Dahlia (horse)
Encyclopedia
Dahlia was an American-bred
Hall of Fame
Thoroughbred
racemare
who won major races in France
, England
, Ireland
, Canada
, and the United States
. She was the first Thoroughbred mare to earn more than $1-million.
Dahlia, was a chestnut mare that was foaled in 1970 and was by the Group one
(G1) Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
winner, Vaguely Noble
, her dam Charming Alibi was by Honeys Alibi. She was inbred to Hyperion
in the fourth generation (4m x 4f). Dahlia was a sister to Very Charming and the moderate stakes winner, Captain General. She was also a half sister to Amalgam, Canadian Bound, Golden Alibi and six others, none of which had anything like her ability, even though they were by top sires.
oilman
Nelson Bunker Hunt
, Dahlia was trained in France by Maurice Zilber
. Dahlia raced on turf in Europe, and during her career, there were few who could successfully compete with her over the grass. As a two-year-old she won the Prix Yacowlef
.
At age three, in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot Racecourse
she was last entering the short straight but then raced past the entire field to defeat male horses of her own age and older including John W. Galbreath's Epsom Derby
winner, Roberto
to win by six lengths. During 1973 she also won the following races in Europe: the Prix de la Grotte
, Prix Saint-Alary
, Irish Oaks
Stakes and Prix Niel
. From there, Dahlia went on to become one of international racing's biggest stars during the 1970s and a multi award-winner in Europe and the United States.
As a four-year-old Dahlia won the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud
, G1 Benson and Hedges Gold Cup
for the first time and the Man O' War Stakes
. In 1975 Dahlia again won the Benson & Hedges Stakes contested over 10 furlongs.
Sent to race permanently in California
in 1976, her trainer was Charlie Whittingham
. Based at Hollywood Park Racetrack, she won the 1976 G1 Hollywood Invitational Handicap
contested over 10 furlongs, Washington, D.C. International Stakes, and Man O' War Stakes
again defeating her male counterparts. Dahlia was only the second female winner, (after Typecast) of the Hollywood Invitational Handicap since its inception 35 years earlier. In Canada she won the Canadian International Stakes
in course record time.
In all, Dahlia had 48 starts, for 15 wins and 3 seconds and 7 thirds, defeating Classic-winning colts, in England, Ireland, France, Canada and the United States for $1,489,105 in prize money. Dahlia won an Eclipse Award
and was voted 1973 and 1974 United Kingdom Horse of the Year. In 1981 she was inducted in the American Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 1981.
who sent her to Diamond A Farm in Kentucky
.
Bred to the best stallions available, Dahlia produced 12 foals which are listed below.
She was pensioned in 1996 and remained there until her death, at 31 years, in 2001 when she was buried in the farm's horse cemetery.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Hall of Fame
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...
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...
racemare
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 won major races in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, 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...
, 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...
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. She was the first Thoroughbred mare to earn more than $1-million.
Dahlia, was a chestnut mare that was foaled in 1970 and was by 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...
(G1) Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year, usually on the first Sunday in October.Popularly referred to as the...
winner, Vaguely Noble
Vaguely Noble
Vaguely Noble was an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in the United Kingdom and France. The colt is best known as the winner of the 1968 Group one Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe when he defeated the best horses from England, France, Ireland and Italy...
, her dam Charming Alibi was by Honeys Alibi. She was inbred to Hyperion
Hyperion (horse)
Hyperion was a British bred Thoroughbred, a dual classic winner and an outstanding sire. Owned by Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby, Hyperion won £29,509 during his career - a considerable sum at the time. His victories included the Epsom Derby and St...
in the fourth generation (4m x 4f). Dahlia was a sister to Very Charming and the moderate stakes winner, Captain General. She was also a half sister to Amalgam, Canadian Bound, Golden Alibi and six others, none of which had anything like her ability, even though they were by top sires.
Racing record
Owned and bred by TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
oilman
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
Nelson Bunker Hunt
Nelson Bunker Hunt
Nelson Bunker Hunt is an American oil company executive. He is best known as a former billionaire whose fortune collapsed after he and his brother William Herbert Hunt tried but failed to corner the world market in silver. He is also a successful thoroughbred horse breeder.-Personal:Hunt was born...
, Dahlia was trained in France by Maurice Zilber
Maurice Zilber
Maurice Zilber was a thoroughbred horse trainer born and raised in Cairo, Egypt to a Turkish mother and a French-Hungarian father...
. Dahlia raced on turf in Europe, and during her career, there were few who could successfully compete with her over the grass. As a two-year-old she won the Prix Yacowlef
Prix Yacowlef
The Prix Yacowlef is a Listed flat horse race in France open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 1,000 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late June or early July....
.
