GOLDEN BALLET (1998 chestnut filly, Moscow Ballet-Golden Jewel Box, by Slew o'Gold) Champion Filly at 3 bred in California Won Santa Anita Oaks-Grade 1 Won La Virgenes Stakes-Grade 1 Won Santa Ynez Stakes-Grade 2 Won Railbird Stakes-Grade 2

When Team Valor bought Golden Ballet at 2 after breaking her maiden, Barry Irwin was quoted on the stable's website as saying the beautifully bodied filly looked like a female Secretariat. Even some of the stable's own trainers chided him for the comparison. By the time the golden chestnut was retired in the summer of her near-Championship season at 3, nobody was laughing anymore.

So impressive was her lone start for Team Valor at 2, when she won the Cinderella Stakes at Hollywood Park by 8 lengths, that Mike Watchmaker put her at the top of his listing of the best fillies of her generation in Daily Racing Form. Except for a short period, Golden Ballet would stay atop the DRF leader board until mid-September of her 3-year-old season, 3 months after her retirement.

Golden Ballet became the only runner other than Serena's Song to take Santa Anita's three Graded stakes for 3-year-old fillies, which include the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks and Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes.

Syndicated at 2 for $550,000, she sold as a broodmare prospect at 3 for $1.6 million with earnings of more than $725,000. She has since become the dam of Drosselmeyer, who won the Breeders' Cup Classic and the Belmont Stakes. She is also the dam of Stage Luck, winner of the Affectionately Handicap.