Grade 1 Success in the US for Australian-Bred Daughter of Animal Kingdom

Mark Smith - Sunday June 21

After leaving Australia as a maiden after three starts, the 6yo mare Oleksandra is now a Grade 1 winner in America after staging a last to first performance in the $250,000 Jaipur Stakes on the turf at Belmont on Saturday.

The former Bjorn Baker-trained daughter of Animal Kingdom (USA) placed in all three starts, at Hawkesbury, Randwick and Newcastle before her owner/breeder Team Valor sent her to Neil Drysdale in California.

Last season she staked a claim as one of the best females on turf with wins in the  Grade III Buffalo Trace Franklin County Stakes at Keeneland and the Smart N Fancy Stakes at Saratoga.

The lone female facing seven male rivals in the Jaipur Stakes, Oleksandra came from the tail of the field under Joel Rosario to defeat Kanthaka, a son of the former Spendthrift shuttler Jimmy Creed (USA), by a neck with Texas Wedge (Colonel John) one and a quarter length back in third.

It advances her record to an impressive 7 wins, 3 seconds and 3 thirds from 15 starts with earnings of $537,353

"She put up a great performance and did well in the end," Rosario told Blood-Horse. "She's an amazing horse."

Advertisement

The Jaipur Stakes is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series and Oleksandra earned a paid, automatic berth in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland on November 7.Animal Kingdom (Mark Smith)

A half-sister to two winners including the stakes-placed Hostwin Galaxy (Redoute’s Choice), Oleksandra is out of the top-class South African mare Alexandra Rose (Caesour) who won the Group II Greyville Golden Slipper and the Grade III Monrovia Handicap at Santa Anita and was runner-up in the Group 1 Cape Fillies Guineas at Kenilworth.

Oleksandra carries the silks of her 2011 Kentucky Derby and 2013 Dubai World Cup winning sire Animal Kingdom (USA) who shuttled to Arrowfield Stud for five seasons and is now at stud in Japan.

His final Australian crop are yearlings and include at full-brother to Oleksandra who was catalogued for the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale but was withdrawn. He has already been named Prince Alexander.

Oleksandra becomes the second winner at the highest level for Animal Kingdom after the ATC Australian Derby hero Angel Of Truth.

Advertisment
More Reading...
G1 King Charles Next for Pier
Kiwi Group One winner Pier will not feature in this year’s Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m), but he will still have the opportunity to run for a A$5 million stake back in Sydney.
Les Young Scholarship sets Miriam on track for industry leadership
Miriam Drinnan’s vision for a big, bold career in the Thoroughbred industry has just been turbo-charged thanks to the Les Young Scholarship, an award supported by the AgriFutures Thoroughbred Horses Program.
All the Way Anders Winner for Myracehorse
The Myracehorse colours struck again at Doomben on Wednesday carried by progressive Anders filly Diversity, who broke her maiden in good style.
Yulong Purchase into Enriched - Inglis October (Early) Sale
Three individual shares in the G2-winning entire Enriched sold for a combined $440,000 in a highly successful Inglis Digital October (Early) Online Sale today.
Metro Winner Adds to Yes Yes Yes Spring Surge
October is shaping as a great month for Gooree Stud’s new addition Yes Yes Yes with the 2019 Everest hero reeling off four winners in the past week including Maybe Moet, who saluted at Randwick on Wednesday.
First Magic 2YO Winner for Te Akau
David Ellis and Te Akau Racing spent over $5million on 17 yearlings at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale earlier this year and they unleashed their first winner from the group at Avondale on Wednesday. 
Sires With Winners - Wednesday October 8
Here is the full list of 48 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Written Tycoon’s Pictor Leads Home Waller Trifecta
Having made his debut back in June with a narrow second behind fellow Yulong owned Written Tycoon colt Grand Prairie, who three starts later won the Group 3 ATC Up And Coming Stakes, Chris Waller’s progressive Pictor appreciated the step to 1400m to score at just his third career start.
Sejardan Fits 2YO Speed Profile
There were three feature juvenile contests held at Flemington and Randwick last weekend and as usually is the case with such races, they were won by horses whose pedigrees suggested that good early form was on the cards.
Wootton Bassett 3YO Impresses at Avondale
Promising three-year-old Kygo Star overcame a wide journey to come out on top in a tight finish in the Allspark Electrical Maiden 3YO (1400m) at Avondale on Wednesday.