Symmetry has a strong appeal to genealogy students and writers alike, so it was no surprise that the results of last weekend’s two Kentucky Oaks (G1) trials, the Davona Dale Stakes, (G2) and Busher Stakes, caught my attention.
I didn’t expect the emergence of a potential Kentucky Oaks contender at the start of the season St. Patrick’s Day out of one Truth Mare has been on the radar of many people. Indeed, to many classical genealogists, neither of those names means much. However, St Patrick’s Day and Factum are sire and stallion of Fiona’s magic who connected directly on March 2 to capture the Davona Dale Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
Davona Dale was the third win in five starts for Fiona’s Magic, who in a trio of juvenile starts, all at Gulfstream, began with a runner-up effort in a special event for Maiden lasts 5 1/2 years. She then caught a six-furlong seven-furlong maiden and added an allowance/option to claim tally at the same location. She opened her 2024 campaign with a second campaign for her fellow Florida natives R Harper Rose in the Gal Stakes (G3).
Fiona’s Magic is the first St. Patrick’s Day product, a full sibling to the Triple Crown winner American Pharaoh . Trained at 2 years old by Bob Baffert—who also trained American Pharoah throughout his career—St Patrick’s Day finished second to stable companion Zatter at the first time of asking, then returned to beat the next ranked winner and the Kentucky Derby (G1) in fourth, instill respect over 6 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita Park. Moving to Aidan O’Brien’s stable in Ireland before the start of his 3-year-old season, St Patrick’s Day began his European career after being affected by the Ballycorus Stakes (G3), which he most loved, there are raised in stalls. His real debut, which came a few weeks later, was appropriately enough, when he finished third in the Listed Celebration Stakes. After that, St. Patrick’s Day seemed to lose direction, and it was only in the fourth of his next five starts the second season that he fired, halving the length to Unfortunately group winner 1 year ago, in the Renaissance Stakes (G3).
Showing no more in his next three starts, St Patrick’s Day was retired to Journeyman Stallions in Ocala, Fla., for the 2020 breeding season at a fee of $5,000. To date, 32 of his 81 first-foaling foals have faced the starters, with 13 wins. Others include Dr. Third Fager Staking, Jive And Miss Miezesuccess in a pair of non-black type piles at Ups and downs of the century.
War front Factum also stands in Florida, but unfortunately Century Downs Mile scorer Gato Guapo is his only dark horse from 102 starts.
Fiona’s Magic’s dam, Mollie’s Magic, is unrivaled, but so is the dam of Florida scorer Sire Dr. Fager Stakes Cajun magic . The second dam, Lady Charm, a daughter of Langfuhr, won twice, but outdid herself as a producer with a pair of scorers for the Florida Stallion Stakes, Scandalous Act and Two T’s At Two B—two other cheap stallions, Act of Duty and Untuttable, respectively—and winner Boo Boo Kitty, Satin and Lace Stakes winner, by Poseidon’s Warrior.
The first group or graded stakes winner to be found in Fiona’s Magic family is Life’s Luck, who won the ARAG-Preis- German One Thousand Guineas (G2) and who is out of small stakes, winner Life’s Light, daughter of Saragossa, fourth dam of Fiona’s Magic. Saragossa is a sister to top scorer Black Helen Handicap (G2) and Orchid Handicap (G3) Copano and is a sister to a genuine American Classic horse in Blue Skyer, winner of the Louisiana Derby and third behind Kauai King in the 1966 Kentucky Derby (G1).
Fiona’s Magic has an interesting pedigree, with her sire and stallion being inverse parallel crosses. St. Patrick’s Day is the cross of Fappiano/Storm Cat and Factum is the cross of Storm Cat/Fappiano. Further back, Fappiano comes from Empire Maker and Rubiano, both mares to Fappiano out of a son of Northern Dancer, with a second dam by In Reality.
In New York, sloppy performance of the Busher Stakes resulted Jody’s pride . This was Jody’s Pride’s third win in four starts, and she is just shy of being unbeaten and most likely Eclipse Award-winning champion. Jody’s Pride broke her maidenhood at Saratoga Race Course on her debut, furling 10 1/2 lengths over 5 1/2 lengths, and followed by taking the Matron Stakes by 3 1/4 lengths. She was then just a second off the eventual champion with a strong finishing position. Just letting you know in the Breeders’ Cup Fillies Juvenile (G1).
Jody’s Pride won the Busher Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack
Jody’s Pride is a “Mirror Universe” version of Fiona’s Magic, created using a similar formula, but with an immediate pedigree that has a very different commercial standing. She is by St. Patrick’s Day brother, American Pharoah, and is out of Jody’s Song. Same as the dam of Fiona’s Magic, a Storm Cat mare, but here by Scat Daddy, sire of the Triple Crown winner justification .
Winner Busher is from American Pharoah’s fifth Northern Hemisphere crop. Overall, those crops produced 36 stakes winners, 18 of whom were graded, including Cartier 2-Year-Old European Champion Colt Van Gogh; Cafe Pharoah Japanese earth horse champion; sky , old dirt horse champion in Canada; and other 1st grade winners As time goes by , Above the curve , American theorem , Harvey’s Lil Goil And Market segmentation .
Jody’s song only ran twice, but it was enough to show that she had above-average ability. In her debut, she failed to beat 12 of her New York compatriots over the mile on the turf at Belmont Park. Her only other start saw her comfortably take on the next multiple stakes winner Myhartblongstodady by the New York 8 1/2-furlong Saratoga allowance.
Jody’s Song is a half-sister to another Storm Cat strain, Do mischief . Daughter of into mischief captured a trio of New York-bred stakes and also placed in several graded stakes, including a third in the Acorn Stakes (G1). The dam of Jody’s Song, the 2-year-old winner Speightful Lady, is at Speightstown out of the Chaposa Springs Handicap (G3), England’s Rose dam. The fourth dam, Infringe, was third in the Hollywood Starlet Stakes (G1) and is a 3/4 sister to Oak Tree Invitational (G1) winner Navarone.
We mentioned that Jody’s Pride was bred on the same Fappiano/Storm Cat cross as Fiona’s Magic (and has siblings as sire). Her sire, Scat Daddy, did not offer another Fappiano cross like Fiona’s Magic dam, but there was still a notable connection. Scat Daddy’s sire, Ogygian, is a half-sister to Fappiano’s dam, and Scat Daddy is the mare of Fappiano’s sire, Mr. Prospector.
