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Background Check: Beholder Mile

In this continuing series from last year, we examine the past winners of significant filly/mare races by the lasting influence they've had on the breed. Up today is Santa Anita's GI Beholder Mile S., the first Grade I event of the year in the distaff division.

Formerly the Vanity, formerly run at Hollywood Park, and formerly run at distances up to 1 1/4 miles, the Beholder Mile has had one constant: class. Some of the most decorated racemares of our sport have won it since it was inaugurated in 1940, including Hall of Famers Busher, Bewitch, Silver Spoon, Gamely, Azeri, Zenyatta, and, of course, Beholder, the multiple champion who won the 2016 edition and for whom the race is now named.

Following are some of the most important Beholder Mile winners by what impact they've had on the sport through their sons and daughters.

Byrama (GB) (2009, Byron {GB}–Aymara {GB}, by Darshaan {GB}), bred by Ermyn Lodge Stud Limited: Five years after winning the last Vanity run at Hollywood Park, this mare produced Known Agenda (Curlin), winner of the 2021 GI Florida Derby. The popular young stallion is currently standing his second season at Spendthrift Farm, where he was among the top 30 stallions in the nation by number of mares bred last year.

Hollywood Story (2001, Wild Rush–Wife for Life, by Dynaformer), bred by Vinery: The best of her four stakes performers to date is 2020 GI Santa Anita Derby winner Honor A. P. (Honor Code). The flashy young Lane's End stallion will have his first yearlings at the sales this year; he was among the top 10 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearlings himself when he sold in 2018.

Gorgeous (1986, Slew o' Gold–Kamar, by Key to the Mint), bred by Hermitage Farm, Inc., A. G. Clay, and R. N. Clay: Bred to the finest stallions of her time, Gorgeous “only” produced one stakes winner from her 11 foals, the French listed SW & MGSP Stunning (Nureyev). However, genetic gold has since been bubbling to the surface through her descendants, which include English champion and G1SW Music Show (Ire) (Noverre); Venezuelan champion La Alpujarra (Ven) (Pioneerof the Nile); four-time GISW Turbulent Descent (Congrats); GISW Swift Temper (Giant's Causeway); GSW & MGISP All Included (Include); and several other black-type winners.

Bayakoa (Arg) (1984, Consultant's Bid–Arlucea {Arg}, by Good Manners), bred by Haras Principal: From just four foals and only two daughters to make it to the breeding shed, Bayakoa is the granddam of GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Fort Larned (E Dubai), MGISW Affluent (Affirmed), and GSW Walkabout (Stroll), as well as the ancestor of seven more stakes performers, including 2022 GIII Regret S. winner Walkathon (Twirling Candy) and last month's GIII Palos Verdes S. runner-up Radical Right (First Samurai).

Track Robbery (1976, No Robbery–Left At Home, by Run For Nurse), bred by Edgar Kitchen: Her MGSW & MGISP Train Robbery (Alydar) produced GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Cat Thief (Storm Cat) while another Alydar daughter produced GISW Pohave (Holy Bull) and is the granddam of GSW and $2.2-million Summer Wind broodmare purchase Tapicat (Tapit). Cat Thief is turning into a first-rate broodmare sire with runners out of his daughters including champion 2-year-old colt and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Classic Empire (Pioneerof the Nile), as well as Chilean champion and U.S. GISW Wow Cat (Chi) (Lookin At Lucky).

It's in the Air (1976, Mr. Prospector–A Wind Is Rising, by Francis S.), bred by Happy Valley Farm: Best remembered as the first champion sired by Mr. Prospector and her sale for $4.6 million to Darley at Keeneland November in the 80s, she produced four stakes performers but it's her descendants a generation or more removed that have proved more valuable. Those tracing to her include 2021 G1 Dubai World Cup winner and new 2023 Darley stallion Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper) and his five-time GISW dam Music Note (A.P. Indy); U.S. GISW and English/French/Australian G1SW State of Rest (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}); English G1SW and U.S. MGISW Storming Home (GB) (Machiavellian); French G1SW and U.S. GISW Musical Chimes (In Excess {Ire}); and Australian G1SWs Glencadam Gold (Ire) (Refuse To Bend {Ire}) and Alverta (Aus) (Flying Spur {Aus}).

