On April 3, 2014, and for the months that immediately followed, American Story and her newborn filly American Gal occupied the same space at Hill 'n' Dale Farms in Kentucky.
They eventually went their separate ways, as mares and weaned foals do, but the two horses' paths seemed to keep intersecting as American Gal made her way through life.
American Gal followed in her mother's footsteps as a first-start winner at Del Mar, both for owner Kaleem Shah, and then she went a step further winning a pair of Grade 1 races. When American Story sold to Don Alberto Corp. for $2.2 million at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, American Gal followed her through the Fasig-Tipton November sale a year later, going to Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm for $3 million.
They were on separate farms, but the mares' new owners were clearly on the same wavelength in managing their careers. In 2020, both mares were bred to Hall of Famer Curlin, with each producing fillies. A year later, they both joined the book of perennial leading sire Into Mischief, this time with American Gal producing a colt and American Story having a filly.
American Story and American Gal's stories continued to intersect when the next generation went to auction.
The two Curlin fillies went through the ring at last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale as Hips 132 and 133. American Story's filly brought $450,000, and American Gal's sold for $500,000, both with Mike Repole's name on the ticket as a partner or sole buyer.
On Monday, their Into Mischief yearlings went through the ring one after the other as Hips 18 and 19.
American Gal's colt went first, hammering to Grandview Equine for $1.1 million to become the first horse of this year's September sale to eclipse the seven-figure mark. American Story's filly followed, going to Nice Guys Stables for $575,000.
Highly commercial families can be found all over the place during the high-level Book 1 of the Keenealnd September Sale, but few mothers and daughters are linked in so many ways, both tangibly and intangibly – especially for being owned by completely separate entities.
American Story, a daughter of Ghostzapper, joined the broodmare band of Don Alberto Corp. after the 2017 Fasig-Tipton November sale. Crossing with Shah's stallion Concord Point had proven fruitful for the mare, who produced American Gal and Grade 2-placed Americanize prior to her time in the sale ring.
Shah had purchased American Story as a 2-year-old for $400,000, and she earned runner-up finishes in the Grade 2 Milady Handicap at Hollywood Park and the listed Remington Park Oaks and Harry Henson Handicap in the Southwest. Americanize was her first foal, and American Gal followed the next year.
Don Alberto COO Reed Ringler joined the operation well after the farm acquired American Story, but he was well aware how important the mare and the bloodline were to the program. Keeping the yearling filly to one day join the broodmare band was discussed.
“We love the mare,” he said. “She's got a fantastic 3-year-old with Steve Asmussen named Magic Tap that we think is going to the Pennsylvania Derby, so it was really hard to let go of this filly, but Carlos (Heller of Don Alberto) will bring the horses to market and let them bring what they'll bring.
“She was a little small, but she was a May 6 foal,” Ringler continued. “She looks really fast, a typical Into Mischief, and we were satisfied with the price. We're happy, but it's hard to let go of those girls.”
Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency consigned American Story's filly, as agent.
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If you appreciate our work, you can support us by subscribing to our Patreon stream. Learn more.Ringler also arrived after the mating was planned for American Story's 2022 filly, but the benefits of breeding to Spendthrift Farm's Into Mischief are well-documented.
“I think they were trying to put a little bit of speed into her,” he said. “Carlos wants to try the best with the best. This was a Grade 1-producing mare, so I think it was natural to try her with Into Mischief, so we got this speedy-looking filly, and I'm glad she was appreciated when she got here.”
American Gal raced as a homebred for Shah, winning her first two starts before finishing third in the 2016 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita Park. Her 3-year-old season kicked off with a win in the G3 Victory Ride Stakes, and she added a win in the Grade 1 Test Stakes later that season. At four, she won the Grade 1 Humana Distaff Stakes at Churchill Downs before retiring with five wins in nine starts for earnings of $912,480.
Unlike American Story, who remained in Shah's broodmare band for a few years, American Gal entered the auction ring the same year she was retired, going home with Pope as a broodmare prospect.
“She had a really nice race record,” Pope said about American Gal. “She's got some Grade 1s in her pedigree, which obviously helped. That was the main thing. She was a nice racehorse and good looking.”
Gainesway consigned American Gal's colt, as agent.
After so much time riding similar waves, American Story and American Gal's produce and sale records won't by synching up anytime soon. American Story was bred to Essential Quality for the 2023 foaling season, but she didn't produce a foal. She was sent back to Curlin for next year's foaling season.
Meanwhile, American Gal was sent to Curlin last year without producing a foal, and she was bred to Not This Time earlier this year.
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