Roberto (horse)
Encyclopedia
Roberto was an American-bred
Thoroughbred
Champion racehorse
who competed in Ireland
and England
.
near Lexington, Kentucky
. The son of the successful sire Hail To Reason
out of the dam Bramalea, Roberto's grandsire was Turn-To
, a descendant of Nearco
, and his damsire was the U.S. Hall of Famer
, Nashua
. He was named for Major League Baseball
star Roberto Clemente
by his owner John Galbreath who also owned the Pittsburgh Pirates
baseball team.
, Roberto had an impressive 2-year-old campaign that saw him win the Group One
National Stakes
and earn 1971 Irish Champion colt honors in his age group.
At age three, Roberto began competing with the best horses in England. In the 2,000 Guineas Classic, Roberto finished second to High Top. Ridden by Lester Piggott
, Roberto defeated Rheingold
by a head to capture the 1972 Epsom Derby
, the most prestigious race in the United Kingdom
. The victory made John Galbreath the first person to own winners of both the English and American Derbys, having also won the 1963 Kentucky Derby
with Chateaugay
and the 1967 Kentucky Derby
with Proud Clarion
.
In the inaugural edition of the Benson & Hedges Gold Cup
in 1972, Roberto established himself as a truly great horse. Many racing observers believed Rheingold was the better horse and should have won the Epsom Derby. Superstar jockey
Lester Piggott too shared this view and after Roberto had run poorly in his previous start, for the Benson & Hedges Gold Cup Piggott abandoned Roberto to ride Rheingold. However, it was the entry of the formidable 4-year-old Brigadier Gerard that generated enormous publicity for the race. Undefeated in fifteen career starts, Brigadier Gerard was seen as invincible.
Having lost jockey Piggott, Roberto's owner John Galbreath flew in the Panamanian-born
American jockey Braulio Baeza
. Riding for the first time on an English racetrack, according to Raceform, a leading publisher of U.K. horseracing information, Braulio Baeza aboard "Roberto was out of the stalls like a bat out of hell." Shocked racing fans watched as the colt never looked back, handing Brigadier Gerard his only defeat while setting a new York Racecourse
record in beating the illustrious champion by three lengths.
Roberto raced at age four, notably winning the prestigious Coronation Cup
.
at Darby Dan Farm in Kentucky, Roberto became a successful sire
of international influence. Among his notable offspring were 1988 Eclipse Award
turf champion Sunshine Forever
; Real Shadai
, the leading sire in Japan
in 1993; Australia Melbourne Cup
winner At Talaq
; British Classic winner Touching Wood; outstanding sire Kris S.
, who produced five Breeders' Cup
winners; and Dynaformer
who sired 2006 Kentucky Derby
winner Barbaro
.
Roberto died on August 2, 1988 at Darby Dan Farm and is buried in their equine cemetery.
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...
Champion 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...
who competed in Ireland
Ireland
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...
and England
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Background
Roberto was bred by Galbreath at his Darby Dan FarmDarby Dan Farm
Darby Dan Farm is a produce, livestock, and thoroughbred horse breeding and training farm founded in 1935 near the Darby Creek in Galloway, Ohio by businessman John W. Galbreath. Named for the creek and for Galbreath's son, Daniel M. Galbreath , it was expanded from an original farm into a 4,000...
near Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
. The son of the successful sire Hail To Reason
Hail To Reason
Hail To Reason was an American thoroughbred racehorse and an influential sire. He was bred in Kentucky by the Bieber-Jacobs Stable, a partnership of prominent horsemen, Isadore Bieber and Hirsch Jacobs. He was sired by the English stakes winner Turn-To, a grandson of the very influential sire Nearco...
out of the dam Bramalea, Roberto's grandsire was Turn-To
Turn-To
Turn-To was a British Thoroughbred stallion racehorse. He was sired by the great British stakes winner Royal Charger, out of the French mare Source Sucree, whose sire, Admiral Drake, was third on the French sire list in 1949....
, a descendant of Nearco
Nearco
Nearco was an Italian bred Thoroughbred racehorse described by Thoroughbred Heritage as "one of the greatest racehorses of the Twentieth Century" and "one of the most important sires of the century." He was not only unbeaten, winning 14 races at distances from 5 furlongs to 1 mile 7 furlongs ,...
, and his damsire was the U.S. Hall of Famer
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...
, Nashua
Nashua (horse)
Nashua was an American-born thoroughbred racehorse, perhaps best remembered for a 1955 match race against the horse that had defeated him in the Kentucky Derby.Nashua's sire was the good, but temperamental, European champion Nasrullah...
. He was named for Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
star Roberto Clemente
Roberto Clemente
Roberto Clemente Walker was a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball right fielder. He was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, the youngest of seven children. Clemente played his entire 18-year baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates . He was awarded the National League's Most Valuable Player Award in...
by his owner John Galbreath who also owned the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
baseball team.
Racing career
Sent to Ireland to be trained by Vincent O'BrienVincent O'Brien
Dr. Michael Vincent O'Brien was an Irish race horse trainer from Churchtown, County Cork, Ireland. In 2003 he was voted the greatest influence in horse racing history, according to a worldwide vote hosted by the Racing Post newspaper...
, Roberto had an impressive 2-year-old campaign that saw him win the 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...
National Stakes
National Stakes
The National Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September....
and earn 1971 Irish Champion colt honors in his age group.
At age three, Roberto began competing with the best horses in England. In the 2,000 Guineas Classic, Roberto finished second to High Top. Ridden by Lester Piggott
Lester Piggott
Lester Keith Piggott is a retired English professional jockey, popularly known as "The Long Fellow". With 4,493 career wins, including nine Epsom Derby victories, he is one of the most well-known English flat racing jockeys of all time....
