The sample of imported runners capturing main North American turf occasions is lengthy established. Most of the time, they’ve been sourced from Europe, however this weekend we noticed success on the garden June 13 from a pair from the Southern Hemisphere: Chilean-bred Dona Clota , who took the Robert G. Dick Memorial Stakes (G3T), and South African-bred Gimme a Nother , the clear winner of the Eatontown Stakes (G3T).
Chile has provided quite a few top-class performers in the US over the past 50 years or so. Cougar II earned honors as champion turf horse of 1972 and, since then, different Chilean-breds to have received grade 1 occasions within the U.S. embody Miss Brio, Host, Puerto Madero, Lido Palace, Malek, Mash One, Noches De Rosa, Cocoa Seaside, Wild Spirit, Dacita , Wow Cat , and Robert Bruce . The inflow from South Africa has been smaller, however it may additionally declare a U.S. champion turf horse in Hawaii, who earned that honor in 1969.
Dona Clota
Dona Clota got here to the U.S. as a champion—she was the highest 3-year-old filly in Chile for 2024-25—and a a number of grade 1 winner. She received solely certainly one of her first eight begins, though she did end third within the Arturo Lyon Pena (G1). After ending fourth within the Polla de Potrancas (G1), Dona Clota turned a nook within the fall of 2024, taking in succession the listed Lisimaco Jaraquemada, the Nacional Ricardo Lyon (G1), and the El Ensayo (G1).
Dropped at the U.S., Dona Clota failed to fireside within the January 2025 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational Stakes (G2T), ending tenth of 11. Given a break till August of that 12 months, she made 4 begins previous to the Robert G. Dick Memorial, hitting the board simply as soon as when third within the Feb. 26 The Very One Stakes (G3T).
Dona Clota’s sire is the Irish-bred Ivan Denisovich . A son of Danehill out of champion Hollywood Wildcat—and subsequently a intently associated half brother to the 2000 Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1T) winner Warfare Chant—Ivan Denisovich received the 2005 July Stakes (G2) in England and the 2006 Solonaway Stakes in Eire. He additionally completed second within the 2005 Prix Morny (G1) and 2006 Secretariat Stakes (G1T), and third within the 2006 St. James’s Palace Stakes (G1) and Hollywood Derby (G1T). Starting his stud profession shuttling between Coolmore’s Irish and Australian operations, the now 23-year-old has since stood in Chile and Uruguay and is now again in Chile at Haras Don Alberto. He has sired 25 stakes winners, 17 graded, together with 9 Southern Hemisphere grade/group 1 winners.
Dona Clota’s dam Delfa received twice at dash distances in Chile. She is by Whole Affect, a Chilean-bred son of Stuka, who was a gaggle 1 winner in his native nation and likewise captured the 2004 Hollywood Gold Cup (G1), 2003 Mervyn LeRoy Handicap (G2), and 2005 Windy Sands Handicap within the U.S. Whole Affect was by the 1994 Santa Anita Handicap (G1) winner Stuka, a son of the Mr. Prospector stallion Jade Hunter. Delfa is bred on the same line to 2012 Chilean champion 2-year-old male Demuestrame, who was by Stuka out of a half sister to Delfa. The household traces again to the British-bred mare Reine Claude, who was imported to Argentina in 1911. Reine Claude is linked to a notable slice of U.S. racing historical past, as her sister Lisma is the dam of Omar Khayyam, who in 1917 turned the primary imported horse to win the Kentucky Derby.
Dona Clota follows Preparante, whose successes embody the Chilean El Derby (G1), because the second stakes winner by Ivan Denisovich out of a Stuka-line mare (Preparante’s dam being by Stuka himself). The Ivan Denisovich/Whole Affect model of the cross presents an attention-grabbing sample: Ivan Denisovich’s dam, Hollywood Wildcat, is by a son of Roberto out of a Mr. Prospector mare, whereas Whole Affect is by a grandson of Mr. Prospector out of a mare by a son of Roberto. The dam of Mr. Prospector, Gold Digger, and the dam of Roberto, Bramalea, are equally bred—each by Nashua—and the second dam of Gold Digger is by Bull Canine out of a Blue Larkspur mare, whereas the dam of Bramalea is by a son of Bull Canine out of a Blue Larkspur mare.
Gimme a Nother
Gimme a Nother arrived from South Africa undefeated in seven begins, 5 of them graded, together with the 2024 South Africa Fillies Traditional (G1) and Empress Membership Stakes (G1) and, like Dona Clota, was champion 3-year-old filly in her homeland. She debuted within the U.S. with a second within the 2025 Hillsborough Stakes (G2T) and went on to complete second in two of her subsequent three begins, the Modesty Stakes (G3T) and Canadian Stakes (G2T). She earned her first stateside victory within the John C. Mabee Stakes (G2T) final September, and the Eatontown Stakes was her first outing of 2026.
Picture: Taylor Ejdys/EQUI-PHOTOGimme a Nother wins the Eatontown Stakes at Monmouth Park
Gimme a Nother is by Gimmethegreenlight . An Australian-foaled son of Extra Than Prepared, Gimmethegreenlight made all 13 of his begins in South Africa, successful six, most notably the 2012 Queen’s Plate (G1). He was main sire in South Africa in 2021, 2023, and 2024, and has additionally been the main sire of 2-year-olds thrice. He has sired 81 stakes winners, 15 of them grade/group 1.
Gimme a Nother’s dam Nother Russia  is by Tiger Ridge, a Storm Cat half brother to A.P. Indy and Summer time Squall, who stood in Florida earlier than relocating to South Africa. She was champion older mare for 2017-18, and her file contains two wins within the Empress Membership Stakes. Nother Russia is the one foal of her dam, Mom Russia—by the imported Looking for the Gold horse Windrush—a four-time group 1 winner who preceded her daughter as champion older mare, incomes that title in 2009-10. Windrush was out of a daughter of Storm Cat, which means Nother Russia is inbred 2×4 to Storm Cat, with the equally bred Nijinsky II additionally showing within the fourth technology.
Gimme a Nother’s fourth dam, Terpsichore, produced stakes winner French Muse and is the ancestress of 14 stakes winners, together with, along with these beforehand talked about, South African 2004-05 Horse of the Yr Winter Solstice and 2010 Cape Derby (G1) winner Bravura. The household arrived in South Africa in 1939 with the importation of the British-bred Brandy Ball. Out of Dulce, runner-up within the 1935 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (French One Thousand Guineas), Brandy Ball was a half sister to Pink Sundown, the second dam of Crepello, winner of the English Two Thousand Guineas and Epsom Derby in 1957 and main sire in Nice Britain and Eire in 1969.
