Stravinsky (horse)
Encyclopedia
Stravinsky
high, with a white star
and a white sock on his near foreleg. He was sired by the disqualified 2000 Guineas winner Nureyev
out of the mare Fire The Groom. Apart from Stravinsky, Nureyev was the sire the winners of at least forty-five Group One
/Grade I
including Peintre Celebre
, Spinning World
, Zilzal, Fasliyev
and Wolfhound. His career as a stallion has been described as "outstanding". Stravinsky’s dam Fire The Groom won the Grade I
Beverly D. Stakes in 1991 and was a half sister of the Haydock Sprint Cup
winner Dowsing
.
Stravinsky was sent to the Keeneland
Sales as a yearling in July 1997, where he was bought for $625,000 by the bloodstock agent Dermot “Demi” O’Byrne, acting on behalf of John Magnier and his Coolmore
organisation. He was sent into training with Aidan O'Brien
at Ballydoyle
and was ridden in all of his races by Michael Kinane
.
in August. Before he arrived in for the race he had established a reputation as a potentially exceptional horse on the strength of his home performances. He tracked the leaders and, having had problems obtaining a clear run, quickened away from his rivals to record an "impressive" two length win. Despite the modest status of the race Stravinsky was briefly made favourite for the following year's 2000 Guineas at odds as short as 4/1.
A month later, Stravinsky was moved directly up to Group One class for the Prix de la Salamandre
at Longchamp. He was last of the five runners entering the straight, and although he showed what one correspondent described as "a dazzling change of gear" to move into second he was unable to catch the front-running Aljabr
and finished second, beaten half a length, with the rest of the runners a further four lengths back. He had drifted to the right when making his challenge and the stewards, taking the view that he had interfered with other runners, demoted him from second to last place.
On his third and final start of the season, Stravinsky was sent to England again for the Group One Dewhurst Stakes
at Newmarket
for which he started 13/8 joint favourite, having reportedly shown "sparkling" form in home trails. He was held up in the early stages but despite having "every chance" he was unable to reach the lead and finished third behind the outsiders Mujahid and Auction House. He was reported to be unsuited by the "sloppy" ground conditions, but others felt that he had failed through lack of stamina.
race at the Curragh
in March. He took the lead a furlong out but was unable to hold off the late challenge of Tarfaa (who was receiving four pounds) and was beaten a neck.
The colt missed both the 2000 Guineas and its Irish equivalent
and did not reappear until the Group Three Jersey Stakes
at Royal Ascot. He finished only fourth, beaten five lengths by Lots of Magic, and was seen to be racing with his head carried awkwardly to one side. After four successive defeats, Stravinsky started at 8/1 for the July Cup at Newmarket, his first race over six furlongs since his two-year-old debut. It was also the first time the colt had raced in a visor
. Kinane held the colt up in the early stages before moving him up to take the lead a furlong out. He quickened clear of the field in "sensational" fashion to win by four lengths from Bold Edge in a course record time of 1:109.51. The Racing Post
called his performance a "memorable display of sheer class" while pointing out that the opposition was not particularly strong for a Group One race. Aidan O'Brien blamed hmself for the colt's relative lack of success saying that "we tried to stretch him and make him a miler... maybe it was me messing him up."
A month later, Stravinsky was moved down to the minimum distance of five furlongs (1000m) for the Nunthorpe Stakes at York. Before the start he displayed the "quirky aspect" of his character by attempting to break out of the starting stalls. Once the race began the colt was settled in the middle of the field before taking up the running approaching the final furlong. He moved clear and in the words of The Independent
"blew away" the opposition to win by a length and a half from the French-trained filly Sainte Marine.
On his final racecourse appearance, Stravinsky was sent to the United States
for the Breeders' Cup Sprint
at Gulfstream Park
, although O'Brien had also considered running him in the Mile
. Racing on dirt for the first time after a two and a half month break, Stravinsky was prominent in the early stages but finished sixth of the fourteen runners, four lengths behind Artax.
At the 1999 Cartier Racing Awards, Stravinsky was named European Champion Sprinter.
