There was a strong South African connection to one of the biggest stories in Canadian racing last Saturday, when three-year-old Luster powered to a 7.25-length victory in the $1-million, 167th Grade 1 King’s Plate over 2000m at Woodbine Racecourse in Toronto, Canada.
The filly by 2021 US Horse Of The Year, Knicks Go, was selected by multiple South African champion trainer Sean Tarry at the 2024 Keeneland Association September Yearling Sale.
Bred in Ontario by Mr. Ravi Sugrim and Ms. Joannie Dass, Luster is out of the The Factor mare, Ruby Frost, and has since developed into a star for Antony Beck’s Gainesway Stables and Andrew Rosen.
Her emphatic victory made Luster the 40th filly to win the opening leg of the Canadian Triple Crown ̶ and gave Tarry the considerable satisfaction of seeing a horse he had picked out at Keeneland produce on one of racing’s biggest stages.
Trained by Josie Carroll and ridden by Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, Luster started a short-priced favourite at 1-5 and covered the trip in 2:02.01.
“I knew she was very special, but I certainly didn’t expect that,” Carroll said.
Luster shows a record of five wins and one third-place finish, with earnings over $1 million, and Rosen said he was thrilled to hoist Canadian racing’s most coveted trophy.
“It’s amazing. I’ve been in the business over 40 years, and winning a race like this is just fantastic. It’s what it’s all about. Last year, Josie told me that we were going to be standing here.”
Tarry, who has enjoyed Beck’s patronage in South Africa for a long time, with notable Equus champions Celtic Sea and Lucky Lad among his runners, was invited to Keeneland in 2024. He made the trip with his son Daniel and spent two memorable weeks on the farm.
“It was good to see how Antony and the Gainesway team manage their operation, and we loved every minute of our stay.”
He describes the Keeneland Sale as a massive operation, with 400-500 lots – or ‘hips’, as they are known in the US – going through the ring each day. The best lots, he said, are generally offered during the first two days, making the selection process an enormous undertaking.
“It takes a massive amount of work to inspect as many as possible. Antony has a professional team dedicated to selecting yearlings.
“We liked a few choice lots in the first couple of days. We bid on one of them, but the competition around the ring was fierce and we couldn’t get a blow in.
“Then, by day four, Daniel and I had planned a quick trip to New York, but Antony asked us to stay for the sale and go through that day’s catalogue.
“The team earmarked 100 lots, and then we cut it down to 20. From those, I prepared a shortlist of six yearlings.
“What I liked about Luster was that she was beautifully scopy, with a fantastic girth. We were already on the plane when Antony messaged to say they’d secured her for just $80,000. It was a fitting and joyous end to our trip.
“Antony has briefed me enthusiastically on Luster’s progress ever since. He got more and more excited as she showed her worth in training, and what she’s done so far is just sensational.
“It is heartwarming when a person of Antony’s experience has so much faith in my eye and trusts me wholeheartedly when it comes to horse selection. Luster’s big win comes at an appropriate time as he has bought a farm in South Africa and has been actively buying at our various sales.”
Beck, speaking from Gainesway this week, commented: “Sean has an incredible eye for an athlete. He’s been extremely successful for me in South Africa from not too many runners. Luster was one of his top choices and she is now the likely three-year-old Champion of Canada – five from six with the highest Beyer Rating (102) of any three-year-old filly in North America.”
The second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown will be the Prince of Wales Stakes, which will be contested at 1900m on the dirt at Fort Erie Racetrack on 7 September, before the series wraps up back at Woodbine with the Breeders’ Stakes going 2400m on the turf on 27 September.
Carroll suggested that Luster may get a bit of a break after the big King’s Plate effort, but said she’d discuss further plans with the owners.