, Roberto defeated Rheingold
Rheingold (horse)
Rheingold was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse best known as the winner of France's most prestigious race, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. A descendant of the extremely important sire Nearco through both his sire and his dam, Rheingold showed promise racing at age two when he finished second in the...
by a head to capture the 1972 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...
, the most prestigious race in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The victory made John Galbreath the first person to own winners of both the English and American Derbys, having also won the 1963 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...
with Chateaugay
Chateaugay (horse)
Chateaugay was an American Thoroughbred Champion racehorse who won two of the three U.S. Triple Crown races. Bred at Darby Dan Farm near Lexington, Kentucky by his prominent owner, John W. Galbreath, Chateaugay was a son of Swaps, the 1956 U.S. Horse of the Year and a Racing Hall of Fame...
and the 1967 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...
with Proud Clarion
Proud Clarion
Proud Clarion was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 1967 Kentucky Derby. Owned and bred by John W. Galbreath, he was foaled at his Darby Dan Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. His sire was Hail To Reason, the U.S. Champion Two-Year-Old Colt for 1960, and his grandsire was...
.
In the inaugural edition of the Benson & Hedges Gold Cup
International Stakes
The International Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 88 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August....
in 1972, Roberto established himself as a truly great horse. Many racing observers believed Rheingold was the better horse and should have won the Epsom Derby. Superstar 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:...
Lester Piggott too shared this view and after Roberto had run poorly in his previous start, for the Benson & Hedges Gold Cup Piggott abandoned Roberto to ride Rheingold. However, it was the entry of the formidable 4-year-old Brigadier Gerard that generated enormous publicity for the race. Undefeated in fifteen career starts, Brigadier Gerard was seen as invincible.
Having lost jockey Piggott, Roberto's owner John Galbreath flew in the Panamanian-born
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
American jockey Braulio Baeza
Braulio Baeza
Braulio Baeza is an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey. He began racing in 1955 and in 1960, at the urging of agent Camilo Marin, moved to compete in the United States where at the Keeneland Race Course he won the very first he competed in.Braulio Baeza's success in America was...
. Riding for the first time on an English racetrack, according to Raceform, a leading publisher of U.K. horseracing information, Braulio Baeza aboard "Roberto was out of the stalls like a bat out of hell." Shocked racing fans watched as the colt never looked back, handing Brigadier Gerard his only defeat while setting a new York Racecourse
York Racecourse
York Racecourse is a horse racing track in the southwest of the city of York in North Yorkshire, England with a spectator capacity of 60,000. The most famous race to be held at York on an annual basis is the Ebor Handicap, which is run during the Ebor Festival meeting in August...
record in beating the illustrious champion by three lengths.
Roberto raced at age four, notably winning the prestigious 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....
.
Stud career
Retired to stand at studHorse 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...
at Darby Dan Farm in Kentucky, Roberto became a successful sire
Father
A father, Pop, Dad, or Papa, is defined as a male parent of any type of offspring. The adjective "paternal" refers to father, parallel to "maternal" for mother...
of international influence. Among his notable offspring were 1988 Eclipse Award
Eclipse Award
The Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. The Eclipse Awards, honoring the champions of the sport, are sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association , Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers...
turf champion Sunshine Forever
Sunshine Forever
Sunshine Forever is an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by Darby Dan Farm owner John W. Galbreath who owned his dam, Outward Sunshine, and his damsire, Graustark, Sunshine Forever was sired by Galbreath's 1972 Epsom Derby winner, Roberto.Trained by future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame...
; Real Shadai
Real Shadai
Real Shadai was an American-born Thoroughbred racehorse who raced in France and became a leading sire in Japan. A descendant of Nearco, he was sired by Epsom Derby winner Roberto and out of the U.S...
, the leading sire in Japan
Leading sire in Japan
The list below shows the leading Thoroughbred sire of racehorses in Japan for each year since 1924. This is determined by the amount of prizemoney won by the sire's progeny during the season.-----References:* -See also:* Leading sire in Australia...
in 1993; Australia Melbourne Cup
Melbourne Cup
The 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 At Talaq
At Talaq
At Talaq was a bay Thoroughbred racehorse stallion by Roberto out of the mare My Nord .Trained by Colin Hayes and owned by Shadwell Racing his best win came in the 1986 VRC Melbourne Cup....
; British Classic winner Touching Wood; outstanding sire Kris S.
Kris S.
Kris S. was an American Thoroughbred race horse who is best known as a highly successful sire. He was a son of the 1972 Epsom Derby winner Roberto who was a sire of international influence descending from the Hail to Reason branch of the Nearco sire line...
, who produced five Breeders' Cup
Breeders' Cup
The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Thoroughbred horse races, most but not all Grade I, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, it expanded to two days. The location...
winners; and Dynaformer
Dynaformer
Dynaformer is a thoroughbred stallion, currently standing at stud at Three Chimneys Farm in Kentucky. Sired by Epsom Derby winner Roberto out of Andover Way , Dynaformer's pedigree includes some legendary names: Nashua, Ribot, Bull Lea, Blue Larkspur, Nearco, and Johnstown among others.Bred by...
who sired 2006 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...
winner Barbaro
Barbaro
Barbaro was an American thoroughbred who decisively won the 2006 Kentucky Derby, but shattered his leg two weeks later in the 2006 Preakness Stakes, ending his racing career and eventually leading to his death....
.
Roberto died on August 2, 1988 at Darby Dan Farm and is buried in their equine cemetery.