Escena
Encyclopedia
Escena is an American
Thoroughbred
filly
racehorse
. Bred and raced by Allen Paulson
, she was out of the mare Claxton's Slew, a daughter of 1977 U.S. Triple Crown
champion, Seattle Slew
. Her sire was the great international runner Strawberry Road
who was the 1983 Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year
and the 1984 German Champion Older Male Horse. Strawberry Road also sired Allen Paulson's Champion filly and 1997 Breeders' Cup Distaff winner, Ajina
.
Trained by U.S. Racing Hall of Fame
inductee, William I. Mott, Escena raced from age two through age five. She won two of her three starts in her debut season at age two, then at age three earned her first Graded stakes race
at Oaklawn Park
in Hot Springs, Arkansas
with a win in the 1996 Fantasy Stakes
. After finishing second in three Grade I races in 1996, the following year she got her first Grade I win in the Ramona Handicap
at Del Mar Racetrack
in Del Mar, California
. She went on to finish third in the 1997 Breeders' Cup Distaff behind winner and stablemate, Ajina
.
At age five, Escena blossomed into a racing star under jockey
Jerry Bailey. She won the Grades 1 Vanity Invitational and Apple Blossom Handicap
s plus at Churchill Downs
, and the Grades II Louisville Breeders' Cup
and Fleur de Lis Handicap
s. She capped off her 1998 campaign with a win in the Breeders' Cup Distaff and was voted American Champion Older Female Horse honors.
Escena was retired at the end of her 1998 racing campaign and sold to Guy Snowden for $3.25 million at the January 1999 Horses of All Ages Sale at Keeneland
. It was the highest price ever paid for a broodmare or broodmare prospect in Keeneland's history. She remains in service at Allen Paulson's Brookside Farm (now Diamond A Farm) near Versailles, Kentucky
where she was born.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
filly
Filly
A filly is a young female horse too young to be called a mare. There are several specific definitions in use.*In most cases filly is a female horse under the age of four years old....
racehorse
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
. Bred and raced by Allen Paulson
Allen E. Paulson
Allen Eugene Paulson was an American aviation entrepreneur, philanthropist, thoroughbred racehorse breeder and owner, and a self-made multi-millionaire.-Business career in aviation:Born in Clinton, Iowa, Allen E...
, she was out of the mare Claxton's Slew, a daughter of 1977 U.S. Triple Crown
United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
In the United States, the "Triple Crown" is usually the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a series of three Thoroughbred horse races for three-year-old horses run in May and early June of each year consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes.While Daily Racing Form...
champion, Seattle Slew
Seattle Slew
Seattle Slew was an American Thoroughbred race horse who won the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing in 1977, the tenth of eleven horses to accomplish the feat. He remains the only horse to win the Triple Crown while undefeated. In the Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S...
. Her sire was the great international runner Strawberry Road
Strawberry Road
Strawberry Road was a champion Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who went on to race in Germany, France, the United States, and Japan...
who was the 1983 Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year
Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year
The Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year is awarded to the Thoroughbred horse who is voted to be the champion horse within an Australian racing season. This award is open to all racehorses racing within Australia, regardless of age and sex, and includes overseas performances.This award...
and the 1984 German Champion Older Male Horse. Strawberry Road also sired Allen Paulson's Champion filly and 1997 Breeders' Cup Distaff winner, Ajina
Ajina
Ajina is an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse.-Bckground:Bred by renowned horseman Allen E. Paulson, Ajina was purchased by Janice and Robert McNair's Stonerside Stable of Paris, Kentucky....
.
Trained by U.S. Racing Hall of Fame
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
inductee, William I. Mott, Escena raced from age two through age five. She won two of her three starts in her debut season at age two, then at age three earned her first Graded stakes race
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
at Oaklawn Park
Oaklawn Park
Oaklawn Park is an American thoroughbred racetrack in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is the home to The Racing Festival of the South.In 2009, the Horseplayers Association of North America introduced a rating system for 65 Thoroughbred racetracks in North America. Of the top Ten, Oaklawn was ranked...
in Hot Springs, Arkansas
Hot Springs, Arkansas
Hot Springs is the 10th most populous city in the U.S. state of Arkansas, the county seat of Garland County, and the principal city of the Hot Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area encompassing all of Garland County...
with a win in the 1996 Fantasy Stakes
Fantasy Stakes
The Fantasy Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. A Grade II event, it is open to three-year-old fillies willing to race one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt.-Records:Speed record:...
. After finishing second in three Grade I races in 1996, the following year she got her first Grade I win in the Ramona Handicap
John C. Mabee Handicap
The John C. Mabee Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race contested in early August at the Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. It is run on the turf for fillies and mares, age three or older, at a distance of one and one-eighth miles. Downgraded to a Grade II stakes in 2010, the...
at Del Mar Racetrack
Del Mar Racetrack
Del Mar Racetrack is an American Thoroughbred horse racing track at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in the seaside city of Del Mar, California, 20 miles north of San Diego. Operated by the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, it is known for the slogan: "Where The Turf Meets The Surf." It was built by a partnership...
in Del Mar, California
Del Mar, California
Del Mar is an upscale beach town in San Diego County, California. The population was 4,161 at the 2010 census, down from 4,389 at the 2000 census. The San Diego County Fair is hosted on the Del Mar Fairgrounds every summer. Del Mar is Spanish for "of the sea" or "by the sea", because it is located...
. She went on to finish third in the 1997 Breeders' Cup Distaff behind winner and stablemate, Ajina
Ajina
Ajina is an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse.-Bckground:Bred by renowned horseman Allen E. Paulson, Ajina was purchased by Janice and Robert McNair's Stonerside Stable of Paris, Kentucky....
.
At age five, Escena blossomed into a racing star under jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
Jerry Bailey. She won the Grades 1 Vanity Invitational and Apple Blossom Handicap
Apple Blossom Handicap
The Apple Blossom Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run each year in early April during the Racing Festival of the South at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The Grade I race is open to Fillies and Mares, four years old and up...
s plus at Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs...
, and the Grades II Louisville Breeders' Cup
Louisville Stakes
The La Troienne Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually since 1986 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Formerly the Louisville Distaff Handicap, the Grade II event run in early May is open to fillies and mares, age three and older...
and Fleur de Lis Handicap
Fleur De Lis Handicap
The Fleur de Lis Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid-June at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is open to filles and mares, age three and up, willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the dirt...
s. She capped off her 1998 campaign with a win in the Breeders' Cup Distaff and was voted American Champion Older Female Horse honors.
Escena was retired at the end of her 1998 racing campaign and sold to Guy Snowden for $3.25 million at the January 1999 Horses of All Ages Sale at Keeneland
Keeneland Sales
The Keeneland Sales is an American Thoroughbred auction house in Lexington, Kentucky founded in 1935 as a nonprofit racing/auction entity on 147 acres of farmland west of Lexington, which had been owned by Jack O. Keene...
. It was the highest price ever paid for a broodmare or broodmare prospect in Keeneland's history. She remains in service at Allen Paulson's Brookside Farm (now Diamond A Farm) near Versailles, Kentucky
Versailles, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,511 people, 3,160 households, and 2,110 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,330 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 88.18% White, 8.67% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.35%...
where she was born.