First Foals for Mendelssohn, Mo Town Born Jan. 14
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Photo: Courtesy Stonegate Stables
The first foal by Mo Town is a colt out of Dark Dolores born Jan. 14 in New York
The first foals by Ashford Stud stallions Mendelssohn and Mo Town arrived Jan. 14 at Brookstown Farm near Versailles, Ky., and Stonegate Stables in New York, respectively.
The filly by Mendelssohn was bred by Judy Hicks and Kathryn Nikkel out of the Bodemeister mare Lilacs and Lilies, a half sister to Hicks and Nikkel's grade 1 winner Lilacs and Lace, who is the dam of Japan's 2017 champion 2-year-old filly, Lucky Lilac.
"She is a lovely, quality foal, very much in the image of her sire with great bone," Nikkel said. "We're delighted to have a filly from the family."
Lilacs and Lilies comes from an international family. Her granddam is four-time grade 1 winner Stella Madrid, who is the great-granddam of Japanese champion miler and sprinter Mikki Isle and Japanese grade 1 winner Aerolithe.
Mendelssohn, a son of the late Scat Daddy, hails from another strong female family as the son of Leslie's Lady, who is the dam of 2019 leading North American sire Into Mischief and 11-time grade 1 winner and multiple champion Beholder.
A $3 million yearling, Mendelssohn made his own contribution to the family's brilliance by winning graded/group stakes on different surfaces and on different continents. He won the 2017 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) at Del Mar and then at 3 captured the UAE Derby Sponsored by Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group (G2) by 18 1/2 lengths in course-record time. He went on to be runner-up in the Runhappy Travers Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1).
Mendelssohn stands at Ashford Stud this year for $35,000.
Michael Cogan of Irie Thoroughbreds bred the Mo Town colt out of the winning Strong Hope mare Dark Dolores.
"Conformationally, this colt is a great representation for the young sire Mo Town," Stonegate Stables' Bill Johnson said. "He exudes class and strength and very much looks like he follows the sire lines of Uncle Mo and Indian Charlie. We are excited to have foaled the first Mo Town colt in New York."
Dark Dolores is a half sister to grade 3 winner and stakes producer Gastronomical (Sunshine Forever) and to group 3-placed stakes winner Spanish John (Dynaformer). The mare is also a half sister to three other stakes-producing mares, including Bagasse (Sunshine Forever), who is the dam of grade 2 winner Black Astor.
John Gunther, who bred 2018 Triple Crown winner and Ashford sire Justify , bred Mo Town with Eurowest Bloodstock. Mo Town earned black-type status in the Remsen Stakes (G2) at 2 and then at 3 raised his profile by taking the Hollywood Derby (G1). Mo Town's sire, Uncle Mo, was the leading sire of his class from 2015-17.
Mo Town stands at Ashford this year for $10,000.