Ballylinch Stud linchpin Lope De Vega on the mark again at Breeders' Cup

Ballylinch Stud's star stallion Lope De Vega supplied his 12th elite winner on Friday when Aunt Pearl landed the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland.

The Brad Cox-trained filly became the second daughter of Lope De Vega to land the Grade 1 prize, following on from Newspaperofrecord's victory in 2018.

Newspaperofrecord became something of a poster girl for US buyers' raids on Book 1 of Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, and that is where Bradley Weisbord and Liz Crow secured Aunt Pearl at a cost of 280,000gns in 2019.

The filly, who carried the colours of Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb et al, was already among Lope De Vega's 125 stakes performers, a list containing 42 Group/Graded winners and 35 Listed scorers, having run out a ready winner of the Grade 2 Jessamine Stakes earlier in the season.

Bradley Weisbord (left) and Liz Crow (right) with Nicolas de Watrigant at TattersallsCredit: Laura Green

Aunt Pearl becomes Lope De Vega's second Group/Grade 1-winning juvenile this year after Lucky Vega struck in the Phoenix Stakes for Jessica Harrington and owner Zhang Yuesheng.

The son of Shamardal stood the 2020 breeding season at a career-high fee of €100,000. He is not without a chance of notching a Breeders' Cup double with son Lope Y Fernandez set to contest the Mile on Saturday.

Aunt Pearl was bred in partnership by Ballylinch and Ecurie Des Charmes, who purchased the dam, Matauri Pearl, through Meridian International for €400,000 at the Arqana Breeding Stock Sale in 2015.

Newspaperofrecord wins the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Churchill DownsCredit: Edward Whitaker

The Listed-placed daughter of Hurricane Run, who was named champion three-year-old filly in Scandinavia in 2012, has since produced a filly by Sea The Stars, who was bought by Daniel Cole for €450,000 at last month's Arqana October Yearling Sale, and delivered a Lope De Vega brother to Aunt Pearl on April 30 earlier this year.

In turn, Matauri Pearl is a sister to Wekeela, who has twice fetched seven figures when offered at public auction.

She brought €1.1 million from Oceanic Bloodstock on behalf of Martin Schwartz when offered at the Arqana Arc Sale in 2015 before David Redvers gave 1,800,000gns for her at Tattersalls two years later.

Wekeela has produced colts by Dubawi and Roaring Lion in the last two foaling seasons and was among Kingman's 2020 book of mares.

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