Kirkwood Stables and Phillips Racing are having an exciting June. MANITOULIN won at Belmont in allowance company earlier in the month and today DEFIANT HONOR (Speightstown), a half-sister to Taqarub (Aldebaran), GSW, $256,962; and a full-sister to the late Recepta, GSW & MGISP, $696,700, pressed the pace and then cleared to score quite easily at Belmont – her second win in 4 starts. She broke her maiden last fall in NY, then shipped to California where she ran second in the Jimmy Durante Stakes – Gr. 3 and added graded black-type to her pedigree. With this facile win first race back at 3, she announced that she was very ready to get n her sophomore campaign underway. Trained by James Toner, she has already earned over $111,000.
Courtesy of the TDN
Defiant Honor is out of a winning daughter of Grade III victress Wings of Grace (Key to the Mint), the dam of Darby Dan’s outstanding 1999 champion grass mare Soaring Softly (Kris S.) and GISW Plenty of Grace (Roberto). Further down the page is Wings of Grace’s half-sister Battle Creek Girl (His Majesty), the dam of 15 winners from 18 to make the races, including Sovereign Award winner Wavering Girl (Wavering Monarch); GSWs Tricky Creek (Clever Trick), Parade Ground (Kingmabo), Parade Leader (Kingmambo) and Speed Dialer (Phone Trick); and SW & MGSP Everhope (Danzig). Honor Bestowed is the dam of Defiant Honor’s 2-year-old full-sister Honored Promise, a yearling colt by Curlin and a Speightstown colt foaled Mar. 30.