Detroit (horse)
Detroit | |
---|---|
Sire | Riverman |
Grandsire | Never Bend |
Dam | Derna |
Damsire | Sunny Boy |
Sex | Mare |
Foaled | 24 February 1977[1] |
Country | France |
Colour | Brown |
Breeder | Societe Aland |
Owner | Robert Sangster |
Trainer | Olivier Douieb |
Record | 13:8-0-1 |
Major wins | |
Prix Fille de l'Air (1980) Prix Chloé (1980) Prix de la Nonette (1980) Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (1980) Prix Ridgway (1981) Prix Foy (1981) | |
Awards | |
Timeform rating: 131 (1980), 126 (1981) | |
Last updated on 26 September 2023 |
Detroit (24 February 1977 – 20 May 2001) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare who won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in 1980. Unraced as a two-year-old, Detroit won her first four races in 1980 including the Prix Fille de l'Air, Prix Chloé and Prix de la Nonette. She was beaten when favourite for the Prix Vermeille before winning the Arc in record time. She remained in training as a four-year-old and won three more races including the Prix Foy. She was retired to stud where she produced the Arc de Triomphe winner Carnegie.
Background
Detroit was a brown mare with a white blaze and white socks on her hind legs[2] bred in France by Société Aland. She was sired by Riverman a French horse who won the Poule d'Essai des Poulains in 1972. As a breeding stallion he was highly successful, being the sire of many important winners including Irish River, Bahri, Gold River, River Memories and Triptych. Detroit's dam Derna had previously produced Durtal, who won the Cheveley Park Stakes and was the dam of the Ascot Gold Cup winner Gildoran. Another daughter of Derna was Valderna, the grand-dam of the New Zealand/Australian champion Zabeel.[3]
As a foal, Detroit was sold in a private deal for approximately £100,000 to Robert Sangster. The filly was sent into training with Olivier Douieb at Chantilly.[4]
Racing career
1980: three-year-old season
Detroit did not race as a two-year-old, beginning her racing career with a five-length win in a maiden race over 2100 metres at Saint-Cloud Racecourse in May 1980. She was then moved up in class for the Group Three Prix de Fille de l'Air over the same course and distance on 21 June. Ridden by Alain Lequeux, she started the 2.1/1 favourite and won by two and a half lengths from Gold River. On 19 July, the filly started the 1.4/1 favourite for the Group Three Prix Chloé over 1800 m at Evry Racecourse and won by one and a half lengths from Licara. Detroit's next race was the Prix de la Nonette over 2000 m at Deauville Racecourse on 31 August. She started the 9/10 favourite and won by two lengths from India Song with the Prix de Malleret winner Luth de Saron in third place.[4]
Pat Eddery took over from Lequeux for Detroit's next race, the Group One Prix Vermeille over 2400 m at Longchamp Racecourse on 14 September. She started the 11/4 favourite against a strong field which included Aryenne (Poule d'Essai des Pouliches), Mrs Penny (Prix de Diane), Cairn Rouge (Irish 1,000 Guineas) and Gold River. Detroit was unable to obtain a clear run until the closing stages, but then produced a strong late run to finish third, beaten half a length and three quarters of a length by Mrs Penny and the Irish-trained outsider Little Bonny. Many observers, including Timeform, considered Detroit to have been a very unlucky loser. On 5 October, Detroit was one of twenty horses to contest Europe's most prestigious weight-for-age race, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe over 2400 m at Longchamp. Ridden by Eddery, she started the 6.7/1 fourth choice in the betting behind the British four-year-old Ela-Mana-Mou, the French colt Le Marmot and the 1979 Arc winner Three Troikas. Unusually, the race was run on firm ground and the presence of several pacemakers ensured that the early pace was very fast. Eddery retrained the filly in the early stages before moving to the outside to make her challenge in the straight. Detroit made rapid progress, overtaking Ela-Mana-Mou and Three Troikas inside the last 200 m and holding the late run of Argument to win by half a length.[4] The winning time of 2:28.0 was a new record for the race.[5]
