Northern Dancer -- 1964 Kentucky Derby!

Okay, I'll just start by saying that not enough praise can be heaped upon the royal head of Northern Dancer, so this blog will only hint at his fabulousness. He is the Canadian colt who won the 1964 Kentucky Derby, my first Derby officially as a member of this planet! He was born very late, May 27, 1961, and was a small little guy. He did not sell at an auction, so his breeder, E.T. Taylor and his wife, Winnie, kept him. He went into training and did very well. He did exceptionally well in his second and third year, but still was not favored in the Derby.

On Derby Day, Bill Hartack rode him to a tight win over Hill Rise. He was ridden also during his career by Ron Turcotte. What was amazing about Derby day was just how blistering fast he raced. He came from behind, got in front, Hill Rise put up a battle, but couldn't do it! The last quarter went in 24 seconds! His was the fastest Derby until Secretariat! He won the Preakness, but then went third in the Belmont. He won the Queen's Plate in Canada, to their true thrill and pleasure! But then was retired because of heat or a bowed tendon. His track record was 18: 14-2-2.

He stood at stud in Canada in 1965, but the demand was so strong for him that he was ultimately sent to stud in Maryland. It is impossible for me to tell you just how amazing his stud career was! Just impossible. His stud fee skyrocketed until it stood at more than $1 million. He was voted the 20th century's sire of sires. He had champion babies on four continents. When he was 21, a French syndicate put up $40 million for his breeding rights! In fact, in 2004, all 18 starters in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in Paris were related to him! One of his yearlings, Snaafi Dancer, sold for $10.2 million! In 1984, all 14 of his yearlings averaged at sale at $3.3 million. He was pensioned in 1987, and died on November 16, 1990, being euthanized after a bout of colic. He was sent home to be buried at his birthplace, Taylor's Windfield Farms in Oshawa, Ontario. Ultimately, he had 635 registered foals, 467 winners, and 150 stakes winners. Get this, Northern Dancer is responsible for more Breeder's Cup winners than any other sire!

There's no way I can list all of his accomplishments, awards, recognitions, and memorials, so here's a little sampler. He was voted #43 of the Top 100 racehorses of the 20th century. He was inducted into the National Museum and Racing Hall of Fame in 1976. He was voted into Canada's Hall of Fame. He earned Champion 3-year-old colt! He earned the top of many sire lists. He made it to a Canadian postage stamp! He has streets named after him in the United States and Canada. Of course, he has statues of himself!

My girls are related to him most directly through Nearco, Hyperion, Mahmoud, Discovery, and Chicle.

You can see video of him and read about him at the following links. Upon his death, the CBC really did a lovely job of interviewing people who loved him about his special unique qualities. There's even a funny little story by one of his favorite track writers who said that Northern Dancer, while nice, had to be watched or he would kick your head into the bleachers! What a stud!! What a marvellous, wonderful, small little, kick-butt stud!
http://www.canadianhorseracinghalloffame.com/thoroughbred/1976/Northern_Dancer.asp
or
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Dancer
or
http://archives.cbc.ca/IDC-1-41-365-2014-10/on_this_day/sports/northern_dancer_death
or
http://horseracing.about.com/od/latestnews/a/aa031605a.htm
or
http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=111
or
http://www.histori.ca/minutes/minute.do?id=14238
or
http://www.thoroughbredchampions.com/biographies/northernd.htm
or
http://www.spiletta.com/UTHOF/northerndancer.html
or
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE1DC1339F934A25752C1A966958260
or
http://www.cbc.ca/lifeandtimes/northerndancer.html

chateaugay -- 1963 Derby winner

While my mom was carrying me, Chateaugay was busy becoming a world champion. He was by Swaps and Banquet Bell and his ultimate race record was 24: 11-4-2. He was voted Champion 3 year-old colt in 1963. He was ridden by Braulio Baeza to a Derby victory over Candy Spots and Never Bend. He placed in the Preakness right behind Candy Spots and then beat CS in the Belmont to win two of the three jewels -- one of the many "almosts" in history!