Timeform
assessed him at 120 as a two-year-old and 133 as a three-year-old. A rating of 130 is condidered the mark of an above average European Group One winner.
in Ireland and the United States and has also been shuttled to stand in Australia for the Southern Hemisphere breeding season. His current (2011) bases are the Shizunai Stallion Station
in Japan and the Cambridge Stud in New Zealand. His best performers in Europe have been the Group One winning sprinters Benbaun
(Prix de l’Abbaye
) and Soldier’s Tale (Golden Jubilee Stakes
), while he has sired the VRC Oaks
winner Serenade Rose in Australia.
Background
Stravinsky is a powerfully built bay horse standing 15.3 handsHand (unit)
The hand is a non-SI unit of measurement of length, now used only for the measurement of the height of horses in some English-speaking countries, including Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA. With origins in ancient Egypt, it was originally based on the breadth of a human hand...
high, with a white star
Horse markings
Markings on horses usually are distinctive white areas on an otherwise dark base coat color. Most horses have some markings, and they help to identify the horse as a unique individual. Markings are present at birth and do not change over the course of the horse's life...
and a white sock on his near foreleg. He was sired by the disqualified 2000 Guineas winner Nureyev
Nureyev (horse)
Nureyev was a Kentucky-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and champion sire. As a racehorse he was best known as the disqualified "winner" of the 2000 Guineas in 1980.-Background:...
out of the mare Fire The Groom. Apart from Stravinsky, Nureyev was the sire the winners of at least forty-five Group One
Conditions races
Conditions races are horse races where the weights carried by the runners are laid down by the conditions attached to the race. Weights are allocated according to; the sex of the runners, with female runners carrying less weight than males; the age of the runners, with younger horses receiving...
/Grade I
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...
including Peintre Celebre
Peintre Celebre
Peintre Celebre, , is a champion thoroughbred racehorse.Bred and owned by Daniel Wildenstein , the renowned French art dealer and highly successful horseman, Peintre Celebre came from a line of outstanding thoroughbreds. He was a son of Nureyev, France's champion miler in 1980, who was in turn the...
, Spinning World
Spinning World
Spinning World is a French thoroughbred racehorse who was one of the top European milers during the 1990s.After winning the 1996 Irish 2,000 Guineas at The Curragh in Ireland, and the Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville Racecourse in France, Spinning World finished second to Da Hoss in the...
, Zilzal, Fasliyev
Fasliyev
Fasliyev is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire who was bred in the United States and trained in Ireland. He was the highest-rated European two-year-old of 1999 and was named European Champion Two-Year-Old at the Cartier Racing Awards...
and Wolfhound. His career as a stallion has been described as "outstanding". Stravinsky’s dam Fire The Groom won the Grade I
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...
Beverly D. Stakes in 1991 and was a half sister of the Haydock Sprint Cup
Haydock Sprint Cup
The Sprint Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Haydock Park over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early September....
winner Dowsing
Dowsing
Dowsing is a type of divination employed in attempts to locate ground water, buried metals or ores, gemstones, oil, gravesites, and many other objects and materials, as well as so-called currents of earth radiation , without the use of scientific apparatus...
.
Stravinsky was sent to the Keeneland
Keeneland
Keeneland is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and sales complex in Lexington, Kentucky, USA. Operated by the Keeneland Association, Inc., it is also known for its reference library on the sport, which contains more than 10,000 volumes, an extensive videocassette collection, and a substantial...
Sales as a yearling in July 1997, where he was bought for $625,000 by the bloodstock agent Dermot “Demi” O’Byrne, acting on behalf of John Magnier and his Coolmore
Coolmore Stud
Coolmore Stud, in Fethard, South Tipperary in Ireland, is the world's largest breeding operation of thoroughbred racehorses. It was established in 1975....
organisation. He was sent into training with Aidan O'Brien
Aidan O'Brien
Aidan Patrick O'Brien is an Irish horse racing trainer. Since 1996, he has been the private trainer at Ballydoyle Stables near Cashel in County Tipperary for John Magnier and his Coolmore Stud associates....
at Ballydoyle
Ballydoyle
Ballydoyle is a racehorse training facility located in County Tipperary in Ireland. It is a sister thoroughbred facility to Coolmore Stud, and both are owned by John Magnier...
and was ridden in all of his races by Michael Kinane
Michael Kinane
Michael J. Kinane is a former flat racing jockey. He had a 34-year career, retiring on 8 December 2009....
