Stern Chaser made her Stakes debut a winning one, leading her rivals on a merry chase throughout to win the $100,000 Lyphard Stakes by three-quarters of a length at Penn National on Friday, 31 May.
A five-year-old mare by Astern, Stern Chaser vied for the lead with Dream Chaser through the early stages, before taking over the lead at the half-mile mark. Stern Chaser continued to hold a half-length advantage over Dream Chaser down the backstretch and into the far turn before shaking free and spurting away from her rivals at the top of the stretch.
Kept to task in the homestretch, Stern Chaser comfortably held off the late bid of Lady Outofthe Blue to win by three-quarters of a length.
Stern Chaser was bred in Pennsylvania by Gregory and Caroline Bentley Breeders, and races as a homebred under the couple’s Runnymore Racing banner. Stern Dancer is out of the Bernardini mare, Mysterious Ways, and is a half-sister to multiple Stakes-placed In A Spin (by Hard Spun). Mysterious Ways is out of G2 Honorable Miss winner, Burmilla, and is a full sister to Stakes-placed Mrs. Norris.
Winner of the 2016 G1 Golden Rose, Astern now has 13 individual Stakes winners of 24 Black Type races among his 187 winners. They include G1 winners Golden Mile and Affaire A Suivre, plus quality performers Aft Cabin, Seradess, Sail By and Parisal. In addition to Stern Dancer, Astern is also represented in 2024 by Asternia, winner of the Listed Purple Martin Stakes at Oaklawn Park.
Astern will again stand at Darley’s Kelvinside property in the NSW Hunter Valley in 2024 for a service fee of
