A foal that was in the running for Breednet Favourite Foal of 2009 and is the one and only horse in Australia by infamous Kentucky Derby winner War Emblem has spawned a family that is becoming commercial gold.
Christmas is a time for families and a first time stakes win for exciting filly Caffe Florian in the Listed Gosford Guineas on Sunday has put the spotlight on her family with six yearlings entered for upcoming sales.
Caffe Florian is the third stakes-winner among six winners from seven foals to race out of Madame Andree being a sibling to Group winner Anders and SW Ostraka as well as two more stakes-placed horses in Battleground and Satin Love. Read about her here.
Madame Andree is an unraced daughter of Kentucky Derby winner War Emblem, who went to stud in Japan, and her dam Glamour Stock (Jpn), an unplaced daughter of Sunday Silence, was imported to Australia by Arrowfield along with two other mares also in foal to War Emblem.
The two War Emblem foals produced by the other two mares were both exported back to Japan, given the scarcity of his progeny, while Madame Andree remained here in Australia.
Quick history lesson here, War Emblem was bought for a huge sum by the Japanese following his 2002 Kentucky Derby win with the expectation he could become another Sunday Silence.
That dream quickly evaporated when the quirky stallion refused to cooperate in the breeding barn, rejecting nearly every mare presented to him.
From seven seasons at stud in Japan, plus the three sneaky mares that came to Australia in foal to him, War Emblem produced just 124 foals and 111 of them made it to the track.
He sired 82 winners (73% winner to runner) and nine stakes-winners (8% SW to runner),
In 2015, War Emblem won the battle to be his own man and was repatriated to Old Friends in Kentucky to live out his days as he chose to spend them before his passing in 2020.
It seems amazing that his one and only daughter in Australia, Madame Andree should be doing such a good job when we look at her pedigree and see she is unraced, her mum was unplaced and her next dam was also unraced… that hardly fills you with confidence, but it has quickly become apparent that everything out of this mare can run!
Madame Andree’s first foal was Madame Pauline, a two time winner by Redoute’s Choice that didn’t get Black Type, but she made up for it when she went to stud producing Group II winning colt Skyhook as her second foal.
This is a family expanding in all directions and yearling buyers would do well to keep it in their sights.
Footnote: Madame Andree has a yearling filly by Snitzel in Magic Millions, produced another filly this spring by the late champion sire and was then covered by The Autumn Sun.
