This fan will exit of his solution to watch a quick filly strut her stuff. Undefeated Hallowed Goals going for her fifteenth straight within the 2000 Fantasia Stakes at Louisiana Downs? Shreveport, right here I come. Champion Xtra Warmth packing 127 kilos within the 2002 Princess Rooney Handicap (G2) at Calder Race Course? I am Miami certain. My Juliet, Safely Stored, Monitor Gal, Pine Tree Lane, Sincere Girl, Groupie Doll —they’re members of a choose tribe, prime examples of modern-day thinker Rustin Cohle’s reminder that, “Life’s barely lengthy sufficient to get good at one factor … that is why you take care of what you get good at.”
The nice feminine sprinters get pleasure from their very own nook of racing historical past. Pan Zareta’s file of 73 wins in 143 sprints is tough to consider, however there it’s in black and white. Durazna got here alongside within the mid-Forties to outsprint the boys with regularity. Affectionately, the satisfaction of Hirsch and Ethel Jacobs, gained the 1965 Vagrancy Handicap below 137 kilos, the Liberty Belle Handicap below 132, and beat males within the 1965 Toboggan, 1965 Sport Web page, and 1964 Vosburgh handicaps. Ta Wee didn’t have to do greater than win the 1970 Correction Handicap below 131 kilos, the 1970 Hempstead Handicap below 132, and the 1970 Remorse Handicap below 136 to emerge from the shadow of her large brother, Dr. Fager.
On July 5 out West, within the coronary heart of the vacation weekend, two of the very best of the division will tangle for the winner’s share of $200,000 within the Nice Girl M. Stakes (G2) at Los Alamitos Race Course. Kopion involves the 6 1/2-furlong occasion off three straight stakes wins topped by the Derby Metropolis Distaff Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs, whereas Candy Azteca , final yr’s winner of the Nice Girl M., makes her first begin of the season for her new coach, Richard Baltas.
The Nice Girl M. took the place of Hollywood Park’s A Gleam Handicap, named for the Calumet Farm filly who was significantly greater than a sprinter, though she did beat her elders within the 1953 Milady Handicap and colts within the 1953 Malibu Sequet Stakes, each at seven furlongs.
As for Nice Girl M., she was a type of clock-punching Wayne Lukas mares who not often missed a meal or a race. After 19 begins for different connections within the East, she joined Wayne’s world in the summertime of 1978 and over the subsequent 2 1/2 years began 39 instances. Amongst her 10 wins for Lukas was the Orange Coast Handicap at Los Alamitos towards males, run in the course of the tiny Orange County Fall Truthful meet in November of 1979. Later, she gave start to Girl’s Secret.Join BloodHorse Day by day
In comparison with Nice Girl M., Kopion and Candy Azteca have barely reached first base, sporting equivalent information of 5 wins from seven begins. Candy Azteca represents her breeder, Pam Ziebarth, whereas Kopion carries the colours of Spendthrift Farm and the legacy of proprietor B. Wayne Hughes.
Hughes died in August of 2021 when Kopion was a five-month foal by her mom’s facet dwelling simply up Paris Pike from Spendthrift at Briarbrooke Farm, the place breeder Ivan Dalos boards his Kentucky mares. A yr later, the daughter of Omaha Seaside  offered for $270,000 to Spendthrift, whose possession had been assumed by Hughes’ daughter, Tamara, and her husband, Eric Gustavson.
“One of many issues we began specializing in within the aftermath of Wayne’s passing was solely actually shopping for fillies with sufficient pedigree that they could be a broodmare for us, if they do not produce on the racetrack,” Eric Gustavson stated. “On high of that, we prefer to assist our personal stallions.”
Kopion scored on each counts. She is a daughter of Galloping Ami , Canada’s 2016 Broodmare of the Yr, and Omaha Seaside, a son of Conflict Entrance  who’s amongst 29 stallions standing at Spendthrift, led by Into Mischief  .
Like Omaha Seaside, Kopion is skilled by Richard Mandella. She made her debut as a 2-year-old on Thanksgiving weekend of 2023 and was hardly a secret, successful simply at 3-10 below Flavien Prat.
“She was in the identical crop as Tamara, and Richard wasn’t as effusive about her. By the point Kopion began, Tamara was already a grade 1 winner,” Gustavson stated, referring to the winner of the 2023 Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1). “However then Richard would inform us that Kopion was actually coming round.”
Kopion got here round quick sufficient to win a four-horse Santa Ynez Stakes (G3) in early 2024, then ran effectively with out successful in two extra races round two turns. She went to the sidelines after that with bone bruising and resurfaced on Santa Anita’s opening day, final Dec. 26, to win the La Brea Stakes (G1) at odds of 37-1, a “man bites canine” headline for a Mandella stakes winner. Success within the Santa Monica Stakes (G2) and Derby Metropolis Distaff adopted in machinelike procession, whereas an array of elegant Bob Baffert fillies trailed in her wake.
Baffert is passing the Nice Girl M., leaving One Magic Philly from the Phil D’Amato secure because the prime challenger for Kopion and Candy Azteca, a daughter of Sharp Azteca . Kopion’s deal with just isn’t fairly so apparent.
“A buddy of mine advised me I ought to title a horse ‘kopion,’ which is the Greek phrase for leaving all of it on the sector of battle,” Gustavson stated. “I put it on the listing of names I maintain, and when it got here time I believed it was acceptable to make use of for a granddaughter of Conflict Entrance.”
In one other life, Gustavson labored about as removed from operating a Thoroughbred operation as doable. A eager eye would have noticed him enjoying visitor shot roles in such in style TV collection as “Will and Grace,” “Northern Publicity,” and “Baywatch.”
“I used to be a theater main chasing an appearing profession,” Gustavson stated. “After beginning a household, I finished appearing and went over to the manufacturing facet. As Wayne’s son-in-law, I definitely loved the races, and going out to Clocker’s Nook at Santa Anita within the mornings. Then, when he purchased Spendthrift in 2004, he requested me to come back work with him.
“Once I began on the farm, I had no concept what I used to be doing,” he continued. “Wayne stated, ‘Why do not you do our advertising?’ I used to be winging it, whereas we have been buying a variety of stallions. I realized a lot, although, principally from being in his presence, but in addition from folks like Ned Toffey, our common supervisor, and from the gross sales guys, like Seth Semkin.”
Picture: Anne M. EberhardtEric Gustavson
Gustavson is now a member of The Jockey Membership, on the Keeneland board of advisors, and on the Breeders’ Cup board of administrators.
“It is stated you want 10,000 hours at one thing to turn into an knowledgeable,” Gustavson stated. “In my case it has been 20 years to get up to now. To have a filly like Kopion carrying on the standard established by a terrific trainer like Wayne may be very gratifying.”