But you can't beat a nice solid Kentucky Derby win!!! He served as a stud in the United States from 1965-1971, and then in Japan from 1972-1985, passing away in his last stud year in 1986.

My girls are related to Chateaugay most immediately through Hyperion, Bull Dog, and War Admiral!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chateaugay_(horse)

Citation -- 1948 Triple Crown Winner!

Citation was a Calumet Farms horse who was 8th of the 11 Triple Crown winners! His parents were Bull Lea by Hydroplane by Hyperion. He was in the Kentucky Derby with his half-brother, Coaltown by Bull Lea and Easy Lass by Blenheim. These two brothers were so scorching hot that only 4 other horses had the courage to enter the Derby that year!

The day of the Derby was wet and sloppy, but Citation pulled immediately into the lead. Eddie Arcaro pulled him back and let Coaltown surge ahead. But finally, Arcaro let him go, and Citation went on to win by 3 1/2 lengths!

Eddie Arcaro, one of the best jockeys of all time, said of Citation, "Citation was the best. He was so fast he scared me." Jimmy Jones was Citation's trainer, and his dad, Ben Jones, also a famous trainer, told him the night before the race, "Jimmy, you can sleep well tonight, and you can take this as gospel: any horse Citation can see, he can catch. And he's got perfect eyesight."

Now just a small recap of his racing career! He ended with 45: 32-10-2, and had to take some time off for an osselet in his fetlock joint. He was the first horse to earn more than $1 million. In 1947, he was voted the Champion 2-year-old colt. In 1948, his big year, he earned Champion 3-year-old colt and the Eclipse Horse of the Year, and, of course, won the Triple Crown! He was the first horse in the U.S. to win 16 races in a row, and the second in the world. He had 19 wins in 20 starts. In 1950 and 1951, he was Champion Older Male.

Of his 1948 season, it can be said that he won at every distance, won at 10 different tracks, won in 7 different states, travelling in unairconditioned trucks and rail cars. He won all his races by a total of 66 lengths, and won the Triple Crown races by a total of 17 lengths. He ended his racing career in 1948 (at that point) with a 29-27-2-0 record! His 16 race winning streak made it as #67 of Horse-Racing's Top 100 moments according to Blood Horse, and Blood Horse reported that the owners of the horses entered in the Belmont the year Citation swept the Triple Crown were true good sports, "These gentlemen deserve some credit for their sportsmanship, for they knew when they entered they were filling a race for Citation." He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame in 1959. And he was voted #3 of the Top 100 racehorses of the 20th century.

His trainer, Jimmy Jones, said that he would put Citation above Secretariat in that ranking, at #2, saying "He was the best horse I ever saw. Probably the best anybody else ever saw, I expect. Citation didn't have a fault. He could sprint, he could go two miles, he could go in the mud, and could go on a hard track. He could do it all. Secretariat couldn't run a bit in the mud." His dad, Ben Jones, put Citation at #1, saying "Man o' War? Citation is a better horse."

Of the Derby win, writing in his autobiography, Eddie Arcaro reported thinking of Ben Jones' words, "the horse that Citation could not run down had not yet been born." And Jimmy Jones said, "My horse could beat anything with hair on it."

My girls are related to this superstar most immediately through Bull Lea, Hyperion, St. Simon and Isinglass.This blog entry received help from Horse Racing's Top 100 Moments, Thoroughbred Champions: Top 100 Racehorses of the 20th Century, and Two Minutes to Glory: The Official History of the Kentucky Derby.

You can read more about Citation who is buried at Calumet Farms at the following links:
http://www.spiletta.com/UTHOF/citation.html
or
http://horseracing.about.com/od/famoushorses/l/aa012998.htm
or
http://horseracing.about.com/library/blcitation.htm
or
http://www.thoroughbredchampions.com/biographies/citation.htm
or
http://espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00014135.html
or
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citation_(horse)

Kelso

Kelso is so famous that it's hard to know where to begin. So, let's just jump in! He raced for 8 years! Whoo! That's because he was a naughty boy from an undistinguished family, so they gelded him at 2. Boy, didn't they feel bad once he turned out to be an amazing racer! He was foaled at Claiborne Farms, but belonged to Mrs. Allaire du Pont of Woodstock Farm in Maryland. When his career was over it stood at: 63: 39(31), 12(10), 2(1), and he had earned almost $2 million. He won everywhere, all the time, even carrying shocking weight disadvantages.

