REMEMBER the Kim Wilde song Kids In America? It was released in 1981, long before Conor Wixted, Clare Manning and Eleanor Dunne were born.

However, that trio of friends came together two years ago and, using the name Kids In America Bloodstock, bought a foal at the 2023 Keeneland November Sale for $60,000. She was a grey or roan filly from the third crop of the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Vino Rosso (Curlin), and the third offspring of the placed Bluegrass Cat (Storm Cat) mare Blues Corner.

Offered by Kerry Cauthen’s Four Star Sales on behalf of breeder Kathie Maybee, the April-born filly is just the third offspring of Blues Corner. The first, Golden Line (Cross Traffic), was sent to Saudi Arabia where he won two races. Next up was another colt, Visceral (Violence), and this $90,000 foal was pinhooked by Peter O’Callaghan, doubled in price as a yearling, and then more than doubled in value to $400,000 as a breezer. Visceral started twice last year, finishing fourth once at Del Mar, and hasn’t run since.

The filly purchased by Wixted (senior bloodstock executive at Goffs), Manning (operator of Boherguy Stud), and Dunne, was resold at Keeneland last September, and while she did not vastly enrich the intrepid trio, she sold through Adrian Regan and Fergus Galvin’s Hunter Valley Farm for $100,000 to Big Sky Racing. Named Bottle Of Rouge, she is trained by Bob Baffert for his wife Jill. Beaten six lengths on debut by Baffert’s Himika in mid-June, Bottle Of Rouge made no mistake next time out at Del Mar, and was most impressive when winning by almost seven lengths.

Himika and another Baffert runner, Explora, vied for favouritism when they all faced each other in Saturday’s Grade 1 Debutante Stakes at Del Mar, a race the trainer had won 11 times before. While she was the outsider in the betting market, Bottle Of Rouge beat Explora by a length, with Himika only fourth. What a success for all concerned, not least each of the Irish associated with the filly.

Hugely significant

This win was hugely significant for breeder Maybee as she has a yearling full-sister to Bottle Of Rouge, a half-sister born this spring by Grade 1 winner Yaupon (Uncle Mo), while Blues Corner was covered again by Yaupon whose first crop of runners this year contains 15 winners, two stakes winners, and another three are blacktype-placed. Yaupon stands at Spendthrift alongside Vino Rosso, and the latter needed a talented runner such as Bottle Of Rouge to represent him, having fallen out of favour.

Vino Rosso’s first crop contained five stakes winners, none at graded level, and his second had just one more. Now, Bottle Of Rouge, from crop number three, is his seventh stakes winner, and the first to win a graded stakes. That said, four members of his initial crop placed at Grade 1 level at two. The Wine Steward was second in the Breeders’ Futurity and Wine Me Up occupied the same position in the American Pharoah Stakes, while Dancing Groom and Next Level placed third in top-level races.

Bottle Of Rouge is the first Grade 1 winner in four generations of her female family. Her dam Blues Corner is a sibling to eight winners, and they proved to be very sound. Among them were San Pablo (Jump Start) and Slider (Prenup). San Pablo won 10 of his 19 starts, notably a Grade 3 at Monmouth Park, while Slider did not have a stakes victory among his 17 wins, but was runner-up in a Grade 2.

Perle celebrates a non-Profitable double

“YOU hardly spotted that Perle bred two winners this afternoon at Gowran Park! Not exactly group or listed class, but she’s buoyed up.”

This was a text from Dermot O’Rourke last Tuesday week, after I had submitted copy early to The Irish Field, but I understood the pleasure these victories gave to his wife. After all, Gowran Park was for many years her local track, and Perle’s enthusiasm for life has never diminished, even though her health has suffered in recent years. I also smiled when I read that one of the winners was named Gloriously Glam, a phrase that could describe the lady herself.

The three-year-old Gloriously Glam (Profitable) won the Membership at Gowran Park Fillies and Mares Claiming Race over a mile for Ado McGuinness an hour before her four-year-old full-sister Thrifty Of Digby (Profitable) landed the Support The Irish Injured Jockeys Fund Handicap, over the same distance for Jessica Harrington. These were the fillies’ second and third victories respectively.

Both fillies were sold at Goffs as foals, Thrifty Of Digby realising €9,000 in 2021 off the back of a €12,000 stud fee. Pat Harty signed for her that day, and she carries his colours. It took her until her eighth start to finally register a win last year, also at Gowran, and this year Thrifty Of Digby has added two more successes, winning over an extended 10 furlongs back in May.

When Thrifty Of Digby’s full-sister Gloriously Glam came on the market 12 months later, this time after a €10,000 stud fee, the result was much worse, and she sold for only €3,000. She resold as a yearling for three times that amount, at Tattersalls Ireland, bought by Ronan Whelan, and has traded twice more since.

Initially racing from Jessica Harrington’s yard, Gloriously Glam won at Sligo and placed a couple of times, on one occasion having a good payday when second in the Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sales Stakes. Ironically, the winner was ridden by Ronan Whelan!

It was then off to the sales where Gloriously Glam was sold to an Italian buyer for 30,000gns, but when she reappeared on the track this year, she was carrying her old colours and still trained by Harrington. Beaten a nose in a premier handicap at the Curragh in May, Gloriously Glam was then sold in a Tattersalls Online Sale to BBA Ireland for 27,000gns, and joined her current trainer.

Plantation Stud

Thrifty Of Digby and Gloriously Glam are among four winners from the unraced Abstain (Araafa), bred when Dermot and Perle O’Rourke had Plantation Stud, now in the ownership of Michael O’Leary. The other two winners from abstain have had mixed careers.

Liars Corner (Zoffany) won twice on the flat before being sold to Sweden where he amassed seven wins over jumps. Meanwhile, Claycastle (New Bay), a €75,000 yearling, finally won a race this year in Poland at the age of five.

Much was expected of Abstain, given that her six winning siblings were led by the Grade 1 Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes winner Ave (Danehill Dancer). After she finished racing, Ave sold to Shadai Farm for $1.4 million and has bred a number of winners in Japan.

Ave was the first foal bred by Plantation Stud out of Anna Amalia (In The Wings) after the latter was sold for 150,000gns carrying the Grade 1 winner.