group 1 company at her final start.
Described by her jockey Adam Beschizza as “a war horse, a filly who is all heart,” Gam’s Mission is one of the 14 stakes winners sired by her multiple Group 1-winning sire who earned the title of European Champion Older Male; best known as being a full brother to the legendary Frankel (GB).
She is one of the four winners (from as many to race) for her dam, daughter of the G1 Flower Bowl H. winner Auntie Mame (USA) (Theatrical {USA}) who is one of the two big-race winners produced by Lady Vixen (USA) (Sir Ivor {USA}).
Lady Vixen is proving to be quite a matriarch, her other descendants including the Canadian Champion 3YO Colt/US Champion Turf Male Channel Maker (Can) (English Channel USA}) and the Canadian Champion Male Turf Horse Johnny Bear (Can) (English Channel {USA}).
Served by Up To The Mark (USA), Gam’s Mission boasts lovely line-breeding patterns including a 5 X 5 cross of the great mare Special (USA) (Forli {Arg}).
Hip 204 Hidden Connection (USA) (Connect {USA} x C'Js Gal {USA})
A classy mare who held her form over three years of racing, Hidden Connection (USA) won her first two starts at two including the G3 Pocahontas S. by a stunning 9.25l with jockey Reylu Gutiérrez noting that he “had a lot of horse left, a ton!”
At her next start finishing just behind the placegetters in the G1 Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies, Hidden Connection continued to race well, adding a Listed victory to her record late last year.
Hidden Connection (USA) | Image courtesy of Keeneland
One of the 11 stakes winners for her G1 Cigar Mile H.-winning sire, a son of Curlin (USA), Hidden Connection is out of a full sister to the stakes-placed C J’s Awesome (USA) (Awesome Agan {Can}) from the immediate family of the G1 King’s Bishop S. winner Capo Bastone (USA) (Street Boss {USA}).
Connect (USA) is still in the early stages of his stud career but his sire Curlin is coming along nicely as a broodmare sire, his daughters producing 30 stakes winners.
