On the opening day of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, many breeders enjoyed returns on investments linked to broodmare purchases made years prior. However, few have experienced as striking a transformation as Bret Jones, whose involvement with the mare Street Mate at Airdrie Stud began 14 years ago.
In 2012, Jones acquired Street Mate—a winning daughter of Street Cry—for $35,000 at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. Since then, she has produced notable offspring including Grade 1 winner Bell’s The One and Grade 3 winner King Cause. Collectively, her yearlings have fetched $3,437,000 at auction, with the latest being a $425,000 colt by Life Is Good, sold to CHC Inc., Maverick Racing, and Light Post Ventures.
For Jones, the impact of Street Mate goes beyond financial gain. “I’ll probably be thinking of her for the rest of my life because she’s been incredibly good to our family,” he shared. The sale of one of her horses even helped Jones purchase a home for his family. Whenever they visit the farm and interact with Street Mate, they acknowledge her important role in their lives.
Originally bred in Virginia under the late Edward P. Evans program, Street Mate raced modestly as a homebred before being sold for $25,000 at Evans’ dispersal sale in 2011. Though her own racing career was unremarkable, Jones recognized her potent bloodline and physical attributes when she came up for auction the following year, grabbing her without extensive research but based on trust in her pedigree.
With Airdrie Stud having recently acquired Grade 1 winner Creative Cause, Jones saw Street Mate as an ideal broodmare to complement the young stallions at the farm. This strategy yielded Running Mate, a stakes-placed runner, and Grade 3 winner King Cause in subsequent foals. The true turning point came when Street Mate was bred to Airdrie’s Majesticperfection in 2015, producing Bell’s The One. This filly not only sold for $155,000 but also grew into a top female sprinter, earning over $2 million and winning the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff Stakes by a narrow margin.
Jones praised Street Mate’s competitiveness and spirit, traits evident in her offspring. Despite her advancing age, the mare maintains excellent condition at the farm, and Jones hopes she will continue producing foals that exhibit the same drive as Bell’s The One.
Following the success of her graded stakes winners, demand for Street Mate’s progeny increased markedly, with her yearlings appearing in more premium catalog sections and commanding higher prices. Encouraged by this progress, Jones bred Street Mate to the emerging stallion Not This Time in 2021, resulting in the colt Highlands Way, who sold for $1.35 million in 2023. Jones used those proceeds to buy a house, underscoring the mare’s life-changing impact.
Although Highlands Way faced challenges early in his career, including a fractured pelvis, he has made a strong comeback with trainer Todd Pletcher, now venturing into stakes racing with promising performances. The following year, a colt by Charlatan out of Street Mate sold for $775,000 to Spendthrift Farm and Repole Stable.
Jones noted initial caution in using higher stud fees for the mare until her offspring demonstrated quality and market appeal, yet emphasized that what truly matters is Street Mate’s consistent production of talented runners.
Typically, Jones sells the fillies from Street Mate’s line to sustain commercial momentum but retained one—Summer Clothes—who bore a striking resemblance to her dam. Summer Clothes showed racing promise and, early in her broodmare career, has already produced Cairo Caper, a stakes-winning and Grade 3-placed son of Airdrie stallion Cairo Prince.
The recent $425,000 Life Is Good colt, Street Mate’s tenth foal, marks her ongoing legacy, with hopes that he becomes the ninth winner from her ten starters. Jones has already bred her back to Life Is Good for 2026, expressing a preference for a filly but above all, a healthy foal.
Reflecting on the journey, Jones values not only the financial success but also the memorable moments tied to each graded stakes race, which he recalls vividly with his family. These shared experiences, punctuated by thrilling victories like Bell’s The One’s Grade 1 win, highlight the joy and emotional connection that make the sport so captivating.
Fan Take:
This story exemplifies the powerful impact a single broodmare can have on a breeding program and a breeder’s life, offering hope to fans and participants that smart bloodstock decisions can lead to extraordinary rewards. For the sport of horse racing, such success stories emphasize the importance of strong pedigrees combined with perseverance, reinforcing the magic and excitement at the heart of racing.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