Tallahto (1970, Nantallah–Legato, by Dark Star), bred by Howard B. Keck: She produced two GISWs in son Prince True (Majestic Light) and daughter Hidden Light (Majestic Light) and her descendants include group winners in Japan, Australia, and South Africa, but her best thus far is undoubtedly grandson and GI Breeders' Cup Mile winner Artie Schiller (El Prado {Ire}). He has sired GI/G1 winners in both the U.S. and Australia.

Countess Fleet (1951, Count Fleet–Honor Bound, by Bull Dog {Fr}), bred by Robert Lehman: Although she's got a number of stakes performers on multiple continents tracing to her, it'll likely be champion and Breeders' Cup winner Storm Song (Summer Squall) that is her legacy. One of Storm Song's daughters produced four black-type winners, including multiple European champion and MG1SW Order of St George (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

Two Lea (1946, Bull Lea–Two Bob, by The Porter), bred by Calumet Farm: The best of her three black-type winning sons on the racetrack was champion and dual Classic winner Tim Tam (Tom Fool), but her best in the breeding shed was seven-time stakes winner On-and-On (Nasrullah {GB}). As a sire, On-and-On's sons included 1968 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Forward Pass, while he is also the broodmare sire of breed-shaping stallion Alydar (Raise a Native).

Be Faithful (1942, Bimelech–Bloodroot, by Blue Larkspur), bred by Idle Hour Stock Farm Co: The number of high-class stakes winners tracing to this mare is significant with the very finest going through her Kentucky Oaks- and Beldame-winning daughter Lalun (Djeddah {Fr}). The impact of Lalun's champion son Never Bend (Nasrullah {GB}) and Travers-winning son Bold Reason (Hail to Reason) as sires is staggering. The former sired Epsom Derby and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Mill Reef, as well as Broodmare of the Year Courtly Dee, who is considered one of the greatest broodmares of the last century and still churns out top-class winners tracing directly to her with great regularity. Not to be outdone, Bold Reason came up with an extraordinary daughter of his own in Fairy Bridge, dam of MG1SW Sadler's Wells (Northern Dancer), whose mark on the breed as a sire is unparalleled.

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Dams of BC Contenders Among First FTKNOV Supplements

The dams of four Grade I winners, including a pair of 2-year-olds that will be among the favorites for the juvenile dirt races at the upcoming Breeders' Cup meeting at Keeneland, are among the initial supplemental entries to The November Sale to be held at Fasig-Tipton's Newtown Paddocks Sunday, Nov. 6.

Trophy Girl (Warrior's Reward) will be offered by Denali Stud as hip 302. The 9-year-old mare, selling in foal to dual Eclipse Award winner Essential Quality, is the dam of Blazing Sevens (Good Magic), third behind recent GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity S. hero Forte (Violence) in the GI Hopeful S. in September and most recently the impressive winner of the GI Champagne S. at Aqueduct to secure his spot in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Nov. 5.

Next into the ring will be hip 303, the Paramount Sales-consigned Special Treat (Candy Ride {Arg}). Descending from the Phipps female family of Grade I winners Imagining (Giant's Causeway), Rhythm (Mr. Prospector), Girolamo (A.P. Indy) and Super Saver (Maria's Mon), among others, the 10-year-old was recently represented by Chocolate Gelato (Practical Joke), who earned a spot in the field for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies courtesy of her victory in the GI Frizette S. at the Big A. Special Treat is offered in foal to GI Met Mile winner Silver State (Hard Spun).

Speed Boat Beach (Bayern) earned a ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint when taking out the Oct. 2 Speakeasy S. at Santa Anita, and his dam Sophia Mia (Pioneerof the Nile) is cataloged as hip 312 to The November Sale. Consigned by Stuart Morris, agent for Caperlane Farm, the 7-year-old Sophia Mia is carrying to promising first-crop sire Army Mule.

Among the other supplements are:

Sheza Smoke Show (hip 300), the dam of GISW 'TDN Rising Star' Princess Noor (Not This Time) in foal to Tapit from the Taylor Made Sales draft;
Wait For Nairobi (hip 301), a half-sister to GISW Tell A Kelly pregnant to Constitution and offered by Hartwell Farm;
Byrama (GB) (hip 309), dam of GISW Known Agenda (Curlin) and carrying a full-sibling; Lane's End consigns;
Duchess of Sussex (hip 310), from the immediate family of GI Cotillion S. romper Society (Gun Runner) and in foal to GI Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World, son of Gun Runner's sire Candy Ride (Arg) from Baldwin Bloodstock

Also included in the first intake of supplemental entries are weanlings by Army Mule, Complexity and Kantharos.

