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Hall of Fame - Worlds An Audience
Original article written by Marzy Dotes posted 12 years 3 weeks ago"That anything is possible so long as the will and drive are there to match."
-Lisa Logan
Last season, Worlds An Audience died quietly in her stall after birthing her final foal, a black colt by Frayed. Not that many people bore witness to the final moments of her life, as the focus shifted from that tragedy to the celebration and diligent care of the newborn so he might live.
Such are the basis for bittersweet moments that have woven themselves into the tapestry of the Sport of Kings.
One that's just as much known for its queens and Worlds An Audience was definitely one of them.
This solid dark bay filly was bred by Lisa Lange who matched up one of her homebred mares to one of the sport's foundational sires in Conduit. Looking back at that moment in time, Lang reflected.
"I really liked Conduit and I felt he would make a great sire. I had been having problems finding the right combination for Star Dancer and felt that she should be able to produce a good foal. I thought that the combination might work, I didn't think it would be a horrible cross, so I took a chance and couldn't be more happier with my decision."
As it turned out, Conduit had been the perfect choice.
That elegant dark bay horse who once boasted super powers and diamond studded shoes won all 17 of his starts on the dirt and turf including the Steward's Cup Classic over Loki Masterpiece After he was done conquering that world, he hustled himself off to stud after the last round of post race drinks.
There, he carried on the proud tradition of his sire, Symbol by siring progeny who would themselves contribute greatly to the future of thoroughbred racing. These included the Hall of Famers Atlas, Loki Dynasty and Feature Attraction, not to mention champions like Fog City and Tejano Tribute. Most of Conduit's top money earners were future studs, but his mares were just as influential.
Included among that star studded roster was Northern Most (who produced Greatest and Pinnacle), Never Challenged (who produced Never Back Down and Oversized Heart), Unite As One (dam of Sword Bearer and pivotal mare, United Souls), Past and Future (dam of Sparkle Factor, Bragging Rights and Prestige) and Map who produced Knot. Conduit spent his years happily at stud before becoming a champion rodeo horse a vocation that he enjoyed up until his recent death. His claim to the title of the ultimate renaissance horse safely kept even as millions prostrated themselves in grief after he passed.
Conduit appears in many a great horse's family tree but also influential in this one was Star Dancer who was by Phi Kappa Dancer who also sired champion Angel Help Angels. Star Dancer was the perennial bridesmaid who picked up hefty checks in some pretty big races but never won them. She had a very famous half brother in Star Studded, the very versatile turf racer and sire who became the top offspring of their dam Apprehensive Star. Star Dancer on the other hand struggled in the shed and her top offspring turned out to be her second born, Worlds An Audience.
Lange held onto this filly for most of her career which turned out to be a very great thing. In a world before training and speed figures, it might have been more difficult in some ways to gauge a horse's performance and its talent. But that didn't faze Lange at all.
"I think it was easier racing 15 seasons ago. Alot has changed in the SIM, but in a great way. I feel the races and the experience is more realistic. That in turn makes it harder. There are also alot more horses and players now. The good horses now are really good. I think it would be interesting to play with some of the best horses from the past now and see how they hold up to the field."
Even back in those days, it became clear soon enough that World's An Audience definitely had it. She showed that beginning during her juvenile racing season. She won her first two starts including a stakes race before heading off into the Los Campeones Juvenile where she finished just behind Heavens Lost Angel and just ahead of the famous Altibiir.
But Worlds An Audience didn't really begin to blossom until she turned three and returned to win all four of her races. She proved that she shared some of Star Studded's versatility by moving on from sprinting to favoring races at a mile and longer that season. She captured The Macon Stakes, Solstice Stakes, Oceanside Oaks and then capped her successes by winning the Steward's Cup Turf Mile. And as a result, she was selected as the champion female turf horse. That day still remains strongly etched in the memories of her owner who recalled it years later.
"I think her greatest accomplishment on the track was winning the Stewards Cup Turf Mile as a filly. I wouldn't say I had any frustrations, but I was worried any time I sent her against the boys. She held her own though."
She won her first four starts the following year including the Fleet Lady Stakes over Kizzer and the Oceanside Mile over the boys. She'd hoped to repeat in the Steward's Cup Turf Mile but it wasn't to be and she finished fourth in her final start. Still she had retired with a very impressive racing record, ready to take her performance to a different audience.
She set off to begin her second career in the breeding shed. Lange had her hopes for the champion mare and set forth to do her best to carry them out so they'd bear fruition.
"I do alot of odd breeding that often doesn't work out. I was hoping that for as good as she was and with her lineage it would be easy to find crosses with her that would work. My hope was to produce a good Turf Sire from her and maybe a Distaff filly. I think in the old SIM it might have been possible, but I never found a cross I was super happy with. That said, overall, I think she did well in the breeding shed. She produced some nice horses that in turn went on to produce some nice horses. That is all I really look for in a broodmare."
She produced 15 foals including South American Champion Two Year Old Worlds Abound by Dubawi and South American Champion Three Year Old Filly Life Is My Stage. The latter horse produced winners including Summer’s Day by Japanese Horse of the Year Fumetsu. Worlds An Audience also had a very nice daughter by Japanese Horse of the Year Deep Impact in Worlds of Beauty who produced the recently retired stakes winner by July, Whentheworldshine. During her breeding career, she met up with all kinds of studs including Black Condor, Red White and Blue, Vernacular and his son, Trafalgar. She loved them all and her offspring reflected both the risks taken in the sport and its rewards.
Her last foal, now named Onemoreaudition will be making his start most likely later this year and there are high hopes on his withers that he’ll be a success in adding to her fame.
A very fitting legacy for a bold mare that stepped into the racing world to make the most out of her time on center stage and left an audience of fans in her wake.