.
1998: two-year-old season
Although he was trained throughout his career in Ireland, Stravinsky was sento England for his first appearance, when he ran in a maiden race at YorkYork 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...
in August. Before he arrived in for the race he had established a reputation as a potentially exceptional horse on the strength of his home performances. He tracked the leaders and, having had problems obtaining a clear run, quickened away from his rivals to record an "impressive" two length win. Despite the modest status of the race Stravinsky was briefly made favourite for the following year's 2000 Guineas at odds as short as 4/1.
A month later, Stravinsky was moved directly up to Group One class for the Prix de la Salamandre
Prix de la Salamandre
The Prix de la Salamandre was a Group 1 flat horse race in France which was open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It was run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,400 metres , and it was scheduled to take place each year in September.-History:The event was established in 1872, and it was...
at Longchamp. He was last of the five runners entering the straight, and although he showed what one correspondent described as "a dazzling change of gear" to move into second he was unable to catch the front-running Aljabr
Aljabr
Aljabr is a retired American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire who was trained in England and Dubai during a racing career which lasted from 1998 to 2000. He was named European Champion Two-Year-Old Colt for 1998, a year in which he was unbeaten in three starts including the Group One ...
and finished second, beaten half a length, with the rest of the runners a further four lengths back. He had drifted to the right when making his challenge and the stewards, taking the view that he had interfered with other runners, demoted him from second to last place.
On his third and final start of the season, Stravinsky was sent to England again for the Group One Dewhurst Stakes
Dewhurst Stakes
The Dewhurst Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in October.The event was established in 1875, and it...
at Newmarket
Newmarket Racecourse
The town of Newmarket, in Suffolk, England, is the headquarters of British horseracing, home to the largest cluster of training yards in the country and many key horse racing organisations. Newmarket Racecourse has two courses - the Rowley Mile Course and the July Course. Both are wide, galloping...
for which he started 13/8 joint favourite, having reportedly shown "sparkling" form in home trails. He was held up in the early stages but despite having "every chance" he was unable to reach the lead and finished third behind the outsiders Mujahid and Auction House. He was reported to be unsuited by the "sloppy" ground conditions, but others felt that he had failed through lack of stamina.
1999: three-year-old season
In the early spring of 1999 Stravinsky was again strongly fancied for the 2000 Guineas and was 5/1 favourite for the Newmarket Classic before he reappeared on the racecourse. His three-year-old debut was his first and only race in his "home" country as he started odds-on favourite for a minor seven furlongFurlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to 220 yards, 660 feet, 40 rods, or 10 chains. The exact value of the furlong varies slightly among English-speaking countries....
race at the Curragh
Curragh Racecourse
The Curragh Racecourse, usually abbreviated to The Curragh, is Ireland's most important Thoroughbred race track. It is situated on the Curragh plain near Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland.- History :...
in March. He took the lead a furlong out but was unable to hold off the late challenge of Tarfaa (who was receiving four pounds) and was beaten a neck.
The colt missed both the 2000 Guineas and its Irish equivalent
Irish 2000 Guineas
The Irish 2,000 Guineas is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May.-History:...
and did not reappear until the Group Three Jersey Stakes
Jersey Stakes
The Jersey Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
at Royal Ascot. He finished only fourth, beaten five lengths by Lots of Magic, and was seen to be racing with his head carried awkwardly to one side. After four successive defeats, Stravinsky started at 8/1 for the July Cup at Newmarket, his first race over six furlongs since his two-year-old debut. It was also the first time the colt had raced in a visor
Blinders
Blinders, also known as blinkers or winkers, are a piece of horse tack that prevent the horse seeing to the rear and, in some cases, to the side. They usually are made of leather or plastic cups that are placed on either side of the eyes, either attached to a bridle or to an independent hood...
. Kinane held the colt up in the early stages before moving him up to take the lead a furlong out. He quickened clear of the field in "sensational" fashion to win by four lengths from Bold Edge in a course record time of 1:109.51. The Racing Post
Racing Post
The Racing Post is a British daily horse racing, greyhound racing and sports betting newspaper, appearing in print form and online.From 30 May 2011 - 3 July 2011 it had a circulation of 56,507.-History:...
called his performance a "memorable display of sheer class" while pointing out that the opposition was not particularly strong for a Group One race. Aidan O'Brien blamed hmself for the colt's relative lack of success saying that "we tried to stretch him and make him a miler... maybe it was me messing him up."
