Blush With Pride

Blush With Pride was a chestnut mare bred in Kentucky by Darrell and Lendy Brown.[1] She is from the first crop of Blushing Groom, a French-bred stallion who won four French Group 1 races at age two and the Poule d'Essai des Poulains at age three. He was named the French champion 2-year-old male in 1976 and the French, English and European champion miler in 1977.[2] Her dam, Best In Show, won the Comely Stakes at Aqueduct in 1968. As a broodmare, she also produced Sex Appeal, the dam of Try My Best and El Gran Senor; Irish champion 2-year-old male Malinowski; Minnie Hauk, the dam of Aviance; Monroe, the dam of Xaar; Gielgud, winner of the Champagne Stakes in England;[3] and Nijinsky's Best, dam of Yagli. Due in part to Blush With Pride's success, Best In Show was named the 1982 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year.[4]

As a yearling, Blush With Pride was purchased at the Keeneland July yearling sale by her eventual trainer D. Wayne Lukas for $650,000 on behalf of Leonard K. Firestone, the father of Lendy Brown.[5]

As a broodmare, Blush With Pride changed ownership several times.[5] She produced 15 foals. Of those 15 foals, 11 raced, 9 won, and 3 won graded stakes.[8]

She did not produce a stakes winner until her seventh foal, Smolensk, foaled in 1992. Sired by Danzig, Smolensk was a Group II winner in France.[7][8] Like her dam, she was more successful later in her broodmare career and produced Can the Man, winner of the 2014 Affirmed Stakes, and listed stakes winner Martha's Moon.[9] She also produced the unraced stallion Sought After, sire of Masochistic.[10]

Blush With Pride's 1996 Deputy Minister filly, Better Than Honour, won the 1998 Demoiselle Stakes and went on to become a highly successful broodmare. Her progeny include Jazil and Rags to Riches, who won the Belmont Stakes in 2006 and 2007, respectively.[7] Rags to Riches went on to become the 2007 American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly. Better Than Honour also produced Peter Pan Stakes winner Casino Drive and Breeders' Cup Marathon winner Man of Iron.[9] In 2008, Better Than Honour sold for $14 million to Southern Equine Stables, setting a world record price for a broodmare or broodmare prospect at auction.[11]

In 1997, Blush With Pride was sold, in foal to Deputy Minister, and was sent to Ireland.[5] The foal she was carrying at the time, Turnberry Isle, became an Irish Group III winner.[8][9]

In 1999, Blush With Pride produced Maryinsky, a Sadler's Wells filly who finished second in the 2001 Fillies' Mile.[8] Maryinsky's first foal Peeping Fawn won the 2007 Irish Oaks and became the 2007 Cartier Champion Three-year-old Filly.[7] Maryinsky is also the dam of Thewayyouare, a sire and winner of the 2007 Critérium Internationale.[9]

Blush With Pride's 2000 foal by Dayjur, Fire Thunder, finished third in the Al Maktoum Challenge, Round 1 in 2000.[8][12]

Blush With Pride died in Ireland on August 16, 2005. She had been pensioned from broodmare duty following the birth of her 2003 foal, a Sadler's Wells colt named Poland.[5]