Three years following his passing, Bill Graham‘s breeding program in Caledon, ON remains prominent on the international racing stage.

INTERSTATEDAYDREAM (Classic Empire – Babcock by Uncle Mo), a filly from the crop of foals born in 2019, essentially the last full crop born at Graham’s Windhaven, rolled to a 1 1/4 length victory in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico racecourse in Baltimore, MD on May 20. Owned by Staton Flurry’s Flurry Racing Stables’ and trained by Brad Cox, Interstatedaydream and jockey Florent Geroux defeated the largest Black-Eyed Susan field since 13 also went to the post in 1994, Interstatedaydream ($14.20) completed the 1 1/8 mile distance in 1:48.73 over a fast main track. Grade 3 winner Adare Manor, the 2-1 favorite and a daughter of Ontario-bred Brooklyn’sway was second, a length ahead of fast-closing Radio Days.

Bill Graham

Interstatedaydream earned a career best Beyer Speed Figure of 91 in this, her fifth career start. The bay filly moves into early favoritism for the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks on July 24 although the Grade 1 Coaching Club of American Oaks at Saratoga the day before, July 23, would also seem a likely target for the top filly.

Interstatedaydream broke her maiden at first asking last June at Belmont Park. She raced once more at 2, finishing second as the favorite in the 6 ½-furlong Adirondack (G2) at Saratoga, before getting the rest of the year off. She opened her 3-year-old season March 13 at Oaklawn Park, romping by 8 ¼ lengths in a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer. She remained at the distance for the April 8 Ashland (G1) at Keeneland, her stakes debut in which she ran third behind subsequent Kentucky Oaks favorite Nest. Cox kept his filly out of the Oaks by design to point for Pimlico.

“I’m just very proud of her,” said Cox. “She stepped up and ran a huge race. I was very shocked to see she was the price she was going into the gate. She wasn’t getting a lot of respect, and I really thought she fit well with this group. Congratulations to [owner] Staton Flurry. It was a big effort and I thought Florent did a good job of getting a good early position. Her last two works have been phenomenal, and she showed up and ran a big race.”

(On passing the Kentucky Oaks (G1)): “She just wasn’t ready for it. It would have been back a little too quick, throwing too much at her too quick. I thought this made the most sense.”

The filly passed through several sales before landing with Flurry. She was a $105,000 ‘short’ yearling at the 2020 Keeneland January horses of All Ages Sale, bought by Rascal Bloodstock. That September at Keeneland she sold for $130,000 for Lehigh Bloodstock and at the Ocala April 2-year-old sale in 2021 she was bought by Flurry for $175,000.

(Interstatedaydream’s 4-year-old half-sister EMMELINE races at Woodbine on May 21.)

Interstatedaydream’s first six dams are all Ontario-breds. Bill Graham bred the Black-Eyed Susan’s dam Babcock, an unraced daughter of Uncle Mo. Babcock, a foal of 2013, was produced from unplaced Captivating (Arch) whose previous foals included Canadian Horse of the Year UNCAPTURED, now a stallion in Florida, and multiple stakes winner DANCING RAVEN.

CAPTIVATING, the 2013 Outstanding Broodmare in Canada, was bred by Fred Seitz and was produced from the Bold Ruckus mare ANDREA RUCKUS, bred by Whispering Hills Thoroughbred Breeding Partnership, and a stakes-placed runner for Frank Stronach. In addition to Captivating, Andrea Ruckus’s foals included multiple stakes winner GOLD STAR DEPUTY ($416,000).

Andrea Ruckus is a daughter of the 1974 mare DO’ S MELODY, bred by Dan Krever, and stakes-placed twice in Ontario. Do’s Melody produced three named foals including stakes placed DO’S GENT, the dam of grade 3 Ontario-bred stakes winner GENTLEMAN BEAU and Woodbine stakes winner DO’S AND DON’TS.

Do’s Melody, by Right Combination, was one of more than a dozen foals produced by E.P. Taylor-bred VICTORY SONGSTER (1968 mare by Stratus). Victory Songster was one of 10 foals to race of Taylor’s remarkable mare VICTORY CHANT, a 1962 born daughter of top runner and sire VICTORIA PARK.

Victory Chant produced champion GIBOULEE, stakes placed Vee Vee Vee, Proliferate and Victorious Answer. Of course Victorious Answer went on to become a foundation mare in the fold of the successful Gus Schickedanz breeding program.

 

1st dam BABCOCK – unraced, bred by Bill Graham 

2nd dam CAPTIVATING -unplaced bred by Fred Seitz. Dam of HOY Uncaptured

3rd dam ANDREA RUCKUS bred by Whispering Hills – by Ontario sire Bold Ruckus

4th dam – DO’S MELODY  by Right Combination. bred by Dan Krever

5th dam VICTORY SONGSTER – bred by E P Taylor

6th dam VICTORY CHANT – bred by EP Taylor

 

 

 

Tags: Bill Graham, Black Eyed Susan Stakes, Flurry Racing, Interstatedaydream, Pimlico,

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