Bred to be a star - and turning into one

Santa Anita

Rags to Riches won the Las Virgenes Stakes on Feb. 10 and immediately vaulted to the top of the 3-year-old filly division. Rags to Riches is bred to be a star at classic distances on dirt. By A.P. Indy, she is out of the Deputy Minister mare Better Than Honour, making her a half-sister to last year's Belmont Stakes winner, Jazil. Her second dam, Blush With Pride, won the Kentucky Oaks, and her third dam, Best in Show, was the 1982 Broodmare of the Year and dam of Malinowski, Monroe and Sex Appeal, the dam of the full siblings, El Gran Senor, Try My Best and Compliance.

Last year's 2-year-old filly champion, Dreaming of Anna, finished a well-beaten third in the Old Hat Stakes at Gulfstream in her 3-year-old debut and should be kept to grass races. Winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies in wire-to-wire fashion, she was always bred to best on turf and showed much more acceleration in all of her grass races last year.

Aqueduct

Fuego Grande won a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance on Feb. 8, and the 5-year-old mare by Wood Memorial Stakes winner Adonis has always been competitive in statebred races in New York. Although bred in New York, Fuego Grande has a Kentucky pedigree. Her dam, Shotanabeer (by Cure the Blues), is a half-sister to champion sprinter Kona Gold. Owned by Paraneck Stables, Fuego Grande will make an attractive broodmare when her racing days are over. In addition to Kona Gold, her female family is loaded with high quality racehorses such as Caller One, What a Pleasure, and Misty Morn.

* Chester House was on his way to becoming one of racing's premier stallions but he died after only a few crops. He won the Arlington Million, and his offspring also have a decided preference for grass but win on dirt as well. On Feb. 10, Divine Park, a 3-year-old first-time starter by Chester House, won a six-furlong maiden race at 5-1. Divine Park gets a double dose of class from his dam, the Ascot Knight mare High in the Park. High in the Park is out of a half-sister to stakes winner Imperial Gesture, who was second behind Tempera in the 2001 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, and also to multiple Grade 1 winner Sardula.

* Summer Doldrums is officially on the Kentucky Derby trail after winning the Whiralway Stakes on Feb. 10. From the first crop of sensational young sire Street Cry (also the sire of last year's champion 2-year-old colt, Street Sense), Summer Doldrums has a spectacular pedigree with the kind of female family inbreeding that usually results in stakes-quality individuals. Summer Doldrums has the RF (Rasmussen Factor) as he is inbred 5x5 to the influential matron Natalma, through her famous son Northern Dancer and through her daughter Raise the Standard, who was just as exceptional a broodmare as her dam. With Street Cry, Unaccounted For and Dixieland Band up close in his pedigree, Summer Doldrums should have no problems getting 1 1/4 miles.

* Estimable looked impressive winning a six-furlong maiden race on Feb. 11, and the 3-year-old filly by Came Home has a bright future. She is out of the Storm Cat mare Ethel Anna, who is out of stakes winner Glowing Honor. The next dam, Glowing Tribute, was the 1993 Broodmare of the Year, and her seven stakes winners include 1993 Kentucky Derby winner Sea Hero, Wild Applause, and Hero's Honor.

Fair Grounds

Chester House had another winner on Feb. 8 when Le Chateau, 3-year-old filly out of the Royal Academy mare Elissa Beethoven, romped to a 10 1/2-length victory in a mile and 40-yard maiden race. She is a three-quarter sister to stakes winner Golden Sonata, and this female line produced stakes winners Vinista and Candace in Paris. As good as Le Chateau looked on dirt, one can only wonder how much better she will be on turf with a strong HT2 (hidden turf on top and bottom) pedigree.

* Master Command won the Mineshaft Handicap on Feb. 10 looking more and more like the 2003 Horse of the Year for whom the race is named after. Like Mineshaft, Master Command is by A.P. Indy and has blossomed into a serious runner as an older racehorse. Master Command is out of the Lord at War mare Lady Lochinvar, a full sister to major stakes winner La Gueriere. His second dam, Lady Winborne, also produced Al Mamoon, Lasting Tribute, Born Wild, and Lost Soldier, the sire of Lost in the Fog.

Gulfstream

Five Star Day inherited the blazing speed of his sire, Carson City (Mr. Prospector), and is now passing that speed on to his runners. While they are not classic material, Five Star Day's offspring are always to be taken seriously at distances from five to seven furlongs. On Feb. 9, Scorpius, a 4-year-old first-time starter by Five Star Day, wired 10 0ther 4-year-old colts to win a six-furlong maiden race by 2 3/4 lengths. Scorpius has an SP2 (speed top and bottom) pedigree, being out of a mare by speed influence Copelan.

* Street Cry strikes again. A tight second to Johannesburg for freshman sire honors last year, Street Cry is the sire of last year's juvenile champion, Street Sense, and Whirlaway Stakes winner Summer Doldrums. On Feb. 10, Street Magician, a son of Street Cry who was third on Jan. 27 at Gulfstream, won a six-furlong maiden by race eight lengths over a promising group of 3-year-old colts. Street Magician is out of the Meadowlake mare Magical Meadow, an RF who is inbred to the influential matron Nothirdchance, through her son Hail to Reason and her daughter Be Suspicious (the second dam of Meadowlake and Leo Castelli).

Finishing second to Street Magician was Oistins Bay, a first-time starter by Deputy Minister and out of a half-sister to champion handicap horse Left Bank.