A 2-year-old bay filly bred in Ontario was the most expensive filly at the first session of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s March 2-Year-Olds in Training sale and it is fascinating to trace the history of this filly’s family tree.

Sold for $500,000 (US) Tuesday to Spendthrift Farm, the daughter of Into Mischief – Narrate by Medaglia d’Oro was sold by Niall Brennan Stables, agent. She had been purchased for $160,000 (US) last fall at the Fasig-Tipton October yearling sale by Everest Bloodstrock from Ontarians James and Janeane Everatt and Arika Everatt-Meeuse of St. Thomas Ontario. The family’s Shannondoe Farm has been one this country’s most successful breeders, stallion owners and consignors for many decades.

The Everatts were the original breeders of this filly’s dam, Narrate, and sold her at Keeneland September yearling in 2008 to Bill Farish for $50,000. The filly was trained at the track by Mark Casse and she showed promise as a 2-year-old but it took her a number of races to win her maiden. In fact, the filly was still a maiden when Farish tried to see her in January, 2011 at the Keeneland Horses of All Ages sale. She was bought back for $25,000 and then purchased by Tina Casse and Centennial Farms (Niagara) Inc.

The filly won her maiden as a 4-year-old for $25,000 claiming at Woodbine and later was claimed for $10,000 by owner Gary McMaster and trainer Daryl Ezra. She won her first race for the new interests in Nov. 2011 at Woodbine for $20,000 claiming.

The following August, Narrate was racing for $7,500 claiming for McMaster, finished third at odds-on and was claimed by Jeanne Ryan and trainer Daniel Wills.

The filly was unable to race anymore, however, and the Everatts, who had been following their homebred, bought her back.

Narrates first mate was Into Mischief and the $500,000 filly is her first foal.

Narrate is a daughter of the aging mare Jo Zak, who is a Shannondoe special. Jo Zak, a 1994 model by Vilzak, never raced but she has been a very good producer.

Of course her best known foal currently is CAREN, one of the top 2-year-old fillies in Canada in 2015 and a Sovereign Award finalist. Jo Zak has had 11 foals to race, 9 winners and Narrate was her second foal for the Everatts.

Last fall at the Keeneland November sale, the Everatts also grabbed another member of the family.

“We now have [Narrate’s half] sister as well, Expressly Yours by Big Brown,” said Everatt-Meeuse. “She will be bred to Society’s Chairman this year after just foaling her first by new NY sire Central Banker. We bought her at Keeneland Nov. for $30k. Narrate has a gorgeous filly by Old Fashioned right now and is due to Street Sense, booked back to Bodemiester…”

Whether the $500,000 filly becomes a major runner or not remains to be seen but for her dam, a one-time $7,500 claimer, that is a lot of money she has made in her brief career to this point as a broodmare.