'Banner' Year Ends on High Note in American Oaks

This has been the year of his stallion career where Starspangledbanner  has flown highest of all as Rhea Moon  became his fourth representative to land a top-level race in 2022 by winning the American Oaks (G1T) at Santa Anita late on Dec. 26.

The exploits through the year by the likes of Aristia  and State of Rest  have already seen Coolmore give the resident sprinter a considerable rise in fees as he jumped from €35,000 (US$37,242) to €50,000 ($53,202) for 2023, having stood at €22,500 ($23,941) in 2021.

Rhea Moon is the latest European import to have benefited from a move to the California stable of Phil d'Amato, who has excelled with others such as San Clemente Stakes (G2T) winner Bellabel  (by Belardo ) and last year's Del Mar Oaks (G1T) and multiple graded level scorer Going Global  (Mehmas ).

This 3-year-old filly had begun her career with Ken Condon, placing in a couple of maidens as a juvenile. She is the first foal bred by Kevin Molloy out of the unraced Fastnet Rock  mare Callisto Star, a sister of the dual Jim Bolger winner Constant Comment.

Molloy also bred their dam, Livia Galilei, who was by Galileo and was a three-time winner in Bolger's care as well as being a sibling of Ballyroan Stakes (G3) winner Eye of The Storm  and Satchem, who landed both the Pentax Sirenia Stakes (G3) and the Countrywide Steel and Tubes Joel Stakes (G3).

Paddy and Peter Kelly's Ballybin Stud, which coincidentally was also behind Bellabel, has had a long association with Molloy's stock and they offered Rhea Moon at the 2020 Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale, which was staged at Newmarket. She was bought for £24,000 ($31,022) by BBA Ireland and changed hands again when current owners, Talla Racing and Rockingham Ranch, purchased her in a private deal.

Rhea Moon has been in the frame in each of her seven starts for D'Amato, going through maiden and allowance company before making her breakthrough on her first try at black type level in the Autumn Miss Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita in October.

She was upped from a mile to 10 furlongs in the American Oaks, which has been won by other European-bred fillies such as Lady Prancealot  in 2019 and others down the years including Ticker Tape  and Cheveley Park Stud hall of famer Megahertz.

In the hands of Juan Hernandez, Rhea Moon won more cozily than her winning margin of a head might suggest as she closed past her stablemate School Dance  in the final strides.

"I think going a mile-and-a-quarter, the one hole (stall) was an advantage," D'Amato told BloodHorse. "Juan took advantage, just saving every inch of ground and getting her out in time. He gets a lot of credit for developing this filly."

"She's improving every race," Hernandez added. "She showed up today to do it again. Around the quarter pole, I started following a horse who was having a nice trip and snuck in right behind that horse to cross the finish line first."

Molloy appears a confirmed fan of Starspangledbanner as he repeated the mating for Callisto Star's second foal, There's The Door, who was bought for €80,000 ($97,659) at Goffs by Kevin Ross and has been a winner for David Evans and Paul and Clare Rooney during a busy summer.

The breeder was to receive an even better result from his yearling, by Magna Grecia , at the recent Sportsman's Sale as he was the second top lot of the whole event when making €145,000 ($142,298) to Nico Archdale and breeze-up consignor Johnny Hassett as part of the pinhooking venture Get In The Game.

She visited Starspangledbanner again for her latest cover, with the 16-year-old son of Choisir now fully able to cope with three-figure books after such a faltering start.

The group 1-winning sprinter in both hemispheres even returned to training after proving sub-fertile but was so revitalized by his stint at Rosemont Stud in Australia that he could go back into Coolmore's shop window.

He has now produced six group or grade 1 winners in total including new Rathbarry recruit State of Rest, who provided a glittering high in the Prince of Wales's Stakes (G1). Smart filly Aristia landed the Darley Prix Jean Romanet (G1) in the summer while the Tony Cruz star California Spangle ousted Golden Sixty in the Longines Hong Kong Mile earlier this month.