First run in 1875, the Kentucky Derby (G1) has seen just three filly winners—Regret in 1915, Genuine Risk in 1980, and Winning Colors in 1988. By way of contrast, the premier Canadian classic, the King's Plate (or Queen's Plate, depending on the ruling British monarch) was first contested only 15 years earlier, but has been captured by distaffers on no less than 40 occasions.
However, while many fillies have taken the King's Plate—which carries the distinction of being the oldest continuously run stakes event in North America—few can have been more dominant than Luster in the latest renewal. Starting as odds-on favorite, the gray or roan, who had been close throughout, cruised to the lead with a little over a quarter of a mile to run and, with minimal encouragement from jockey Johnny Velazquez, drew off to score by 7 1/4 lengths in a time just 0.53 off the track-record and stakes record established by Moira (subsequent Canadian Horse of the Year for 2022 and champion turf female in North America for 2024).
One likely reason that fillies have had less impact in the Kentucky Derby is that the Kentucky Oaks has always been run in close proximity to the Derby, forcing a choice between the two, whereas the premier Canadian filly classic, the Canadian Oaks (now Woodbine Oaks), has historically been contested between three and five weeks prior to the King's Plate. Despite that, just nine fillies have won both races, Luster setting up the first leg of that double in style, taking charge after 6 furlongs and opening up a 5 1/2-length winning margin, even though geared down late. The King's Plate was actually Luster's third straight win, as she'd prepped for the Woodbine Oaks with comfortable success in the Selene Stakes (G3).
Overall, Luster has now won five of six starts: she took a 7-furlong maiden special weight race by 6 1/4 lengths in her only appearance at 2; defeated subsequent Lake George Stakes (G3T) winner Amberglen by 5 lengths in a 1 1/16-mile turf allowance race at Keeneland in her 3-year-old debut, then suffered her sole defeat when third to Dixie Law, who she has since defeated in both the Woodbine Oaks and King's Plate, in the 7-furlong Ruling Angel Stakes, back at Woodbine.
Having run five times in little more than four months this year, Luster is likely to skip the remaining legs of the Canadian Triple Crown and instead point to the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (G1T) over 1 1/8 miles on turf Oct. 10 at Keeneland.
A $50,000 weanling purchase at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Fall Mixed Sale and an $80,000 buy at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Luster is from the first crop of 2021 Horse of the Year and champion older dirt male Knicks Go , by some way the best horse sired by Paynter (by the Deputy Minister stallion Awesome Again). Purchased by the Korea Racing Authority as a yearling, Knicks Go was among the best 2-year-olds of his crop, taking the Breeders' Futurity (G1) by 5 1/2 lengths, and running second to Game Winner in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1).
Following that effort, Knicks Go's form seemed to almost completely evaporate. Eleventh in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) in his final juvenile outing, Knicks Go then failed to win in eight straight starts at 3. The losing streak was snapped in an allowance race at Oaklawn Park in his first start at 4, which came in February. Away from the races for eight months following that win, Knicks Go returned to add a Keeneland allowance/optional claiming event, the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) and, in his first start at 5, the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1). After fourths in the Saudi Cup (G1) and Metropolitan Handicap (G1), Knicks Go compiled another winning sequence, taking the Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap (G3), Whitney Stakes (G1), which he took by 4 1/2 lengths over Maxfield , Lukas Classic Stakes (G3), and Breeders' Cup Classic (G1).
After closing out his career with a second to Life Is Good in his sole outing at 6, Knicks Go retired to Taylor Made Stallions near Nicholasville, Ky., and stood there for four years before moving to Jeju Stud Farm in South Korea for the 2026 breeding season. He's so far been represented by three stakes winners, all from his first crop: Luster, Ewing, who took last year's Saratoga Special Stakes (G2), and this year's Canterbury Derby winner Knick's Honor.
Luster is one of four winners from four starters for her dam, the unraced Ruby Frost, a daughter of The Factor, who was a $5,000 acquisition at the 2017 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. Ruby Frost is half sister to a pair of blacktype-placed horses, the most notable of which is Swear by It, third-place finisher in the Dowager Stakes (G3T), Red Carpet Handicap (G3T) and Robert G. Dick Memorial Stakes (G3T).
Luster's third dam, the unraced Chief's Crown mare, My Reem, was purchased for 14,000 guineas at the 1999 Tattersalls December Mare Sale on behalf of New York breeder Larry Goichman. At the time, she was carrying a colt by Gone West's brother Lion Cavern and named Willard Straight, who won the Troy Stakes and King Cugat Stakes. My Reem would subsequently produce Luster's granddam, the Lear Fan daughter, Jesse's Justice, who would carry the Lawrence Goichman colors to a victory in the Irish Actress Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.
Despite her modest purchase price, My Reem had a more than respectable pedigree, as her half sister Knoosh had won a trio of black-type events in 1989 in England, and ran fourth in the English Oaks (G1). My Reem's dam, the blacktype-placed Fabulous Salt, is now ancestress of several other stakes winners, the most notable being the two-time Rodeo Drive Stakes (G1T) heroine Going to Vegas.
Fabulous Salt was out of the Round Table mare Morgaise, winner of four black-type events on the West Coast, among them the Lassie Stakes, Railbird Stakes, and Monrovia Handicap, all of which would now be recognized as graded events. Morgaise too has more than her share of distinguished descendants, among them the Triple Bend Invitational Handicap (G1) victor Bilo, and two-time Chilean Horse of the Year Ballistic. Ostensibly, this is a branch of the Bruce Lowe #4 family, but rather than carrying the 'L' mtDNA haplogroup associated with the #4 family, this female line, tracing back to the 1772 mare Othethea, is the far less common 'A' haplogroup.
Luster's pedigree pattern recalls the old Olin Gentry adage "breed to the sire the best blood of his dam." Knicks Go is out of a mare by Outflanker, who was by Danzig out of a mare by Alydar, a son of Raise a Native, and his second dam is by a son of Mr. Prospector (also by Raise a Native, and bred along very similar lines to Alydar). Looking at the pedigree of Luster's dam, we find her broodmare sire, The Factor, is by a son of Danzig out of a mare by a son of Mr. Prospector.
