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George Washington Filly Nears Debut

UPDATE: Date With Destiny won her debut impressively at Newbury, defeating Zanazzi, the Bernardini (TrueNicks,SRO) half sister to Speightstown (TrueNicks,SRO), by nearly two lengths.

Mrs. Julie Wood’s Date With Destiny, the only foal of the ill-fated George Washington, is likely to make her first career start Friday at Newbury in a 7-furlong maiden event for 2-year-old fillies. Date With Destiny is also entered in a similar 6-furlong race at Newmarket on the same day, but is likely for Newbury, according to trainer Richard Hannon.

George Washington (Danehill – Bordighera, by Alysheba) was a European champion at two and three before retiring to Coolmore Stud in Co. Tipperary, Ireland. A month into the breeding season, however, fertility problems prompted George Washington’s return to training, and the stallion was replaced at stud by 3-year-old Danehill colt Holy Roman Emperor, who had been among the favorites for the English 2,000 Guineas (gr. I).

George Washington was competitive in three group I races during the 2007 season, but sadly broke down in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I) at Monmouth Park.

The group-producing Rainbow Quest mare Flawlessly, who had been one of six mares to scan in foal to the sub-fertile George Washington, was indeed the only mare to produce a live foal – the bay filly that eventually sold at the 2008 Goffs November Foal Sale for 280,000 Euros, and at the 2009 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale for 320,000 Guineas.

Bred in Ireland by Azienda Agricola Loreto Luciani, Date With Destiny represents the successful Danehill/Rainbow Quest cross (TrueNicks A) that has produced Epsom Derby (gr. I) winner North Light (IRE) (TrueNicks,SRO). Click on the thumbnail below for the full-size TrueNicks report.

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12 Comments:

Watching this pretty girl and hoping she's a star!

Blue Blue Sea 07 Jul 2010 12:32 PM

Wouldn't it be something if this filly went on to be the next La Troienne?  I hope this filly can run and become a graded or group winner.  I am sure all eyes will be on her when she runs and will follow her when she retires to the breeding shed.

Robert 07 Jul 2010 12:58 PM

Question: How many Group I's does a horse have to win to earn a retirement, fertile, or infertile?

I'm still angry that poor George couldn't still be munching grass at his leisure. This is the sucky part of this game!

goodwin 07 Jul 2010 1:35 PM

Robert,

I had a similar thought about this filly becoming the next super dam.  I wonder how long it took before people began realizing La Troienne's influence?

ruffianruns 07 Jul 2010 8:17 PM

ruffianruns,

La Troienne's first foal was born in 1932. By the end of that decade, 4 of her first 5 foals were stakes winners, and two of those were champions. Then, the lone non-stakes winner in that group produced the 2YO champion filly of 1944.

Ian

Ian Tapp 07 Jul 2010 8:59 PM

Referring to Goodwin's comment, yesterday I was shocked to read Wake At Noon, Canada 2002 HOY , broke down during a work out at Woodbine. He was 13 and apparently he was no longer able to impregnate mares, so his owner decided to put him back in training. What the heck?! Is there any decency left? A HOY, winner of more than 1.600.000$ put back in training at 13?!? I really have no words and I could care less if the guy is now "devastated". He was greedy and the horse paid with his life.

I loved George Washington and his death was a very sad event. I hope the future will be bright for this filly, on the track and beyond.

Starlight 08 Jul 2010 12:26 PM

Goodwin, George Washington HAD been retired.  He was not a happy horse in retirement and was not making a good stallion due to fertility problems.  His breakdown had nothing to do with age and had everything to do with the track surface.  Curlin didn't run that race, he damn near swam it, the track was so sloppy due to heavy rains that weekend.  To say that that the owner should've kept him retired is wrong. He'd been retired after the 2006 Breeders Cup and he turned out he was all but infertile. He returned to training less than 6 months after retiring and was only 4 years old. The only fault that I can put onto the owners & trainer is that he wasn't scratched from the race since the track was in such terrible shape and he had never run on a sloppy surface before. He should've been in the turf races, since that is what he was used to. This was not the owners fault and it is not fair to blame them.

Texas Gal 09 Jul 2010 11:53 PM

Starlight, I agree with you about the guy in Canada. Woodbine is trying to find out how Wake At Noon was even allowed on the track, since if a horse is over 10 if they haven't won a race there within the past year, they aren't allowed on the track. Someone paid someone off to allow that horse back on the track.  The owner has no right to be "devestated" or even upset, what the h*ll did he expect to happen when a horse who hadn't raced in 8 years goes back to the track???  If he didn't want him anymore, there are places he could've shipped him, like the Kentucky Horse Park or Old Friends. Anything is better than sending him back to the track. At best, he would've been a claimer. The worse is what happened and my heart breaks for the horse.

Texas Gal 09 Jul 2010 11:55 PM

She's a beautiful filly, Such a shame losing George, He was a strikingly gorgeous and talented colt. I really like George's dam (owned by Roy & Gretchen Jackson) too since I am partial to Alysheba. (can you tell by my name?) I can't wait to see Bordighera's 08 Danehill Dancer colt, Lordofthehouse, and she is in foal to Sea the Stars for 2011. Does anyone know if she produced a foal in 09 & 10 ? It would be nice to see this little filly go on to become an exceptional producer, like La Troienne but I want to see her run first.

Criminal Type 10 Jul 2010 7:22 AM

Criminal Type,

Bordighera has a 2009 colt by Galileo. No record from 2010.

Ian

Ian Tapp 10 Jul 2010 10:22 AM

Sweet !  Thanks so much Ian.. Galileo, Sea the Stars, Danehill Dancer, Street Cry, Dynaformer...the Jacksons certainly believe in sending their mares to the best stallions. Precious Kittens little Street Cry filly is adorable and nicely put together. Do you know If LVR is in foal to Dynaformer from this seasons cover?

Criminal Type 10 Jul 2010 3:24 PM

Yes, she is back in foal to Dynaformer. Unfortunately, she aborted a Dynaformer filly in December 2009, but has a yearling Dynaformer colt called Margano.

Ian

Ian Tapp 10 Jul 2010 4:15 PM

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