1981: four-year-old season
Detroit's form in the early part of 1981 was disappointing. She finished fourth of the six runners behind Argument in the Prix d'Harcourt and fifth of nine behind the same horse in the Prix Ganay on 3 May. Detroit was off the course for sixteen weeks before returning to win a minor race over 2200 m at Clairefontaine in August. She then followed up by winning the Prix Ridgway at Deauville, beating Ruscelli by one and a half lengths. According to Timeform, she looked to be in much better condition than in spring, but wore bandages on her legs, suggesting injury problems. In September, Detroit started odds-on favourite for the Prix Foy over 2400 m at Longchamp. In a slowly run race, she accelerated clear of her three opponents early in the straight and was eased down in the closing stages to win by two lengths from Lancastrian, with Gold River in third place. On 4 October, Detroit started the 7/2 second favourite in her attempt to win a second Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and was ridden by Freddy Head, who had opted to ride her in preference to Gold River. Detroit was well-placed in the early stages but dropped away in the straight and finished twentieth of the twenty-four runners behind Gold River. On her only subsequent appearance, Detroit finished fifth behind April Run in the Turf Classic at Aqueduct Race Track.[6]
Assessment
In 1980, Detroit was given a rating of 131 by the independent Timeform organisation, making her the highest-rated three-year-old filly of the year. She was also the top-rated three-year-old filly in the official International Classification, two pound ahead of Mrs Penny.[7] Timeform awarded Detroit a rating of 126 in 1981. In the International Classification she was rated the second-best older female in Europe, seven pounds below Gold River.[6]
In their book, A Century of Champions, based on the Timeform rating system, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Detroit an "inferior" winner of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.[5]
Broodmare career
Detroit was retired from racing to become a broodmare for her owner's Swettenham Stud. She produced at least twelve foals between 1983 and 2001:
- Lake Erie (bay colt, foaled in 1983, sired by Kings Lake), won six races, including the St. Simon Stakes[8]
- Nordic Legend (bay colt, 1985, by Northern Dancer), unraced
- Nocturnal Song (bay filly, 1986, by Northern Dancer), unraced
- Antisaar (bay colt, 1987, by Northern Dancer), won two races including Prix Guillaume d'Ornano[9]
- Wayne County (bay colt, 1990, by Sadler's Wells), won four races[10]
- Carnegie (bay colt, 1991, by Sadler's Wells), won seven races including Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
- Honfleur (brown filly, 1992, by Sadler's Wells), won two races[11]
- Mayenne (brown filly, 1994, by Nureyev), unraced. Female-line ancestor of Twilight Payment.
- Lamarque (bay filly, 1995, by Nureyev), unraced
- Valencay (bay filly, 1996, by Sadler's Wells), unraced
- Loire Valley (bay filly, 1998, by Sadler's Wells), unraced
- Mennetou (bay filly, 2001, by Entrepreneur), unraced
Detroit died shortly after the birth of her last foal on 20 May 2001 at the Swettenham Stud.[12]
Pedigree
Sire Riverman (USA) 1969 | Never Bend (USA) 1960 | Nasrullah | Nearco |
---|---|---|---|
Mumtaz Begum | |||
Lalun | Djeddah | ||
Be Faithful | |||
River Lady (USA) 1963 | Prince John | Princequillo | |
Not Afraid | |||
Nile Lily | Roman | ||
Azalea | |||
Dam Derna (FR) 1961 | Sunny Boy (FR) 1944 | Jock | Asterus |
Naic | |||
Fille de Soleil | Solario | ||
Fille de Salut | |||
Miss Barberie (FR) 1950 | Norseman | Umidwar | |
Tara | |||
Vaneuse | Vatellor | ||
Diseuse (Family 16-c)[3] |
References
- ^ a b "Detroit pedigree". 8 May 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
- ^ "Detroit image". sporthorse-data.com. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
- ^ a b "Thoroughbred Bloodlines – Little Agnes – Family 16-c". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
- ^ a b c Timeform staff (1981). Racehorses of 1980. Timeform. ISBN 0-900599-31-6.