As Eddie Arcaro once said, "He can beat anything at any distance. So, here are some of his spectacular achievements. He won the Jockey Gold Cup race 5 times! He was voted #4 of the Top 100 racehorses of the 20th century. He earned the Eclipse Horse of the Year Award 5 times! He earned 5 division championships, earning 3 year-old colt of the year, and champion older horse for another 4 years! He set or equaled 8 track records and set 3 American standards. His 5 Eclipse Horse of the Year awards have never been rivalled and they earned him the #3 Top moments in Racing History. He was inducted into the National Museum and Racing Hall of Fame in 1967, and the Aiken Training Track Hall of Fame in 1977. He was so beloved, especially in 1963 the year I was thinking about being born, that he received fan mail at his own mailbox at his home at Woodstock Farm.

He passed away on October 16, 1983 at the age of 26 at his home in Maryland and BloodHorse said of him in an obituary: "Kelso demonstrated the durability of class. No horse in our time was so good, so long. His was mature greatness." I guess he was -- 8 years! He earned a rest.

My girls are related to him most immediately through the following shared relatives: Count Fleet, Hyperion, Mahmoud, Prince Palatine, Man o' War, Whisk Broom, Black Toney. You can read more about this absolute champion at the following links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelso_(horse)
or
http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=96

Hyperion and My Girls!

Violet is related to Hyperion, arguably the best stud of the 20th century, but definitely the best one in England, Ireland and France. Hyperion's record was 13: 9, 1, 2, and he was fantastic in his wins, but even more fantastic as a stud. He was among the top 10 leading sires 16 times, and only St. Simon has beat this record. He was the leading broodmare sire 4 times.

His dam, Selene, was considered the finest racing filly of her time with a record of 22: 16-4-1, and she became a spectacular Blue Hen who had 14 foals. She was a first-class broodmare. His next two dams on his mom's side were Serenissima and Gondolette, also exquisite Blue Hens. His sire was Gainsborough, an English Triple Crown winner and Gold Cup winner, as well as the sire who produced Mah Mahal, the Blue Hen who produced Mahmoud. His grandsire was Bayardo, an even greater racer who produced two English Triple Crown winners, no other stud having done that -- Gainsborough and Gay Crusader.

Hyperion came into being because his breeders were trying to inbreed on the female line, a revolutionary policy at the time. They felt that the Blue Hens in his family tree were very important and should be doubled and tripled, if possible. So, in his immediate family tree, several times, he has the following Blue Hens: Pilgrimage and Canterbury Pilgrim. No wonder he had a sweet temper and liked to save it up for his races! He was a king bred from royal girls!!

Anyway, he passed away at Lord Derby's Woodland Stud in Newmarket. And he had an enormous influence on the sports of racing, dressage, eventing, and jumping. Even Karen O'Connor benefitted from a win on a Rolex horse with his breeding, Worth the Trust! In Violet's family, he produced Pensive, the winner of the 1944 Kentucky Derby!

You can read more about this great racer and stud at the following links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperion_(horse)
or
http://www.tbheritage.com/Portraits/Selene.html#Hyperion
or
http://www.holsteiner.com/impulsion/bayron2.html
or
http://www.reines-de-course.com/hyperion.htm

Miesque and My Girls!

Miesque was a 1984 filly who is owned by a Greek shipping tycoon, Stavros Niarchos. She won championships in every country she ran in. Her final record was 16: 12, 3, 1, and all of her races except one were Group 1 stakes races. She won 10 Grade 1 races!!! In France, she earned the Champion Juvenile award as a 2-year-old, and when she was shipped to the U.S., she won the Breeder's Cup at Hollywood Park, and then turned around and won it a second time the next year at Churchill Downs, at her last race! In the first Breeders' Cup, she was in a field of 14, and the second 12! She was the first race horse ever to win two Breeders' Cups back to back. When she was 3, she ended her racing year with 5 championship awards!!! She earned Champion 3-year-old filly in France and England, Champion Miler in France and England, and Champion U.S. grass mare. When she was 4, she won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Female Turf horse, as well as France's Champion Miler and Champion Older mare. She was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999, and inducted into the French Hall of Fame. She was voted #82 of the Top 100 Race Horse of the 20th century!

