Ushba Tesoro and Lord North Among 100 Graded or Group Stakes Winners – Including Two Dozen G1s – From Claiborne Families in 2023
Story by B. Jason Brooks
The Dubai World Cup on Saturday, March 30 at Meydan Race Course in the United Arab Emirates shines a light on international racing at its highest levels, attracting elite horses from around the world for purses totaling more than $30 million on the one-day race card. In 2023, two particular elite Dubai winners brought added attention to Claiborne female families in what would foreshadow an impressive year of top-level wins across the globe.
Japanese-bred Ushba Tesoro – representing the Bayou branch of the Claiborne family of blue-hen mare Bourtai – won the US $12 million Dubai World Cup, his second career group 1 win that ranked him as one of the top racehorses in the world. (See “Ushba Tesoro Highlights the Dynamic Claiborne Family of Bayou” on the Claiborne Farm blog for more.) Also on the 2023 Dubai World Cup card, Irish-bred Lord North – from the Moccasin branch of imported British-bred Claiborne foundation mare Rough Shod II – became the first three-time winner of the US$6 million, grade 1 Dubai Turf.
Both Ushba Tesoro and Lord North are back in Dubai seeking repeats of their stellar wins. Ushba Tesoro seeks to become only the second two-time Dubai World Cup winner and Lord North seeks to become the only four-time winner the same race on the Dubai World Cup card. Wins from this duo could give a nice boost to another year of international success for horses representing Claiborne female families.
This global influence is further exemplified by an elite 8 horses from Claiborne female families appearing on the final 2023 Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings (here). In addition to the aforementioned Dubai winners Ushba Tesoro, by his native sire Orfevre, and Lord North, by Irish-bred sire Dubawi, the elite winners and their Claiborne families include: Japanese-bred Panthalassa, by his native sire Lord Kanaloa, winner of the world’s richest race in the US$20 million Saudi Cup. He is from the Delta branch of Claiborne foundation mare Bourtai; Japanese-bred Champagne Color, by her native sire Duramente, winner of the NHK Mile Cup in Tokyo. He is from the Bobbles branch of imported British-bred Bobolink; Irish-bred Romantic Warrior, by British-bred sire Acclamation, winner of the Queen Elizabeth II Cup in Hong Kong. He is from the Fabulous Native branch of Alyne Que; Elite Power, by Curin, winner of the A.G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga and the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Santa Anita. He is from the Eolee branch of War Song, one of the oldest Hancock-bred families; Gina Romantica, by Into Mischief, winner of the First Lady Stakes at Keeneland. She is from the Blandish branch of imported Irish-bred Winsome Way; and, Slow Down Andy, by Nyquist, winner of the Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita. He is from the Merry Maid branch of Mermaid.
Across the world in 2023, an ultra-impressive 100 graded or group stakes races were won by horses representing Claiborne female families. (See more details in the 2023 mid-year update “Claiborne Female Families’ Successful First Half of 2023” on the Claiborne blog.) All 100 of them, including 24 grade or group 1s, occurred in “top-tier” Part I countries or races, as identified by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities.
Of the 100 graded or group stakes wins for horses from Claiborne families, more than two-thirds (or 68) of them occurred in Northern Hemisphere countries or races, including 37 in the United States, 1 in Canada, 9 in Great Britain, 6 in France, 3 in Ireland, 5 in Japan, 3 in Hong Kong, and 2 each in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. Adding to these remarkable results, 17 of these wins were elite grade or group 1s. The other 32 wins, including 7 group 1s, occurred in Southern Hemisphere countries or races, including 12 in Australia, 1 in New Zealand, 7 in Brazil, 4 in Argentina, 2 in Peru, 1 in Uruguay, and 5 in South Africa.
As listed below, this global success was accomplished by 75 different horses representing the families of 40 different Claiborne families. Nearly a third, or 24, of these horses have Claiborne-bred mares within their first five dams, including 5 of these with Claiborne mares among their first three dams.
