By Elaine Belval
Just Louise prevailed in the G3 Debutante S. this weekend at Churchill Downs, defeating two rivals by less than a length in a long stretch dual. Ridden by Robby Albarado, the filly is trained by the red-hot Dale Romans. The six-furlong Debutante is one of the first graded stakes races for 2-year-olds in 2010, and Just Louise got her sire off the mark quite nicely in the 2010 juvenile stakes department with the win.
Just Louise is by the brilliant sprinter Five Star Day. Unlike many sons of Carson City, Five Star Day did not race at 2. But once he reached the track, he had no trouble making his mark. He won the G3 Vernon Underwood at 3 and finished second to Forestry in the G1 King’s Bishop S. and second to Successful Appeal in the G3 Kentucky Cup Sprint. At 4he won the Phoenix Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland and at 5 he won the Vanderbilt H. at Saratoga. Through three years of racing, Five Star Day showed the typical characteristic of his sire line, brilliant speed. And Five Star Day appears more than willing to carry on that characteristic. Like his sire Carson City, Five Star Day sires precocious sprinters. From 18 total SWs, almost half are 2-year-old SWs. The average winning distance of his SWs is 6.5 furlongs (which is the average winning distance of his overall progeny). Almost 40% of his runners start at 2, and a very solid 16% win at 2.
Five Star Day’s first crop raced in 2005. He had six SWs from 61 named foals (10% SWs to foals), led by GSWs Dance Daily (winner of the G2 Santa Ynez S.) and Starforaday (winner of the G3 Maryland Sprint H. on the 2008 Preakness undercard). His second crop had another four SWs including GSW Eternal Star (G2 Commonwealth S.) and Day Pass (winner of the G3 Nashua S.). This year may be Five Star Day’s best year yet. Through June, he has four 2010 SWs, led by Just Louise. The others are 5.5-furlong winner Chantilly Nayla, 8-furlong winner Helen Belen, and 4.5-furlong winner Gabriel’s Smile.
Just Louise was bred by Paul F. Gardner and is owned by Eldon Farm Equine. She is a half-sister to the GSW Sara Louise (best known for defeating Rachel Alexandra in the G3 Pocahontas S. at two). Just Louise is a daughter of a Mt. Livermore (by Blushing Groom) mare. She is now the third SW that Five Star Day has with Blushing Groom-line mares (the others being Gabriel’s Smile and Helen Belen). Carson City is out of a Blushing Groom daughter, so all of these SWs are inbred to that blazing fast French Champion and leading sire. For breeders looking for a solid return on investments (especially those people with Blushing Groom-line mares), Five Star Day is a bargain. Five Star Day stands at Wintergreen Stallion Station and his 2010 fee was $5,000.
(Elaine Belval is senior pedigree analyst at WTC.)
Just Louise looks very promising, I can’t wait to see what her record looks like by the end of the year. She’s off to a tremendous start.
I heard it was a pretty good race, just wish it was televised. Do you think sprinters like Five Star Day cross well with all horses or just broodmares who were sprinters themselves?