Teofilo (horse)
Encyclopedia
Teofilo is a retired Thoroughbred
racehorse and active stallion who was bred and trained in Ireland
. He is best known for being the European Champion Two-Year-Old of 2006, and retiring undefeated after five starts. He won two Group One
races: the National Stakes
in Ireland and the Dewhurst Stakes
in England. He was made favourite for both the favourite for both the 2000 Guineas and the Epsom Derby
but suffered a knee injury in April 2007 which ended his racing career. He is currently at standing at stud in County Kildare
.
, dark bay horse bred in Ireland by Jim Bolger and owned during his racing career by Jackie Bolger in partnership with John Corcoran. Sired by the Derby
winner Galileo
and the second foal of the Danehill mare Speirbhean, he was named after the Cuban Olympic boxer Teófilo Stevenson
. He was sent into training at his breeder's stable in Kilkenny
and was ridden in all his starts by Kevin Manning.
trained Red Rock Canyon in a maiden race at the Curragh
. Two weeks later he was moved up to Group III
class and won the Tyros Stakes
at Leopardstown
, beating the English colt Middleham "comfortably". Back at the Curragh, he was hard-pressed to record a narrow win the Group II Futurity Stakes, beating the future Group I winner Eagle Mountain
by a head, with the rest of the field well beaten.
In his next start, he was sent for one of Ireland's most prestigious juvenile races, the Group I National Stakes. In this race he was matched against the best of Aidan O'Brien's two-year-olds Holy Roman Emperor
, the winner of the Railway
and Phoenix Stakes
. Teofilo raced prominently, took the lead two furlongs out, and stayed on to score an "impressive" one and a quarter length win over the Ballydoyle
colt, with the two finishing well clear. After the race Teofilo was the subject of the highest praise, being talked of as a potential Triple Crown
winner and being described by Bolger as the best horse he had ever trained, superior to his King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner St Jovite
.
On his final start of the year, Teofilo was sent to England to contest the Dewhurst Stakes
at Newmarket
in which he again faced Holy Roman Emperor who had won the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère
since their last meeting. Teofilo started slowly, but was moved into the lead a furlong out. He was immediately challenged and headed by Holy Roman Emperor, but stayed on strongly to regain the lead near the line and win by a head. Immediately after the race, Teofilo was favourite for the following season's 2000 Guineas and Derby
at odds of 5-2 and 4-1 respectively. Jim Bolger emphasised his opinion that whatever Teofilo had already achieved, he would be better as a three-year-old running over middle distances; "you won't see the true horse until he goes over a mile and a half".
. He is based at the Kildangan Stud, Kildare
for the first part of the year, before being "shuttled" to the Kelvinside Stud, NSW
for the Southern Hemispehere breeding season.
His first offspring appeared on the racecourse in 2011, and include the Tyros Stakes
winning filly Remember Alexander. In October Teofilo had his first Group One winner when Parish Hall emulated his sire by winning the Dewhurst Stakes for Jim Bolger.
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 active stallion who was bred and trained in 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...
. He is best known for being the European Champion Two-Year-Old of 2006, and retiring undefeated after five starts. He won two Group One
Conditions races
Conditions races are horse races where the weights carried by the runners are laid down by the conditions attached to the race. Weights are allocated according to; the sex of the runners, with female runners carrying less weight than males; the age of the runners, with younger horses receiving...
races: the National Stakes
National Stakes
The National Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September....
in Ireland and the Dewhurst Stakes
Dewhurst Stakes
The Dewhurst Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in October.The event was established in 1875, and it...
in England. He was made favourite for both the favourite for both the 2000 Guineas and the 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...
but suffered a knee injury in April 2007 which ended his racing career. He is currently at standing at stud in County Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
.
Background
Teofilo is a 16.2 handHand (unit)
The hand is a non-SI unit of measurement of length, now used only for the measurement of the height of horses in some English-speaking countries, including Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA. With origins in ancient Egypt, it was originally based on the breadth of a human hand...
, dark bay horse bred in Ireland by Jim Bolger and owned during his racing career by Jackie Bolger in partnership with John Corcoran. Sired by the 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 Galileo
Galileo (horse)
Galileo is a retired Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire. He is best known for winning the Epsom Derby, Irish Derby Stakes, and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 2001 and for his rivalry with the Godolphin champion Fantastic Light...
and the second foal of the Danehill mare Speirbhean, he was named after the Cuban Olympic boxer Teófilo Stevenson
Teófilo Stevenson
Teófilo Stevenson Lawrence or Teófilo Stevenson is a former Cuban amateur boxer. He is one of the only three boxers to win three Olympic gold medals, alongside Hungarian László Papp and fellow Cuban Félix Savón....
