AMERICAN FFA STAR FROM AR MISS FAMILY

The family of Bromac Lodge mare Amaretto Bromac is on a high in North America with the form of former Australian pacer None Bettor.

The son of Bettor's Delight from the Ar Miss family has been unbeatable this year with seven straight victories in 1:50 or faster.

Racing for the Jennifer Bongiorno stable, None Bettor took out the ,000 Battle of Lake Erie at Northfield Park in 1:49 on June 8.

Driven on that occasion by the trainer's brother, Joe Bongiorno, None Bettor had the services of former 10-time champion NZ driver Dexter Dunn at Pocono last weekend.

None Bettor controlled the race form the two barrier in the $30,000 "The Great Northest Open Series" Open, holding former star NZ pacer Havefaithinme N by a neck in 1:49.2 (fifths).

Previously racing as Have Faith In Me in Australasia, he won the NRM Sires Stakes 3YO Final, the 3YO Harness Jewels Emerald, Auckland Cup, Chariots Of Fire and Miracle Mile, the latter in 1:47.5, for champion trainers, Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen.

None Bettor won 16 in Australia for less than $100,000, while Have Faith In Me (Bettor's Delight-Scuse Me) won 16 races and $1.4 million from his Australasian racing.

However, None Bettor, who took a 1:52.6 mile rate mark at three at Albion Park, Brisbane in a 2017 Pot Of Gold Heat, has found his niche with regular mile racing in the United States.

He's from a three-win NZ mare in Limerick Star, by Christian Cullen from four-win mare Lils Dream (1:55.7, time trial).

Lils Dream is by Smooth Fella from Miss Denover, the latter being an unraced daughter of Boyden Hanover and Ar Miss.

Bromac Lodge mare Amaretto Bromac is from the same family, being a race-placed daughter of Falcon Seelster and Arma Class, the latter by Talk About Class from Ar Miss.

Ar Miss, herself a winner of eight, including the 1972 NZ Oaks and 1971 NZ Sapling Stakes, most notably left champion mare Armalight (1:55.4, 18 wins from 36 starts & $277,520, 1981 New Zealand Cup winner and 1982 NZ Harness Horse of the Year).

At stud, Arma Class (three wins), the last foal from Ar Miss, left nine individual winners including Coopers Creek (1:52, US) and is the grand-dam of other top performers in Excel Stride (1:50.3, Aust, 28 wins & $769,464) and 2012 WA 2YO Pacing Filly of the Year, Arma Xpress (1:56.5, 12 wins from 18 starts, $279,890).

Elizabeth Denover, an unraced Lordship half-sister to Lils Dream (grand-daughter of Ar Miss), has also kept the pot boiling through this branch of the family.

Her Holmes Hanover daughter Crushem hit the headlines this year as the dam of Miracle Mile winner Spankem (1:47.7), a front-runner for NZ Harness Horse of the Year honours.

Spankem has taken his record to 13 win from 32 starts for $1.1 million after also winning this year's Taylor 4YO Mile and NZ Messenger for the Purdon/Rasmussen stable.

Crushem (1:58.5), a sister to former Addington Superstars Championship winner Burzem (1:52.6, USA, 18 wins), won once from only nine starts but has been a revelation as a broodmare.

Besides Spankem, she's the dam of former NZ Yearling Sales 2YO Open pace winner Thumpem (1:52.6, US, 24 wins & $449,197), (My) Sunday Girl (1:56.5, Aust), Sluggem (1:51.2, US, 14 wins) and Stompem, who after being exported to Australia this year has taken a 1:53.7 mile rate mark (1660m) at Albion Park in his fifth win.

The Ar Miss family was also bouyed this term by producing Australasia's fastest three-year-old miler, Muscle Factory (1:49.6).

Muscle Factory erased Border Control's Australasian mile 3YO record of 1:50.6 when he paced a brilliant 1:49.6 when winning the Group Two Simpson Sprint at Menangle on January 5.

A colt by Roll With Joe, Muscle Factory is from Malena (by Jereme's Jet-Miraculous Miss, by Presidential Ball-Mistron, by El Patron-Ar Miss).

Muscle Factory, a winner of seven from 14 starts for $266,255, won this season's Victoria Derby before going amiss in the NSW Derby.