Mainstay lived up to the pre-race hype by rolling to a seven-and-three-quarter length victory in her career debut at Monmouth Park June 4. The impressive performance earned her TDN Rising Star status.
The two-year-old daughter of Astern became the first North American winner for her sire from just two starters thus far.
Breaking sharply under jockey Frankie Pennington, Mainstay rushed up immediately to challenge Next Tuesday for the lead. Mainstay quickly took control, opening a clear lead on the far turn while under a hand-ride. From there it was all over but the shouting, as Mainstay cruised under the wire a dominating winner.
Bred in Kentucky by part-owner Swilcan Stable LLC, Mainstay is a daughter of Vero Amore, a G2-placed mare by Mineshaft. Mainstay is a half-sister to Eclipse Champion Two-Year-Old Filly, Vequist (by Nyquist), winner of both the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and G1 Spinaway in 2020.
Astern, one of the best two and three-year-olds of his era, retired to stud in 2017 as the highest-rated son of Medaglia d’Oro to enter Darley’s stallion ranks. Already this year he is represented by the undefeated two-year-old filly Seradess, winner of the Listed Cinderella Stakes in Australia.
Astern stands at Jonabell Farm in Kentucky for a fee of $7,500 stands and nurses and will return to Darley Australia's Kelvinside for the coming southern hemisphere breeding season.
