Fleet Lady
15.2hh Bay Mare
Avenue of Flags - Dear Mimi, by Roberto
Two-time Champion Female Turf Horse
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Formerly owned by Ara Davies
Many owners in this "New SIM" world won't remember the little bay filly with the star on her face tearing up the California turf. Indeed, I was never around to see it, either, but the likes of Ara Davies, who owned her, probably won't ever forget the little dynamo known as Fleet Lady.
Fleet Lady was one of the original horses in the SIM, a real life import based on the California Champion Three-Year-Old Filly of 1997. By Avenue of Flags, out of the Roberto mare Dear Mimi, Fleet Lady raced eight times in the SIM, winning five and never finishing off the board.
She began her career in Kentucky, winning the grade one Matriarch Handicap over Auntie Mame and Ridgewood Pearl. Shipped to California, she made it a perfect two-for-two in defeating Ryafan and Jersey Girl to take her first victory in the Yellow Ribbon Stakes.
Only two starts into her career, and Fleet Lady was entered against the boys going a mile in the Oak Tree Handicap. While she fell short of the great Commitisize and gutsy Skip A Stream, she finished ahead of Magellan, Future Hero, and Tuzla, among others, cementing her as one of the top female turfers in the country.
The Steward's Cup Filly & Mare Turf of year three was Fleet Lady's crowning moment. She charged down the lane, defeating Tuzla and Solitude. Perhaps it wasn't the strongest field the race had ever seen, but Fleet Lady was undeniably crowned Champion Female Turf Horse for the first time.
Fleet Lady came back at four in the Matriarch Handicap, this time failing to defend her title in the race and earning her first ever defeat against her own gender. She returned with a vengeance, however, taking her second running of the Yellow Ribbon Stakes over Ryafan and Escala Cromantica. Following that effort, she again defeated Ryafan in the Fiji Stakes before her final start in the Steward's Cup Filly & Mare Turf. This time in Canada, she battled with Escala Cromantica through the stretch, but came up short to finish second.
Despite her loss, Fleet Lady's consistency and grit earned her a second title as Champion Female Turf Horse, and she was promptly retired to the breeding shed.
In the shed, Fleet Lady may have gotten off to a rocky start. Despite including grade one winner Commission and $600,000 earner Fleetingatdusk in her first nine foals, it wasn't until her tenth that she produced something special.
A little, plain dark bay colt was that tenth foal. A son of the great Tulloch, he was named Vapor. He would go on to be European Champion Sprinter, winning nine of twelve starts and $1,355,200 in his career. He didn't sire very many foals, but he proved a somewhat useful sire, getting the millionaire Afraid To Lose and the very nice Pacify. The latter's son, Give No Ground, is no stranger to the turf sprint world and was a phenomenon on the track.
Fleet Lady's second millionaire came along right on the heels of Vapor when she produced the ridiculously versatile Off Kilter, who won stakes at six and eight furlongs and placed in grade one stakes up to ten furlongs. Unfortunately, the son of Tilt A Whirl only sired three foals with no winners.
A mare could be called very nice if her produce record stopped there, but what made Fleet Lady's influence so great were her next two foals: Zip and Fleet Afoot.
Zip was the first of the two. A bay daughter of Consolation Prize, Zip only won once in eight outs, but that never stopped her from being a top producer. Her second foal was the great Fleet Admiral, a winner of 13 of 18 starts and over $2 million, as well as being the sire of earners of over $21 million to date. Zip also produced several other stakes winners and stakes producing mares.
Fleet Afoot came along in the twilight of Fleet Lady's life. The plain dark bay was a son of Kris S who took a little while to get running. He was a maiden entering his sophomore career, but never off the board, and once he broke his maiden, he began taking big strides forward. Fleet Afoot was one of those turf sprinters that just got better with age, and when he retired, he had garnered awards as Japanese Older Horse, European Champion Sprinter, and twice Japanese Champion Sprinter. His record stood at 13 wins in 23 starts, and he only finished off the board once.
At stud, Fleet Afoot became one of those top class sires, siring 222 runners with 156 winners (a whopping 70.3%) and 22 stakes winners (9.9%). His foals averaged over $70,000 in earnings, and though he is now deceased, his line is carried on through his top sons Boogie Shoes, Sockie, Pursuit, and Patience.
The defining traits of Fleet Lady were her brilliant speed and determination, which she ultimately passed down in copious amounts through two very special horses. She may be gone, but her successors carry on a legacy befitting one of the queens of the turf.