When she retired, she became an awesome broodmare. Her children are very famous. Her last foal was a 2005 colt out of A.P. Indy by Seattle Slew by Weekend Surprise by Secretariat. This 2005 foal is being trained to race at Newmarket, England! But her first baby, her first bombshell smashing success as a mom is pictured above, Kingmambo, a major stakeswinner who is now retired to stud at Lane's End Farm...and he is so special that his 2007 stud fee is listed as "private." If you have to ask, you can't afford to breed to her baby!

Of course, my girls are related to sweet little, regular-running, championship earning, good mama Miesque. They share many connections, including Nearctic, Princequillo, Hyperion, Mahmoud, Equipoise, Nasrullah, and Count Fleet.

This good mare has races named after her at Hollywood Park and in France! You can read more about her at the following links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miesque

or

http://www.thoroughbredchampions.com/biographies/miesque.htm

or

http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=341

Susan's Girl and My Girls!

Susan's Girl (1969-1988) is an amazing mare. She was voted #51 of the Top 100 racehorses of the 20th century. She raced and raced and raced for a career record of 63: 29-14-11. Before they had the grading system, she won 9 stakes in 1972 and earned Champion 3 year-old-filly. Then in the first year of the official grading system, 1973, she won 6 graded races, 4 at the very best level, Grade 1! By then she was close to being the first distaffer at $1 million, so her dad, Fred Hooper, wanted her to win it all. But she chipped a bone in her leg and needed surgery. She was sent to Hooper's Farm near Ocala, Florida, and after the surgical removal of the 3 chips, she spent 2 months being vanned to Lake Weir for a daily swim. So...after her surgery and recovery, she came back kicking it into gear!

Two fillies, Dahlia and Allez France, had already surpassed the $1 million mark in the meantime, but that was in Europe. So, very quickly, Susan's Girl passed the big mark for North America! She won a *ton* of races, including the Signature Stakes, Villager Stakes, Beldame Stakes (twice), Acorn Stakes, Cotillion, Kentucky Oaks, Santa Susana, Gazelle Handicap, Santa Ynez, Pasadena, La Troienne Stakes, Delaware Stakes, Santa Margarita Invititational, Santa Barbara Handicap, Susquehanna, Santa Maria Handicap, Spinster Stakes, Falls City Handicap, Matchmaker Stakes, Apple Blossom, and Long Beach Stakes.

She was ultimately the only filly in the 20th century to win a 3 year-old-championship (1972), and two champion older mare awards (1973, 1975). She was inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame in 1976. When she retired, she had 11 foals, several with her stablemate, Tri Jet, and even a foal named Florida Sunshine, with Alydar. She foaled a Grade 1 stakeswinner, Copelan, who was named after the physician who surgically removed her bone chips and oversaw her recovery and healing regimen. All of that, and I couldn't find a photo of her on the internet except on a person's Ebay site where they were selling her Thoroughbred Record front page photo showing her relaxed before her Spinster Stakes win!! Go figure! She is related to my girls in several ways, including Bull Lea, Mahmoud, Blue Larkspur, Sweep, Blenheim, Gainsborough, Hyperion, and La Troienne. The other picture is by my favorite horse artist, Frances Mabel Hollams! You can read more about Susan's Girl at the following link:

http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=145

Violet, Pensive and my Grandpa Sanchez!

So, at the end of June, I was visiting family in Rhinelander, and Grandma and Grandpa Sanchez were there. It was nice to talk with Grandpa, play cards with him, and just catch up. He showed me pictures of Uncle Rick's new Japanese Water Dog, and, of course, I showed him pictures of my new thoroughbred! Grandpa and I were looking at photos of my big red girl and he was praising her beauty.

