Racing's Richest Mare is Pregnant

APO 06/28 1549 Racing's Richest Mare Is Pregnant

OCEANPORT, N.J. (AP) -- Spain will have plenty of company when she breaks from the starting gate in Saturday's Molly Pitcher Handicap at Monmouth Park: In addition to toting along jockey Jorge Chavez, racing's richest mare is pregnant.

The 5-year-old Spain takes on four challengers in her second race while in foal to the top sire Storm Cat. Two weeks ago, she won the Fleur De Lis Handicap at Churchill Downs.

Other mares have raced while pregnant, including Caressing, the 2-year-old filly champion who was third in the Chicago Breeders' Cup Handicap on June 8 after being bred to Fusaichi Pegasus in April. But it is unusual when a horse as prestigious as Spain continues to race after becoming pregnant.

"She seems to be better now than we've had her in a long time," Spain's trainer D. Wayne Lukas said. "I just think she's really come around of late."

In 34 career starts, Spain has nine wins, nine seconds, six thirds and earnings of $3,507,542, the most ever by a filly or mare.

Owned by Saudi Prince Ahmed bin Salman, who also owns Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner War Emblem, Spain won the 2000 Breeders' Cup Distaff and finished second by a nose in last year's BC Distaff.

Neil Howard, who trains for breeder William S. Farish, the owner of Lane's End Farm, says fillies and mares competing in foal is fairly common.

"My experience has been that the majority of the time it works well," he said. "Some horses really excel in foal. It changes their demeanor sometimes."

Howard noted that pregnant mares still racing tend to eat well and are much better behaved. "Usually, there's not much of a risk factor and we've had good success with it," he said.

Spain was bred to Storm Cat, who commands a stud fee of $500,000, on May 15 -- 12 days after she won the Louisville Breeders' Cup Handicap.

Lukas hopes Spain can finish her career in the BC Distaff at Arlington Park on Oct. 26. That might be wishful thinking since Spain would be nearly six months pregnant -- five months away from giving birth.

How much longer Spain will run is anybody's guess.

"You just have to be careful to make sure that you're watching the filly or mare on an individual basis," Howard said. "When you think they're starting to slow down a little bit, they'll let you know."