IRELAND tasted victory at this year’s meeting when Keeneland sale-topper Mendelssohn joined his half-sister Beholder (Henny Hughes) as a Breeders’ Cup winner, landing the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf by a length. He also became the third Grade 1 winner for his stakes-winning dam Leslie’s Lady, a daughter of Tricky Creek (Clever Trick).

Bred at Clarkland Farm, Mendelssohn was sold as a yearling to MV Magnier for $3 million and has won back over $700,000 to date. He is, of course, worth multiples of his original sale price following his recent victory. His 11-year-old half-sister Victory Party (Yankee Victor) was offered in foal to Curlin (Smart Strike) at Keeneland on Wednesday but did not sell at $475,000.

Four-time champion in the USA, Beholder won 18 of her 26 starts and more than $6 million in prizemoney. She won three Breeders’ Cup races, the Juvenile Fillies and the Distaff twice. She was some purchase as a yearling when sold for $180,000. Mendelssohn and Beholder are joined as Grade 1 winners by Into Mischief (Harlan’s Holiday) and he was the busiest stallion in North America this year, covering some 235 mares. His fee for 2018 was recently raised to $100,000.

Mendelssohn is one of more than 90 stakes winners for Scat Daddy (Johannesburg) who won the Grade 1 Florida Derby and is responsible for some 23 Group or Grade 1 winners. Scat Daddy died at the age of 11 just two years ago and his final crop are yearlings.

By one of North America’s leading sires in More Than Ready (Southern Halo), Rushing Fall became her sire’s 21st highest level winner when she kept her unbeaten record in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. Bred in partnership by Fred Hertrich III and John Fielding, this $320,000 Fasig-Tipton yearling buy by Irishman Mike Ryan has now netted more than twice that amount and is on course to be champion juvenile of her sex. More Than Ready had a second winner at the meeting with Roy H also being successful.

Rushing Fall is the best of the five winners from her dam Autumnal (Forestry) and she is joined as a stakes-winning offspring by her half-sister Milam (Street Sense). Autumnal’s grandam In My Cap (Vice Regent) was a leading racemare in Canada where she won a host of stakes races, including the Princess Elizabeth Stakes. Two of her full-sisters were Grade 1 performers, headed by the Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes winner Trumpet’s Blare.

In My Cap bred nine winners and is grandam of the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Albert The Great (Go For Gin), sire at stud of three Grade 1 winners before being pensioned off in recent years.

The two Grade 1 juvenile races on dirt were won by Caledonia Road and Good Magic. The Grade 1 Juvenile Fillies winner Caledonia Road is owned by a partnership that includes Newtown Anner Stud. Bred by Vegso Racing Stable and sold as a yearling for $140,000 at Keeneland, this daughter of Quality Road (Elusive Quality) was runner-up in the Grade 1 Frizette Stakes and has now earned more than $1.2 million from just three starts.

IMMEDIATE FAMILY

She is the third Grade 1 winner from her immediate family. Her grandam Twilight Service (Horse Chestnut) is a half-sister to a pair of minor stakes winners, full-sisters, and each of them has bred a Grade 1 winner. Vespers (Known Fact) is the dam of the Donn Handicap winner Hymn Book (Arch), while Database is responsible for Makers’ Mile Stakes winner Data Link (War Front). Data Link has his first runners this year and they include the stakes winner Stardoza.

Many of the leading sires in the USA featured at this year’s Breeders’ Cup and Curlin (Smart Strike) got among them thanks to his son Good Magic, winner of the Juvenile on dirt.

This $1 million yearling graduate at Keeneland was bred by Stonestreet Thoroughbreds who retained a share in him.

A second winner for his stakes-winning dam Glinda The Good (Hard Spun), Good Magic is out of a mare who is one of six stakes winners for her winning dam Magical Flash (Miswaki). The others include Grade 3 winner and Grade 1 runner Up Take The Ribbon (Chester House) and Grade 2-placed Flash Forward (Curlin).