Miracles of Life Lands Stonestreet Debut

by Alan Carasso

Miracles of Life (Aus) (Not a Single Doubt {Aus}), the 2013 G1 Blue Diamond S. winner who was purchased by Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet Stables for A$900,000 from the Teeley Dispersal at the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale this past May, returned from a five-month absence to dead-heat for the victory with the classy Bel Sprinter (Aus) (Bel Esprit {Aus}) in Saturday’s G2 Caulfield Sprint. 

Conditioned in the early portion of her career by the little-known Daniel Clarken and partnered by Lauren Stojakovic, the bald-faced Miracles of Life became one of the darlings of the Australian turf in late 2012 and early 2013, emerging from pair of wins at Morphettville in Adelaide to win the Listed Blue Diamond Preview S. before justifying 9-4 favoritism in the Blue Diamond S. (video), in which she defeated future G1 Cox Plate and Australian Guineas hero Shamus Award (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) and subsequent four-time Group 1 winner Guelph (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}). She snapped a six-race skid with a success in the G2 Sportingbet S. at Morphettville May 3 and found herself in the Magic Millions sales ring less than four weeks later, with John Moynihan signing the ticket on behalf of Stonestreet. 

Making her first start in 161 days and first for the father/son team of Peter and Paul Snowden, Miracles of Life was ridden along by Ben Melham to dispute the early pace in the 1100-meter affair while maintaining her spot at the fence. She kicked nicely when asked in the stretch and was able to gamely hold on for a share with the late-running Bel Sprinter, winner of the G1 Galaxy S. in 2013 (video). 

“We’re very excited,” Moynihan commented. “We bought her thinking that she had some racing left in her and we turned her over to Peter and Paul [Snowden] and they’ve just done a super job with her. Peter was very confident going into the race. It’s very exciting.” He continued, “She’s a beautiful mare, she won one of the most prestigious race down there for 2-year-olds. She’s tremendously popular and has an amazing following down there. I’m tickled to death for Barb.”

Miracles of Life, who could be pointed to the top sprinting events in the Australian springtime, is one of two Stonestreet runners in training in the country. The other is the 2-year-old filly Kangarilla Joy (Aus) (Lonhro {Aus}), an A$840,000 purchase out of the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, who is soon to begin trialling, Moynihan reported.