Top Racemares Doing the Job as Broodmares

There are countless examples where elite racemares, despite glittering careers on the track, have struggled to reproduce those same heights once retired to the broodmare paddock.

Equally, there are theories to explain it — some breeders suggest that quality often “skips a generation,” with daughters of those champion mares reviving the family line years later.

Two former star fillies, however, are bucking that trend, both producing highly promising winners on the same night at Addington last week — with every indication that more success lies ahead.

The brilliant One Dream raced just 23 times, winning 18 of them and earning nearly $900,000 across both sides of the Tasman for breeder Jill Smolenski.

Now 21 and retired from broodmare duty, One Dream has left 12 foals — nine of whom have made it to the races, with seven winning. While none have yet matched her extraordinary record, performers such as Montana DJ (9 wins, $215k, sub-1:55) and Sole Ambition (9 wins, $123k, sub-1:55) stand out as her best to date.

Her broodmare career began with six fillies, among them Luminesce (4 wins) and Hopes And Dreams (7 wins), both now breeding on with success. In more recent years she’s produced a string of colts, with Montana DJ being a sales highlight when the Captaintreacherous colt fetched $175,000 at the 2020 Christchurch Yearling Sale.

Her latest winner, Eun Sogno (by Captain Crunch), also her final foal, was purchased by the TAB Racing Syndicate for $42,000 at the 2024 Sales. Judging by his winning Addington debut, that investment could prove shrewd.

Multiple Group race winner Venus Serena was another racetrack star, winning 16 of 34 starts and nearly $800,000 for Geoff Dunn and the Sandfords. With a 1:52 mile rate and a strong commercial pedigree, her progeny were always going to be highly valued.

Her first foal Laver (10 wins, $175k, 1:51.3) was a high-class performer before the mare was sold to Tapanui breeders John and Judy Stiven of Arden Lodge. They have enjoyed considerable success, with foal no.2 Arden’s Ace winning 17 races and $387k in stakes, also clocking sub-1:52. The next two foals were both race winners, with Arden’s Memory (2 wins) now set to join the Arden broodmare band this season.

The hype around Ebony Arden, a royally bred daughter of Bettor’s Delight, was justified when she won on debut in 1:59.7 despite doing plenty of work in the run. With Stonewall Stud now involved in her ownership, she is expected to measure up against the best fillies later this season, and her residual broodmare value already looks enormous. Meanwhile, Venus Serena has a 2yo filly and a yearling colt on the ground, both by Tall Dark Stranger, with the colt — named Balvenie Arden — currently in work with Hayden and Amanda Cullen for a high-profile ownership group including Brian O’Meara.

After a year off breeding due to a late foaling, she is currently in foal to champion sire Bettor’s Delight. Now 14, Venus Serena still has time to add further depth to her broodmare record, with Ebony Arden flying the flag for her in the meantime.