Lyphard
Encyclopedia
Lyphard was a French
Thoroughbred
racehorse
and an important sire
. American bred in Pennsylvania
, Lyphard was a son of Northern Dancer
out of the mare Goofed. He was auctioned as a weanling at November's Keeneland Sales
to Tim Rogers, a horseman from Ireland
, who then put him up for sale at Newmarket in England
. There, renowned French trainer and breeder Alec Head
purchased him on behalf of Madame Germaine Wertheimer, widow of the prominent French horseman and owner of the famous House of Chanel
, Pierre Wertheimer
. Germaine Wertheimer gave Lyphard his name in honor of the Ukrainian
-born French ballet
dancer and choreographer Serge Lifar
.
On the track, Lyphard competed in France, Ireland, and England, winning six of his twelve starts, including the Group One
Prix Jacques Le Marois
and Prix de la Forêt
. However, it was as a sire that he is best remembered. Retired after the end of the 1972 racing season, he was sent to stand at stud at the Haras d'Etreham near Bayeux
in Normandy
. There, his offspring included the filly Durtal
(b.1974), who won the Cheveley Park Stakes
and was the 1976 United Kingdom Champion 2-Year-Old Filly, plus the colt Pharly (1974-2002), who won several important races in France, including the Group One Prix de la Forêt
, Prix Lupin
and Prix du Moulin de Longchamp
.
Madame Wertheimer died in 1974. In 1978, Lyphard was sent to stand at Gainsway Farm in Lexington, Kentucky
, where he became famous as the sire of a number of important horses. In all, he produced 115 graded stakes race
winners, including:
Lyphard was the damsire of Hatoof
, winner of the 1992 1,000 Guineas and the 1994 U.S. Champion Female Turf Horse
. Lyphard was also the grandsire of 1993 Epsom Derby
winner Commander in Chief
. Among his other descendants are Deep Impact, Japan's
Horse of the Year in 2005 & 2006, and the No.1 ranked horse in the world
in 2006, Invasor
.
In 1996, Lyphard was pensioned from stallion duty at age 27 and lived another nine years. He was one of the oldest horses in the world at the time he was humanely euthanized
on June 10, 2005 as a result of the infirmities of his very old age.
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...
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...
and an important sire
Father
A father, Pop, Dad, or Papa, is defined as a male parent of any type of offspring. The adjective "paternal" refers to father, parallel to "maternal" for mother...
. American bred in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, Lyphard was a son of Northern Dancer
Northern Dancer
Northern Dancer was a Canadian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and the most successful sire of the 20th Century. The National Thoroughbred Racing Association calls him "one of the most influential sires in Thoroughbred history"....
out of the mare Goofed. He was auctioned as a weanling at November's Keeneland Sales
Keeneland Sales
The Keeneland Sales is an American Thoroughbred auction house in Lexington, Kentucky founded in 1935 as a nonprofit racing/auction entity on 147 acres of farmland west of Lexington, which had been owned by Jack O. Keene...
to Tim Rogers, a horseman from 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...
, who then put him up for sale at Newmarket in England
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. There, renowned French trainer and breeder Alec Head
Alec Head
Alec Head was a prominent French horseman and breeder and the owner of Haras du Quesnay near Deauville. A descendant of the great trainers who founded the English Racing Colony in Chantilly, Oise, Head's grandfather was a jockey-turned-trainer, as was his father William Head who was a very...
purchased him on behalf of Madame Germaine Wertheimer, widow of the prominent French horseman and owner of the famous House of Chanel
Chanel
Chanel S.A. is a French fashion house founded by the couturier Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, well established in haute couture, specializing in luxury goods . She gained the name "Coco" while maintaining a career as a singer at a café in France...
, Pierre Wertheimer
Pierre Wertheimer
Pierre Wertheimer was a French businessman.In October 1910, Pierre Wertheimer married Germaine Revel, a daughter of a stockbroker and a member of the Lazard family of investment bankers....
