Ushba Tesoro Highlights Claiborne Family of Bayou

A Japanese-bred horse representing the Bayou branch of the Claiborne Farm family of blue-hen mare Bourtai won one of the world's elite races March 25 when Ushba Tesoro  displayed an explosive stretch rally to triumph in the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1).

Ushba Tesoro's lucrative victory arrived in his first race outside of Japan, marking his fourth career black-type stakes win while boosting his career earnings to nearly $9.3 million. As noted in Bob Kieckhefer's BloodHorse race recap, "Ushba Tesoro spent most of his early career on the turf, with mildly respectable results. He blossomed when, last April, (trainer Noboru) Takagi switched him to dirt tracks, where he now has five wins from six starts." His big breakthrough came Dec. 29 with a victory in the Tokyo Daishoten (G1) at Oi Racecourse. His Japanese sire Orfevre , a Triple Crown winner and six-time grade 1 winner in Japan who earned more than $19 million, has a tail-female line that includes four Phipps-bred mares from the family of Erin, all of which were foaled at Claiborne Farm.

Coupling Ushba Tesoro's $12 million Dubai World Cup win with fellow Japanese-bred Panthalassa  winning the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) in February, Claiborne matriarch Bourtai's descendants have captured the world's two richest races in the same year, a remarkable feat.

As highlighted in a March 24 Claiborne Farm blog story "Saudi Cup Champion Panthalassa's Success Spotlights the Powerful Claiborne Family of Bourtai," picked up by BloodHorse, Bourtai was attractive to the Hancock family because of their philosophy of breeding to successful female families rather than just focusing on the success of an individual mare. Acquired by the farm in 1951, Bourtai became one of the greatest mares of the 20th century and her daughters Banta, Bayou, Delta, and Levee went on to produce elite families of their own. While the recent blog story offered a timely deep dive into Bourtai's Delta branch of more than two dozen grade 1 or group 1 winners, including Saudi Cup winner Panthalassa, the recent Dubai World Cup success of Ushba Tesoro provides an opportune time to look deeply into the Bayou branch of this prolific family.

Bourtai's Bayou Branch

Bourtai's daughter Bayou, by Claiborne stallion Hill Prince, earned seven wins from 32 starts for Claiborne Farm. In 1957 she was named champion 3-year-old filly following victories in the Acorn Stakes, Gazelle Handicap, Delaware Oaks, and Maskette Handicap. Early in her 4-year-old campaign, she suffered an injury that forced her retirement.

As part of the Claiborne broodmare band, Bayou produced 11 foals, with eight becoming winners from 10 starters. Her only notable runner was Batteur, by Claiborne stallion Bold Ruler, a winner of six stakes races, including the 1964 Santa Margarita Handicap and 1965 Santa Barbara Handicap and Santa Maria Handicap. Bayou's daughters turned out to be successful broodmares, carrying on the legacy of their important Claiborne family.

Through her daughters Pampas Miss, Alluvial, Batteur, Bayou Blue, and Slew, Bayou's branch of the family has produced a remarkable 16 grade 1 or group 1 winners, with all of these victories occurring in top-tier Part I countries or races, as classified by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities.

Pampas Miss/Bayou Branch

Bayou's daughter Pampas Miss, by Argentinian-imported Claiborne stallion Pronto, was sent to Europe where she produced British-bred Samalex, by Irish stallion Ela-Mana-Mou, a multiple group 3-placed mare in France. Through Samalex, Bayou is the fifth dam of the above-mentioned Japanese-bred Ushba Tesoro.

Alluvial/Bayou Branch

In spite of never racing, Alluvial, by Claiborne stallion Buckpasser, was a successful Claiborne broodmare, producing a Hall of Famer and a classic winner. Her descendants include seven grade 1 or group 1 winners.



Alluvial is the dam of Claiborne-bred classic winner Coastal, by Majestic Prince, winner of the 1979 Belmont Stakes (G1). Entering the Belmont Stakes fresh after only three starts in his 3-year-old campaign, the Dave Whiteley-trained colt defeated future Claiborne stallion Spectacular Bid, denying him the Triple Crown. Counting the Belmont, Coastal won four graded stakes in his career, including the 1979 Monmouth Invitational Handicap (G1), despite an issue with his vision that limited his sight in his right eye. He went on to stand at Claiborne and sired 23 black-type stakes winners.

Coastal's half brother Slew o' Gold, by Seattle Slew, was bred by Claiborne as part of a foal-sharing arrangement with owner Equusequity Stable, the partnership of Mickey and Karen Taylor and Jim and Susan Hill that owned his Triple Crown-winning sire. Hall of Famer Slew o' Gold won a dozen races from 21 starts, with seven grade 1 victories, including the 1983 Wood Memorial Stakes (G1), 1983 and 1984 Woodward Stakes (G1), 1983 and 1984 Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), 1984 Whitney Handicap (G1), and the 1984 Marlboro Cup Invitational Handicap (G1). The classic-placed runner was named 1983 champion 3-year-old male and 1984 champion older male. He retired with more than $3.5 million in earnings and entered stud in 1985 at Three Chimneys Farm in Kentucky where he sired 17 crops, including 28 black-type stakes winners, 12 of which were graded or group winners. His grade 1 winners include Awe Inspiring, Dramatic Gold, Gorgeous, Tactile, and Thirty Six Red.

