Breaking News! Laurel Wreath Farm Announces Top 6 TBs of 21st Century!

1. Velvet Tenderness by Groomstick out of Wining Effort.

2. Rags to Riches by A.P. Indy out of Better than Honour.

3. Zenyatta by Street Cry out of Vertigineux

4. Rachel Alexandra by Medaglia Doro out of Lotta Kim

5. Better than Honour by Deputy Minister out of Blush with Pride.

6. Indian Blessing by Indian Charlie out of Shameful.

Octave, Panty Raid, and Rags to Riches

In these photos by Cindy Pierson Dulay, Barbara Livingston, and Equisport Photos, you see the lovely competitors for this year's Eclipse Champion Three-year-old Filly Award -- Panty Raid,Octave and Rags to Riches.

Octave was foaled April 13, 2004 and purchased for $350K at the Keeneland Sales in September 2005. Her parents are Unbridleds Song and Belle Nuit by Dr. Carter. Her record was 13: 4-7-2 and she earned $1,660,934, so she definitely paid back her purchase price! She won 2 Grade 1 races, the Mother Goose and Coaching Club American Oaks, and was runner-up in the Fairgrounds Oaks and Kentucky Oaks. She was purchased by Darley Stud to be a broodmare, and she retired in November 2007. She'll be bred to the freshman sire, Discreet Cat.

Panty Raid was foaled March 8, 2004, Violet's birthday, but a year later! Her parents are Include and Adventurous Di by Private Account. She was purchased in April 2006 for $275K at the Keeneland Sales. Her race record is 9: 5-1-1 and she has earned so far $1,052,380, again, earning her keep! She won the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes.

Rags to Riches was foaled February 27, 2004 and her parents were A.P. Indy and Better than Honour by Deputy Minister. She was purchased at the September 2005 Keeneland Sales for $1.9 million! So far, she has earned $1,342,528, so she hasn't quite paid herself off yet. However, she did give her human parents a big dose of pride in winning the Belmont Stakes and earning the NTRA "Moment of the Year" by kicking the butt of Curlin, this year's Eclipse Horse of the Year winner! She won her Champion three-year-old filly Eclipse Award and was a runner for Horse of the Year, losing to the boy she beat -- another story of a great gal falling to the politics of the old boys network! Aargh. Anyway, she not only has won the Belmont Stakes, but she has also won the Kentucky Oaks (practically yawning, it was so easy) and the Santa Anita Oaks and Las Virgenes Stakes.

Such lovely girls!

Seattle Slew and My Girls!

Seattle Slew was the 10th of 11 Triple Crown Winners and the last surviving one until he passed on the 25th anniversary of his Kentucky Derby win in 2002. He's a fabulous fellow. He was foaled at White Horse Acres from Bold Reasoning and My Charmer and was purchased as a yearling for $17,500 by two couples, Karen and Mickey Taylor (he was a 4th generation logger) and Sally and Jim Hill (he was a vet). They called him Seattle Slew, with the latter being a play on slough, which is a waterway to transport logs! Anyway, right away Seattle Slew began winning for them, so Mickey told his wife, "If we can keep this horse in one piece, I'll never have to cut down another tree!"

Well, he was the only horse to win the Triple Crown undefeated. He had a little pre-race "War Dance" on his tippy toes to show his eagerness. His final record was 17: 14(9)-2(2)-0. He earned Champion 2-year-old and 3-year-old honors and the Eclipse Horse of the Year Award in 1977. Some say he should have won again because they gave it to Affirmed, even though Seattle Slew had twice beaten him handily. Anyway, sour grapes and who needs it! After all, Seattle Slew was also voted Champion Older Male in 1978, and Champion Broodmare sire in 1995-1996. He was inducted into the National Museum and Racing Hall of Fame in 1981. And he was voted #9 of the Top 100 racehorses of the 20th century. He was the father of more than 100 stakeswinners, including A.P. Indy. He is grandpa to Rags to Riches, and one of his daughters produced the leading thoroughbred money earner of all time, Cigar (John Henry's friend from the Kentucky Horse Park).

He stood for 17 years at Three Chimney Farms and carried a fee of $125,000. In 2000, he needed spinal cord surgery to relieve compression, so he began a philanthropy serving Spinal Cord Research at Pullman's Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine to honor his own team of surgeons. When he became ill in his later days, they moved him to Hill 'N Dale, so he could have more privacy from the bustle of the breeding barns at Three Chimneys. And when he passed, his mom and dad and other people who loved him were there. He is buried at Hill 'N Dale, you can see his grave in these photos.

Violet is related to him primarily through Nasrullah and Princequillo.

http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=134
or
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle_Slew
or
http://www.spiletta.com/UTHOF/seattleslew.html

Kentucky 2007: Claiborne's Pulpit!