- ^ a b Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1999). A Century of Champions. Portway Press. ISBN 978-1-901570-15-1.
- ^ a b Timeform staff (1982). Racehorses of 1981. Timeform. ISBN 0-900599-33-2.
- ^ Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1990). Horse Racing: Records, Facts, Champions (Third ed.). Guinness Publishing. ISBN 0-85112-902-1.
- ^ Timeform staff (1988). Racehorses of 1987. Timeform. ISBN 0-900599-46-4.
- ^ "Antisaar Record By Race Type". Racing Post. 2 June 2011. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
- ^ "Wayne County Record By Race Type". Racing Post. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
- ^ "Honfleur Record By Race Type". Racing Post. 2 June 2011. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
- ^ "Arc Winner Detroit Dead". BloodHorse. 13 September 2001. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
- v
- t
- e
- 1920 Comrade
- 1921 Ksar
- 1922 Ksar
- 1923 Parth
- 1924 Massine
- 1925 Priori
- 1926 Biribi
- 1927 Mon Talisman
- 1928 Kantar
- 1929 Ortello
- 1930 Motrico
- 1931 Pearl Cap ♥
- 1932 Motrico
- 1933 Crapom
- 1934 Brantôme
- 1935 Samos ♥
- 1936 Corrida ♥
- 1937 Corrida ♥
- 1938 Eclair au Chocolat
- 1941 Le Pacha
- 1942 Djebel
- 1943 Verso
- 1944 Ardan
- 1945 Nikellora
- 1946 Caracalla
- 1947 Le Paillon
- 1948 Migoli
- 1949 Coronation ♥
- 1950 Tantieme
- 1951 Tantieme
- 1952 Nuccio
- 1953 La Sorellina ♥
- 1954 Sica Boy
- 1955 Ribot
- 1956 Ribot
- 1957 Oroso
- 1958 Ballymoss
- 1959 Saint Crespin
- 1960 Puissant Chef
- 1961 Molvedo
- 1962 Soltikoff
- 1963 Exbury
- 1964 Prince Royal
- 1965 Sea Bird
- 1966 Bon Mot
- 1967 Topyo
- 1968 Vaguely Noble
- 1969 Levmoss
- 1970 Sassafras
- 1971 Mill Reef
- 1972 San San ♥
- 1973 Rheingold
- 1974 Allez France ♥
- 1975 Star Appeal
- 1976 Ivanjica
- 1977 Alleged
- 1978 Alleged
- 1979 Three Troikas ♥
- 1980 Detroit ♥
- 1981 Gold River ♥
- 1982 Akiyda ♥
- 1983 All Along ♥
- 1984 Sagace
- 1985 Rainbow Quest
- 1986 Dancing Brave
- 1987 Trempolino
- 1988 Tony Bin
- 1989 Carroll House
- 1990 Saumarez
- 1991 Suave Dancer
- 1992 Subotica
- 1993 Urban Sea ♥
- 1994 Carnegie
- 1995 Lammtarra
- 1996 Helissio
- 1997 Peintre Celebre
- 1998 Sagamix
- 1999 Montjeu
- 2000 Sinndar
- 2001 Sakhee
- 2002 Marienbard
- 2003 Dalakhani
- 2004 Bago
- 2005 Hurricane Run
- 2006 Rail Link
- 2007 Dylan Thomas
- 2008 Zarkava ♥
- 2009 Sea the Stars
- 2010 Workforce
- 2011 Danedream ♥
- 2012 Solemia ♥
- 2013 Treve ♥
- 2014 Treve ♥
- 2015 Golden Horn
- 2016 Found ♥
- 2017 Enable ♥
- 2018 Enable ♥
- 2019 Waldgeist
- 2020 Sottsass
- 2021 Torquator Tasso
- 2022 Alpinista ♥
- 2023 Ace Impact