. Germaine Wertheimer gave Lyphard his name in honor of the Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
-born French ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
dancer and choreographer Serge Lifar
Serge Lifar
Serge Lifar ; 15 December 1986) was a French ballet dancer and choreographer of Ukrainian origin, famous as one of the greatest male ballet dancers of the 20th century.-Biography:Lifar was born in Kiev, Ukraine, then part of the Russian Empire...
.
On the track, Lyphard competed in France, Ireland, and England, winning six of his twelve starts, including 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...
Prix Jacques Le Marois
Prix Jacques le Marois
The Prix Jacques Le Marois is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbred colts and fillies aged three years or older. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 1,600 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August....
and Prix de la Forêt
Prix de la Forêt
The Prix de la Forêt 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 1,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late September or early October.-History:The race was established in 1858,...
. However, it was as a sire that he is best remembered. Retired after the end of the 1972 racing season, he was sent to stand at stud at the Haras d'Etreham near Bayeux
Bayeux
Bayeux is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy in northwestern France.Bayeux is the home of the Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England.-Administration:Bayeux is a sub-prefecture of Calvados...
in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
. There, his offspring included the filly Durtal
Durtal
Durtal is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France. It is around 30 km north-east of Angers....
(b.1974), who won the Cheveley Park Stakes
Cheveley Park Stakes
The Cheveley Park Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late September or early October.The event was...
and was the 1976 United Kingdom Champion 2-Year-Old Filly, plus the colt Pharly (1974-2002), who won several important races in France, including the Group One Prix de la Forêt
Prix de la Forêt
The Prix de la Forêt 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 1,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late September or early October.-History:The race was established in 1858,...
, Prix Lupin
Prix Lupin
The Prix Lupin was a Group 1 flat horse race in France which was open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It was run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,100 metres , and it was scheduled to take place each year in May....
and Prix du Moulin de Longchamp
Prix du Moulin de Longchamp
The Prix du Moulin de Longchamp is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbred colts and fillies aged three years or older...
.
Madame Wertheimer died in 1974. In 1978, Lyphard was sent to stand at Gainsway Farm 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...
, where he became famous as the sire of a number of important horses. In all, he produced 115 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...
winners, including:
- Three TroikasThree TroikasThree Troikas was a French Thoroughbred Champion Filly racehorse who was owned, trained, and raced by the three members of the famous Head family....
(b. 1976) - won the 1979 Prix de l'Arc de TriomphePrix de l'Arc de TriompheThe 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... - Dancing BraveDancing BraveDancing Brave was a thoroughbred racehorse, foaled in 1983, a bay colt sired by Lyphard out of Navajo Princess. He was purchased as a yearling by Khalid Abdullah for US$200,000 in Kentucky....
(1983-1999) - 1986 European Horse of the YearEuropean Horse of the YearEuropean Horse of the Year is an award in European Thoroughbred horse racing. Since 1991 the honor has been part of the Cartier Racing Awards. It is presented annually by Cartier SA to a horse of any age racing in Europe.-Honorees:... - ManilaManila (horse)Manila is an American Thoroughbred Hall of Fame Champion racehorse. He was sired by Northern Dancer's son Lyphard, out of the mare Dona Ysidra. He was bred by Filipino food and beverage magnate Eduardo Cojuangco, Jr...
(b. 1983) - won the 1986 Breeders' Cup TurfBreeders' Cup TurfThe Breeders' Cup Turf is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race on turf for three-year-olds and up. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships. The race's current title sponsor is Emirates Airlines.The forerunner...
, was voted U.S. Champion Male Turf HorseEclipse Award for Outstanding Male Turf HorseThe American Champion Male Turf Horse award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor. In 1971 it became part of the Eclipse Awards program and is awarded annually to a Colt or Gelding, regardless of age, for their performance on grass race courses....
, and was ranked the best long-distance turfGrassGrasses, 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 ...
horse in American racing history by Steve Davidowitz of Daily Racing FormDaily Racing FormThe Daily Racing Form is a tabloid newspaper founded in 1894 in Chicago, Illinois by Frank Brunell. The paper publishes the past performances of race horses as a statistical service for bettors on horse racing in the United States.... - Rainbows For LifeRainbows For LifeRainbows For Life is a Canadian Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred and raced by Sam-Son Farm, he was trained by Olympic Gold Medalist and Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee, Jim Day....
