Beyond the Waves, the dam of Bricks and Mortar, named Broodmare of the Year

Beyond the Waves, the dam of 2019 Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar, was honored as Kentucky’s Broodmare of the Year on Thursday, days after being bred to Oscar Performance, a major vote of confidence for the second-year stallion, who stands at Mill Ridge Farm in Lexington, Ky.

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The Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders unveiled its statebred champions and associated merit award winners on Thursday. The award winners are typically revealed at a luncheon in April at Keeneland, which has been postponed until the fall due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Beyond the Waves, a French stakes winner, was co-bred and campaigned by George Strawbridge Jr., who boards her at Stone Farm in Paris, Ky. The mare delivered a Runhappy colt in April 2019, and was barren for this foaling season.

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Beyond the Waves is the dam of seven winners from as many starters, led by Bricks and Mortar, who won five Grade 1 races last year to earn championship honors, capping his career with a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. The Giant’s Causeway horse has been honored at the KTOB’s horse of the year and male turf champion. Beyond the Waves has also produced Grade 3 winner Emerald Beech, stakes winner Beyond Smart, stakes-winning steeplechaser Beyond Henry, and two stakes-placed horses.

Oscar Performance, by leading turf sire Kitten’s Joy, retired to his birthplace, Mill Ridge, after a career in which he won seven graded stakes events. He posted four Grade 1 victories – the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, the 2017 Belmont Derby and Secretariat Stakes, and the 2018 Woodbine Mile. His other wins included the Grade 3 Poker Stakes in 2018 at Belmont, sizzling the mile on turf in a course-record 1:31.23. Not only did that break Elusive Quality’s course mark of 1:31.63 established in 1998, it tied the North American record for a mile on the turf established by Mandurah in 2010 at Monmouth Park. Oscar Performance covered 118 mares in his first season at stud in 2019, according to The Jockey Club’s Report of Mares Bred.