Here is a photo of Pulpit, a 1994 stallion standing at stud at Claiborne Farms and right in this photo showing off in Secretariat's old pasture!! Can you believe it? He was so fun to watch. He was standing way far up on a hill under a tree, but when we ladies stepped out of the stallion barn, he cantered playfully down to his water trough and splashed around like the stallion he is! He walked along the fence line to greet us. What was funny is that he seemed so friendly, but when a lady in our group was charmed by him and stepped forward to pet him, he stepped forward so aggressively that everyone could just *tell* that he was waiting to get his licks in! Such a stud! Such a nasty old sexy stud!!!

Anyway, to look at this pot-bellied sex kitten, you would never know that he is truly a living tapestry of good breeding. His relatives are truly the stars in the firmament of the equine world. Here are some of his A-List relatives: his own dad, A.P. Indy by Seattle Slew. He also has Secretariat, Blenheim, Buckpasser, Hail to Reason, Mr. Prospector, Honest Pleasure, Nijinsky, Knight's Daughter (bred by His Royal Majesty and the mom of Round Table, yet another horse in Pulpit's background). And he even has a dash of Busher, lucky ole sexy bastard! So, of course, my own girls are related to this specially bred Claiborne Farms fella. Some of their shared relatives include Princequillo, Count Fleet, Nasrullah, War Admiral, Baby League, Equipoise, Blue Larkspur, and Discovery. His total record was 6: 4-1-0 and $712,200. But his career ended early.

Miesque and My Girls!

Miesque was a 1984 filly who is owned by a Greek shipping tycoon, Stavros Niarchos. She won championships in every country she ran in. Her final record was 16: 12, 3, 1, and all of her races except one were Group 1 stakes races. She won 10 Grade 1 races!!! In France, she earned the Champion Juvenile award as a 2-year-old, and when she was shipped to the U.S., she won the Breeder's Cup at Hollywood Park, and then turned around and won it a second time the next year at Churchill Downs, at her last race! In the first Breeders' Cup, she was in a field of 14, and the second 12! She was the first race horse ever to win two Breeders' Cups back to back. When she was 3, she ended her racing year with 5 championship awards!!! She earned Champion 3-year-old filly in France and England, Champion Miler in France and England, and Champion U.S. grass mare. When she was 4, she won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Female Turf horse, as well as France's Champion Miler and Champion Older mare. She was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999, and inducted into the French Hall of Fame. She was voted #82 of the Top 100 Race Horse of the 20th century!

When she retired, she became an awesome broodmare. Her children are very famous. Her last foal was a 2005 colt out of A.P. Indy by Seattle Slew by Weekend Surprise by Secretariat. This 2005 foal is being trained to race at Newmarket, England! But her first baby, her first bombshell smashing success as a mom is pictured above, Kingmambo, a major stakeswinner who is now retired to stud at Lane's End Farm...and he is so special that his 2007 stud fee is listed as "private." If you have to ask, you can't afford to breed to her baby!

Of course, my girls are related to sweet little, regular-running, championship earning, good mama Miesque. They share many connections, including Nearctic, Princequillo, Hyperion, Mahmoud, Equipoise, Nasrullah, and Count Fleet.

This good mare has races named after her at Hollywood Park and in France! You can read more about her at the following links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miesque

or

http://www.thoroughbredchampions.com/biographies/miesque.htm

or

http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=341

Better than Honour and my girls!

Better than Honour is related to Violet and Hailee, and, of course, is the mom of the 2006 Belmont Stakes winner, Jazil, and the 2007 Belmont Stakes winner, Rags to Riches!. Right now, she is an 11 year-old mare who has foaled five children out of Mineshaft, Seeking the Gold, A.P. Indy, and Storm Cat. Jazil's sire is Seeking the Gold, and Rags' sire is A.P. Indy. Better than Honour was purchased as a yearly at a July 1997 sale. Her trainer, John Kimmel said, "She was a gorgeaus filly by Deputy Minister out of a Kentucky Oaks winner (Blush with Pride). She was the most expensive yearling filly to sell. At that time, they had the summer and fall sale. The fall usually was a little less quality than the select Keeneland horses. She was the best of what was there. She was a beautiful horse physically with tremendous pedigree. She turned out to be a good racehorse." She had an 8-race career and won the Demoiselles Stakes! Her grandpa on her dam's side is Violet's great-grandpa, Blushing Groom!