(b. 1988) - Multiple stakes winner, three-time Sovereign AwardSovereign AwardThe Sovereign Award is given annually since 1975 by the Jockey Club of Canada to the outstanding horses and people in Canadian Thoroughbred racing.The most prestigious award for horses is Sovereign Horse of the Year....
winner, holds course record for 1⅛ miles on turf at Hawthorne Race CourseHawthorne Race CourseHawthorne Race Course is a race track for horse racing in Stickney/Cicero, Illinois, near Chicago.The oldest continually-run family-owned racetrack in North America, in 2009 the Horseplayers Association of North America introduced a rating system for 65 Thoroughbred racetracks in North America...
set in 1991, champion sire in Czech Republic in 1999, 2004, 2005 and 2006, champion sire in Slovakian Republic in 1999 - Jolypha (1989-2005) - Champion 3-Year-Old Filly in France, who won the 1992 Prix de DianePrix de DianeThe Prix de Diane, sometimes referred to as the French Oaks, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies...
and Prix VermeillePrix VermeilleThe Prix Vermeille is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbred fillies and mares 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 in September.-History:The event was established in 1897, and it...
and was a strong third in that year's Breeders' Cup ClassicBreeders' Cup ClassicThe Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3 year olds and older run at a distance of 1¼ miles on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships...
behind Eclipse Award ChampionEclipse Award for Outstanding Older Male HorseThe title of American Champion Older Male Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually to a stallion or gelding, four years old and up. Prior to 1971, this award was referred to as "Champion Handicap Male Horse", and was open to any horse, three years old and up...
Pleasant TapPleasant TapPleasant Tap was an American thoroughbred stallion racehorse. He was sired by 1981 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Pleasant Colony, out of the mare, Never Knock...
and the race winner, the future U.S. Hall of FameNational Museum of Racing and Hall of FameThe 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...
colt A.P. IndyA.P. IndyA.P. Indy is a champion stallion Thoroughbred racehorse bred in Kentucky, USA, by William Farish III and William Kilroy. He is known for his ancestry, his own record, and his successful progeny. He was sired by Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew through mare Weekend Surprise, who herself was sired...
Lyphard was the damsire of Hatoof
Hatoof
Hatoof is a Thoroughbred Champion racehorse who competed internationally out of a base in Chantilly, France under trainer Criquette Head for owner Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Racing at age 2 in France, Hatoof started three times, winning once and placing second on two occasions...
, winner of the 1992 1,000 Guineas and the 1994 U.S. Champion Female Turf Horse
Eclipse Award for Outstanding Female Turf Horse
The American Champion Female Turf Horse award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor. It is part of the Eclipse Awards program and is awarded annually to a female horse for her performance on grass race courses....
. Lyphard was also the grandsire of 1993 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 Commander in Chief
Commander in Chief (horse)
Commander in Chief was a British thoroughbred racehorse, foaled in 1990 by Dancing Brave out of Slightly Dangerous. His damsire was the 1972 Epsom Derby winner Roberto, and his grandsire was Lyphard, a son of Northern Dancer....
. Among his other descendants are Deep Impact, Japan's
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
Horse of the Year in 2005 & 2006, and the No.1 ranked horse in the world
World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings
The World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings are compiled by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities , an organization established in 2003 with headquarters in Paris, France made up of members from around the world....
in 2006, Invasor
Invasor (horse)
Invasor is a Thoroughbred racehorse bred in Argentina by Haras Clausan. The winner of the 2005 Triple Crown in Uruguay, he was later purchased by Sheik Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum who paid approximately USD 1.4 million for the horse...
.
In 1996, Lyphard was pensioned from stallion duty at age 27 and lived another nine years. He was one of the oldest horses in the world at the time he 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...
on June 10, 2005 as a result of the infirmities of his very old age.