When suddenly, out of the blue, he told me a story about when he was in the service in 1944. He said that he and a friend got time off from base and they drove up to Churchill Downs to the Kentucky Derby! He had never seen a thoroughbred before, nor ever a horse race. And he talked about how exciting it was to see Pensive win that year. How beautiful the horses were and how regal Pensive was. I was floored! Grandpa saw one of Violet's and Hailee's relatives win the Kentucky Derby!! He saw one of Violet's Kentucky Derby relatives when my dad was still a little infant. I too want to go to the Kentucky Derby one day!

Anyway, Pensive was a gorgeaus red chestnut who won the Kentucky Derby by 4 1/2 lengths and then won the Preakness easily, but lost the Belmont by less than half a length. Some blame his jockey who didn't encourage an end burst of speed! Either way, Pensive was just like his sire, Hyperion, who won two legs of the English Triple Crown. Pensive was owned by Calumet Farms, purchased during the son's time in charge, the son who dispersed the trotters to purchase more flat horses. When Pensive retired, he was part of an interesting little hat trick -- his first crop produced Ponder, the 1949 Kentucky Derby winner, and Ponder retired to produce in his first crop Needles, also a Kentucky Derby winner! You can read more about Pensive, the horse my grandpa met, at the following links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pensive
or
http://www.tbheritage.com/Portraits/Hyperion.html#Pensive
or
http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2006/derby_history/derby_charts/years/1944.html

Affectionately and my girls!!!

Affectionately was born in 1960 at Dr. Charles Hagyard's Lexington Farm. She was trained by Hall of Famer Hirsch Jacobs who said, she was "the best horse I've ever trained." Which was no faint praise since he trained Stymie and Hail to Reason. She was a 3x champion on the racetrack and a stupendous, if short-lived broodmare. She won 9 of 10 races in her 2 year old season. And in her 5th year, won the Vagrancy, Toboggan, and Top Flight Handicaps. Her 7 furlong victory in the Vagrancy was called the high point of the racing season, according to the New York Racing Secretary! In that race, she carried 137 lbs., 17 to 28 lbs more than any of her competitors. She ended her racing career with 52 starts: 28 wins, 8 places, and 6 shows for total earnings of $546,659. For her major wins, 18 of which were stakes races, and 9 were added-money races, she was nicknamed "The Queen of Queens." She was inducted in the Hall of Fame in 1989. She also was voted the #81 race horse of the 20th century as reported by The Blood Horse's Thoroughbred Champions, the book used for this blog entry! In 1966, she was bred to Hail to Reason, and produced Personality, her first foal. This first foal won the Preakness Stakes and earned Horse of the Year, an honor shared with Fort Marcy. Affectionately died at 19. So, she is related to my girls in a number of very close ways. They share War Admiral, Hyperion, Black Toney, La Troienne. Black Toney and La Troienne have Big Hurry a dam crossed with War Admiral to produce Affectionately's mom, Searching. My girls, Violet and Hailee, have a Black Toney/La Troienne cross to produce Bimelech -- the horse who almost won the Triple Crown!!! So, you can see that my girls are closely related to Affecionately! You can read more about this beautiful filly and see pictures of her at the following links:

http://www.pedigreequery.com/affectionately

or

http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=2

Dahlia and my girls!

