Nassipour
Encyclopedia
Nassipour was an American Thoroughbred
racehorse
and a Leading sire in Australia
. Bred in Kentucky
by the Aga Khan
, his sire Blushing Groom
was the 1977 European Champion Three-Year-old and who would be the 1989 Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland
. Nassipour's dam was Alama, a daughter of the very good runner Aureole who was owned by Queen Elizabeth II
. Aureole's wins include the 1954 Coronation Cup
and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. At stud
, Aureole sired 1960 Epsom Derby
winner, St. Paddy
.
at age two but was sold in late 1983 to American Cot Campbell for his Dogwood Stable
racing partnership. Brought back to North America
for the 1984 turf
racing season, Nassipour did not have a Graded stakes race
win but ran second in the Grade I (G1) Sword Dancer Invitational Handicap
, G3 Knickerbocker Handicap
, G1 Bowling Green Handicap
and third in the G3 American Handicap.
At age five in 1985, the horse had his best year in racing, winning the G2 Dixie Handicap at Pimlico Race Course
in Baltimore, Maryland and the G3 Seneca Handicap at Saratoga Race Course
in New York
. In the richest and most important race of his career, under jockey Jean-Luc Samyn
Nassipour won the $600,000 G1 Rothmans International Stakes
at Woodbine Racetrack
in Toronto
, Canada
, defeating, among others, Grand Prix de Paris
winner, Sumayr, and Irish 2,000 Guineas victor, Triptych
. Nassipour finished second in the G3 Niagara Stakes, G2 Bougainvillea Handicap, G3 Fair Grounds Oaks and was third in the G3
Pan American Handicap.
Racing at age six, Nassipour's best result was a third in the Seneca Handicap.
breeding
interests and stood at stud at Ra Ora Stud until his death in 1994. The Leading sire in Australia
in 1992, among Nassipour's best progeny were these Group one
winners:
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...
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...
and a Leading sire in Australia
Leading sire in Australia
The list below shows the leading sire of Thoroughbred racehorses in Australia for each season since 1883–84. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the season.----- References :* -See also:...
. Bred in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
by the Aga Khan
Aga Khan IV
Prince Karim, Aga Khan IV, NPk, NI, KBE, CC, GCC, GCIH, GCM is the 49th and current Imam of the Shia Imami Nizari Ismaili Muslims. He has held this position under the title of Aga Khan since July 11, 1957, when, at the age of 20, he succeeded his grandfather, Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan...
, his sire Blushing Groom
Blushing Groom
Blushing Groom was a French Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. He was bred by American businessman John McNamee Sullivan and was raced by HH Aga Khan IV. A descendant of Nearco, Blushing Groom was sired by Red God and out of the mare Runaway Bride....
was the 1977 European Champion Three-Year-old and who would be the 1989 Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland
Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland
The list below shows the leading sire of racehorses in Great Britain and Ireland for each year since 1751. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the season.----- References :* -See also:...
. Nassipour's dam was Alama, a daughter of the very good runner Aureole who was owned by Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
. Aureole's wins include the 1954 Coronation Cup
Coronation Cup
The Coronation Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 10 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. At stud
Stud (animal)
A stud animal is a registered animal retained for breeding. The terms for the male of a given animal species usually imply that the animal is entire—that is, not castrated—and therefore capable of siring offspring...
, Aureole sired 1960 Epsom Derby
Epsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
winner, St. Paddy
St. Paddy
St. Paddy was a British Thoroughbred racehorse. Owned and bred by Sir Victor Sassoon, he was out of the mare Edie Kelly and sired by Aureole, a winner of the Coronation Cup and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. His grandsire, Hyperion, and his damsire, Bois Roussel, both won the Epsom...
.
Racing career
Nassipour was sent to his owner's training facility in IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
at age two but was sold in late 1983 to American Cot Campbell for his Dogwood Stable
Dogwood Stable
Dogwood Stable is an American Thoroughbred racehorse partnership founded in 1969 by W. Cothran "Cot" Campbell of Aiken, South Carolina.The pioneers of thoroughbred partnerships, the operation's stated policy is to acquire moderately priced, young horses...
racing partnership. Brought back to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
for the 1984 turf
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
racing season, Nassipour did not have a 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...
win but ran second in the Grade I (G1) Sword Dancer Invitational Handicap
Sword Dancer Invitational Handicap
The Sword Dancer Invitational Handicap is an American race for thoroughbred horses, aged three and up, run annually in mid August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. A prep for the Breeders' Cup Turf, it is set at a distance of one and one-half miles on the turf...
, G3 Knickerbocker Handicap
Knickerbocker Handicap
The Knickerbocker Handicap is an American Grade III race on turf for Thoroughbred horses run each year at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. The Knickerbocker is open to three-year-olds and up, and set at a distance of one mile and one furlong...
, G1 Bowling Green Handicap
Bowling Green Handicap
The Bowling Green Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annualkly at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Raced on turf, the Grade II event is open to three-year-olds and up who are willing to race the one and three-eighths miles distance...
and third in the G3 American Handicap.
