Blue Stripe (foaled October 27, 2017) is a dual-hemisphere Argentine-bred multiple Graded Stakes winning

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

. Her graded wins include the Group 1 Gran Premio Criadores in Argentina and the

Grade I In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

Clement L. Hirsch Stakes in 2022 at

Del Mar Del Mar is Spanish for "of the sea" or "from the sea". It may refer to: Places in the United States * Del Mar, California * Del Mar High School, located in San Jose, California * Del Mar racetrack, located in Del Mar, California * Del Mar Fai ...

in Southern California.

Background

Blue Stripe is a bay mare, bred by La Manija in Argentina and owned by Mexican Jose Cerillo of Lomas de Chapulpepec's Pozo de Luna. Blue Stripe's sire is the Argentine bred Equal Stripes who has provided three winners of the Group 1 Gran Premio Nacional (Argentine Derby) among his progeny. He led the Argentine general sire list in 2020. His dam Blues for Sale was a Group winner in Argentina over 1200-1600 metre distances. Blue Stripe is a half-sister to

Blue Prize Blue Prize (foaled August 26, 2013) is a retired Argentinian Thoroughbred racehorse and the winner of the 2019 Breeders' Cup Distaff. Career Blue Prize's first race and only start as a two-year-old was on May 30, 2016, at Hipódromo Argentino d ...

, the 2019

Breeders' Cup Distaff The Breeders' Cup Distaff is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares, 3 years old and up. Known as the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic between 2008 and 2012, it is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or ...

winner at Santa Anita. In Argentina, Blue Stripe was trained by Nicolas Martin Ferro and ridden by jockey Pavon Eduardo Ortega in all her races. In the US she is trained by Marcelo Polanco.

Racing career

Argentina

Blue Stripe began her career October 20, 2020 in "The Angel Comanche", a Maiden event for three-year-old fillies at

Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo The Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo is a horse racing course located in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and one of the most important in the country, hosting 120 days of racing and 1,400 races every year. Races are hosted three days a week, with about ni ...

winning it by half a length over his owner's co-entry Serenata Huasteca in 1:37:98. A month later she was entered in the Group 1 Gran Premio Enrique Acebal over 2000 meters on the turf track at San Isidro Race Course and found the class rise of the event challenging staying up near to the leaders and just fading to finish a creditable third beaten by 3

length Length is a measure of distance. In the International System of Quantities, length is a quantity with dimension distance. In most systems of measurement a base unit for length is chosen, from which all other units are derived. In the Interna ...

s to the fast finishing Bellagamba. Staying at San Isidro, Blue Stripe ran once more in the Group 1 Copa de Plata-Roberto Vasquez Mansilla Internacional on December 19, 2020. Facing a field of sixteen, Blue Stripe again bounced out into the leading pack and was third down the back stretch. Staying along the rail as the field entered the straight, Blue Stripe managed to get a split and surged to challenge the eventual winner Elvas, but was found short and was overtaken close to home to finish third. After a short break, Blue Stripe resumed on Feb 5, 2021 in the Listed Clasico Haras Argentinos on the dirt. Starting at odds of 19/5 Blue Stripe defeated the favorite Special Dubai by a

in a fast time of 1:58.82. A month later on Mar 6, 2021 in the Group 2 Clasico Arturo R. Y Arturo Bullrich Blue Stripe as the 3/10 odds-on favorite produced a scintillating performance thrashing her four rivals by eight lengths. In her last race in Argentina, Blue Stripe was entered to run in the Group 1 Gran Premio Criadores, designated as a Breeders' Cup Challenge event for the

whose winners receive free berths and fees paid into a corresponding race for the Breeders' Cup World Championships. Blue Stripe started well in a field of eleven, staying off the rail in third behind pacesetter Kalivia, who took the field through the half mile in 46.40 and the mile in 1:34.37. As Kalivia faded, Blue Stripe moved into first along the rail, but was quickly engaged by the three-year-old Mahagonny, the 5-1 second choice. As the two fillies battled in the stretch, the three-year-old 84/1 longshot Soviet Catch mounted a furious drive on the outside in the final furlong, passing Mahagonny at the wire for second, but ran out of ground to collar Blue Stripe. With four victories and twice third, Blue Stripe earned an equivalent of US$41,882 in her six starts in Argentina.

United States

On November 6, Blue Stripe now trained by Marcelo Polanco started in the

to Del Mar. She faced a very strong field headlined by Letruska (Apple Blossom, Ogden Phipps, Personal Ensign, Spinster Stakes),

Malathaat Malathaat (foaled March 7, 2018) is a Champion American Thoroughbred racehorse. She was named the American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly of 2021 after winning the Ashland Stakes, Kentucky Oaks and Alabama Stakes. In 2022, she was named American ...