My girls are related to the super-achiever, Dahlia! Dahlia was born in 1970 and her dad was originally Nelson Bunker Hunt and then later Paul Allenson. She is a macho, but elegant and girly girl, produced from Vaguely Noble's first crop. She won major group or Grade I races in 5 countries and was the first filly to earn more than $1 million!!! Her original trainer said that she "did everything just beautifully. She raced in France, Ireland, England, the United States, and Canada! She won the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes two years running, a major achievement and the sole time a filly did so! She won the Benson & Hedges twice. And she beat 9 classics winning colts! During her career, she was known for explosively powerful, blasting bursts of speed, and could handle rough treatment and come from long distances behind to win. Her final record was 46: 15-3-7, with $1.5 million. She ran from age 2 through 6!! She travelled over 30,000 miles for work during her lifetime. Finally, she settled down to spend her last days at the Diamond A Farm by Versailles, Kentucky! She passed in 2001. She earned 7 championships, including 2 Horse of the Years in England. She was the U.S. Champion Turf Horse of 1974, and she has the Dahlia Handicap named after her at Hollywood Park Racetrack AND the Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse. In 1981, she was inducted into the National Museum and Racing Hall of Fame, and was votd #50 of the top 100 racehorses of the 20th century. When she retired, she foaled 13 children, including 6 stakes winners, and 4 Grade 1 winners -- a HUGE achievement. Some of her baby daddys included Bold Forbes, What a Pleasure, and Northern Dancer!! She had a girl friend, a dear friend as a pasturemate, Estrapade. They shared the same dad, and they shared the same tragedy of having a baby weaned from them early and passed to a nurse mare because they couldn't produce enough milk. They bonded! My girls, Violet and Hailee are related to Dahlia multiple ways, including through Hyperion, Gainsborough, Sir Gallahad, Gay Crusader, and Nearco. In fact, Dahlia is also related to Gallant Fox through her Sir Gallahad connection! Lucky girl!! You can read more about this elegant, well-travelled, girly super-girl at the following links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dahlia_(horse)

or

http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=53

or

http://www.reines-de-course.com/estrapade.htm

or

http://www.racinginfo.uk.com/horses/dahlia.htm

Gainsborough and Violet!

Gainsborough was bred and owned by Lady James Douglas. His track record was 9:5-1-1 and he lived a nice long life of 30 years. He is the sire of Hyperion and Mah Mahal, the dam of Mahmoud. All off these horses are part of Violet's family tree! Gainsborough's dad was Bayardo who was distinguished by being the dad of TWO English Triple Crown winners, Gainsborough and Gay Crusader -- both again, part of Violet's family! When he won the 2000 Guineas (the first jewel in the Triple Crown), it was the first time in history that a woman bred a U.K. classic race winner and the first time in history that a horse wore a woman's colors!! His jockey, Joseph Childs, donated his winnings to his regiment as part of the war effort. He retired to a brilliant stellar stud career! You can read more about this elegant champion and the lady who loved him at the following links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gainsborough_(horse)

or

http://www.horseracinghistory.co.uk/hrho/action/viewDocument?id=868

All Along and My Girls!!!

My girls are related to All Along, a very important filly with a number of major "firsts" to her credit. She was a French filly owned by Daniel Wildenstein, a renowned French art dealer and highly successful horseman. She won numerous prestigious races in France, England, and Japan, and was one of the top fillies of the last part of the 20th century. Her track record was 21: 9-4-2. She won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in 1983 and was immediately shipped to Canada where she won the Rothman International, and two weeks later won the Turf Classic at Aqueduct in Jamaica, New York, followed shortly after by a win at the Washington D.C. International in Laurel, Maryland. She had four consecutive major wins in three different countries in just 41 days!!!! It's no wonder that she won the 1983 Eclipse Horse of the Year Award in America and the 1983 Horse of the Year Award in France too. That year, she also earned Older Grass Female. In fact, she was the first foreign-based horse to win the Eclipse Award as Horse of the Year!! As a 4-year-old, she became a world champion Eclipse Award for Outstanding Female Turf Horse. And she was the first filly since Regret in 1915 to win the Eclipse Horse of the Year! She won the Champion Older Female Runner in France twice. She earned $3,018,420 over her career in racing, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1990. AND she was voted #68 top race horse of the twentieth century by Blood Horse magazine. She retired to Three Chimney Farms in Midway, Kentucky and bore 13 children, 11 of whom started, and 4 who were winners!!! She was pensioned in 2003 and then euthanized in 2005 at the ripe age of 26 due to infirmities from old injuries. The late Daniel Wildenstein's son, Alec Wildenstein, said of her passing, "She took us—my father, my brother and myself—on a joy ride like no other, culminating in an achievement we scarcely dared to dream about, which was Horse of the Year in America. Sad as it is to lose her, I am glad she had such a long and healthy life in return for all the happiness she gave us." Of course, my girls are related to this beautiful girl. They share many relatives including these champs: Princequillo, Nasrullah, Bull Lea, Hyperion, Gainsborough, Discovery, Man 'O War, Sweep, Teddy, Bend Or, and Phalaris. You can read more about this great racer and great broodmare and great family member at the following links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Along

or

http://www.racingmuseum.org/news/nrm-news-view-story-detail.asp?varID=57

or

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/horses/2005-02-25-all-along-dies_x.htm

or

http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=5

Serena's Song and My Girls!

