Gimme a Nother, the undefeated South African sensation seeking to make history in the Breeders' Cup

Winner of her 7 races in South Africa, the daughter of Gimmethegreenlight arrives at Keeneland with four consecutive victories and will seek to become the first horse bred in her country to win a series event. Graham Motion and John Velazquez are confident in her chances in the Filly & Mare Turf (G1)

LEXINGTON, Kentucky (Special for Turf Diario).— South Africa will have another opportunity this Saturday to claim its first victory in Breeders' Cup history. The horse tasked with trying to break that barrier is Gimme a Nother, a 6-year-old mare who dominated in her native country and, after a lengthy adaptation process in the United States, found her best form under the care of trainer Graham Motion.

The daughter of Gimmethegreenlight will contest the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) over 1,900 meters following a four-race winning streak, most recently capturing the E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1) on September 12 at Woodbine.

Her presence carries special meaning. To date, South African-bred horses have compiled five Breeders' Cup starts without securing a victory.

Gimme a Nother will aim to rewrite that history from post position 1 in a field of 14 runners, entering with morning-line odds of 10-1.

Motion understands full well the challenges of conditioning a South African horse to compete at the highest level in North America. In fact, he trained the country's three most recent representatives in the championship series.

“She came to our barn with enormous expectations. She had been undefeated in South Africa under Mike de Kock,who was a tremendous help in helping us understand her. He always told me she could handle longer distances,” the trainer explained.

The transition was not immediate. “It took us a couple of starts to figure her out. Perhaps she needed to get used to a different style of racing, or maybe we needed to learn how to manage her. There is always a learning curve with South African horses. But once she got past that, she never looked back,” he added.

Gimme a Nother races for Newstead Stables, the U.S. operation of Jessica and Steven Jell, whose family bred her in South Africa. In her homeland, she compiled a perfect record under Mike de Kock before shipping to the United States to join Motion's stable.

Since then, she has recorded four wins and three second-place finishes in eight starts. Her only off-the-board effort came in the 2025 New York Stakes (G1) over a very soft turf course at Saratoga.

Motion admits he made a mistake that afternoon by keeping her in the race despite the condition of the course.Subsequently, the mare lost by a head in the Canadian Stakes (G2) at Woodbine before launching her current winning streak in the John C. Mabee Stakes (G2) at Del Mar.

That victory seemed to pave the way for the 2025 Breeders' Cup, also at Del Mar, but a bone injury in one of her legs forced connections to derail those plans.

Over the winter, new complications arose, including dental issues that required the extraction of two teeth under general anesthesia. Her recovery took longer than expected, and Gimme a Nother did not return to the races until June 13 of this year, winning the Eatontown Stakes (G3) at Monmouth Park.

“It was very encouraging because you never know how a horse will respond after such a long layoff. We had been through several setbacks, and it was fantastic to see her return that way,” Motion recalled.

The choice of that race was also strategic, aimed at structuring a campaign that would bring her to the Breeders' Cup in peak condition.

The next step came on August 1, when she captured the Beverly D. Stakes (G2) by a neck with John Velazquez in the irons.

The partnership proved successful again on September 12 at Woodbine, where Gimme a Nother won the E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1), once again by a neck.

“I chose Johnny for the Beverly D. because I was hoping to make it to the Breeders' Cup and wanted the best available jockey. I'm very glad he had time to get to know her. That will be an important advantage,” Motion explained.

Gimme a Nother's story also reflects the hurdles South African horses faced for years when trying to compete internationally.

Former health restrictions required a two-month stay in quarantine facilities in Newburgh, New York, with no option to step out to train.

Motion experienced that process with Isivunguvungu (What a Winter) and Beach Bomb (Lancaster Bomber), two runners who arrived in the United States after earning automatic Breeders' Cup berths.

Both contested the 2024 edition: Beach Bomb finished eighth in the Filly & Mare Turf, while Isivunguvungu ran seventh, close to the leaders, in the Turf Sprint.

“It was truly remarkable that we were able to get them to the Breeders' Cup under those conditions. Both ran very respectably,” he recalled.

Subsequent protocol revisions smoothed the transit process for future contenders.

Gimme a Nother was the first mare Motion received under the updated system, which features a quarantine period in South Africa followed by a stay in Europe, where horses can maintain training before traveling to the United States.

“That made things so much easier. The first horses had to spend two months confined in a Newburgh facility without being able to train outside. It was really tough on them,” he noted.

Another South African runner to pass through his barn was One Strike, who finished 13th in the 2025 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1); his chance to return to the series this year was ruled out due to injury.

The mare now arrives at Keeneland in a vastly different spot than twelve months ago.

She enters undefeated in three 2026 starts, boasts four consecutive victories, and has proven she can win against top-class opposition across multiple tracks.

Furthermore, she benefits from the expertise of Velazquez, who knows her well after guiding her to her two most recent triumphs. Breaking from the rail could impact race dynamics, particularly in a crowded field, but it will also allow her to save ground if she secures a favorable position early.

For Motion, patience was the key to the entire transformation. The mare who arrived from South Africa with an undefeated record needed time to adapt, overcome injuries, and discover her finest form on American tracks.

Now she gets the chance to achieve a victory that no South African-bred horse has ever accomplished.

Gimme a Nother has already shown she can win in South Africa, Del Mar, Monmouth Park, Colonial Downs, and Woodbine. The next challenge is Keeneland, where she will try to write an unprecedented chapter for South African racing.