(Kentucky Oaks, Alabama Stakes),

Clairiere Clairiere (foaled March 17, 2018) is an American multiple graded stakes winning Thoroughbred racehorse. Her graded wins include the Grade I Cotillion Stakes in 2021 and the Grade I Ogden Phipps Stakes at age four at Belmont Park. Background Cl ...

(Cotillion),

Shedaresthedevil Shedaresthedevil (foaled March 2, 2017) is an American thoroughbred racehorse, best known for winning the 2020 Kentucky Oaks, the filly equivalent of the Kentucky Derby. She also won the Honeybee Stakes and Indiana Oaks at age three, the Azeri ...

(Kentucky Oaks, Clement L. Hirsch Stakes) and Royal Flag (Zenyatta Stakes). Blue Stripe ridden by British Champion Jockey Lanfranco Dettori got shuffled shortly after the start, angled to the inside, steered off the rail backstretch, moved closer outside a rival, went three wide into the far turn, five wide into the stretch and failed to threaten around the bend and weakened in the stretch run to finish seventh to longshot Japanese-owned Marche Lorraine.

2022: five-year-old season

Blue Stripe remained in California, preparing for her five-year-old season. After a lengthy winter break, Blue Stripe was entered in the Grade 2

Santa Margarita Stakes The Santa Margarita Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California for fillies and mares age four and older, it is contested on dirt over a distance of one and one-eighths mile ...

at Santa Anita on 30 April. The 11/10 favorite, Miss Bigly, took the lead with a five-wide sweep into the stretch at the eighth pole and looked home free in the -mile event. Then Blue Stripe, ridden by

Tyler Baze Tyler Baze (born October 19, 1982, in Seattle, Washington) is an American Champion jockey. He was born into a racing family, since both of his parents were jockeys, as is his uncle, Gary Baze. His second cousin is U.S. Racing Hall of Fame jockey ...

, surged even wider and went by Miss Bigly about 75 yards from the wire to win by a length in a time of 1:50.52. Marcelo Polanco said, "She was so fresh, she was ready to do something. I asked the connections if it was OK to run her in here, and they said, 'Whatever you think.' We just went for it." Jockey Tyler Baze pointed out, "I hadn't been on her, but I heard some reports that said she was ready and working tremendous. That's what my agent told me this morning. I didn't know what kind of gas pedal I had under me until the three-eighths pole. I asked her, and she ran up to 'em so quick, it caught me off guard. I had to tap on the brakes, but even with doing that, when I asked her again she accelerated and came home." On June 18, Blue Stripe faced five other entrants in the Grade 2

Santa Maria Stakes The Santa Maria Stakes is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race run annually in late May at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. A race for fillies and mares age four and older, it is contested on Pro-Ride synthetic dirt over a distanc ...

at Santa Anita. She pulled a bit into the first turn, moved to the inside around that bend, tipped out and took aim two and then three wide into the stretch, and finished well but could not get to favorite Private Mission and was

lengths Length is a measure of distance. In the International System of Quantities, length is a quantity with dimension distance. In most systems of measurement a base unit for length is chosen, from which all other units are derived. In the Intern ...

short. On August 6, Blue Stripe garnered her first Grade 1 win in the US in the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes at

. The -mile event developed just as trainer Marcelo Polanco and Hector Berrios drew it up. Familiar foe Private Mission and

, who had won this event last year, went at a lively pace on the front end, Private Mission completing the first quarter-mile in :23.18, Blue Stripe raced easily in third position of the five entries. Berrios recalled, "The race went exactly as we planned it. We wanted to sit behind the speed horses, then go get them late." As the field headed to the second turn, Shedaresthedevil challenged Private Mission for the lead. When Shedaresthedevil took over, the race was looked similar to the previous year's edition. However, Blue Stripe, the 5/1 third choice, ranged up outside of Shedaresthedevil, edging ahead turning for home, got clear of the favorite by the eighth pole, and scored by lengths in 1:42.97. On November 5 in the

, Blue Stripe finished second by a nose to

in a three-way photo finish with

finishing third.

Statistics

''Legend:''

''Notes:''
An (*) asterisk after the odds means Blue Stripe was the post-time favorite.

Pedigree

References

{{reflist 2017 racehorse births Racehorses trained in the United States Thoroughbred family 16-g American Grade 1 Stakes winners Racehorses bred in Argentina Racehorses trained in Argentina