Breeders' Cup Winner Tarnawa to Visit Frankel

Tarnawa , the Aga Khan's exceptional winner of the 2020 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) at Keeneland, will be sent to champion sire Frankel  for her first mating in 2022.

The news was announced Dec. 28 by Pat Downes, manager of the Aga Khan's Irish Studs, on Nick Luck's podcast.

"She will travel to the UK to be covered by Frankel, so we're excited about that," Downes said. 

The first foal out of the stakes-winning Cape Cross  mare Tarana , Tarnawa counted the 2020 Qatar Prix Vermeille (G1) and Prix de l'Opera Longines (G1) among four straight victories in 2020. After taking both races in France, she traveled to the United States to turn back the boys in the Breeders' Cup Turf with a brilliant rally, landing her third top-level score by a length over Magical  after losing her footing early on.

Dermot Weld heralded Tarnawa as one of the finest horses he has trained through a 50-year career.

"She's right up there with the very best I've ever trained because she had some terrific qualities of determination, talent, and class," he told Racing Post upon her retirement in November.

Tarnawa remained in training for 2021 and turned in three powerful performances from four starts—winning the Grant Thornton Ballyroan Stakes (G3), running second in a controversial Irish Champion Stakes (G1) when St Mark's Basilica  bore out in her path, and missing the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) by three-quarters of a length to German interloper Torquator Tasso . A Breeders' Cup title defense was not to be, however, as she finished 11th of 14 in the 2021 Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar.

Tarnawa retired at the conclusion of her 5-year-old campaign with a 9-4-2 record from 18 starts and earnings of $4,508,464.

BOYLAN/RACING POST: 2020 Breeders' Cup Turf Winner Tarnawa Retired

Downes said a trip to the Aga Khan's own Siyouni  could be in the cards in the future for Tarnawa in the future, but added the progress of her half sister by the stallion would impact that decision.

"When you actually look at her pedigree, for example, she's out of a Cape Cross mare so Sea The Stars was not an option for her," he said. "I would imagine we will send her to France to Siyouni at some point but we do have a sister to her turning 2 now, so we'll see how she gets on before making that particular decision. The options for a filly like Tarnawa are relatively thin on the ground for the start of her stud career."

In addition to the Siyouni filly about to turn 2, Tarana has the winning 3-year-old Fastnet Rock  gelding Tazaral and dropped a colt by Frankel this year. She was sent to Lope de Vega  for 2022.