Hill 'n Dale

This story is amazing. In April 2006, Tom invited Carla and myself to go on a "shed run" while we were visiting during Kentucky Rolex. We got up very early in the morning and Tom picked us up at our hotel in Paris, Kentucky with his trailer filled with a thoroughbred mare ready to visit Stormy Atlantic at Hill 'n Dale. When we arrived at this lovely green, quiet, early morning place, we were invited to sit in an elegant viewers' booth to watch the process, the very important date! Hill 'n Dale is a full facility farm in the heart of horse country Kentucky. And the year we visited, they reported was there best ever. They earned 4th overall at the September Yearling sales, and then 3rd overall at the November Breeding Stock sales at Keeneland. A highlight in 2006 was the selling of a $4.6 million yearling colt by Vindication which is a record for a freshman sire. Some fantastic stallions stand stud there, including Grand Reward who is out of Stormy Atlantic and Serena's Song (the 1995 Eclipse Award winner for 3 year-old filly of the year and earner of over $3.2 million track dollars). Besides the fabulous stallions they manage, they have some fantastic broodmare residents, including Better than Honour (Rags to Riches and Jazil's mom), Dance Smartly, and Quendom (mom to Invasor, 2006 Eclipse Award Horse of the Year), among a few. Hill 'n Dale is also the final resting place of Seattle Slew, 1977 Triple Crown winner, and A.P. Indy's sire! In the photo, you see Jazil winning the 2006 Belmont Stakes, and making his mom, Better than Honour, proud, and leading the way for his little sister, Rags! You can read more about this truly lovely, amazing, spectactular facility at their home link:

http://www.hillndalefarms.com/

Azeri and My Girls!

In 2002, Azeri earned the Eclipse Horse of the Year Award, the first filly since Lady's Secret. She also earned the Champion older female in 2002, 2003, and 2004. Her trainer, Laura de Seroux, was the first woman to train a Horse of the Year winner. The award ceremony that year included Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges, and Chris Cooper, as they were promoting Laura Hillenbrand's Seabiscuit. So, describing Azeri's grace on the track, Laura de Seroux accepted the award, saying "This is Azeri's Oscar." She said that her filly had all 3 elements of a champion -- class, brilliance and consistency. Laura de Seroux said, "Horse of the Year should be there all year. You did not elect her by default, but by the purest criteria." She was a heavy winner of the Eclipse of the Year Award, earning 189 of 228 votes, and all 227 votes for those who voted for Older female. That year, she had won 10 out of 11 starts and earned $2,227,740. For her entire racing career, she started 24: 17-4-0 for total earnings of $4,079,820. She's owned by the son of her breeder. Her breeder passed before ever seeing her run, so she is especially beloved by the son now. She retired and is boarded at Hill 'N Dale Farms where she was barren to Storm Cat in 2006, but delivered her first colt foal to A.P. Indy on February 14, 2007 -- Valentine's Day!!!! She's to be bred to Storm Cat again this year! Of course, my proud girls are related to her. They share many relatives including the following: Case Ace, Nasrullah, Teddy, Man o' War, Whisk Broom, Count Fleet, Bull Dog, Blue Larkspur, Bull Lea, War Relic, Hyperion, War Admiral, Traffic Court, and Bubbling Over! You can read more about this important filly at the following links:

http://www.drf.com/eclipse/2002/winners/winners.html

or

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azeri_(horse)

Violet, Hailee, Rags to Riches, 3 peas in a pod!

Here's a picture of Rags to Riches right after her historical win with her beautiful blanket of white carnations. Doesn't she look happy! Anyway, Rags, Violet, and Hailee share relatives. Rags to Riches' dad is A.P. Indy (who won the Belmont) and her mom is Better than Honour (who produced last year's Belmont Stakes winner, Jazil). So, apparently, Better than Honour deserves a special mother's day card, since she keeps producing Belmont-winning babies! You go, girl!! Rags to Riches also has the very special Secretariat and Seattle Slew in her tree. And what I think is very cool is that she has Busher, War Admiral's rockin' sockin' daughter. Now, here are some of the relatives my girls share with Rags: Blushing Groom, Bimelech, Nasrullah, Traffic Court, War Admiral, Baby League, Bubbling Over, and Equipoise, among many others. In fact, Violet can be proud that they share the same great-grandpa (Rags has Blushing Groom on the bottom, Violet has him on top). And Hailee can be super proud that they share Bubbling Over and Baby League! I am so proud to own a filly thoroughbred, and in the first year that Violet is part of my family, her close filly relative wins the Belmont in historical style. It's good to be part of the equine power girls!!!

Rags to Riches enters Belmont Stakes!

Violet's cousin, Rags to Riches, will run in the Belmont Stakes this Saturday! She'll be one of 22 fillies who has tried to win over its more than 100 years. The last filly to win was 105 years ago -- only two fillies have ever won, Ruthless in the very first and then Tanya a few years later! So, there will be 7 horses running, with Curlin and Hard Spun the favorites. Violet and Rags share the same great-grandpa, Blushing Groom. And Rags has Secretariat and A.P. Indy. A.P. Indy is the first stud to successfully produce a baby from the Eclipse Horse of the Year Azeri who just had her first filly this spring and who is now bred to Storm Cat! Anyway, Violet and I will be rooting for her gal cousin!