CONFORMATION

“She has the best shoulder of any horse I saw in the sale,” said Barry Irwin. “I just loved looking at her. She had quite a bit of depth, which is the hallmark of the Western Winters, which normally are full of quality, this filly being no exception.”

PEDIGREE

Click here for pedigree of Hip 31 - On Her Toes

SIRE - Western Winter

Western Winter was a stakes winner in Florida and runner-up in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Mile at Belmont Park, a race which for years has been a good pointer for stallion success.

By Mr. Prospector’s top international son Gone West, Western Winter is regarded as the best proven sire standing in South Africa, as is reflected by his $40,000 stud fee. He was the first of the local sires to break into that price range.

Western Winter topped the National Yearling Sale in gross and average.

An all around sire, Western Winter had gotten Horse of the Year Winter Solstice, the top Derby types in Yard Arm and Grey Arrow, a Champion 2-year-old colt in Ice Cube, and the brilliantly fast fillies Bad Girl Runs and Fair Maiden.

FAMILY

Savannah Breeze, dam of On Her Toes, was produced by Broodmare of the Year Pretty Falcon, two of whose offspring became Grade 1 winners in the presence of the Miler Follow the Falcon and the star middle-distance filly Savannah Queen.

The next dam, once owned by George Steinbrenner, produced Big Whippendeal, who raced in California for John Fulton, who saddled him to victory in the Grade 1 Century Handicap going long on grass.

BROODMARE SIRE - Badger Land

Badger Land raced in the United States for D. Wayne Lukas. He won the Grade 1 Flamingo and the Grade 2 Everglades Stakes leading up to the Triple Crown, in which he was fourth in the Preakness Stakes.

Sent to South Africa, he became the Leading Sire, getting everything from Champion Sprinters to Derby winners to Oaks winners to fast juvenile. His son Badger’s Gift is given a good shot to become a successful sire.

NOTES

On Her Toes has a pedigree top and bottom that is 100 percent American.

TRAINER

Mike Azzie will be the trainer for On Her Toes. He has developed Stratos into one of the top filly Milers this season for Team Valor.

A third generation trainer, Azzie descends from the fellow that trained International super star Hawaii for Charles W. Engelhard, the South African-born financier who is credited for being the inspiration for the main character in Ian Fleming’s James Bond movie “Goldfinger.” Hawaii was the best horse of his generation in South Africa and became a Champion on Turf in the United States, as well as a useful stallion at Claiborne Farm.

Azzie always seems to have his juveniles, especially fillies, ready to run in the big 2-year-old races before anybody else.

“The Azzman” as he is called is a very methodical trainer and requires a lot of patience on behalf of his clients, but he produces, which is the name of the game.