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In The Hall of Fame: Amber
Original article written by Grace Moon posted 2 years 3 weeks agoAmber was bred and owned by Susie Rydell who also owned her dam Clearly Best. Amber was the first foal out of Steward bred champion mare Clearly Best, a daughter of Fighter Jet out of the Sports Jersey mare Cadeajue. I covered Clearly Best in an earlier article so go find it to hear about Amber’s half siblings, Amber’s sire was the mighty Triple Crown winner Awake As I Am, by Louisville Derby winner Loki Dynasty out of the Hall of Fame mare Wonder. Amber was from his third crop of foals, he also produced in order of earnings, Steward’s Cup classic winner You Are I Am, Steward’s Cup classic winner Stay Awake, South American champion three year old male and Long Island classic winner Voldemort, Desert World Cup winner The Awakening, Baltimore Crown winner Thriller, and Steward’s Cup Juvenile winner Institutionalized among many other foals.
Amber made her debut on week 12 of year 28 at Futurity park, Florida, a winning one leading all the way to win by two and one fourth lengths. Three weeks later and a cross country journey to Inglewood park, California failed to a bad investment as Amber ran third to A Day to Remember.
Amber’s three year old year was of little note, winning two stakes towards the end of the year. On week four at Hot Springs Park, Arkansas, Amber finally got a previously denied grade one, winning the Hot Springs handicap for four year old's and up by half a length over Just Victory. Following it up three weeks later at Baltimore racecourse, for the Baltimore special, Amber went to the wire three fourths of a length over Pirate. On week eleven Amber won the Cadeajue stakes, a grade one race at The Spa, in New York for fillies and mares by two and a half lengths. In her final prep for the Steward’s Cup Classic at Wilmington Park, Delaware, Amber prevailed by a quarter length over champion three year old Father Ralph in the grade two Summer Bird stakes. In the Steward’s Cup Classic, an ambitious goal for any filly, only one other mare Three Day Event had prevailed here with great mares such as Serena’s Song, and Temple falling short. Amber faced off against a star studded field, millionaire Echelon, Asian champion three year old and Louisville Derby runner up Father Ralph, Louisville Derby winner Flame and Smoke, Triple Crown winner Maelstrom, Midsummer Classic winner Open At The Close, Desert World Cup winner Whitney, and grade one winner Who I Am. Amber led early on, but could not match Maelstrom who got to the wire three lengths before her. Amber got her neck in front of Open At The Close for second. Amber ended her year with four wins from five starts, and got herself the honor of North American champion older female.
Not discouraged by the defeat Amber remained in training at five, coming back at Arcadia Park, California, for the Arcadia Million, against five males, Amber proved best under urging getting to the wire three fourths of a length over Smoulders. Coming back to the Baltimore Special, at Baltimore racecourse, Maryland, Amber went for the win by two lengths over Win. In the Cadajude stakes, at The Spa, New York she kept to the job and got there a length and a quarter over And It Stoned Me. In the grade one Rags to Riches, at Wilmington Park, Delaware, Amber ran strongly, finishing two and a half lengths over Under Red Skies. Amber had just one more goal to accomplish, the steward’s cup classic. With midsummer classic winner Akon, Prince of Peace winner Expect the Best, Desert World Cup winner Open At The Close, Baltimore Crown winner Spartan, Louisville Derby winner Sword, and Queen’s Derby winner Who I Am, it wasn’t the strongest field the classic had seen but it was nothing to sneeze at either. Amber never looked like anything less than a winner going out on a win, a length and three quarters over Open At The Close. It was the highlight of Amber’s eighteen race career, where she won fourteen times and never finished worse than third. As a five year old her unbeaten season was recognized by a second North American Champion Older Female, and the prestigious North American Horse of the Year title.
As a broodmare Amber produced fourteen stakes winners from fifteen foals. Her first foal Firefly, a dark bay colt by dual classic winner Sun Raider, was a top tier three year old who’s best moment came when he prevailed under urging to win the Long Island Classic, he never hit the same heights again but gathered over two million from a handful of top placings in prestigious races such as the Desert World Cup, and Louisville Derby. As a sire he produced North American champion two year old filly Lyre and Louisville Oaks winner Gorgeous, and as a damsire his best was Keefer. Amber’s next foal was a grey filly by Magician, Kenzie wasn’t as talented as her older half brother but pulled together enough stakes wins to become a South American champion older female in year 37. Kenzie provided a handful of stakes winners herself and was one of the better producing mare’s but far from the best.
The flashy Pemberley was by Persevere, Pemberley was never a top tier horse but he was consistent enough to pull just over a million together in earnings, Pemberley was a failure as a sire. Rose by The Other Man, was the one foal who failed to show any talent on the track, only winning seventeen thousand but she was a blue hen mare producing millionaire Nestene, Seek Thrills handicap winner Ood, Long Island Mile winner Cyberman who was a decent sire as well, Toronto Oaks winner Bad Wolf, North American champion two year old male, Baltimore Crown, Pegasus Classic winner and supersire Allonsy, Saratoga Oaks winner Reinette, millionaire Boom Town, grade one producer One Heartbeat and Midsummer Classic winner Metacrisis.
