Spendthrift Farm's freshman sire Greatest Honour sired his first winner July 6 when his daughter Greatest Joy won her racing debut by 1 1/4 lengths at Presque Isle Downs.
Greatest Joy is a homebred for Divine Light Healing Ministries, which is associated with Gail Rice of Reddick, Fla. The chestnut filly is trained by Kevin Rice, who put her in a 5-furlong test on Presque Isle Downs' all-weather track. Jockey Gaddiel Martinez gave her a stalking trip and then kicked clear for the win in deep stretch at 10-1, the highest odds on the board. The final time was :59.97.
Divine Light Healing Ministries bred Greatest Joy out of the winning Freud mare Rossellini, who is a half sister to grade 1 winner Red Knight (Pure Prize) and multiple stakes winner Macagone (Artie Schiller). Rossellini was sold for $4,000 during the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale by consignor Thomas J. Gallo III Sales Agency to an entity named Cold Snacks.
Greatest Honour was bred and raced by Don Adam's Courtlandt Farms. He became a winner at 2 and then won the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) and Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) in his first starts at 3. He went on to run third in the Florida Derby (G1) with trainer Shug McGaughey. He added a placed finish in the Ghostzapper Stakes (G3) to his résumé before retiring with a 3-1-4 record from 10 starts and $446,440 in earnings.
Greatest Honour stands for $7,500.
