Catching Up With Ashado

Ashado raced her way into the history books with a victory in the Breeders' Cup Distaff. (Photo by HorsePhotos)
Sold for $170,000 as a yearling, Ashado exceeded all expectations when she hit the track.
She broke her maiden in June of 2003 by seven lengths for owner Starlight Racing and trainer Todd Pletcher, starting a career that race fans still remember today. In her second start, she won the Schuylerville Stakes by three lengths before scoring her first Grade 1 in the Spinaway. But her win streak ended there as she finished third to Society Selection in the Frizette.
Her first attempt at a Breeders’ Cup championship came in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita Park. While it wasn’t a surprise that she didn’t go off as the favorite, those who put money on her would have been rewarded with 13.30-to-1 odds. Ashado suffered her second straight loss but she ran a good second behind favorite and eventual 2-year-old filly champion Halfbridled.
But instead of ending her season with that second place finish, Ashado ran one more time as a 2-year-old in the Demoiselle Stakes. Starting the race in the third position behind leader Please Take Me Out, Ashado eased her way up to taking the lead. She had a ½ length lead in the stretch but had to put in a little extra effort to get the win when La Reina ran her down to a nose.
Ashado was given a few months off after her 2-year-old season and came back ready to roll as a 3-year-old. In her first start of the year, she put in another big performance when she won the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks by 3 ¾ lengths. A second place finish in the Ashland Oaks behind Madcap Escapade set her up for a run at the Kentucky Oaks, which would be her debut under Churchill Downs’ twin spires.
The Kentucky Oaks lived up to everything Ashado’s connections could hope for and sealed up the filly’s reputation as one of the top horses on the track.
Madcap Escapade took the lead out of the gate in the Oaks and pulled away to lead by 4 ½ after half a mile. But this didn’t seem to faze Ashado as she sat a few lengths behind the leader, waiting for her turn to pounce. With a furlong left to go, Ashado was in a drive to catch the leader and drifted in when hit with a right handed whip but jockey John Velazquez straightened her out and the pair went on to win by 1 ¼ lengths.
The win was the first Kentucky Oaks victory for trainer Todd Pletcher and he admitted that while he was confident in his filly, he was worried about second place finisher Island Sand as the field came down the stretch.
"I was very confident, especially when she was in second on the backside and eased off the rail," Pletcher told The Blood-Horse. "When they turned for home, I was more concerned with the three [Island Sands]."
The Kentucky Oaks was just the start of the stellar runs to come from Ashado. While she didn’t win every race she entered the rest of the season, she earned two victories and two other on-the-board finishes in four races before the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
After securing her spot as the best 3-year-old filly, Ashado headed to Texas as the favorite for the 2004 Distaff.
Ashado was never more than two lengths from the lead during the tightly contested race. Giving her a patient, ground saving ride, John Velazquez had to check briefly when getting blocked in at the quarter pole but by the stretch, Ashado was ready to go. She found a hole between two horses as the field ran down the stretch and bolted through to grab the lead. As Ashado pulled away to win by an easy 1 ¼ lengths in track record time, Storm Flag Flying and Stellar Jayne battled for second place. With the victory, Ashado made history as the first filly to win both the Kentucky Oaks and the Breeders’ Cup Distaff in the same year.
The win was another first for trainer Todd Pletcher as it was his first ever Breeders’ Cup victory. Later in the day, he would take home his second Breeders’ Cup win with Speightstown in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
"Without a doubt, this filly has delivered every start of her life," Pletcher told ESPN. "The Kentucky Oaks and this are races you need to catapult our organization to the next level."
2004   BREEDERS’ CUP DISTAFF

