by David Mattia, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Plainfield, NJ — Peter Foley, a native of Portland, Australia, runs a topnotch training operation from his farm in Salvisa, Ky. Together with wife Lynne and son Billy, the Foley family has had a good thing going for some time, but when they recently teamed up with another family — an equine family that is — things got even better.

On August 31, two horses trained by Peter Foley won in a big way at The Red Mile. Blue Claw, a 3-year-old pacing gelding, took his $300,000 Kentucky Sire Stakes final, and Shanghai Lil, a 2-year-old pacing filly, did likewise in her $300,000 KYSS final. Of course it’s not unusual for a trainer of Peter Foley’s caliber to win two big races in one day, but the fun fact is that Blue Claw and Shanghai Lil are brother and sister in the fullest sense of the word.

Shanghai Lil held off Warrawee Kay by a half-length in their Kentucky Sire Stakes Final.

Both champion siblings are sired by Jenna’s Beach Boy, out of the Artsplace mare Wonderbolt, and in the capable hands of the Foleys, the two family trees went out on a limb to bring some genuine excitement to The Red Mile earlier this week. Shanghai Lil closed boldly in :26.4 to grab top honors with a final time of 1:51.2, while Blue Claw got up in the final strides in 1:51.4 over Southwestern Dream and Bradley Scott.

Blue Claw was foaled on May 3, 2005 in Georgetown, Ky., and Shanghai Lil was foaled in the same place on May 12, 2006. That’s about as chronologically close as you can come with two consecutive foals, and to wind up with two champs — well, the odds are pretty hard to calculate.

“They’re both out of a sensational mare,” said Peter Foley. “The reason we bought Blue Claw in the first place is because they (owners John Como and John Como, Jr.) thought his brother Devilfish (the half brother by Cam’s Card Shark) was the fastest horse they’d ever seen — he paced 1:51.2 in his first lifetime start (at 3). They thought he was going to pace in 1:47 one night but he made a break at the head of the stretch. Because of that the Comos paid $100,000 for Blue Claw (at the 2005 Lexington Selected Sale). He made a break in the first Sire Stakes (at age 2) because he had an infection in his foot but that’s behind him now.”

Peter Foley seems genuinely fond of Shanghai Lil, and for a trainer who has handled a lifetime of fillies, this one seems to have really grabbed his attention.

“She’s a pleasant surprise,” said Foley of Shanghai Lil. “She trained down good all winter long and she qualified perfectly at The Meadowlands. She went in 1:57.1 without ever doing anything wrong. She’s just a heck of a filly and she drives with two fingers.

“That Sire Stake win (earlier this) week was phenomenal — to be second to last turning to home and then to go on to win in 1:51.2 with a last quarter in :26.4 was an incredible effort. I knew she was capable of it because she was getting better every week. In the first Sire Stake she was going to win but she got a little rough when she touched herself. She wound up third that night but I put new shoes on her in front and she came back to win in 1:52.2. I knew she was set up to go a good mile but going down the backside I was pulling my hair out with her sitting last with horses outside of her.

Nigel Soult photos

Blue Claw (#2) defeated Southwestern Dream (#10) by a head in their KYSS Final.

“They’re both pretty laid back horses — both good-looking individuals. They’re sort of come-home horses. Blue Claw would sooner be first up than on the front end. He has shown how good he can be first up, and when he’s in gear there’s no telling how far he’s going to go. Shanghai Lil is a laid back horse as well, and she has a great future ahead of her.”

Thus far Blue Claw has earned $221,270 with six wins in 14 starts. His sister might be getting the jump on him, however. With only six lifetime starts, her three trips to the winner’s circle have netted her $198,839.

Wonderbolt is also the dam of the aforementioned Devilfish p,4,1:48.3 ($141,240), and more recently she is the dam of a yearling filly by Jenna’s Beach Boy named Makes You Wonder, which in turn makes us wonder if Peter Foley might possibly have a multi-faceted hat trick waiting for us when next year’s crop hits the track at The Red Mile.

“I’ve been here 37 years,” recalled Foley. “I came over in 1971 from Australia to California and worked with Bob Farrington. Ross Croghan came over soon after and he and I are pretty close. I’m 59 today (September 4) actually, and Croghan and I spent 20 years over in California before moving East. I came to Walnut Hall in 1992 as a farm manager before I bought my own farm here in Kentucky. Croghan sent me his young horses to break and I got started back training horses.

“I brought Noel Daley here back in the early nineties or maybe the late eighties — time goes by. Then he went on to work for Brett Pelling. So, I feel like I am one of the originals. Croghan and I are the two originals and he and I are like brothers.

“My wife Lynne and I have a farm here in Kentucky and we hope we get slots here, but Lexington is a great place to train horses — especially young horses. I have my son Jimmy helping me as well; he’s a big help. He came from California last year to help out. We operate together and hopefully we’ll continue having success and keep a team of horses going. My wife is a phenomenal horsewoman. She runs the farm when I’m at Pocono or elsewhere and there’s nothing she’s doesn’t know about horses.”