Stacelita (foaled 17 April 2006) is a

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic ...

who was a

Classic A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or highest quality, class, or rank – something that exemplifies its class. The word can be an adjective (a '' ...

winner while based in France and became an

Eclipse Award The Eclipse Award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th-century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. An Eclipse Award Trophy is presented to the winner in each division that is made by a few small selected America ...

winner when relocated to the United States.

Background

Stacelita is a dark bay or black mare who was bred in France by Jean-Pierre Joseph Dubois. By leading German sire Monsun, she was out of the stakes-winning mare Soignée by Dashing Blade. Martin Schwartz bought a share in the mare from her breeder in May 2009 and then assumed full ownership in 2010. She was originally trained by

Jean-Claude Rouget Jean-Claude Rouget (born 1953 in Normandy) is a French Thoroughbred horse trainer A horse trainer is a person who tends to horses and teaches them different disciplines. Some of the responsibilities trainers have are caring for the animals' phys ...

, and later by Chad Brown.

Racing career

Stacelita began her career with six straight wins including the Group I

Prix Saint-Alary The Prix Saint-Alary is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,000 metres (about 1 miles), and it is scheduled to ...

Prix de Diane The Prix de Diane, sometimes referred to as the French Oaks, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Chantilly over a distance of 2,100 met ...

and Prix Vermeille, the latter as a result of the disqualification of Dar Re Mi. She finished her three-year-old campaign with a seventh-place finish in the

Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp Racec ...

behind

Sea the Stars Sea The Stars (foaled 6 April 2006) is a retired champion Irish Thoroughbred racehorse regarded as one of the greatest racehorses of all time. He won the 2000 Guineas, the Derby, the Eclipse Stakes – the first colt to accomplish this treble ...

after setting the early pace. She began 2010 by finishing fourth in the

Prix d'Ispahan The Prix d'Ispahan is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,850 metres (about 1 mile and 1¼ furlongs), and i ...

behind

Goldikova Goldikova (15 March 2005 – 5 January 2021) was a champion French Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Breeders' Cup Mile three times and was the 2010 European Horse of the Year. She was based in France, although she also raced in the United S ...

. She then won La Coupe at Longchamps before finishing second to Midday in the

Nassau Stakes The Nassau Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 1 mile, 1 furlong ...

at Goodwood in her first trip outside of France. On 22 August, she won the Group I

Prix Jean Romanet The Prix Jean Romanet is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of 2,000 metres (about 1¼ miles) at Deauville in Aug ...

by a head over Antara but then finished second in the Prix de l'Opéra to stablemate Lily of the Valley. She finished the year by finishing eighth in the

Hong Kong Cup The Hong Kong Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Hong Kong which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 2000 metres (about miles or 10 furlongs) at Sha Tin, and it is scheduled to take place each year ...

behind Snow Fairy. Stacelita began her five-year-old campaign in France by finishing third in La Coupe on 13 June 2011. She was then shipped to America for the Grade I United Nations Stakes on 2 July, but finished third behind Teaks North. Moved to the barn of trainer Chad Brown, she won the

Beverly D. Stakes The Beverly D. Stakes is a Grade 1 flat horse race in the United States for thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years and upward. It was originally raced at the now-closed Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Illinois over a distance of mil ...

on 13 August by lengths over Dubawi Heights. "I had an absolutely wonderful trip", said jockey Ramon Domínguez. "I was able to sit right off the leader. Nice and relaxed, comfortable fractions. Turning for home, once I found a seam on the rail, I had to go for it and she reached for it great." Stacelita returned to win the Flower Bowl Invitational on 1 October before finishing a disappointing tenth in the

Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf The Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race on turf for fillies and mares, three years old and up. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States as part of the Breeders' Cup World Champions ...

in the final race of her career. Despite that loss, Stacelita was named the 2011

winner as champion female turf horse, winning 158 of 211 votes.

Retirement

Stacelita was retired to broodmare duty and was bred in 2012 to Smart Strike. The resulting filly, foaled in 2013, was named Southern Stars and became a winner in Great Britain. Stacelita was then sold to Shadai Farm and bred to

Frankel Frankel is the surname of: * Benjamin Frankel (1906–1973), British composer * Bethenny Frankel (born 1970), American chef and reality television personality * Charles Frankel (1917–1975), American philosopher, known for Charles Frankel Priz ...

. The resultant filly, produced in 2014, was named Soul Stirring and became Frankel's first Grade/Group One winner when she won the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies in December 2016. Soul Stirring went on to win the

Yushun Himba The , also known as the is a Japanese Grade 1 flat horse race for three-year-old thoroughbred fillies run over a distance of 2,400 metres (approximately 1 mile 4 furlongs) at the Tokyo Racecourse, Fuchū, Tokyo in May. History It was first run ...

(Japanese Oaks) in 2017.

Pedigree

Stacelita was sired by Monsun, who won the

Europa Preis The Preis von Europa is a Group races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Germany open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Cologne-Weidenpesch Racecourse, Cologne over a distance ...

twice as a racehorse and became the leading sire in Germany four times. Monsun was at the forefront of a "renaissance" for German breeding, helped by the fact that his pedigree represented an outcross for the "ever-increasing saturation of Northern Dancer" in European bloodlines. Known for their stamina and soundness, German-breds made their first major impact in Europe through

Urban Sea Urban Sea (18 February 1989 – 2 March 2009) was an American bred Thoroughbred racemare best known for winning France's most prestigious race, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, in 1993 and for her importance as a world-class broodmare. She is one ...

who was out of the German-bred mare Allegreta. Urban Sea won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and became the dam of leading sire Galileo and his half-brother

. At the time of his death in 2012, Monsun was the sire of 108 stakes winners around the world, including

Breeders' Cup Turf The Breeders' Cup Turf is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race on turf for three-year-olds and up. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships. The race's curre ...

winner Shirocco. Stacelita's dam Soignee was sired by Dashing Blade, a descendant of

Mill Reef Mill may refer to: Science and technology * * Mill (grinding) * Milling (machining) * Millwork * Textile mill * Steel mill, a factory for the manufacture of steel * List of types of mill * Mill, the arithmetic unit of the Analytical Engine earl ...

. Soignee's dam Suivez descended from Northern Dancer on her sire's side and from the influential German mare Schwartzgold on the dam's side. This family has produced multiple stakes winners around the world including American champion turf male Steinlen, Irish Derby winner

Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb stands near the international border between Croatia and Sl ...

and French champion Sagace.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Stacelita's Pedigree and Racing Stats

Video at YouTube of Stacelita winning the Prix de Diane

Racing photo of Stacelita
2006 racehorse births Racehorses bred in France Racehorses trained in France French Thoroughbred Classic Race winners Eclipse Award winners Thoroughbred family 16-c