Derby Hopeful: Hierro

In 2011, I posted “Juvenile Spotlights” about two-year-olds I had followed since early on in their careers. Now that it’s 2012, everyone’s focus is on the Kentucky Derby. Some horses from past Juvenile Spotlights will be featured, as well as additional horses on the Derby trail.

A colt I have followed since his second career start, Hierro is one of the newly-turned three-year-olds that impressed me the most last year. After two good efforts – the second of which he landed on my watch list –, the son of the grade one-winning Hard Spun brilliantly broke his maiden at Churchill Downs.

Hard Spun, his sire, was a versatile racehorse and was 2011’s second-leading first-crop sire. A multiple stakes winner at two, the son of the influential Danzig won four graded stakes as a three-year-old, including the seven-furlong King’s Bishop Stakes (GI). He also finished second in two prestigious ten-furlong races: the Kentucky Derby (GI) and the Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI). In fact, Hard Spun placed in four grade ones as a sophomore, three of which were classics. The beautifully bred bay won at a range of five and one-half furlongs to nine furlongs and won on two different surfaces: dirt and synthetic. With a versatile sire and dam, Hard Spun should pass on his versatility to his offspring.

Hierro’s dam, the grade-three placed Brief Bliss, has also produced a multiple stakes winner who is also graded stakes-placed, a stakes-placed filly, winners on every surface, and winners in sprint and route races. Through his grandsire Navarone, Hierro traces back to Never Bend, who traces back to the incredibly influential mare La Troienne.

We have frequently seen how important a prior start over the Churchill surface is for horses in the Kentucky Derby. For instance, Super Saver won the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (GII) at Churchill Downs as a two-year-old, Street Sense ran twice at Churchill Downs as a juvenile – including a dominant victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI), Monarchos raced under the Twin Spires once as a two-year-old, Real Quiet ran at Churchill three times as a juvenile, and Grindstone made one start at the Louisville track as a two-year-old. If Hierro makes it to the Kentucky Derby, he will already have not only a start at Churchill Downs to his credit, but a win.

It is not just the fact that Hierro already has a Churchill victory to his credit that is impressive. The way he won that start is even more imposing. He showed the ability to rate, sitting just off the leaders for most of the race before taking the lead just before the quarter pole. From then on, he easily drew away from the field to win by 5 ¼, running the final eighth in 12.66 seconds despite never really being asked.

Hierro’s next start should come at the Santa Anita meet, where trainer Steve Asmussen has stabled many horses. The Stonestreet Stables-owned colt has worked five times over Santa Anita’s dirt surface, the most recent an impressive 47.60 half-mile breeze. He is being pointed toward the Sham Stakes (GIII) at one mile at Santa Anita on January 7, where he will likely meet up with my favorite three-year-old colt, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint-winning Secret Circle.

With his versatile pedigree and racing style, Hierro looks like a force to be reckoned with. We should soon find out how he competes against graded stakes company. Should he be competitive and stay sound and healthy, Hierro will be a threat on the Derby trail.


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My Special Aurelia

Normally, this piece would be a “Juvenile Spotlight” since I discovered this filly before her maiden race and have followed her throughout her career. However, she is already plenty in the spotlight. Instead, this is a piece on how I came across this special filly, how talented she is, and what she has the potential to be.

In anticipation of an upcoming maiden special weight for two-year-old fillies at Saratoga Race Course, I researched the pedigrees of each filly in the race. I chose two fillies off of pedigree and was impressed by them in the post parade as well. One would finish fifth while the other would cross the wire victoriously. Though I knew the winner was a talented filly, I didn’t realize at the time just how special she would become. The winner’s name was My Miss Aurelia.

Obviously, her sire, Smart Strike, is very successful and has already sired a remarkable horse for her connections in Curlin. Smart Strike was the leading sire in 2007 and 2008 and is currently the second leading sire of 2011.