At age three, in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot Racecourse
Ascot Racecourse
Ascot Racecourse is a famous English racecourse, located in the small town of Ascot, Berkshire, used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 9 of the UK's 32 annual Group 1 races...
she was last entering the short straight but then raced past the entire field to defeat male horses of her own age and older including John W. Galbreath's 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, Roberto
Roberto (horse)
Roberto was an American-bred Thoroughbred Champion racehorse who competed in Ireland and England.-Background:Roberto was bred by Galbreath at his Darby Dan Farm near Lexington, Kentucky. The son of the successful sire Hail To Reason out of the dam Bramalea, Roberto's grandsire was Turn-To, a...
to win by six lengths. During 1973 she also won the following races in Europe: the Prix de la Grotte
Prix de la Grotte
The Prix de la Grotte is a Group 3 flat horse race in France which is open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,600 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in April.-History:...
, Prix Saint-Alary
Prix Saint-Alary
The Prix Saint-Alary is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,000 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May....
, Irish Oaks
Irish Oaks
The Irish Oaks is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July....
Stakes and Prix Niel
Prix Niel
The Prix Niel is a Group 2 flat horse race in France which is 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 September....
. From there, Dahlia went on to become one of international racing's biggest stars during the 1970s and a multi award-winner in Europe and the United States.
As a four-year-old Dahlia won the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud
Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud
The Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Saint-Cloud over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late June.-History:...
, G1 Benson and 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....
for the first time and the Man O' War Stakes
Man O' War Stakes
The Man o' War Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Now Raced in July, it is a Grade I event offering a purse of $500,000 and is open to horses three-years-old and up. Run at one and three-eighths mile on the grass, the race sometimes attracts top European horses...
. In 1975 Dahlia again won the Benson & Hedges Stakes contested over 10 furlongs.
Sent to race permanently in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1976, her trainer was Charlie Whittingham
Charlie Whittingham
Charles Edward Whittingham was an American thoroughbred race horse trainer who is one of the most acclaimed trainers in U.S. racing history....
. Based at Hollywood Park Racetrack, she won the 1976 G1 Hollywood Invitational Handicap
Charles Whittingham Memorial Handicap
The Charles Whittingham Memorial Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually during the second week of June at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California...
contested over 10 furlongs, Washington, D.C. International Stakes, and Man O' War Stakes
Man O' War Stakes
The Man o' War Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Now Raced in July, it is a Grade I event offering a purse of $500,000 and is open to horses three-years-old and up. Run at one and three-eighths mile on the grass, the race sometimes attracts top European horses...
again defeating her male counterparts. Dahlia was only the second female winner, (after Typecast) of the Hollywood Invitational Handicap since its inception 35 years earlier. In Canada she won the Canadian 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....
in course record time.
In all, Dahlia had 48 starts, for 15 wins and 3 seconds and 7 thirds, defeating Classic-winning colts, in England, Ireland, France, Canada and the United States for $1,489,105 in prize money. Dahlia won an 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...
and was voted 1973 and 1974 United Kingdom Horse of the Year. In 1981 she was inducted in the American Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 1981.
Breeding record
At the end of the racing season Dahlia was retired and went on to an impressive record as a broodmare, something uncommon among great racemares. In 1988, Hunt sold his racing operations and Dahlia was purchased for $1.1 million by American owner/breeder, Allen E. PaulsonAllen E. Paulson
Allen Eugene Paulson was an American aviation entrepreneur, philanthropist, thoroughbred racehorse breeder and owner, and a self-made multi-millionaire.-Business career in aviation:Born in Clinton, Iowa, Allen E...
who sent her to Diamond A Farm 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...
.
Bred to the best stallions available, Dahlia produced 12 foals which are listed below.
- 1978 - colt Balcones (USA) Bold Forbes (USA)
- 1979 - colt Decadrachm by What A Pleasure (USA)
- 1980 - colt J.O. Dahlia by J.O. Tobin (USA)
- 1981 bay colt, Dahar by Lyphard, winner of four G1 events in France and the US, including the G1 Prix Lupin
- 1982 - colt Rivlia by Riverman, three G1 wins in the US, including the Hollywood Invitational Hcp.
- 1983 - filly Begonia by Plugged Nickle (USA)
- 1984 - colt, Delegant by Grey Dawn (FR), won San Juan Capistrano Invitational Hcp.
- 1985 - filly Dahlia's Image by Lyphard (USA)
- 1987 - filly Wajd , by Northern Dancer (CAN), G2 winner of Grand Prix d'Evry, dam of St Leger winner Nedawi.
- 1989 - filly Dahlia's Dreamer by Theatrical (IRE), G1 winner of Flower Bowl Invitational H.
- 1990 - colt Llandaff by Lyphard (USA), won US Jersey Derby
- 1994 - filly Darling Dahlia by Strawberry Road (AUS)
- 1996 - chestnut filly Tani by Theatrical (IRE)
She was pensioned in 1996 and remained there until her death, at 31 years, in 2001 when she was buried in the farm's horse cemetery.