A month later, Stravinsky was moved down to the minimum distance of five furlongs (1000m) for the Nunthorpe Stakes at York. Before the start he displayed the "quirky aspect" of his character by attempting to break out of the starting stalls. Once the race began the colt was settled in the middle of the field before taking up the running approaching the final furlong. He moved clear and in the words of The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
"blew away" the opposition to win by a length and a half from the French-trained filly Sainte Marine.
On his final racecourse appearance, Stravinsky was sent to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for the Breeders' Cup Sprint
Breeders' Cup Sprint
The Breeders' Cup Sprint is an American Weight for Age Grade I Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds & up. Run on dirt over a distance of 6 Furlongs , the race has been held annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World...
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....
, although O'Brien had also considered running him in the Mile
Breeders' Cup Mile
The Breeders' Cup Mile is a Grade 1 Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up, run on a grass course. It has been conducted annually as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships since the event's inception in 1984...
. Racing on dirt for the first time after a two and a half month break, Stravinsky was prominent in the early stages but finished sixth of the fourteen runners, four lengths behind Artax.
Assessment
In the official International Classification of European two-year-old for 1998, Stavinsky was given a rating of 118, five pounds below the Mujahid, making him the seventh best colt of the year.At the 1999 Cartier Racing Awards, Stravinsky was named European Champion Sprinter.
Timeform
Timeform
Timeform Publications is a publishing company in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England founded in 1948 to provide information to fans, bettors, and others involved in the horse racing industry...
assessed him at 120 as a two-year-old and 133 as a three-year-old. A rating of 130 is condidered the mark of an above average European Group One winner.
Stud career
Stravinsky has stood as a stallion for Coolmore StudCoolmore Stud
Coolmore Stud, in Fethard, South Tipperary in Ireland, is the world's largest breeding operation of thoroughbred racehorses. It was established in 1975....
in Ireland and the United States and has also been shuttled to stand in Australia for the Southern Hemisphere breeding season. His current (2011) bases are the Shizunai Stallion Station
Shizunai Stallion Station
Shizunai Stallion Station is a Japanese Thoroughbred horse farm was opened in 1963 and is located on the island of Hokkaidō. Operated by the Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association , it is located in Shizunai whose sister city is Lexington, Kentucky...
in Japan and the Cambridge Stud in New Zealand. His best performers in Europe have been the Group One winning sprinters Benbaun
Benbaun
Benbaun is a mountain in County Galway, Ireland, the highest of the Twelve Bens, and the highest peak in Galway. As the highest point in Galway, it is the 10th highest county peak in Ireland....
(Prix de l’Abbaye
Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp
The Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged two years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,000 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early October.-History:The Prix de l'Abbaye was one of two major...
) and Soldier’s Tale (Golden Jubilee Stakes
Golden Jubilee Stakes
The Golden Jubilee Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.-History:...
), while he has sired the VRC Oaks
VRC Oaks
The Crown Oaks , is the third day of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival at Flemington Racecourse. Oaks Day is held on the Thursday directly following Melbourne Cup Day...
winner Serenade Rose in Australia.
Pedigree
- Stravinsky is inbredInbreedingInbreeding is the reproduction from the mating of two genetically related parents. Inbreeding results in increased homozygosity, which can increase the chances of offspring being affected by recessive or deleterious traits. This generally leads to a decreased fitness of a population, which is...
4x4x5 to Native DancerNative DancerNative Dancer , nicknamed the Grey Ghost, was one of the most celebrated and accomplished Thoroughbred racehorses in history, the first horse made famous through the medium of television. He was one of the best horses produced in USA after the war...
. This means that the stallion appears twice in the fourth generation of his pedigree (above) and once in the fifth generation as the sire of Raise A NativeRaise a NativeRaise a Native was an undefeated Thoroughbred racehorse that was named 1963 champion two-year-old colt in the Turf and Sport Digest poll. He sired 74 stakes winners, including Majestic Prince and Alydar...
.