Firstmate made quite a splash in her career debut August 20 when she closed like a rocket in the final furlong to win the six-furlong Northern Lights Debutante by 10 lengths at Canterbury Park.
Racing near the back of the field through the early stages of the race, the two-year-old daughter of Midshipman began to make up some ground on the far turn. As the field hit the top of the stretch, Firstmate hit the afterburners and took off, flying past the frontrunners to take the lead in deep stretch. She then continued to pull away to win very easily.
Bred in Minnesota by Richard Bremer and Cheryl Sprick, Firstmate is out of Lion Cub, a winning daughter of Lion Heart. Lion Cub is out of Listed Stakes winner High Margin, and is closely related to Graded Stakes winner Concept Win.
In addition to Firstmate, Midshipman is also the sire of 2017 Stakes winners Slip The Cable, winner of the Confucius Say Stakes; Big Changes, winner of the John Henry Stakes; and Graded Stakes performers Dearest (third, G2 Inside Information Stakes) and Frammento (third, G3 Westchester).
Midshipman is coming off a banner year in 2016, led by such standouts as G3 Royal North Stakes winner Lady Shipman; Dearest, winner of the G3 Sugar Swirl Stakes; and Red Lodge, winner of the Listed Colleen Stakes.