My Miss Aurelia
Photo: Terri Cage

To add to her impressive pedigree is My Miss Aurelia’s dam, My Miss Storm Cat. The daughter of the incredible pensioned sire Storm Cat was a stakes winner that also finished third in the Landaluce Stakes (GIII) as a two-year-old. My Miss Aurelia is the mare’s second foal. Her first foal was Albergatti, who was briefly on the Kentucky Derby trail earlier this year and finished second in the Northern Spur Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

In addition to her notable pedigree, My Miss Aurelia possesses imposing conformation. Her long, thin neck ties in correctly at the point of shoulder. Furthermore, her shoulder is strong and sloping, allowing her to be proportional and have a long, smooth stride. Her deep heart girth indicates that she has a large set of lungs, which clearly allows her to breathe well. Her quality muscling is also evident, as are her clean legs.

In her maiden race, the Steve Asmussen trainee sat in second under Julien Leparoux before taking the lead with about a furlong left. The bay filly drew clear in Stonestreet’s silks in the final yards, going on to win by a length over Delightful Magic, who recently finished fifth of ten in the Delta Downs Princess Stakes (GIII). The final time for My Miss Aurelia’s maiden victory was 1:03.59 for five and one-half furlongs.

My Miss Aurelia was made the favorite for the Adirondack Stakes (GII) next out. Millionreasonswhy, coming off a victory in the Matron Stakes (GII), appeared on My Miss Aurelia’s outside as the horses came around the far turn. The daughter of Grand Slam looked as if she would blow right past My Miss Aurelia, but the Stonestreet homebred owned by Stonestreet and George Bolton dug in and would not let Millionreasonswhy pass her. The half-sister to Albergatti, ridden by Leparoux again, prevailed by a neck and galloped out ahead of Millionreasonswhy. With her win, many ranked her as the top juvenile filly in the nation.

Along the way, I learned that My Miss Aurelia was named by Jess Jackson not long before he passed away. He had named the filly after George Bolton’s mother, who is a lucky charm at the races. The story led me to love the filly even more.

The Frizette Stakes (GI) at Belmont Park was My Miss Aurelia’s last stop along the road to the Breeders’ Cup. Despite the fact that My Miss Aurelia was highly-touted, the favorite was Stopshoppingmaria, the filly that had finished third to My Miss Aurelia when the Steve Asmussen trainee broke her maiden. Many were persuaded by Stopshoppingmaria’s recent romp in a maiden special weight. However, I was still on My Miss Aurelia’s side and was staying that way.

I was glad I stayed on her side. Just over one minute and thirty-five seconds after the two-year-old fillies broke from the starting gate and ran a mile, My Miss Aurelia flashed across the wire with Corey Nakatani aboard, five and one-half lengths ahead of Stopshoppingmaria. With her dominant win, she became the favorite for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

As the championship race approached, I was torn between two fillies I had followed since their maidens: My Miss Aurelia and Weemissfrankie. Since the latter resembled my horse, I was partial and felt my heart leaning slightly in her direction. However, as the fillies paraded in front of me before the race, I had a gut feeling that My Miss Aurelia would stand in the winner’s circle to my left with the blanket of flowers draped over her withers.

Corey Nakatani celebrating with
Aurelia standing next to the special
filly named after her
Photo: Terri Cage

My gut didn’t lie. In one of the most impressive Breeders’ Cup victories of 2011, My Miss Aurelia won the Juvenile Fillies stylishly, crossing the wire three lengths in front. As I stood along the rail just a few feet away from the stunning bay filly when she was awarded with the winner’s garland of flowers, I watched as jockey Corey Nakatani celebrated aboard her, throwing flowers from the blanket into the air.

As I watched in awe, my cheeks were not just flushed by the cold. Before me was the beautiful filly that I’d followed since before she even stood in a winner’s circle and to my left were her blissful connections, including her namesake, Aurelia. As my mother snapped pictures beside me, I watched with my eyes glued to the champion, struck with a feeling that My Miss Aurelia was even more special than I originally thought. And considering I’ve known she’s special all along, it is unbelievable how special I believe she will be.

