Mellon, Sea Hero impossible to forget in Saratoga

Sea Hero, who raced as a homebred for multiple Eclipse Award-winning breeder Paul Mellon’s Rokeby Stable, died this year in Turkey at the age of 29. At the time of his death, Sea Hero was a pensioner who had stood overseas since 2000 and was the oldest living Kentucky Derby winner.

Sea Hero’s presence is impossible to forget at Saratoga, where he won the 1993 Travers Stakes. Not only does his statue stand watch in the track’s picturesque paddock – where it was bedecked with flowers in the days following the news of his death – but the active female family that was cultivated to many stakes successes at Saratoga for Mellon has been ably carried on by other major outfits. Several horses from that family are expected to contest stakes at the meet, led by Grade 1 winner Elate. The family also is represented in the catalog for the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected yearling sale.

Sea Hero was out of the Graustark mare Glowing Tribute, whom Mellon raced as a homebred to multiple graded stakes victories, including the 1976 Diana at Saratoga. Glowing Tribute went on to a stellar career as a broodmare. In addition to Sea Hero, she produced multiple Grade 1 winner Hero’s Honor, two-time Diana winner Glowing Honor, fellow Diana winner Wild Applause, Grade 3 winners Coronation Cup and Mackie, and stakes winner Seattle Glow.

Wild Applause was purchased by Claiborne Farm for $1.025 million at the 1992 Keeneland November breeding stock sale, as Mellon whittled down his Thoroughbred holdings in the years prior to his death in 1999. Wild Applause followed in her dam’s footsteps by becoming an influential broodmare, producing Grade 1 winner Eastern Echo and graded stakes winners Blare of Trumpets, Roar, and Yell. Her daughter Praise foaled stakes performers Congrats and Flatter, both now successful sires, while her granddaughter Meghan’s Joy produced five graded stakes winners.

Yell won two graded stakes races and also finished third in the 2003 Kentucky Oaks for Claiborne and partner Adele B. Dilschneider before going on to a successful broodmare career of her own. She is the dam of stakes winner Cheery, Grade 1-placed Chide, and stakes-placed Shrill. Cheery is the dam of Elate, a multiple Grade 1 winner for Claiborne and Dilschneider. The Medaglia d’Oro mare recently rolled in the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap and is eyeing the Grade 1 Personal Ensign in August at Saratoga. Yell also is the granddam of graded stakes winner Tax, among the 3-year-olds expected for Saratoga’s Travers Stakes. Meanwhile, stakes winner Fashion Faux Pas, a great-granddaughter of Wild Applause via another daughter, also could start at the meet. Both those runners were bred and sold by Claiborne and Dilschneider.

Last year, Elate’s family made a splash at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected yearling sale as a Medaglia d’Oro filly out of Veracity, a full sister to Cheery and therefore bred on the same cross as Elate, sold for $1 million to Lael Stables. A full sister to that filly is cataloged for this year’s edition of the sale.