. He was sent into training at his breeder's stable in Kilkenny
County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. The territory of the county was the core part of the ancient Irish Kingdom of Osraige which in turn was the core of the Diocese of...
and was ridden in all his starts by Kevin Manning.
2006: two-year-old season
Teofilo began his career with a neck win over the Aidan O'BrienAidan O'Brien
Aidan Patrick O'Brien is an Irish horse racing trainer. Since 1996, he has been the private trainer at Ballydoyle Stables near Cashel in County Tipperary for John Magnier and his Coolmore Stud associates....
trained Red Rock Canyon in a maiden race at the Curragh
Curragh
The Curragh is a flat open plain of almost 5,000 acres of common land in County Kildare, Ireland, between Newbridge and Kildare. This area is well-known for Irish horse breeding and training. The Irish National Stud is located on the edge of Kildare town, beside the famous Japanese Gardens. Also...
. Two weeks later he was moved up to Group III
Conditions races
Conditions races are horse races where the weights carried by the runners are laid down by the conditions attached to the race. Weights are allocated according to; the sex of the runners, with female runners carrying less weight than males; the age of the runners, with younger horses receiving...
class and won the Tyros Stakes
Tyros Stakes
The Tyros Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July....
at Leopardstown
Leopardstown Racecourse
Leopardstown Racecourse is an Irish horse-racing venue. Like the majority of Irish courses, it hosts both National Hunt and Flat racing. Located in Leopardstown, County Dublin, 8km south of the Dublin city centre. The course was built by Captain George Quin and modeled on Sandown Park Racecourse...
, beating the English colt Middleham "comfortably". Back at the Curragh, he was hard-pressed to record a narrow win the Group II Futurity Stakes, beating the future Group I winner Eagle Mountain
Eagle Mountain (horse)
Eagle Mountain is a racehorse, sired by seven-time group one winner Rock of Gibraltar and trained by Mike de Kock....
by a head, with the rest of the field well beaten.
In his next start, he was sent for one of Ireland's most prestigious juvenile races, the Group I National Stakes. In this race he was matched against the best of Aidan O'Brien's two-year-olds Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor (horse)
Holy Roman Emperor, sired by Danehill out of a Secretariat mare, was a leading two-year-old winning four races from seven runs racehorse in Europe in 2006...
, the winner of the Railway
Railway Stakes (Ireland)
The Railway Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late June or early July....
and Phoenix Stakes
Phoenix Stakes
The Phoenix Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July or August.-History:...
. Teofilo raced prominently, took the lead two furlongs out, and stayed on to score an "impressive" one and a quarter length win over the Ballydoyle
Ballydoyle
Ballydoyle is a racehorse training facility located in County Tipperary in Ireland. It is a sister thoroughbred facility to Coolmore Stud, and both are owned by John Magnier...
colt, with the two finishing well clear. After the race Teofilo was the subject of the highest praise, being talked of as a potential Triple Crown
Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing consists of three races for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment of a Thoroughbred racehorse...
winner and being described by Bolger as the best horse he had ever trained, superior to his King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner St Jovite
St Jovite
St Jovite is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred and raced by American Virginia Kraft Payson, he was sired by Pleasant Colony, winner of the 1981 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. He was out of Ms...
.
On his final start of the year, Teofilo was sent to England to contest the Dewhurst Stakes
Dewhurst Stakes
The Dewhurst Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in October.The event was established in 1875, and it...
at Newmarket
Newmarket Racecourse
The town of Newmarket, in Suffolk, England, is the headquarters of British horseracing, home to the largest cluster of training yards in the country and many key horse racing organisations. Newmarket Racecourse has two courses - the Rowley Mile Course and the July Course. Both are wide, galloping...
in which he again faced Holy Roman Emperor who had won the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère
Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère
The Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early October.It is the oldest and most prestigious race in France...
since their last meeting. Teofilo started slowly, but was moved into the lead a furlong out. He was immediately challenged and headed by Holy Roman Emperor, but stayed on strongly to regain the lead near the line and win by a head. Immediately after the race, Teofilo was favourite for the following season's 2000 Guineas and 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...
at odds of 5-2 and 4-1 respectively. Jim Bolger emphasised his opinion that whatever Teofilo had already achieved, he would be better as a three-year-old running over middle distances; "you won't see the true horse until he goes over a mile and a half".
