Mare of the Moment: Path Of Peace

[Wandering Eyes]

Mare Of The Moment is a TDN feature highlighting the success of a broodmare and giving her and her owner recognition for those achievements. In association with the Irish National Stud, the mare will receive a personalised headcollar. This month, Path Of Peace (GB) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) is the recipient of Mare Of The Moment.

I remember watching a Breeders’ Cup when I was much younger not knowing much about American racing, its horses, trainers, jockeys or owners. Aside from interest in European horses I didn’t really pay much attention to the other races until I was drawn into a feature about Bob Baffert and I suddenly found myself cheering his runner on in the following race. While we all follow certain horses for our own reasons, you can’t deny that when a horse overcomes adversity and pulls out a winning performance on a big stage they become a fan favourite. This is what Belvoir Bay (GB) (Equiano {GB}) did on Breeders’ Cup Saturday and this is why her dam Path Of Peace is this month’s Mare Of The Moment.

Path Of Peace was a one-time winner for her late owner/breeder Lennie Peacock. After being retired to stud, she visited Equiano at Newsells Park Stud in her second season and produced a filly who subsequently became known as Belvoir Bay. Sold to Peter and Ross Doyle Bloodstock at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Belvoir Bay later made her debut at Leicester before winning on her second start. She gained another victory for the Richard Hannon yard before setting off on her travels to join the Bill Mott barn in America. She won a stakes race for Mott and then moved on again to Peter Miller, for whom she has had eight wins, including her latest victory in the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.

In Belvoir Bay, Path Of Peace has produced a filly who exudes toughness and honesty. She has never let her connections down and perhaps her win in the GIII San Simeon S. was one of her most poignant wins given that she was coming back off of a 154-day break from racing after being badly burned in the fire at the stables at San Luis Rey racecourse. Belvoir Bay was also second to Blue Point (Ire) in Dubai and finished off her racing career at this year’s Breeders’ Cup. She was sold for $1.5-million at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale and hopefully she can pass her tenacity onto her own progeny.

Lennie Peacock died in 2018 but Path Of Peace and Belvoir Bay have both paid tribute to her contribution to the breeding industry. Path Of Peace’s Muhaarar yearling colt was sold to Shadwell at this year’s Book 2 at Tattersalls and, with a 2020 mating plan to Equiano to look forward to, there is every chance that we will be hearing more about Path Of Peace in the years to come.

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