Alluvial's daughter Dokki, by Northern Dancer, produced two grade 1 winners for Juddmonte Farms, making Bayou their third dam. Dokki's foal Aptitude, by A.P. Indy, placed in the 2000 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont Stakes, and earned victories as a 4-year-old in the 2001 Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) and Jockey Club Gold Cup. Dokki's daughter Sleep Easy, by Seattle Slew, won two graded stakes races, including the 1995 Hollywood Oaks (G1). Twenty years later, Sleep Easy's British-bred grandson Slumber  , by Irish stallion Cacique, won the 2015 Manhattan Stakes (G1T).

Through Alluvial's daughter Northabout, by Northern Dancer, Bayou is the fourth dam of Florida-bred Tunelero, by Timeless Native, a multiple champion grass horse in Peru. Also through Northabout, Bayou is the fifth dam of Pennsylvania-bred Real Solution , by Kitten's Joy, a dual grade 1 winner for his breeders and owners Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey. After starting his career in Italy, he found stakes success back home in the U.S., winning the 2013 Arlington Million Stakes (G1T) and 2014 Manhattan Stakes.

Batteur/Bayou Branch

As noted above, Batteur, by Claiborne stallion Bold Ruler, was the most successful runner of Bayou's foals on the track. As a broodmare, her Claiborne-bred son Flag Officer, by Claiborne stallion Hoist the Flag, was her only stakes winner, taking the 1977 Illinois Derby (G3). 

Batteur is the ancestress of one grade 1 winner. Through Batteur's daughter Flail, by Claiborne stallion Bagdad, Batteur is the second dam of Anifa, by Claiborne's imported French stallion Herbager. Kentucky-bred Anifa raced in France at the ages of 3 and 4, finishing second in the Prix Royal-Oak (French St. Leger) (G1) at Longchamp and winning two group stakes. Following a group 3 win at Longchamp, she returned to the U.S., winning the 1980 Turf Classic (G1T) at Aqueduct Racetrack in her first domestic start.

Bayou Blue/Bayou Branch

Bayou's winning daughter Bayou Blue, by Claiborne stallion Bold Ruler, produced Harbor Flag, by Claiborne stallion Hoist the Flag. A fourth-place finisher in the 1980 Sorority Stakes (G3) at Monmouth Park, four of Harbor Flag's descendants are grade 1 winners.

Through Harbor Flag's daughter Vue, Bayou is the fourth dam of Oath, by Known Fact, winner of the 1996 Spinaway Stakes (G1), and her half brother War Pass , by Cherokee Run, was the 2007 champion juvenile 2-year-old male and winner of that year's Champagne Stakes (G1) and Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1). War Pass stood at Lane's End for only two seasons before an untimely death at the age of 5 and sired 2013 Blue Grass Stakes (G1) winner Java's War  for his breeder and owner Charles Fipke.

Continuing down through Bayou Blue and her daughter Habor Flag, Bayou is the fifth dam of 2015 Maker's 46 Mile Stakes (G1) winner Jack Milton , by Claiborne stallion War Front. Bayou is also the fifth dam of 2012 Ashland Stakes (G1) winner Karlovy Vary , by Dynaformer, a homebred for Alex G. Campbell Jr. As a broodmare, she has produced 2020 and 2021 graded stakes winners Mean Mary , by Scat Daddy, and Bye Bye Melvin , by Uncle Mo  .

Slew/Bayou Branch

Bayou's daughter Slew, by Claiborne stallion Bold Ruler, produced two stakes winners and is the ancestress of four grade 1 or group 1 winners. Her daughter Slew's Exceller, by Exceller, lived up to her name by winning the 1987 Flower Bowl Handicap (G1T). Through Slew's daughter Youthful Lady, Bayou is the fifth dam of grade-1 winning siblings: 1994 Hollywood Derby (G1T) winner River Flyer, by Riverman, and 2001 Test Stakes (G1) winner Victory Ride, by Claiborne stallion Seeking the Gold. Both were out of Youthful Lady's stakes-winning and graded stakes-placed daughter Young Flyer . 

As the recent analyses show, between her daughters Delta and Bayou, Bourtai is the ancestress of more than 40 grade 1 or group 1 winners. While we do not have similar recent analyses of Bourtai's Banta and Levee branches, they, too, are recognized for producing a substantial number of elite winners, making Bourtai the ancestress of dozens of top-level winners across the world. The Dubai World Cup and Saudi Cup wins may be a sign of more things to come for this important Claiborne family.