SPENDING $100,000 on a yearling nowadays is commonplace, and for many there will be no great return. Doing so on a filly with a good pedigree is less risky, and it can be a bonanza if she turns out to be a good racehorse.

Such is the case with the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes winner Crimson Advocate, bred by Whitehall Lane Farm and sold for that amount at the OBS Yearling Sale. On her way to success at Royal Ascot, she beat the highly-regarded Ocean Mermaid over the minimum trip at Gulfstream Park on her second outing, and significantly the win was in a stakes race. Victory earned her an automatic entry at Ascot, and $25,000 to help defray the costs.