In addition to getting a Breeders’ Cup win that she had missed out on the previous year, Ashado also ended the year with an Eclipse trophy for champion 3-year-old filly.
Fans were treated to another year of Ashado in 2005 but it didn’t start out as many had hoped. She finished fifth in the Apple Blossom followed by second in the Pimlico Breeders’ Cup Distaff. But third time was a charm for the filly as she won by three lengths in the Ogden Phipps to get herself back on the right track.
But it was back at Saratoga, a track that she had proved to love with two victories in three starts there, that her most dominant win came.
Pressing Andujar for the first three quarters of the race, Ashado finished toying with that rival and by the stretch call, she was seven lengths in front. Ashado bested her previous “biggest margin of victory” record by the time she hit the wire for a 9-length win over second place finisher Bending Strings.
In an uncharacteristic race next out, Ashado didn’t show much inclination to run in the Personal Ensign and was 4 ¼ lengths or more behind the leader for all but one call. She put in enough effort to dead-heat for fourth but was 14 ¾ lengths behind the winner in only her second off-the-board finish.
But in her final prep race for the 2005 Breeders’ Cup Distaff, Ashado redeemed herself when she won the Personal Ensign Handicap a little over a month later. After the race Pletcher reflected on Ashado’s career as she prepared to make her final start in the Breeders’ Cup.
"I think you've got to say now she's one of the top mares maybe of all time," he told the Daily Racing Form. "This puts her earnings very high on the list. She's getting up into almost uncharted waters. When you get one this good and they've had such a good career, you want to see them finish up on a winning note, so it's very satisfying for our organization."
But while Ashado was able to hit the board after being in sixth during the early stages of the race, a second win in the Breeders’ Cup wasn’t in the cards for her. She was edged out by old rival Society Selection for second with winner Pleasant Home 9 ¼ lengths in front of the pair.
Ashado was named the champion older mare in 2005, ending her career with two Eclipse awards, a first, second, and third in Breeders’ Cup races and more than $3.93 million in earnings. She won 12 of 21 starts with four seconds and three thirds.
Only a few weeks after the Breeders’ Cup, Ashado made history again when she was sold for $9 million to Darley at the Keeneland November sale. The price was a world-record price for a broodmare or racing prospect at the time.
ASHADO SETTING A RECORD IN THE KEENELAND AUCTION RING

Photo by HorsePhotos
In her first year as a broodmare, Ashado visited leading sire Storm Cat. However, that colt named Star Cat never raced and is currently standing stud in Indiana. Her second foal, a Street Cry colt later named Steele Road, was born two years later. Steele Road showed promise while racing, hitting the board three times in five starts, but he never won a race.
Steele Road’s 2011 full sister, the third foal out of Ashado, has been the most accomplished of all the mare’s foals to race. Named Regent’s House, she won her debut by 6 ½ lengths in March of 2014. The filly has made two more starts but hasn’t been able to find the winner’s circle again.
The third Street Cry foal out of Ashado is named Ashland Park, who is an unraced 2-year-old. Ashado was bred to Bernardini in 2012 and 2013, giving her a yearling filly and weanling colt by the Preakness winner.
ASHADO IS A BARN FAVORITE AT DARLEY

Photo courtesy of Darley America
While Ashado has visited a few different stallions during her broodmare career, Darley’s Director of Farm Operations Michael Banahan notices similarities in all of her foals.
“She always has good looking foals that are all relatively correct,” he said. “She has only had two runners so far, but has a few nice prospects in the pipeline, so we are very hopeful that she will be able to reproduce a runner in her image. Her 3-year-old, Regent’s House, was very impressive winning her maiden by 6 [1/2 lengths] in the spring. Hopefully she can go on and become a stake filly.”
ASHADO IN A PASTURE AT DARLEY'S GAINSBOROUGH

Photo courtesy of Darley America
Located at Darley’s Gainsborough Farm, the mare is a favorite of those who work around her due to her easygoing temperament. Banahan is thrilled that Ashado’s on-track resume was acknowledged with her 2014 induction into the Hall of Fame, he hopes that she wins one more important award in her career.
“It was fantastic for her race record to be recognized by her induction to the Hall of Fame. But it would mean much more to us if she could get a Broodmare of the Year award,” he said.
Ashado is currently in foal to top sire Tapit for her seventh foal. With a little bit of racing luck, Ashado may still win the Broodmare of the Year award if any of her unraced foals have any of the talent their dam showed on the track.