Seven Claiborne families were represented by 3 or more individual horses winning graded or group stakes races in 2023. The foundation mares and their graded- or group-winning descendants from across the world include the following:
- 9 for Sunstep (GB), including Foggy Night, Last Samurai, Believing (IRE), Corniche (AUS), Espionage (AUS), Fast Raaj (FR), Golden Hostess (SAF), Gregory (GB), and Steparty (AUS);
- 6 for Bourtai, including Danse Macabre, Dance Sequence (GB), Heat on Beat (JPN), Mamba Mentality (BRZ), Panthalassa (JPN), and Ushba Tesoro (JPN);
- 5 for Fairy Ray (GB), including The Chosen Vron, Alcantor (FR), Clafoutis (SAF), Prime Art (IRE), and Rogue Millennium (IRE);
- 5 for Rough Shod II (GB), including Adare Manor, Huetor (FR), Lord North (IRE), Palaisipan (AUS), and Zona Verde (IRE);
- 4 for Knight’s Daughter (GB), including Red Carpet Ready, Wynstock, Romancing the Moon (NZ), and White Marlin (IRE);
- 3 for Grade, including Dancing Mambo (BRZ), Evidencias (BRZ), and Stoltz (AUS); and,
- 3 for Peroration (GB), including Crimson Advocate, Lord Miles, and Moira (CAN).
Elite horses from Claiborne female families will likely continue having a significant impact on the international stage, including this Saturday in Dubai. With the farm’s rich history dating back well over a century, the global influence of Claiborne female families remains substantial, including among some of Kentucky farm’s newer, more recent families. This is a testament to the generations of Hancocks and the entire Claiborne Farm team over the years who have been responsible for “breeding the best to the best.”
2023 Graded & Group Stakes Winners (Sires) – Claiborne Female Families
- A Mo Reay (Uncle Mo) – Gradation branch of My Flag
- Adare Manor (Uncle Mo) – Gambetta branch of Rough Shod (GB)
- Arzak (Not This Time) – Risky branch of Venturesome (GB)
- Brightwork (Outwork) – Black Belle branch of Trojan Belle
- Cairo Consort (Cairo Prince) – Risky branch of Venturesome (GB)
- Catnip (Kitten’s Joy) – Pucheca branch of Regal Gleam
- Crimson Advocate (Nyquist) – Damaged Goods branch of Peroration (GB)
- Danse Macabre (Army Mule) – Delta branch of Bourtai
- Dr B (Liam’s Map) – Darby Dunedin branch of Ethel Dear
- Elite Power (Curlin) – Eolee branch War Song
- Faenon (English Channel) – Family of Lighted Glory
- Foggy Night (Khozan) – Galaday branch of Sunstep (GB)
- Gear Jockey (Twirling Candy) – Granddam Pace and great-granddam Maid for Walking (GB)
- Gina Romantica (Into Mischief) – Blandish branch of Winsome Way (IRE)
- Happy American (Runhappy) – Dam Queen of America
- Jasper Krone (Frosted) – Hopespringseternal branch of Rose Bower
- Last Samurai (Malibu Moon) – Galaday branch of Sunstep (GB)
- Lord Miles (Curlin) – Damaged Goods branch of Peroration (GB)
- Newgrange (Violence) – June Rose branch of Pietra (GB)
- Princess Grace (Karakontie {JPN}) – Pucheca branch of Regal Gleam
- Red Carpet Ready (Oscar Performance) – Yarn branch of Knight’s Daughter (GB)
- Scarlet Fusion (Curlin) – Anthemion branch of Sicklefeather
- Shotgun Hottie (Gun Runner) – Jacola branch of La France
- Slow Down Andy (Nyquist) – Merry Maid branch of Mermaid
- Spirit of Makena (Ghostzapper) – Family of Benevolence
- The Chosen Vron (Vronsky) – Marguerite branch of Fairy Ray (GB)
- Value Engineering (Lemon Drop Kid) – Obstetrician branch of Romanticism
- Witwatersrand (Connect) – Fabulous Native branch of Alyne Que
