Droll Role was an American

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...

 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...

. Owned and bred by John M. Schiff

John M. Schiff

John Mortimer Schiff was an American banker and national president of the Boy Scouts of America from 1951 to 1956.-Biography:...

, his sire

Sire

Sire may refer to:* Father, the counterpart of a dam, particularly in animal breeding. See also stallion* James W. Sire, author on worldviews* Sire Records, a record label* Sire Advertising, an advertising agency...

 was the great runner and U.S. Racing 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...

 inductee, Tom Rolfe

Tom Rolfe

The racehorse Tom Rolfe was one of the best American sons of the great racehorse and sire Ribot. His dam was Pocahontas, from whom he takes his name...

, a son of the undefeated Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

an superstar, Ribot

Ribot (horse)

Ribot was an Italian bay Thoroughbred racehorse, considered the strongest horse of all time.Undefeated in 16 races, he won over distances ranging from 5 furlongs to 1m 7f , in three different countries and in all types of track conditions...

. His dam was Pradella, whose damsire was 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 ,...

, another undefeated European star and one of the most influential sires of the 20th century.

Trained by future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee Thomas J. Kelly

Thomas Joseph Kelly

Thomas Joseph Kelly is a United States Racing Hall of Fame trainer of Thoroughbred racehorses as well as an owner and breeder....

, as a two-year-old Droll Role's best performance in a major race was a second-place finish in the 1970 Pimlico-Laurel Futurity

Laurel Futurity

The Laurel Futurity is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in late November at Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland. Run over a distance of 1 1/16 miles on turf, at one time it was a Grade I stakes race on dirt, and one of the richest and most important races for two-year-old...

. At age three, he had three second-place finishes in 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...

s but without a win.

At age four, Droll Role developed into one of the top older horses in North America, winning on both dirt and on 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 ...

. He ran third in the 1972 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...

, second in the Manhattan Handicap

Manhattan Handicap

The Manhattan Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race raced annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is named for Manhattan, the principal borough of the City of New York...

, and had another impressive race when he finished second to Quack

Quack (horse)

Quack was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who holds the world record for a three-year-old with the fastest mile and a quarter ever run on dirt. Quack was sired by T.V. Lark, the 1961 American Champion Male Turf Horse, and out of the mare, Quillon, a daughter of the outstanding Champion...

 in world record time in the mile and a quarter Hollywood Gold Cup

Hollywood Gold Cup

The Hollywood Gold Cup is an American Grade I stakes race for thoroughbred horses inaugurated in 1938 at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California. It was run as a handicap race until 1997 when it was switched to weight-for-age conditions...

. Among his wins, Droll Role captured the Tidal Handicap

Tidal Handicap

The Tidal Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race contested on turf at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Run in early July, the Grade II event was open to horses aged three and older....

 in course record time, the Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap

Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap

The Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap is a Grade II race for thoroughbred horses run at Hawthorne Race Course in Stickney, Illinois each year. The Hawthorne Gold Cup trophy has always been made of solid gold....

, the Massachusetts Handicap

Massachusetts Handicap

The Massachusetts Handicap, frequently referred to as the "MassCap", is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds and up held annually at Suffolk Downs in Boston, Massachusetts. It is currently an Ungraded stakes race run over a distance of 9 furlongs on dirt. The race received...

, and defeated the great Hall of Fame

Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame

The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame was established in 1976 at the Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario to honor those who have made a significant contribution to the sport of harness and thoroughbred horse racing in Canada....

 filly

Filly

A filly is a young female horse too young to be called a mare. There are several specific definitions in use.*In most cases filly is a female horse under the age of four years old....

 Belle Geste in 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....

 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...

 which earned him an invitation to compete in the prestigious Washington, D.C. International Stakes at Laurel Park Racecourse. In that race, Droll Role earned the most important win of his racing career, defeating the great Riva Ridge

Riva Ridge

Riva Ridge was a thoroughbred racehorse, the winner of the 1972 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. A son of First Landing out of Iberia , he was owned and bred by the Meadow Stable of Christopher Chenery. The horse's name came from Chenery's son-in-law, John Tweedy, who was a soldier in World War...

 plus some of the best runners from Europe including that year's 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, San San.

Retired to 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...

 duty in 1973, the offspring of Droll Role met with modest racing success. He was the damsire of Paristo who won the 1981 Illinois

Illinois Derby

The Illinois Derby is a race for Thoroughbred horses held in early April each year. First run in 1923, the Derby takes place at Hawthorne Race Course located in Stickney/Cicero, Illinois, just west of Chicago...

 and Tampa Bay Derby

Tampa Bay Derby

The Tampa Bay Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race held in mid March at Tampa Bay Downs. A Grade III event since 2002, it is open to three-year-olds willing to race one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt. The race has gained in popularity over the past few years and is now listed as an...

s and was third in the Preakness Stakes

Preakness Stakes

The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...

. In 1980 Droll Role was sent to a breeding operation in Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

where his last foal was born in 1987.