My girls are related to Serena's Song, the 1995 Eclipse Award winner for Champion 3-year-old filly of the Year! Her track record was 38: 18-11-3 and she earned $3,283,388 on the track. Among her wins, she took the Mother Goose, Haskell Invitational Handicap, Beldame Stakes, Hollywood Starlet Stakes, Santa Anita Oaks, Gazelle Handicap, Oak Leaf Stakes, Las Virgenes Stakes, Santa Monica Handicap, Santa Maria Handicap, Jim Beam Stakes, Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, and Landaluce Stakes. Her owners were Robert and Beverly Lewis, trainer Wayne Lukas, and jockey Gary Stevens. She was inducted into the National Museum and Racing Hall of Fame in 2002. She retired from the track to a life as a broodmare at Denali Stud near Paris, Kentucky. So far, she is the dam of 7 foals, 6 to race. She has had 5 winners so far. Her winning children include Grand Reward and Sophisticat sired by Storm Cat, Serena's Tune (a winning filly!) sired by Mr. Prospector, and Harlington sired by Unbridled. She is related to my girls in multiple ways, including Blushing Groom who is the sire's sire of Serena's Song. They also share (among others) Blue Larkspur, Sir Gallahad, Gainsborough, Teddy, Plucky Liege, Mahmoud, Hyperion, Man 'O War, Frillery, Broomstick, Nearco, Bulldog, Discovery, Whisk Broom, Sweep, and John P. Grier. Here's a photo of Serena's Song and one of her babies. You can read more about her and see more photos of her very beautiful children at the following links:

http://horseracing.about.com/library/weekly/aa022600a.htm

or

http://horseracing.about.com/library/pics/blserena1.htm

or

http://www.finalturngallery.com/Storm-Tides-album?page=1

or

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/stallion-directory/stallion.aspx?stallion_no=6091773

or

http://www.hillndalefarms.com/stallions/grand-reward.shtml

or

http://horseracing.about.com/library/weekly/aa090800a.htm

or

http://www.denalistud.com/photoalbum.shtml

or

http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=377

Violet's English Triple Crown Relatives!

So, we have a Triple Crown series in the United States with the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes. But England has had a Triple Crown Series for many years before our young one! Their Triple Crown consists of the 2,000 Guineas (at 1 mile), the Epsom Derby (at 1 1/2 miles), and the St. Leger Stakes (at 1 mile 6 furlongs and 127 yds). Of the 15 English Triple Crown winners, I found after a casual search that Violet is related to 9 of them! She's related to the very first four, and then her last Triple Crown winner was in 1918. Here are her famous English Triple Crown family members: West Australian (1853), Gladiateur (1865), Lord Lyon (1866), Ormonde (1886), Isinglass (1893), Flying Fox (1899), Rock Sand (1903), Gay Crusader (1917) and Gainsborough (1918). The last English Triple Crown winner was in 1970, by the name of Nijinsky. Gainsborough, Violet's most recent English Triple Crown family winner, is in the photo. His sire was Bayardo who also sired Gay Crusader. Gainsborough's dam was Rosedrop, a filly who won the 1910 Epsom Oaks. When Gainsborough retired, he had a brilliant stud career and produced many stakeswinners, such as Violet's Hyperion, and also produced many major studs and breeding mares. Suave, as well as fast! You can read more about the English Triple Crown and Gainsborough at the following links:

http://www.sportingchronicle.com/racing/englishtriplecrown.html

http://www.horseracinghistory.co.uk/hrho/action/viewDocument;jsessionid=3FF8916E880D7EC8C17217C47121DCEB?id=868

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gainsborough_(horse)