This column highlights the performances of maidens who have made no more than five starts and who either sold for more than $500,000 at public auction, have siblings that are graded/group winners, or have dams that are graded/group winners. BloodHorse research shows maiden winners who meet these criteria are more likely to go on to be graded stakes winners.
Churchill Downs
The racing world lost one of the finest producers of the last two decades when Clarkland Farm’s 2016 Broodmare of the Year Leslie’s Lady died in January 2022. Among her illustrious offspring are the Hall of Fame race mare Beholder, grade 1 winner and four-time leading stallion Into Mischief , and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) hero Mendelssohn . The daughter of Tricky Creek had been retired from the breeding shed in 2020 upon delivering her 15th and final foal, a Kantharos filly named Lady Irene .
Three years after her birth, Lady Irene became her dam’s eighth individual winner with a game maiden-breaking score May 20 at Churchill Downs.
While Clarkland Farm breeders Fred and Nancy Mitchell (who died in November 2021) sold a majority of Leslie’s Lady’s progeny, including the unraced filly America’s Joy (American Pharoah ) for $8.2 million to Whisper Hill Farm and Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy) for $3 million to Coolmore at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, the Mitchells retained the mare’s last two foals, Marr Time and Lady Irene.
Marr Time was sent to trainer Brad Cox while Lady Irene joined the stable of Kentucky-based trainer Eddie Kenneally, who trained the Mitchells’ grade 3-winning filly Just Cindy .
Lady Irene made one start at 2, finishing third in a seven-furlong maiden special race last fall at Churchill to eventual stakes performer Vahva . Regrouped for the winter, the bay resurfaced on May 20 sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on the main track under jockey Corey Lanerie.
Second past the opening quarter-mile in :22.75, Lady Irene forced the issue in between rivals turning for home and darted clear at the top of the lane. Surging to the wire, she was met with a late challenge from Driana , a $525,000 yearling buy trained by Ben Colebrook. Lady Irene held sway by a determined head at the finish with a final time of 1:04.98.
Santa Anita Park
Following three placed finishes around one turn, trainer Richard Mandella stretched Spendthrift Farm’s Ruby Nell out to a mile May 20 and was rewarded when the filly streaked to a 1 1/4-length maiden special weight victory at Santa Anita Park.
The 3-year-old daughter of Spendthrift stallion Bolt d’Oro was dispatched to Mandella’s barn last year with a lofty $1.2 million price. Consigned by Tom McCrocklin at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale, its select 2-year-olds in training sale, buyers were clamoring for the filly after she zipped a quarter-mile in :20 2/5 during the under tack show. Spendthrift won the bidding battle and Ruby Nell topped the sale.
Ruby Nell breaks her maiden at Santa Anita Park
Ridden for the second time on Saturday by Ramon Vasquez, Ruby Nell would not be denied a fourth time. Rating along the fence early, the filly, full of run, raced to within a head of the leader around the bend and overpowered that rival down the stretch for the win. She struck the wire in 1:35.45 for the mile on a turf course rated as firm.
Never worse than third in her three prior starts, Ruby Nell became the fifth winner from foals to race for her dam, the Not for Love mare Rich Love.
| BloodHorse Maiden Watch | |||||||
| Notable maiden winners for week of May 15-21 | |||||||
| Date | Track | Race | Horse | Sire | Dam | Starts | Notes |
| 5/20 | CD | 10 | Lady Irene | Kantharos | Leslie’s Lady | 2 | Half sibling to G1SWs Into Mischief, Beholder, Mendelssohn |
| 5/20 | CT | 1 | Duncan Idaho | Fiber Sonde | Holy Pow Wow | 2 | Full sibling to G3SW Late Night Pow Wow |
| 5/20 | SA | 6 | Ruby Nell | Bolt d’Oro | Rich Love | 4 | $1.2 million 2YO |
| 5/20 | WO | 8 | Hey Cue | Accelerate | Cumulonimble | 4 | Half sibling to G3SW Ms Bad Behavior |
| 5/21 | BEL | 3 | Dark Vector | Bolt d’Oro | Just Louise | 5 | Half sibling to G2SW Forbidden Kingdom; Dam is a G3SW |
| 5/21 | GP | 6 | Can’t Stop | Empire Maker | Washington Bridge | 1 | Half sibling to G3SW Mnasek; Dam is a G2SW |
| 5/21 | SA | 1 | Spicybug | Speightstown | Midnight Miley | 4 | Dam is a multiple G3SW |
