Louis Quatorze (horse)
Encyclopedia
Louis Quatorze is an American
thoroughbred
stallion
racehorse
. He was sired by Sovereign Dancer
, who in turn was a son of the great 1964 Kentucky Derby
and Preakness Stakes
winner, Northern Dancer
out of the mare, On To Royalty.
, he had four starts at age two in 1995 and won two races while placing second in two races. In the late summer Louis Quatorze come in second in the seven furlong Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga Race Course
to Hennessy. Then in mid-September 1995 Louis Quatorze ran second in the seven furlong Futurity Stakes at Belmont Park
to Maria's Mon
. During the winter he was freshened for a long time and didn't comeback to the track until March. In March he won an allowance race at Gulfstream Park
which gave his trainer Nick Zito
enough confidence in him to take on stakes winners in a graded race. In April 1996, Louis Quatorze shipped to Keeneland Race Course and raced in the grade two $700,000 Blue Grass Stakes
and placed second in a stellar field of seven. He was beaten only by eventual Eclipse Award champion Skip Away
. All three of the top finishers in the Blue Grass moved on to Louisville on the first Saturday of May and competed in the Kentucky Derby
. In the Derby itself Louis had a terrible break from the gate and got caught in traffic early running in twelfth position which took him out of his game early. He never recovered and finished 16th of nineteen that day.
in Baltimore, Maryland. In the Preakness Stakes
, Zito and jockey Pat Day
had a specific plan to take Louis Quatorze to the lead and see if he could settle or slow the pace down the pace. If they could they would avoid all the traffic they ran into in the Derby and try and hang on as long as they could. At post time Louis Quatorze was ignored and went off as the fifth choice at 9-1 in the field of twelve stakes winners. He broke from gate six and things went according to plan as he shot straight to the lead and angled to the middle of the track away from the rail to avoid traffic. Louis was going very comfortable passing the stands and rounding the club house turn on the lead. Day thought the pace was moderate but in reality Louis was setting fast fractions of :23 flat and :46 flat for the first quarter and half. Near the end of the back stretch he was still leading Skip Away
, Victory Speech and the rest of the field but the fractions were scorching in a record 1:09-4/5 for three quarters of a mile. At the top stretch second favorite and rival Skip Away made a rush at Louis closing from two lengths to one. But then Day asked Louis Quatorze for more and he somehow hit another gear pulling away from the rest of the field with every stride. He hit the wire in record time of 1:53-2/5 equalling a track record set by Tank's Prospect
in 1985. Skip Away finished 3-1/4 lengths back in second some three lengths in front of Belmont winner Editor's Note and Derby runner-up Cavonnier.
, came in second in the Travers Stakes
and ran third in the Jockey Club Gold Cup
. In November he placed second to Alphabet Soup in the Breeder's Cup Classic, defeating the great Cigar
, who came in third.
. Among his offspring, he has sired graded stakes race
winners Repent, Choctaw Nation, and Bushfire.
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...
stallion
Stallion (horse)
A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded .Stallions will follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" neck, as well as a somewhat more muscular physique as compared to...
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...
. He was sired by Sovereign Dancer
Sovereign Dancer
Sovereign Dancer was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known as a sire of two American Classic Race winners...
, who in turn was a son of the great 1964 Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
and Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
winner, Northern Dancer
Northern Dancer
Northern Dancer was a Canadian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and the most successful sire of the 20th Century. The National Thoroughbred Racing Association calls him "one of the most influential sires in Thoroughbred history"....
out of the mare, On To Royalty.
Early racing career
Trained by Nick ZitoNick Zito
Nicholas Philip "Nick" Zito is an American Thoroughbred horse trainer.Zito began his career as a hot walker and worked his way up to a groom, to an assistant trainer, and to a trainer...
, he had four starts at age two in 1995 and won two races while placing second in two races. In the late summer Louis Quatorze come in second in the seven furlong Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.-History:John...
to Hennessy. Then in mid-September 1995 Louis Quatorze ran second in the seven furlong Futurity Stakes at Belmont Park
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...
to Maria's Mon
Maria's Mon
Maria's Mon was an American Thoroughbred racehorse that was the champion two-year-old colt in 1995 and produced two Kentucky Derby winners....