After Rose, a pairing with Long Island Classic winner Messiah produced Amber’s second classic winner in Newsroom, who sired the super sire James Dean. The brilliant millionaire mare C.J. was by Louisville Derby winner Sword. Hydra by Highly Regarded was a stakes winner who never really put it together. Beckett by Paramount was a two time stakes winner, Blackpool by Ball of Fire, won a couple of grade twos. The dark bay mare Knope by Father Ralph was her next top runner, winning nine grade ones. The flashy faced Degrassi by Mint was a respectable horse. Selina, a full sister to Newsroom, was a grade two winner who didn’t share her brother’s luck at breeding.
Amber was seventeen when she produced who would by far be her best foal, the mighty Dragonfly by Man of Mystery. Not breaking his maiden until three, Dragonfly came into the Louisville Derby as an underdog, there was the undefeated Happy This Way and Keyser Soze to contend with as well as the Steward’s Cup Juvenile winner Saturday Silence. But Dragonfly had found his legs and stubbornly got his neck in front of Keyser Soze who himself nosed out the Circle of Life. Dragonfly kept the momentum going for the next two legs of the Triple Crown, joining an elite crowd of three year old's. Dragonfly earned nearly ten million in earnings, and as a sire produced two millionaires. Grey, who was actually a dark bay mare, was a two times stakes winning three year old, and her final foal was the grade one winning millionaire Quo Vadimus by Doctor.
Major race winners and champions descent of Amber in the past eight years are, year 58 Saudi Cup winner and year 57 Louisville Derby winner Best Revenge, year 55 Louisville Derby winner Rathalos, Year 51 Steward’s Cup Ladies Route, Year 51 Pegasus Classic, Year 50 Steward’s Cup Distaff, year 50 Long Island Class, year 50 Baltimore Crown, year 50 Louisville Derby and year 49 Steward’s Cup Juvenile fillies winner Owl Let You Know, year 58 Baltimore Crown winner Fantastic Beast, Year 58 Pegasus Classic, and year 57 Baltimore Crown winner Winds of Mayhem, year 56 Seek Thrills handicap, year 55 Baltimore crown winner Never Cautious, year 54 Baltimore crown and year 53 Stewards cup juvenile winner This Is Our Year, year 57 Long Island classic winner Maximus, year 53 Long Island classic winner Kingslayer, year 57 Queen’s Derby winner Owlpha Romeo, Year 52 Candain’s breeder’s stakes, Year 52 Prince of peace stakes and year 52 Queen’s Derby winner Lazy Dog, year 51 Queen’s derby winner Rebel With a Cause, year 57 Prince of peace stakes winner Empty Spaces, Year 55 Island champion three year old male and Year 55 Prince of peace stakes winner Unforgiven, year 52 North American champion older male, year 52 Steward’s Cup classic, and Year 51 Prince of peace stakes winner Bregman, year 50 Prince of peace stakes winner Worldenoughandtime, year 56 North American champion two year old male, year 56 Steward’s cup juvenile winner Wonderful Saint, year 54 Steward’s cup juvenile winner Scepter of Power, year 57 Steward’s cup juvenile fillies winner Into the Unknown, year 55 North American champion two year old filly, Year 56 Midsummer oaks, and year 55 Steward’s cup juvenile fillies Symphony, year 53 Steward’s cup juvenile fillies winner Ring Leader, year 54 Steward’s cup Distaff winner Famitsu, year 53 Steward’s cup distaff winner You Make Me Happy, Year 51 North American champion three year old female, year 51 Steward’s cup distaff winner All Good, year 55 Steward’s cup classic, year 55 Desert world cup, and year 54 Midsummer Classic winner Delirium, year 54 Steward’s cup classic, and year 54 Oceanside classic winner Ransack, year 53 North American champion older male, and year 53 Steward’s cup classic winner Giant, year 55 Steward’s cup marathon winner Private Affair, year 57 Steward’s cup ladies Route winner More Than Anything, year 56 Desert world cup, and year 55 Steward’s cup ladies Route winner Schuylkill, year 52 North American champion three year old female, year 52 Stewards cup ladies Route, and year 52 Long Island Acorn winner One More Kiss, year 55 steward’s cup filly and mare dirt mile winner Thugs Bunny, year 55 Stewards cup Futurity winner Some Rocky Socket, year 51 Desert world cup winner Indiana Jones, year 56 North American champion three year old filly, and year 56 Louisville oaks winner Day Will Break, year 55 Louisville oaks, and year 56 Saudi cup winner Spe Chan, year 52 Louisville oaks winner Bedtime, year 50 Louisville oaks winner Hiding My Heart, year 57 Midsummer classic winner Geologist, year 55 Midsummer classic winner Metacrisis, year 58 Pegasus dirt mile, and year 58 Sadui dirt mile winner Coffee Date, year 55 Pegasus classic winner Wolfgard, year 54 pegasus classic winner Hello andyear 57 Saudi Cup distaff winner You’re Still Here.