Heliopolis was a British 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 and Champion sire bred and raced by Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby

Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby

Edward George Villiers Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby KG, GCB, GCVO, TD, PC, KGStJ, JP , known as Lord Stanley from 1893 to 1908, was a British soldier, Conservative politician, diplomat and racehorse owner. He was twice Secretary of State for War and also served as British Ambassador to...

. He was raced from age two to four and then exported during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 to the Coldstream Stud of E. Dale Shaffer in 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...

 and arrived at the port of New York

Port of New York and New Jersey

The Port of New York and New Jersey comprises the waterways in the estuary of the New York-Newark metropolitan area with a port district encompassing an approximate area within a radius of the Statue of Liberty National Monument...

 on August 10, 1941. After limited and less than successful racing on dirt, he was sent to stand at his owner's stud.

Important and influential sire

A sire of Champions

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...

, Heliopolis was the Leading sire in North America

Leading sire in North America

The list below shows the leading sire of Thoroughbred racehorses in North America for each year since 1830. This is determined by the amount of prizemoney won by the sire's progeny during the year...

 in 1950 and 1954. Among his best progeny were three American Champion Three-Year-Old Fillys, Grecian Queen

Grecian Queen

Grecian Queen was an American Champion Thoroughbred filly racehorse. She was bred by Dallas, Texas businessman Ben Whitaker and raced under his wife's name. A consistently good and durable runner at age two and three, she won at distances from five and one half furlongs to a mile and three...

 (1953), Parlo

Parlo

Parlo was an American Thoroughbred Champion racehorse. Bred by William duPont, Jr. at his Walnut Hall Farm near Boyce, Virginia, she was out of the mare Fairy Palace and sired by the good British runner Heliopolis whom Parlo helped earn his second Leading sire in North America title in 1954.-At 2...

 (1954), and Berlo

Berlo

Berlo was an American Thoroughbred Champion racehorse. Bred by William duPont, Jr. at his Walnut Hall Farm near Boyce, Virginia, she was out of the mare Faberose, a daughter of duPont's Santa Anita Handicap winner, Rosemont...

 (1960). Parlo also earned the American Champion Older Female Horse title in 1954 and 1955. He was the sire of the very good runner and sire of Champions, Summer Tan

Summer Tan

Summer Tan was an American Thoroughbred racehorse bred and raced by Dorothy Firestone Galbreath and race conditioned by U.S. Racing Hall of Fame trainer, Sherrill Ward....

. His other successful sons include Ace Admiral

Ace Admiral

Ace Admiral was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. His sire, Heliopolis, was the leading sire in North America in 1950 and again in 1954. His grandsire, Hyperion, was a six-time leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland...

, High Gun

High Gun

High Gun was an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. His sire, Heliopolis, was a two-time Leading sire in North America. His dam was Rocket Gun whose damsire was the legendary Man o' War....

, the 1954 American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse and 1955 American Champion Older Male Horse, and the top caliber sprinter Olympia

Olympia (horse)

Olympia was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won top races at age two through four then became a foundation sire for Florida breeder, Fred W. Hooper. Bred by Hall of Fame jockey turned trainer, Ivan H. Parke, he was...

 who became a foundation sire for Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

 breeder, Fred W. Hooper

Fred W. Hooper

Fred William Hooper was an American Thoroughbred racehorse owner and breeder. He was a member of The Jockey Club, an honorary director of the Breeders' Cup, and one of the founders of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association and one of its first presidents.Born in Cleveland, Georgia, ...

. Heliopolis is the grandsire of Greek Song, Pia Star

Pia Star

Pia Star was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who equaled a world record for one mile on dirt in winning the 1965 Equipoise Mile Handicap at Arlington Park in Chicago. In addition, he won the 1965 Brooklyn and Suburban Handicaps and in 1966, the Widener Handicap at Hialeah Park Race Track in...

, and Pucker Up

Pucker Up (horse)

Pucker Up was an American Champion Thoroughbred racing mare. She was bred by Dan and Ada Rice's Danada Farm, and raced under Mrs. Rice's name. Her training was handled by future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee, Jimmy Conway and his assistant, Al Robertson.Racing in Chicago, in July she won the...

.

Important and influential damsire

Heliopolis was the damsire of the 1968 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, Forward Pass

Forward Pass (horse)

Forward Pass was an American Thoroughbred Champion racehorse who is the only horse in the history of the Kentucky Derby to have been declared the winner as the result of a disqualification....

, of All Beautiful, the 1969 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year

Kentucky Broodmare of the Year

The list that follows is of the all the mares that have won the honor of being named Kentucky Broodmare of the Year. Mares are selected each year by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. Mares are graded by the success of offspring just like stallions in regards to the Leading...

 as well as Iberia who earned Kentucky Broodmare honors in 1971 and who was the dam of 1972 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...

 and Belmont Stakes

Belmont Stakes

The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...

 winner, 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, 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...

. Heliopolis was also the damsire of Marshua

Marshua

Marshua was an American Thoroughbred racehorse sired by her famous father Nashua out of Emardee, by Heliopolis. Marshua was ranked second in her class of two year-olds. She made 16 starts in 1964 and was in the money 15 times an incredible 94% of the time. The highlight of that season was her...

.

E. Dale Shaffer sold Coldstream Stud along with Heliopolis in 1951 to Henry Knight who then syndicated the stallion after which he was moved to Almahurst Farm in Nicholasville, Kentucky

Nicholasville, Kentucky

Nicholasville is the 11th largest city in state of Kentucky and the county seat of Jessamine County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 19,680 at the 2000 census...

.

An aging Heliopolis suffered from laminitis

Laminitis

Laminitis is a disease that affects the feet of ungulates. It is best known in horses and cattle. Symptoms include lameness, and increased temperature in the hooves...

 and in 1959 the twenty-three-year-old horse was humanely euthanized

Animal euthanasia

Animal euthanasia is the act of putting to death painlessly or allowing to die, as by withholding extreme medical measures, an animal suffering from an incurable, especially a painful, disease or condition. Euthanasia methods are designed to cause minimal pain and distress...

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