- Wynstock (Solomini) – Yarn branch of Knight’s Daughter (GB)
- Moira (CAN) (Ghostzapper) – Damaged Goods branch of Peroration (GB)
- Alcantor (FR) (New Bay {GB}) – Marguerite branch of Fairy Ray (GB)
- Fast Raaj (FR) (Iffraaj {GB}) – Galaday branch of Sunstep (GB)
- Gallerist (FR) (Zoffany {IRE}) – Cap and Bells branch of Ghanzi
- Huetor (FR) (Archipenko) – Special branch of Rough Shod (GB)
- Dance Sequence (GB) (Dubawi {IRE}) – Delta branch of Bourtai
- Gregory (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}) – Ommiad branch of Sunstep (GB)
- Marshman (GB) (Harry Angel {IRE}) – Passing Fancy branch of Princessnesian
- Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) – Bobbles branch of Bobolink (GB)
- Believing (IRE) (Mehmas {IRE}) – Ommiad branch of Sunstep (GB)
- Content (IRE) (Galileo {IRE}) – June Rose branch of Pietra (GB)
- Lord Massusus (IRE) (Markaz {IRE}) – Flaring Top branch of Flaming Top
- Lord North (IRE) (Dubawi {IRE}) – Moccasin branch of Rough Shod (GB)
- Matrika (IRE) (No Nay Never) – Lost Horizon branch of Dustwhirl
- Prime Art (IRE) (Churchill {IRE}) – Marguerite branch of Fairy Ray (GB)
- Rogue Millennium (IRE) (Dubawi {IRE}) – Marguerite branch of Fairy Ray (GB)
- Romantic Warrior (IRE) (Australia {GB}) – Fabulous Native branch of Alyne Que
- Waipiro (IRE) (Australia {GB}) – Family of Royal Warrant
- White Marlin (IRE) (Mastercraftsman {IRE}) – Monarchy branch of Knight’s Daughter (GB)
- Zona Verde (IRE) (Calyx {GB}) – Moccasin branch of Rough Shod (GB)
- Champagne Color (JPN) (Duramente {JPN}) – Bobbles branch of Bobolink (GB)
- Heat on Beat (JPN) (King Kamehameha {JPN}) – Levee branch of Bourtai
- Panthalassa (JPN) (Lord Kanaloa {JPN}) – Delta branch of Bourtai
- Ushba Tesoro (JPN) (Orfevre {JPN}) – Bayou branch of Bourtai
- Amelia’s Jewel (AUS) (Siyouni {FR}) – Courtesy branch of Highway Code (GB)
- Charm Stone (AUS) (I Am Invincible {AUS}) – Cleopatra branch of Gallice (GB)
- Corniche (AUS) (Fastnet Rock {AUS}) – Galaday branch of Sunstep (GB)
- Espionage (AUS) (Zoustar {AUS}) – Ommiad branch of Sunstep (GB)
- Palaisipan (AUS) (So You Think {NZ}) – Moccasin branch of Rough Shod (GB)
- Steparty (AUS) (Artie Schiller) – Sun Spot branch of Sunstep (GB)
- Stoltz (AUS) (More Than Ready) – Kindergarten branch of Grade
- Zoustyle (AUS) (Zoustar {AUS}) – Doubledogdare branch of Flaming Top
- Romancing the Moon (NZ) (El Roco {AUS}) – Yarmouth branch of Knight’s Daughter (GB)
- Anguila de Coral (ARG) (Santillano {ARG}) – Seldom branch of So Rare
- Elveda (ARG) (Manipulator) – Eolee branch War Song
- Pan y Circo (ARG) (Que Vida Bueno {ARG}) – Quilly branch of Quillesian
- Puerto Manzano (ARG) (Seek Again) – Granddam Portugal and great-granddam Sinatra
- Dancing Mambo (BRZ) (Mellon Martini) – Kindergarten branch of Grade
- Evidencias (BRZ) (Drosselmeyer) – Kindergarten branch of Grade
- Mamba Mentality (BRZ) (Koller {ARG}) – Levee branch of Bourtai
- Regal Nemesis (BRZ) (Drosselmeyer) – Galaday branch of Sunstep (GB)
- Ushuaia Ibiza (BRZ) (Gloria de Campeao {BRZ}) – Fleet Ailine branch of Effie B
- Raine Elizabeth (PER) (Meal Penalty) – Firewater branch of Dark Water (GB)
- Girona Fever (URU) (Texas Fever) – Granddam Storm Key and great-granddam Nine Keys
- Clafoutis (SAF) (Flower Alley) – Marguerite branch of Fairy Ray (GB)
- Golden Hostess (SAF) (Gold Standard {SAF}) – Sun Spot branch of Sunstep (GB)