At age five in 1985, the horse had his best year in racing, winning the G2 Dixie Handicap at Pimlico Race Course
Pimlico 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 and the G3 Seneca Handicap 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...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. In the richest and most important race of his career, under jockey Jean-Luc Samyn
Jean-Luc Samyn
Jean-Luc Samyn is a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing.The son of a pastry chef, Jean-Luc Samyn was one of three children. At age thirteen, he went to work for the stable of trainer John Cunnington at Chantilly, a racecourse about north of Paris city center...
Nassipour won the $600,000 G1 Rothmans International Stakes
Canadian International Stakes
The Canadian International Stakes is a $2 million Grade I Canadian stakes race on Turf for thoroughbred racehorses three years of age and up held annually in October at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario....
at Woodbine Racetrack
Woodbine Racetrack
Woodbine Racetrack is a Canadian racetrack for Thoroughbred horse races located at 555 Rexdale Blvd. in the city of Toronto, Ontario. It is the only horseracing track in North America which stages, or is capable of staging, thoroughbred and standardbred horseracing programs on the same day...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, defeating, among others, Grand Prix de Paris
Grand Prix de Paris
The Grand Prix de Paris is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July.-History:...
winner, Sumayr, and Irish 2,000 Guineas victor, Triptych
Triptych (horse)
Triptych was a Thoroughbred filly racehorse known for her toughness who went on racing until the age of six, travelling around the world always taking on the very best. Bred in Kentucky, she was a descendant through both her sire and dam of the great runner and sire, Nearco...
. Nassipour finished second in the G3 Niagara Stakes, G2 Bougainvillea Handicap, G3 Fair Grounds Oaks and was third in the G3
Pan American Handicap.
Racing at age six, Nassipour's best result was a third in the Seneca Handicap.
Stud record
Retired from racing in 1986, he was sold to New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
breeding
Horse breeding
Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses...
interests and stood at stud at Ra Ora Stud until his death in 1994. The Leading sire in Australia
Leading sire in Australia
The list below shows the leading sire of Thoroughbred racehorses in Australia for each season since 1883–84. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the season.----- References :* -See also:...
in 1992, among Nassipour's best progeny were these Group one
Group One
Group One or Group 1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. Group One races may be run under handicap conditions in Australia but in Europe weight-for-age conditions always apply. Races may be also restricted to age groups or a...
winners:
- Grooming, won Brisbane CupBrisbane CupThe Brisbane Cup is a Group 2 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds and upwards, run under handicap conditions over a distance of 2400 metres at Eagle Farm Racecourse, Brisbane in June...
- Let's ElopeLet's ElopeLet's Elope is a Champion Thoroughbred racehorse in Australia.Bred by Highview Stud in Hamilton, New Zealand, Let's Elope was a giant chestnut mare who in 1991 became the first mare in more than 50 years to complete Australia's famed Caulfield Cup - Melbourne Cup double...
- Melbourne CupMelbourne CupThe Melbourne Cup is Australia's major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races...
winner and 1992 Australian Champion Racehorse of the YearAustralian Champion Racehorse of the YearThe 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...
. - Lord Revenir, won AJC Metropolitan Handicap
- Marble Halls, won VATC Toorak HandicapToorak HandicapThe Toorak Handicap is a 1600 metre Australian open handicap race for Thoroughbred horses aged three-years-old and upwards run at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne. The race takes place in early October as part of the Spring Racing Carnival in conjunction with the Caulfield Cup...
- Redding, won Victoria DerbyVictoria DerbyThe Victoria Derby is an Australian Thoroughbred horse race held annually on the first day of Melbourne's annual Spring Racing Carnival, Victorian Derby Day, held at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne. A Group One race for three-year-old horses, it is raced on a left-handed turf course at a...
- Shiva's Revenge, won South Australian DerbySouth Australian DerbyThe South Australian Derby is an Australian Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds, at set weights, held at Morphettville Racecourse in Adelaide.It is run each year in April. Before 2006 it was held in May...
- Tie the KnotTie the KnotTie the Knot was an Australian bred Thoroughbred racehorse, who won 13 Group One races and in 1999-2000 he was voted Australian Champion Stayer.-Breeding:...
- won 13 Group OneGroup OneGroup One or Group 1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. Group One races may be run under handicap conditions in Australia but in Europe weight-for-age conditions always apply. Races may be also restricted to age groups or a...
races, including four consecutive runnings of the Group One Chipping Norton StakesChipping Norton StakesThe Chipping Norton Stakes is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race run at weight for age, over a distance of 1600 metres at Warwick Farm Racecourse, Sydney in February or March.-Distance:* 1925 - 1972 held over 10 furlongs The Chipping Norton Stakes is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred...
, 2000 Australian Champion StayerAustralian Champion StayerThe Australian Champion Stayer is awarded annually to the Thoroughbred horse whose performances in Australia over distances of 2,200 metres and greater are deemed to be the superior to its rivals....
.