Tales from the Crib: Meaning

Apr 23, 2026 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

Meaning as a yearling at Keeneland September (Photo courtesy of Leah O'Meara/Stonehaven Steadings)

Meaning as a yearling at Keeneland September (Photo courtesy of Leah O'Meara/Stonehaven Steadings)

Kentucky Derby (G1) points leader Commandment is out of a mare who scored her signature win in the Spinaway (G1) at Saratoga, so it’s a neat symmetry that the Kentucky Oaks (G1) points leader, Meaning, has a similar connection to the Spinaway. Her mother, Figure of Speech, placed in that marquee race for two-year-old fillies.

Figure of Speech, by perennial leading sire Into Mischief, raced for the successful tandem of Klaravich Stables and trainer Chad Brown. A 5 1/2-length debut winner at Saratoga in 2019, she finished third next time out in the Spinaway.

Although Figure of Speech did not build on the promising start to her career on the racetrack, she had potential as a broodmare. Her maternal grandmother, Colcon, was a multiple Grade 3 winner on the turf. Two of her biggest victories came over the Churchill Downs course in the 1997 Cardinal H. (G3) and the 1998 Locust Grove H. (G3).

Colcon’s half-brother, $1.8 million-earner Flying Continental, was runner-up to the great Sunday Silence in the 1989 Santa Anita Derby (G1) and San Felipe H. (G2). An also-ran behind Sunday Silence and Easy Goer in the Kentucky Derby, Flying Continental went on to capture top-level prizes as an older horse. He landed the 1990 Charles H. Strub (G1) at Santa Anita and that fall’s Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Belmont Park, ultimately retiring after a hardy career of 51 starts over six seasons of racing.

Colcon, by 1981 Derby and Preakness (G1) champion Pleasant Colony, and half-brother Flying Continental were both produced by the stakes-winning Continental Lady. She was herself out of British-bred *Seductive II (the asterisk is the old style to denote an import), who was also responsible for Grade 1-winning millionaire Super Moment.

Figure of Speech therefore hailed from a productive family that was cultivated by historic Elmendorf Farm. As a Grade 1-placed performer by Into Mischief, she had every chance of adding to its legacy.

Leah O’Meara of Stonehaven Steadings certainly saw her appeal as a broodmare prospect when the opportunity arose. Accordingly, Figure of Speech was bought privately to join the Stonehaven broodmare band.

Stonehaven is a family affair that developed providentially, as explored in Thoroughbred Daily News features. Leah, a Louisiana native, went to college in Midway, Kentucky, beginning a chain of events that led to her parents, Jeff and Chiquita Reddoch, acquiring property in the Bluegrass.

Once part of the renowned Saxony Farm, their new enterprise was christened Stonehaven Steadings. Leah and her husband, Aidan O’Meara, are integrally involved in running the operation.

Stonehaven has already bred two Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) champions in Shanghai Bobby (2012) and Corniche (2021) (in partnership with Bart Evans). Corniche also exemplifies Stonehaven’s burgeoning success at the sales; he brought a sales-topping $1.5 million as a two-year-old in training at OBS April. Now he is a hot freshman sire at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud.

Figure of Speech is writing another chapter through her progeny. Meaning, her daughter by Hall of Famer Gun Runner, was born on March 30, 2023.

“Meaning as a foal was as straightforward as they come, low maintenance and smart,” Leah recalled. “The best ones always are. And from the beginning – even her delivery was uneventful and smooth.”

You can watch Meaning get acquainted with mom and her surroundings in this charming video.

“She was always a nice type,” Leah added. “There’s not many that are stunners straight away – she was one of them. She had that physical all along as she grew.”

Here are more videos of Meaning with her paddock buddies, courtesy of Leah.

Offered as a yearling at Keeneland September, Meaning sold for $440,000 to Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Bridlewood Farm. Those well-known entities have teamed up before, most notably as part of the consortium involved in reigning Preakness hero Journalism and also as co-owners of 2017 Belmont (G1) winner Tapwrit.

Like Journalism, Meaning is trained by Michael McCarthy in Southern California. She was unveiled in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden at Los Alamitos last September, where she justified heavy odds-on favoritism in style.

Meaning’s debut was so impressive that she was thrown into the deep end in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). Although she had some trouble turning into the stretch, she regrouped for a respectable fourth, just a head away from third-placer Percy’s Bar.

With that experience under her belt, Meaning has been a different proposition this year. She turned the tables on the top two from the Breeders’ Cup, Super Corredora and Explora, in the Las Virgenes S., and flaunted her class in the Santa Anita Oaks (G2).

Meaning motored late in the Santa Anita Oaks (G2) (Photo by Benoit Photos)

Meaning motored late in the Santa Anita Oaks (G2) (Photo by Benoit Photos)

Shortly afterward, another daughter of Figure of Speech was attracting attention. Meaning’s two-year-old half-sister (by Curlin) recently commanded $650,000 at OBS April. Next in the pipeline is their yearling half-brother, by unbeaten phenom Flighline.

Meaning can enhance his catalog page by the time he tours the auction ring.

“Coming off of breeding a champion in Shanghai Bobby, and more recently Corniche,” Leah said, “it’s really exciting to have bred a Kentucky Oaks favorite!!”

Aidan and Leah O'Meara of Stonehaven Steadings visit Meaning at the barn

Meaning enjoys a visit from Aidan and Leah O'Meara of Stonehaven Steadings (Photo courtesy of Leah O'Meara)

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