. During the winter he was freshened for a long time and didn't comeback to the track until March. In March he won an allowance race at Gulfstream Park
Gulfstream Park
Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino is a racetrack and county-approved racino in Hallandale Beach, Florida, in the United States. During its annual meet, which spans December through April, it is one of the most important venues for horse racing in America....
which gave his trainer Nick Zito
Nick Zito
Nicholas Philip "Nick" Zito is an American Thoroughbred horse trainer.Zito began his career as a hot walker and worked his way up to a groom, to an assistant trainer, and to a trainer...
enough confidence in him to take on stakes winners in a graded race. In April 1996, Louis Quatorze shipped to Keeneland Race Course and raced in the grade two $700,000 Blue Grass Stakes
Blue Grass Stakes
The Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, currently sponsored by the Toyota Motor Corporation, is an American Grade 1 horse race for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds held annually in mid April at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Kentucky....
and placed second in a stellar field of seven. He was beaten only by eventual Eclipse Award champion Skip Away
Skip Away
Skip Away , a gray Thoroughbred race horse, was named America's Champion 3 Year Old Male in 1996 and twice named America's Champion Handicap Horse...
. All three of the top finishers in the Blue Grass moved on to Louisville on the first Saturday of May and competed in the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
. In the Derby itself Louis had a terrible break from the gate and got caught in traffic early running in twelfth position which took him out of his game early. He never recovered and finished 16th of nineteen that day.
Preakness Stakes
His trainer Nick Zito and his owners William J. Condren and Georgia E. Hofmann never lost faith in the colt and knew they had a legitimate excuse for his finish in the Derby so they decided to let him try and redeem himself in the second jewel of the triple crown. They entered Louis Quatorze in the "Run for the Black-Eyed Susans" on the third Saturday in May 1996 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race CoursePimlico Race Course
Pimlico Race Course is a horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of Olde Ben Pimlico's Tavern in London...
in Baltimore, Maryland. In the Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
, Zito and jockey Pat Day
Pat Day
Patrick Alan "Pat" Day is an American jockey. He is a four-time winner of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1991...
had a specific plan to take Louis Quatorze to the lead and see if he could settle or slow the pace down the pace. If they could they would avoid all the traffic they ran into in the Derby and try and hang on as long as they could. At post time Louis Quatorze was ignored and went off as the fifth choice at 9-1 in the field of twelve stakes winners. He broke from gate six and things went according to plan as he shot straight to the lead and angled to the middle of the track away from the rail to avoid traffic. Louis was going very comfortable passing the stands and rounding the club house turn on the lead. Day thought the pace was moderate but in reality Louis was setting fast fractions of :23 flat and :46 flat for the first quarter and half. Near the end of the back stretch he was still leading Skip Away
Skip Away
Skip Away , a gray Thoroughbred race horse, was named America's Champion 3 Year Old Male in 1996 and twice named America's Champion Handicap Horse...
, Victory Speech and the rest of the field but the fractions were scorching in a record 1:09-4/5 for three quarters of a mile. At the top stretch second favorite and rival Skip Away made a rush at Louis closing from two lengths to one. But then Day asked Louis Quatorze for more and he somehow hit another gear pulling away from the rest of the field with every stride. He hit the wire in record time of 1:53-2/5 equalling a track record set by Tank's Prospect
Tank's Prospect
Tank's Prospect was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the second leg of the U.S. Triple Crown series, the Preakness Stakes. Bred by Edward A. Seltzer, he was purchased for $625,000 at the 1983 Keeneland July Selected Yearling sale by trainer D. Wayne Lukas for his client,...
in 1985. Skip Away finished 3-1/4 lengths back in second some three lengths in front of Belmont winner Editor's Note and Derby runner-up Cavonnier.
Later racing career
Later that year, Louis Quatorze won the Jim Dandy StakesJim Dandy Stakes
The Jim Dandy Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race. The Grade II race has been held annually since 1964 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The race is open to horses age three, willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the dirt. It carries a purse of $500,000. Prior...
, came in second in the Travers Stakes
Travers Stakes
The Travers Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York.First held in 1864, it was named for William R. Travers, the president of the old Saratoga Racing Association. His horse, Kentucky, won the first running of the Travers...
and ran third in the Jockey Club Gold Cup
Jockey Club Gold Cup
The Jockey Club Gold Cup, established in 1919, is a prestigious thoroughbred flat race open to horses of either gender three-years-old and up. It is typically the main event of the fall meeting at Belmont Park, just as the Belmont Stakes is of the spring meeting and the Travers Stakes is of the...
. In November he placed second to Alphabet Soup in the Breeder's Cup Classic, defeating the great Cigar
Cigar (horse)
Cigar , is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse, who in 1995 and 1996 became the first American racehorse racing against top-class competition to win 16 consecutive races since the Triple Crown winner, Citation did so in 1948 and 1950...
, who came in third.
Retirement
Louis Quatorze currently stands at stud at Murmur Farm in Darlington, MarylandDarlington, Maryland
Darlington is an unincorporated village in northeastern Harford County, Maryland, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district in 1987 with approximately 100 contributing properties .-Community:Local children attend the Darlington Elementary...
. Among his offspring, he has sired 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...
winners Repent, Choctaw Nation, and Bushfire.