Serengeti Empress Arrives at Taylor Made Farm

Four years after her feet first touched the ground at Taylor Made Farm, Serengeti Empress returned to the place of her birth Nov. 16. A two-time grade 1 winner, who most recently finished a game second in the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) at Keeneland, the 2019 winner of the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) will be bred to Spendthrift Farm's leading sire Into Mischief .

Serengeti Empress shipped in from the Churchill Downs barn of her trainer, Tom Amoss, and will be in good company at Taylor Made as the Alternation  filly will become barnmates with high-profile names like Concrete Rose (by Twirling Candy ), who was recently purchased by Larry Best of OXO Equine for $1.95 million at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. 

"It's very rewarding to have Serengeti Empress come back here," said Frank Taylor, the vice president of boarding operations for Taylor Made. "Winning the Kentucky Oaks and running second in two Breeders' Cups—she's just a special mare. She had tons of heart and class and she's just a joy to have here.

"She's going to be bred to Into Mischief this year so she's getting started off with the best horse going. We have great hopes for her and we're very proud of her accomplishments. It means a lot to us and our team to raise another Oaks winner and to have a great filly like this come back to Taylor Made." 

Bred by Tri Eques Bloodstock out of the Bernardini  mare Havisham, Seregenti Empress was campaigned from 2 to 4 by Joel Politi, who purchased her for $70,000 from the Brookdale Sales consignment to the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Serengeti Empress won the Ellis Park Debutante Stakes and Pocahontas Stakes (G2) at 2, the Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2) and Kentucky Oaks at 3, and returned this year to win the March 14 Azeri Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park and the Aug. 8 Ballerina Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. The mare holds a 7-5-1 record from 19 starts and purse earnings of $2,175,653.