Known Agenda's Half Sis Scores at Gulfstream

This column highlights the performances of maidens who have made no more than five starts and who either sold for more than $500,000 at public auction, have siblings that are graded/group winners, or have dams that are graded/group winners. BloodHorse research shows maiden winners who meet these criteria are more likely to go on to be graded stakes winners.

Gulfstream Park

A little over two years after her older half brother raced to the biggest victory of his career in the Florida Derby (G1), Starship Agenda  landed a Gulfstream Park win of her own in a June 24 maiden special weight against a field of six other 3-year-old fillies.

Starship Agenda became only the second winner for her dam, the British-bred Byron (GB) mare Byrama . After breaking her maiden in the U.K., Byrama joined the West Coast stable of trainer Simon Callaghan and captured two stakes races sprinting on the turf as a sophomore before stretching her speed to two turns as a 4-year-old. Facing a solid field of distaffers in the 2013 Vanity Handicap (G1) over the synthetic surface at the now-defunct Hollywood Park, Byrama romped by 3 1/2 lengths that afternoon for her sole grade 1 triumph.

Byrama placed in five more graded stakes races into her 5-year-old year upon her retirement. Her first foal was the strapping Curlin   colt Known Agenda  . Failing to sell as a yearling for $135,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale, Known Agenda flashed two-turn prowess from the start, graduating second time out over the nine-furlong distance as a 2-year-old at Aqueduct Racetrack. Campaigned by his breeder, St. Elias Stable, who also raced Byrama, the Todd Pletcher pupil galloped home by a whopping 11 lengths in a Gulfstream allowance contest prior to stamping his ticket to the Run for the Roses in the $1 million Florida Derby.

Although he was ninth in the Kentucky Derby, Known Agenda returned for the third Jewel of the Triple Crown, finishing a respectable fourth in the 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes (G1). He was retired later that summer to Spendthrift Farm, where he currently stands for a fee of $10,000. His first foals were born this past spring.

Acquired for only $90,000 as a yearling at the 2021 Keeneland September Sale, Starship Agenda didn't make her first start till this year as a 3-year-old for Florida-based trainer Steve Dwoskin. Running for the colors of Starship Stables, the Always Dreaming   filly was yet to find the winner's circle in three prior efforts before Saturday's 1 1/16-mile outing over the Gulfstream Tapeta.

Trailing the field for the first half-mile, jockey Miguel Vasquez tipped the filly wide past the five-furlong marker and she advanced on the leaders, circling the field in the final turn for home. Under a stout drive, she stormed clear, widening her advantage to three lengths at the finish line in a final time of 1:41.11.

Starship Agenda easily breaks her maiden in race 7. #GulfstreamPark #RoyalPalmMeet pic.twitter.com/1y5Cw9qHsa

— Gulfstream Park (@GulfstreamPark) June 24, 2023