Photo: Terri Cage


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Juvenile Spotlight: Hierro

One of my favorite things to do is find young horses that have the potential to be superstars. Two-year-olds I have discovered this year before they went on to bigger and better things include Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) winner, My Miss Aurelia, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint winner, Secret Circle, two-time grade one winner, Weemissfrankie, and grade three winner, Pure Gossip. It is very entertaining and rewarding to discover two-year-olds before they go on to record prestigious victories. Juvenile Spotlights highlight some of the two-year-olds I have discovered.

It would be no shock to see the famous gold and maroon silks of Stonestreet Stables LLC be successful with yet another horse. Of course, the two horses best known for wearing those silks are Curlin and Rachel Alexandra. Why not add another superstar to Stonestreet’s list?

One of Curlin’s main rivals in his three-year-old year was Hard Spun, who is the sire of the Steve Asmussen-trained Hierro, a two-year-old chestnut colt. By legendary sire Danzig, Hard Spun was a four-time graded stakes winner. Though he won the King’s Bishop Stakes (GI), he just might be most well-known for finishing second in the 2007 Kentucky Derby (GI) and Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI). The son of the late stakes-winning mare, Turkish Tryst, was very versatile, having won a grade one at the distance of seven furlongs and finishing second in two classic races at the distance of ten furlongs. The young stallion looks to pass on this versatility to his offspring.

In his first crop, Hard Spun has already sired a group two winner in the two-year-old Red Duke, as well as two other stakes winners. One of those stakes winners, Hard Not to Like, recently ran a decent fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (GII). Hard Spun’s sire, Danzig, was capable of siring talented horses at both short and long distances on both dirt and turf. Hard Spun’s dam, Turkish Tryst, was obviously a distance horse. Her first win came at a mile and one-eighth on the dirt, her second at a mile and one-half on the turf, and her third at a mile and one-quarter on the turf.

Hierro’s dam is Brief Bliss, a mare that once placed second in the Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes (GIII). By the talented grade one-winning turf horse, Navarone, Brief Bliss has already produced Sam’s Bliss, a three-year-old stakes-placed filly, and Cherokee Triangle, who won three ungraded stakes and placed second in the Hawthorne Derby (GIII). Brief Bliss, who only won once, was only victorious at the distance of five and one-half furlongs. However, the granddaughter of Conquistador Cielo has produced winners at up to a mile and one-eighth, as well as winners at sprint distances. The mare has also produced winners on dirt, turf, and synthetic.

Hierro clearly has plenty of versatility on both sides of his pedigree. He could be successful as a sprinter or distance horse on all surfaces.

In Hierro’s first start, the chestnut colt finished fifth in a field of ten in a Saratoga maiden special weight. That may seem unimpressive, but the winner of the race was Alpha, who went on to finish second in the Champagne Stakes (GI). Another point that proves that Hierro’s performance in his first race wasn’t as flat as it seems to be is how bad of a trip he had. The Steve Asmussen trainee broke slowly, had to travel wide, and was forced to check on the far turn.

I first discovered Hierro in the post parade for his second race. The colt’s rich chestnut coat contrasted with the muddy track beneath him as he jogged over the Belmont surface. He had quality muscling and was clearly a very balanced two-year-old that exhibited much class. He was absolutely stunning.

In that race, the son of Hard Spun put in a very good performance to finish second to Souper Speedy. He pursued on the outside to miss by three-quarters of a length. The performance, along with his conformation, garnered him a position in my Equibase Virtual Stable ©.

On Wednesday (November 9), Hierro made his first start outside of New York. In a seven furlong maiden race over the dirt track at Churchill Downs, Hierro sat off the pace under a motionless Julien Leparoux. The colt took the lead towards the end of the far turn with Leparoux remaining still in the saddle. With barely any urging, Hierro drew away from the rest of the field effortlessly to score by 5 ¼ lengths. Despite the fact that the colt was under wraps in the final stage of the race, he still managed to run the final furlong in 12.66 seconds. It was an incredibly impressive victory.

Hierro seems to have a very bright future ahead of him. His name means ‘iron’ in Spanish, which is actually quite fitting. The colt has the breeding to be an iron horse and has already shown immense talent on the racetrack. Look for him to make a huge impression on the racing scene.

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