2007: three-year-old season
In April 2007, as Teofilo was being prepared for the 2000 Guineas when rumours began to circulate that "all was not well" Jim Bolger responded by confirming that the colt had suffered a minor setback, but was still on target. A week before the race, Teofilo was reported to be exercising impressively, reviving speculation about a Triple Crown challenge. Four days later, however, Teofilo was withdrawn from the race after suffering a knee injury in training. His connections kept him in training, with the hope of returning later in the season, but he never ran again, and his retirement was announced in August 2007.Race record
| Date | Race | Dist (f) | Course | Class | Prize (£K) | Odds | Runners | Placing | Margin | Time | Jockey | Trainer | Cite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jumeirah EBF Maiden | 7 | Curragh Curragh The Curragh is a flat open plain of almost 5,000 acres of common land in County Kildare, Ireland, between Newbridge and Kildare. This area is well-known for Irish horse breeding and training. The Irish National Stud is located on the edge of Kildare town, beside the famous Japanese Gardens. Also... |
Maiden | 8 | 8/1 | 10 | 1 | Neck | 1:26.30 | Kevin Manning | Jim Bolger Jim Bolger (racehorse trainer) James S. "Jim" Bolger is an Thoroughbred racehorse trainer and breeder based in Coolcullen in County Kilkenny. For many years now he has been recognised as one of the racing greats in Ireland... |
||
| KRA Tyros Stakes Tyros Stakes The Tyros Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July.... |
7 | Leopardstown Leopardstown Racecourse Leopardstown Racecourse is an Irish horse-racing venue. Like the majority of Irish courses, it hosts both National Hunt and Flat racing. Located in Leopardstown, County Dublin, 8km south of the Dublin city centre. The course was built by Captain George Quin and modeled on Sandown Park Racecourse... |
3 | 22 | 7/2 | 11 | 1 | 1.75 | 1:30.00 | Kevin Manning | Jim Bolger Jim Bolger (racehorse trainer) James S. "Jim" Bolger is an Thoroughbred racehorse trainer and breeder based in Coolcullen in County Kilkenny. For many years now he has been recognised as one of the racing greats in Ireland... |
||
| Galileo EBF Futurity Stakes Futurity Stakes (Ireland) The Futurity Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August.-History:... |
7 | Curragh Curragh The Curragh is a flat open plain of almost 5,000 acres of common land in County Kildare, Ireland, between Newbridge and Kildare. This area is well-known for Irish horse breeding and training. The Irish National Stud is located on the edge of Kildare town, beside the famous Japanese Gardens. Also... |
2 | 51 | 6/4 | 7 | 1 | Head | 1:22.60 | Kevin Manning | Jim Bolger Jim Bolger (racehorse trainer) James S. "Jim" Bolger is an Thoroughbred racehorse trainer and breeder based in Coolcullen in County Kilkenny. For many years now he has been recognised as one of the racing greats in Ireland... |
||
| Laing O’Rourke National Stakes National Stakes The National Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.... |
7 | Curragh Curragh The Curragh is a flat open plain of almost 5,000 acres of common land in County Kildare, Ireland, between Newbridge and Kildare. This area is well-known for Irish horse breeding and training. The Irish National Stud is located on the edge of Kildare town, beside the famous Japanese Gardens. Also... |
1 | 124 | 2/1 | 6 | 1 | 1.25 | 1:26.40 | Kevin Manning | Jim Bolger Jim Bolger (racehorse trainer) James S. "Jim" Bolger is an Thoroughbred racehorse trainer and breeder based in Coolcullen in County Kilkenny. For many years now he has been recognised as one of the racing greats in Ireland... |
||
| Darley Dewhurst Stakes Dewhurst Stakes The Dewhurst Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in October.The event was established in 1875, and it... |
7 | Newmarket Newmarket Racecourse The town of Newmarket, in Suffolk, England, is the headquarters of British horseracing, home to the largest cluster of training yards in the country and many key horse racing organisations. Newmarket Racecourse has two courses - the Rowley Mile Course and the July Course. Both are wide, galloping... |
1 | 141 | 11/8 | 15 | 1 | Head | 1:26.12 | Kevin Manning | Jim Bolger Jim Bolger (racehorse trainer) James S. "Jim" Bolger is an Thoroughbred racehorse trainer and breeder based in Coolcullen in County Kilkenny. For many years now he has been recognised as one of the racing greats in Ireland... |
Assessment
Teofilo was the highest rated European two-year-old of 2006 with a rating of 123. At the launch of the ratings, he was described by the senior Irish Handicapper Gary O'Gorman as a "monster". He was awarded the title of European Champion Two-Year-Old at the Cartier Racing Awards.Stud career
Teofilo stands as a stallion for the Darley StudDarley Stud
Darley Stud is a Thoroughbred breeding operation owned by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai and vice-president of the United Arab Emirates. Darley breeds horses in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, Dubai, Japan and Australia....
. He is based at the Kildangan Stud, Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
for the first part of the year, before being "shuttled" to the Kelvinside Stud, NSW
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
for the Southern Hemispehere breeding season.
His first offspring appeared on the racecourse in 2011, and include the Tyros Stakes
Tyros Stakes
The Tyros Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July....
winning filly Remember Alexander. In October Teofilo had his first Group One winner when Parish Hall emulated his sire by winning the Dewhurst Stakes for Jim Bolger.