The Niarchos Family was honored with the 2021 Longines and IFHA International Award of Merit on Friday at the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar. Fittingly, their brilliant runner Miesque, who made Breeders’ Cup history during her own career, also showed her influence during this race weekend in California.The Award of Merit, launched in 2013, honors those who make lifelong contributions to Thoroughbred racing. The award was accepted by Maria Niarchos-Gouazé – daughter of the late Greek shipping magnate and stable founder Stavros Niarchos – on behalf of her family, which has bred and/or campaigned more than 125 Grade/Group 1 winners worldwide.“On behalf of my brothers and myself, I would like to thank Longines, the IFHA, the Breeders’ Cup, and The Jockey Club for this great honor,” Niarchos-Gouazé said in a press release. “I would also like to thank all of our horses, the jockeys who mainly found the winning post, our trainers, our veterinarians and farriers, and all of the individuals who have worked on the studs and in our trainers’ yards.“In particular, I would like to thank my home team, Alan Cooper and Karen Clark, who have been with us since inception, for their dedication and loyalty, and also Jamie McCalmont and Bill Oppenheim, and those who have worked alongside them,” Niarchos-Gouazé continued. “Lastly, and the most deserving of all, I would like to thank my father, Stavros, for his vision.”The Niarchos family has won seven Breeders’ Cup races, six of them with homebreds, beginning with Miesque in the 1987 and 1988 editions of the Mile. Joining her are 1997 Mile winner Spinning World, 2002 Mile winner Domedriver, 2003 Mile winner Six Perfections, 2014 Mile winner Karakontie, and 2014 Turf winner Main Sequence.Miesque, who was the first horse to win back-to-back Breeders’ Cup races, went on to a decorated career as a broodmare, producing French 2000 Guineas winner and prominent sire Kingmambo, French Oaks winner and stakes producer East of the Moon, Group 3 winners Mingun and Miesque’s Son, and stakes winner Moon Is Up. Her descendants are responsible for fellow Mile winner Karakontie, and Miesque’s Son is the sire of 2006 Mile winner Miesque’s Approval. Fittingly, Miesque’s descendants are now responsible for more Breeders’ Cup history, as she is the great-granddam of 2021 Filly and Mare Turf winner Loves Only You, who secured the first victory for a Japanese-based horse. Loves Only You is one of three stakes winners out of the unraced Storm Cat mare Loves Only Me, who also produced Group 1 Dubai Turf winner Real Steel. Loves Only Me is out of Miesque’s daughter Monevassia, a Mr. Prospector mare who also produced European champion Rumplestiltskin.