by Daniel Goldszmid ©

Mr. Mat, winner of the Gran Premio Estrellas Classic:

Argentina is a multicultural country. We can say that Buenos Aires have French architecture, the Italians fashion, and the Breeders' Cup as the North Americans. The Carrera de las Estrellas (G1) is an adaptation of the Breeders' Cup. From 1991, they are raced in the last days of June, very little time before the horses became a year older (Southern Hemisphere).

From then on, the Carreas de las Estrellas influenced the breeding pattern. They a very superior bag of prizes than the other Grade 1 races. Therefore, proprietors look for precocious products, able to win at the Juvenille or Fillies version on 1600 meters as two-year-olds, and with enough quality to succeed at three in 2000 meters in the Classic or Distaff.. Often, those winners are acquired to continue their campaigns abroad.

The version of the Carreras de las Estrellas Classic (G1) had a prize of $250,000 to the winner. It was disputed on grass in the distance of 2000 meters. Mr. Mat won it in 2:00:12, by 1 ½ lengths from Guarrachero (Slew Gin Fizz, dam by Cipayo, full sister to Fitzcarraldo), the last winner of the Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini (G1), four lengths after Guarrachero arrived Coalsack (Algenib, dam by Fitzcarraldo), the winner of the 1999 version of the Gran Premio Carlos Pellegini (G1). The Carlos Pellegini (2400m., turf, is the most prestigious race of South America).

Mr. Mat is closer to an outcroos in the first six generation, inbred only 6x6 to Advocate, by Fair Trial. Advocate is a stakes winner of five races in England, and after being imported to Argentina, became a very influential sire and broodmare sire. Advocate was, also, Forli´s broodmare sire. The Advocate presence make possible Fair Trial 7x7,6 and he picks with his sibling Riot, which is also in the seventh generation. Fair Trial's sire is Fairway, and his full brother Pharos appears 7,7x7. Hyperion is 7,6x7, having an occurence of his half sibling Pharamond II in the seventh generation. Mahmoud is 7,7x7 and Blenheim II is 7x7,7.

Mr. Mat ran six times, only as at three-year-old, won four, with one second. He also won the Clasico Provincia de Buenos Aires (G2) (2000 meters, dirt) and Clasico Otoño (G2) (2000 meters, dirt), and was unplaced only once, to Guarrachero, in the 2000 edition of Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini (G1).

Mr. Mat belongs to the first crop of Numerous in Argentina. Numerous is a Mr. Prospector out of a sister to Nureyev, by Nijinsky II, winner of four career starts in the U.S.A., including the Derby Trial Stakes (G3,) second in the Bradbury Stakes, third in the Malibu Stakes (G2), fourth in the Santa Anita Derby (G1), and fifth in the Preakness Stakes (G1). Numerous' dam is a graded stakes winner of eight races, and dam of Jade Robbery and Chequer, both by Mr Prospector.

Numerous had a promissory beginning in 2000. Out of 68 foals in his first crop, 42 raced and 24 were winners. He had five stakes winners in his first crop, and with his second crop turning into three-year-olds, added two more stakes winners, all of them are out differents broodmare sires. At the moment, he is currently second on the General Sire List.

Mr. Mat's dam is Mat Music. She is the winner of three races and was second in a Grade 2. Surely Mr. Mat received the taste to run 10 furlongs from Nijinsky II, and, mainly, from Mat-Boy, his broodmare sire, and this trend was reinforced by Guatán 4x4 in his dam.

Mat-Boy was an outstanding stayer, named Horse of the Year. He raced 10 times in Argentina, won seven races, including the Gran Premio República Argentina (G1), Gran Premio de Honor (G1) and the Clásico Chacabuco (G2). After that, he raced three times in the States, won the Gulfstream Park Handicap (G1) in record time and the Widener Handicap (G1). As a sire, he was very good, and sired several Grade winners both in his native country and in North America. As a broodmare sire, he will be even better: today he is first on the Broodmare Sire List, and was in the top 10 in the last three years.

Mr. Mat's female family is one of the oldest of those developed in Argentina, with more than one hundred years of local breeding. This family became very active generating stakes winners after Mueca, Mr. Mat's third dam. Mueca won three races, and was sired by Guatan, the winner of three races out of four, including the Gran Premio Jockey Club. Mueca produced Pirate Prince, her only stakes winner, and two full sisters that made her own partition of this family.

One was the modest winner of two races, Music, by Hot Dust. Her sire was a stakes winner of 13 races, by Jet Action out of Cequillo, and inbred 4x4 to the full siblings Sir Gallahad III and Marguerite of Valois. From her cames Melodien, Musicologo, Manzanera, all of them Grade 1 winners.

The other ramification was founded by Mucura. She was unable to win in her only start, but in the farm, overcame it thoroughly the little that she had made in the racetrack. She was mated to the stayer Kasteel (by King Of The Castle), group stakes winner of six races in France, and to the impressive sprinter Kaljerry (by Jerry Honor), stakes winner of 12 races. She produced four stakes winners and one champion, having each sire two stakes winners, the credit for the champion belongs to Kasteel. One of her daughters, mated to Firery Ensign, produced Filis, stakes winner of 14 races, and the best sired by her sire at that moment.

Mr. Mat's second dam is not one of the best racers produced by her dam. Kalmusic won only three times. In 1988, she produced Rockin Fitz, an outstanding two-year-old, multiple Grade winner, and Grade 1 winner in record time. Rockin Fitz was the horse that opened a lot of eyes to watch his sire, Fitzcarraldo. After that, Fitzcarraldo got attention and became the best Argentinean sire of the '90s, just second to the imported Southern Halo.

Kalmusic was mated again to Fizcarraldo and produced Milonguera Fitz, a Grade 2-placed winner of three races. At 17, Kalmusic was mated with Numerous and produced Mr Rocking, a Listed stakes winner in his first start at two.

Kalmusic is inbred to Mahmoud 5x5 and Blenheim II 5,6x5,5. In addition to five occurences of Gansborough, two of Gay Crusader, three of Son-In-Law, Swynford and four doses of Teddy, Kalmusic has in both sides of her pedigree, the full sisters (by Durbar II), Frizeur and Frizelle, and in her sire's side, two times their close relative Durban, by Durbar II out of Banshee (half siblings to Frizeur and Frizelle).

Both Mat Music and her dam Kalmusic needed only one shot by Numerous to get a stakes winner. Mat Music previously had four offspring by Fitzcarraldo and got only three winners, four wins in total. After a change to Parade Marshal (by Caro), she got a winner of two races, second in a Grade 2 stake. After that, mated to Numerous, Mr. Mat arrived.