The newest additions are available online and will also be included in the Equineline catalogue app. Print versions of these and any further supplemental entries will be available on the sales grounds at sale time.

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Known Agenda Retired to Spendthrift

St. Elias Stables' Known Agenda (Curlin–Byrama {GB}, by Byron {GB}), winner of this year's GI Florida Derby, has been retired from racing and will take up stud duty at Spendthrift Farm in 2022. The chestnut, who will stand for an introductory fee of $10,000 S&N, will be offered through the farm's “Share The Upside” program on a limited basis. He is available for inspection by appointment.

“Any time you can add a Florida Derby winner by Curlin with his looks and pedigree, you jump at the opportunity,” said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift general manager. “Known Agenda ticks an awful lot of boxes, and the Florida Derby has produced a lot of very good sires, especially in recent history. We are delighted to partner again with Vinnie Viola, who bred and raced this colt out of his Grade I-winning mare. Known Agenda is one of those rare classic-type Grade I winners that is by a Grade I winner and out of a Grade I winner.”

He added, “He reminded us quite a bit of [GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner] Vino Rosso, another son of Curlin that we stand that Vinnie co-owned and campaigned with Todd Pletcher. If Known Agenda's foals look anything like what we have seen from Vino Rosso, then the sky's the limit.”

A St. Elias Stables homebred, Known Agenda broke his maiden as a 2-year-old last fall at Aqueduct, defeating subsequent GII Fountain of Youth S. winner Greatest Honour. At three, he won a Gulfstream allowance race by 11 lengths before winning the Florida Derby going away by 2 3/4 lengths.

“We are excited to be standing Known Agenda, our first homebred to go to stud, at Spendthrift Farm,” said Viola. “This colt showed early promise at two and continued to move forward at three with a dominant victory in the Florida Derby. We are looking for him to continue the great tradition of Florida Derby winners going on to successful stud careers, and we plan on supporting him heavily in that mission.”

An earner of $641,700, Known Agenda became the first Florida Derby winner for his sire Curlin. He is out of Byrama, winner of the 2013 GI Vanity S. on the main track at Hollywood Park.

“Known Agenda reminded me a great deal of Vino Rosso,” added the colt's Hall of Fame trainer. “He possessed the qualities of some of the better Curlins we've had. He's a good-sized, athletic, very well-balanced horse. His Florida Derby win was ultra-impressive, and, obviously, that's been a great race for us when you think of the colts that have gone on to become top sires like [GISWs] Scat Daddy and Constitution.”

For more information visit www.SpendthriftFarm.com.

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Bloodlines Presented By Mill Ridge Farm: Florida Derby Winner Known Agenda Carries On The Legacy Of Sir Ivor

In the Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 27, Known Agenda lunged to the fore and won the race by 2 3/4 lengths, placing himself in the thick of competition for the Kentucky Derby a scant five weeks later.

Bred in Kentucky by the St. Elias Stables of Vincent and Teresa Viola, Known Agenda was produced by one of the first broodmares acquired by St. Elias more than seven years ago. Her son Known Agenda is the first Grade 1 winner bred by the operation, although it has raced several others, including 2019 champion older horse Vino Rosso (Curlin), 2017 Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming (Bodemeister), 2015 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Liam's Map (Unbridled's Song), and 2018 Carter Handicap winner Army Mule (Friesan Fire).

John Sparkman, bloodstock and matings adviser to St. Elias, recalled the mare's acquisition.

“Very early in building a high-class broodmare band, this mare came our way,” Sparkman said, “and the way to start a top broodmare band is with mares of high racing class.”

Byrama, the dam of Known Fact, won the G1 Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park and was second in the G1 Madison at Keeneland for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners in 2013, then was auctioned at the Fasig-Tipton November sale, where she was an RNA for $725,000.

St. Elias made a deal to purchase the mare post sale, and the new owners raced her the next year before retiring the English-bred daughter of Byron to stud in 2015. Known Agenda is the mare's third foal.

