By Heather Anderson
In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Icona at Gulfstream Park.
Kingman Filly Is Iconic At Gulfstream
Winless for Joseph O'Brien in a pair of 2024 starts in Ireland, Icona made her second US start a winning one at Gulfstream on February 22 (video). Trained by Brendan Walsh, the Scott Heider-bred filly is a daughter of A New Dawn (Zoffany).
By Kingman, the Heider Family Stables-owned filly is the first foal out of A New Dawn, who ran second in the G3 Weld Park Stakes and third in the G3 Flame Of Tara Stakes. Her three-year-old colt Lauda (Wootton Bassett) has yet to win. From a lesser heralded branch descending from Urban Sea (Miswaki), she was covered by Justify last spring. Both Athena (Camelot) and Bracelet (Montjeu) won at the highest level and are half-sisters to Icona's granddam Simply A Star (Giant's Causeway).
Juddmonte's Kingman, who stands for £125,000 this year, has sired 50 winners from 93 runners in the U.S. His nine stakes winners there are led by three-time Grade I winner Domestic Spending.
Repeat Winner
Cheyenne Stable's Mondego (Lope De Vega) earned his first stakes win in the GIII San Marcos Stakes at Santa Anita on Valentine's Day (video). The Michael McCarthy trainee has featured in Making Waves twice previously.
Also a new stakes winner that same day is Farfellow Farms' Expensive Queen. The daughter of Lope De Vega claimed the Albert M. Stall Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds for trainer Brendan Walsh (video).
Sod Siren (Pinatubo) made it two wins in four starts with a success at Gulfstream Park for e Five Racing Thoroughbreds on February 20 (video). The Saffie Joseph, Jr. trainee is a €250,000 graduate of the Arqana August Yearling Sale.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
