She was a horse of a lifetime for Kitchener’s Eugene George, who raced horses for half a century in Ontario.
MILWAUKEE APPEAL, a daughter of Ontario stallion Milwaukee Brew, burst onto the Woodbine scene in 2008 as a juvenile for George’s C.E.C. Farm and trainer Scott Fairlie. Through three seasons, Milwaukee Appeal earned over $1 million and then was sold to American owners Gary and Mary West for about $400,000 (US). On the first Saturday this May, May 6, Milwaukee Appeal’s grandson HIT SHOW will break from post 1 in the $3 million Kentucky Derby.
The bossy bay filly was bred by George through a mating of his mare Appealing Forum, a daughter of Open Forum (a son of Deputy Minister), to the Frank Stronach star stud Milwaukee Brew, a two-time winner of the Santa Anita Handicap. George and Fairlie were not sure what they had when the filly made her career debut in July 2008, so they started her for $32,000 claiming. She would win her maiden in her next race for $40,000 claiming and would never see the claiming ranks again.
Milwaukee Appeal went on to a wonderful career, winning the 54th Woodbine Oaks by 3 1/4 lengths in fast time. She was the morning line favourite for the 150th Queen’s Plate and was third, beaten just a neck, to Eye of the Leopard. She was named the 2009 Champion 3-Year-Old Filly. She took on some of the best in the US in 2010 with one of her best races being her near miss in the Grade 1 Spinster Stakes to Acoma at Keeneland. She retired after a brief campaign in 2011 and had a record of 5-7-16 from 25 starts with $1,198,674 in earnings.
The Wests bred Milwaukee Appeal to one of the best sires for her first mating, TAPIT. The resulting foal was the grey filly ACTRESS, who, incredibly, won her maiden in the Grade 2 Black Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico in 2017.
Actress also won the Grade 3 Comely before the Wests retired her and bred her to Medaglia D’oro, producing winner Hot Rumor. In 2020, Actress produced Hit Show, a grey, who won the Grade 3 Withers Stakes this year and was a close second in the Wood Memorial (G2).
Hit Show will start from post 1 in the Derby for the Wests and trainer Brad Cox.
Milwaukee Appeal has also produced multiple winner Raising the Flag and she has a three-year-old by Curlin.
As for Milwaukee Brew, he sired over 25 stakes winners and other champions such as Ginger Brew and Coltimus Prime. Milwaukee Brew is currently pensioned at Old Friends in Kentucky.
Eugene George holds his filly Milwaukee Appeal, trainer Scott Fairlie (red shirt) following the 2009 Woodbine Oaks – horse-races.net
Hit Show, grandson of Canadian/Ontario-bred champion Milwaukee Appeal, has post 1 for the Kentucky Derby (G1) – NYRA photo
Actress broke her maiden in the Grade 2 Black Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico in 2017 for Gary and Mary West – horse-races.net photo
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