In selecting Byrama for racing class, Sparkman said, “Her head, neck, and shoulder reminded me very strongly of Sir Ivor, who is in the third dam, and when something like that comes through, I pay attention. She had speed, class, and is a very elegant mare,” and she clearly makes an excellent match with some of the large, hardy stallions in the Kentucky stallion pool.

The foal by Curlin was so nice that St. Elias sent him to the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale, but retained him as a $135,000 RNA.

Sparkman recalled “when we were going over the inspection statistics with consignor Gerry Dilger, we were pretty surprised that Known Agenda was at the bottom of the list. When we asked about that, Gerry said, 'Nobody even wants to look at him because he's out of a turf mare.'

“Looks pretty good on dirt, to me,” Sparkman concluded.

Indeed, the chestnut colt has progressed notably from his good juvenile form, where he won a maiden and was a respectable third in the G2 Remsen Stakes. This year, he won an allowance at Gulfstream, then was unplaced in the Sam F. Davis. In assessing the difference between the prior race and the Florida Derby, Sparkman gave praise to the work done by trainer Todd Pletcher in getting the colt to focus more effectively in his racing, and it showed at Gulfstream.

“Todd said that Known Agenda reminded him a lot of Vino Rosso,” also campaigned by St. Elias, “in lacking mental maturity,” Sparkman said. But the physical attributes of the colt have always been there, and he is a progressive colt who will profit from added time and distance.

The Kentucky Derby is expected to be the next start for Known Agenda.

If all goes well, the Derby would be the seventh start for Known Agenda; for his sire, Curlin, the Derby was his fourth career start, and Curlin went into the Derby unbeaten after an extraordinary maiden success, then victories in the G3 Rebel and G2 Arkansas Derby. Curlin finished third in the Kentucky Derby, won the Preakness from Derby winner Street Sense, and was a head second in the Belmont Stakes to the lovely filly Rags to Riches. Late-season successes in the G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup and Breeders' Cup Classic brought divisional honors and the Horse of the Year award to Curlin.

A repeat as Horse of the Year in 2008 sent Curlin to stud with excellent racing credentials, although he wasn't universally popular as a physical specimen, being a big, robustly made animal of generous proportions. From his first crop, however, Curlin showed he could sire individuals of greater quality allied with his scope and classic ability. St. Elias brought him a first-rate match with Byrama, as a racemare of high ability, allied with quality and refinement.

“Breeding to a horse like Curlin is obvious for a quality mare who matches on pedigree,” Sparkman said, “and he also has a cross of Sir Ivor in the fourth generation that seemed like a positive repetition.”

Although sometimes considered only as a turf horse because of his first-class record in Europe, Sir Ivor was a top 2-year-old who progressed to become a top classic colt, winning the 1968 2,000 Guineas and Derby, then finishing a gallant second to Vaguely Noble in the Arc de Triomphe. In his final start, Sir Ivor returned to the States and won the Washington DC International before retiring to stud at Claiborne Farm.

Considered simplistically, Sir Ivor was a “turf horse” because he showed exceptional form on the surface. “But all horses can run on turf,” Sparkman said. “All horses can run on dirt. Some have a preference one way or another, but it's almost always pretty slight.”

Considering the horse on racing character, physique, and athleticism, Sir Ivor was much more than a turf horse. He'd have been among the favorites for the 1968 Kentucky Derby, had he been on this side of the Atlantic, and he might well have won the race too.

Bred in Kentucky at Mill Ridge Farm by Alice Chandler and sold to Vincent O'Brien on behalf of owner Winston Guest at the Keeneland July sale, Sir Ivor proved a serious international sire after his classic-winning race career. The good-sized plain bay sired some quick juveniles, some classic competitors, and high-quality performers on turf and dirt. His early crops included Arc de Triomphe winner Ivanjica, and among his later foals came Eclipse champion older horse Bates Motel.

There weren't any “turf” performers of great acclaim among the immediate ancestors of Sir Ivor, but O'Brien saw an athlete. Quick, strong, and competitive, Sir Ivor proved the judgment of his mentor to be eminently correct.

With a known agenda for the classics, Sir Ivor's descendant is taking steps of his own for classic recognition.

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