Vagrancy (horse)
Encyclopedia
Vagrancy the 1942 champion 3-year-old filly and handicap mare was honored with a race in her name which is run at Belmont Park
. Most acknowledge her grit and determination in that she had 12 starts against males, although she never finished better than second. Vagrancy raced for Belair Stud and was trained for most of her career by “Sunny” Jim Fitzsimmons.
was a promising winner at two-years old and then ran an incredible twenty one times in a "Sunny" Jim Fitzsimmons campaign for the ages that made her the 1942 American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly. She was also the champion "handicap" filly that season after beating the older crops in head-to-head races. At age three she bloomed into the champion of her crop, with a delightful list on nine stakes races won including some of the best Belair targets, winning the Coaching Club American Oaks
, the Pimlico Oaks
, the Delaware Oaks
, the Alabama Stakes
, the Gazelle Stakes and the Test Stakes
against her own age, and the Beldame Handicap
and Ladies Handicap against older fillies and mares. At age 3, she made 21 starts, compiling a record of ten wins, four seconds, and one third. She was first or second in eleven straight races against her own sex; her second against the boys came in the Lawrence Realization.
Vagrancy raced 42 times and hit the board in 31 of her starts. She won most of the most important stakes races in New York at the time for fillies, including the Ladies Handicap, the Alabama, the Test, the Coaching Club American Oaks, and the Gazelle[1]. One of Vagrancy's most famous race was probably the Beldame Stakes (because of a rare grade 1one outcome), in which she led for most of the race but was caught at the wire by Barrancosa; following a review of the photo, the race was declared a dead heat. Better than losing, certainly, but I can’t imagine that William Woodward left the racetrack feeling satisfied either. From The Times: “William Woodward, of Belair Stud was chairman of the Jockey Club
and breeder and owner of Vagrancy, flipped a coin in the unsaddling enclosure after the finish and thereby lost possession for the coming year of the Beldame Trophy. It will travel West to Bing Crosby and Lin Howard, owners of Binglin Stock Farm and importers of Barrancosa.” Win the race and lose the coin toss. Ouch!.
and the good filly Vulcania, who also became an important broodmare [2]. Another daughter, Natasha, also became a major producer, and her daughter Natashka was Broodmare of the Year in 1981. In foaling Black Tarquin, she seemed to justify her importation. Black Tarquin was a huge colt that often demonstrated his brilliance by ascertaining victories in sprints, one-mile distances as well as marathons. He finished second in the Ascot Gold Cup, all told winning eight of fifteen starts and being recorded as England's champion three-year old of 1948.
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...
. Most acknowledge her grit and determination in that she had 12 starts against males, although she never finished better than second. Vagrancy raced for Belair Stud and was trained for most of her career by “Sunny” Jim Fitzsimmons.
1942 and 1943 racing seasons
Vagrancy was a bay filly born in 1939 out of Valkyr by Man o' WarMan O' War
Man O' War, man o' war or manowar may refer to:* Man-of-war, a warship* Man of war for uses with this spelling - Places :...
was a promising winner at two-years old and then ran an incredible twenty one times in a "Sunny" Jim Fitzsimmons campaign for the ages that made her the 1942 American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly. She was also the champion "handicap" filly that season after beating the older crops in head-to-head races. At age three she bloomed into the champion of her crop, with a delightful list on nine stakes races won including some of the best Belair targets, winning the Coaching Club American Oaks
Coaching Club American Oaks
The Coaching Club American Oaks is a race for thoroughbred three-year old fillies and the second leg of the Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing. Originally run at Belmont Park, the Grade I $250,000 stakes race was moved to Saratoga Race Course in 2010....
, the Pimlico Oaks
Pimlico Oaks
The Pimlico Oaks was a listed Thoroughbred horse race at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. Run at the beginning of April at a distance of 1 1/16 miles on dirt, its purse was $200,000....
, the Delaware Oaks
Delaware Oaks
The Delaware Oaks Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid July at Delaware Park Racetrack in Stanton near Wilmington, Delaware....
, the Alabama Stakes
Alabama Stakes
The Alabama Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race open to three-year-old fillies. Inaugurated in 1872, the Grade I race is run over a distance of one and one-quarter miles on the dirt track at Saratoga Race Course. Held in mid August, it currently offers a purse of $500,000...
, the Gazelle Stakes and the Test Stakes
Test Stakes
The Test Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race open to three-year-old fillies and run each summer at the Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is contested at a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt and is an influential race in shaping the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint...
against her own age, and the Beldame Handicap
Beldame Stakes
The Beldame Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares three-years-old and up. Inaugurated in 1939, it was run as a handicap prior to 1960...
and Ladies Handicap against older fillies and mares. At age 3, she made 21 starts, compiling a record of ten wins, four seconds, and one third. She was first or second in eleven straight races against her own sex; her second against the boys came in the Lawrence Realization.
Vagrancy raced 42 times and hit the board in 31 of her starts. She won most of the most important stakes races in New York at the time for fillies, including the Ladies Handicap, the Alabama, the Test, the Coaching Club American Oaks, and the Gazelle[1]. One of Vagrancy's most famous race was probably the Beldame Stakes (because of a rare grade 1one outcome), in which she led for most of the race but was caught at the wire by Barrancosa; following a review of the photo, the race was declared a dead heat. Better than losing, certainly, but I can’t imagine that William Woodward left the racetrack feeling satisfied either. From The Times: “William Woodward, of Belair Stud was chairman of the Jockey Club
Jockey Club
The Jockey Club is the largest commercial organisation in British horseracing. Although no longer responsible for the governance and regulation of the sport, it owns 14 of Britain's famous racecourses, including Aintree, Cheltenham and Newmarket, amongst other concerns such as the National Stud and...
and breeder and owner of Vagrancy, flipped a coin in the unsaddling enclosure after the finish and thereby lost possession for the coming year of the Beldame Trophy. It will travel West to Bing Crosby and Lin Howard, owners of Binglin Stock Farm and importers of Barrancosa.” Win the race and lose the coin toss. Ouch!.
As a Broodmare
During the 1940s Vagrancy as a mare accounted for the vast majority of Belair's wins with most of their other key victories came abroad. Vagrancy contributed mightily producing Black Tarquin, winner of English stakes races from the historic Gimcrack Stakes at to the longest of the classics, the St. Leger StakesSt. Leger Stakes
The St. Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile, 6 furlongs and 132 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.Established in 1776, the St. Leger...
and the good filly Vulcania, who also became an important broodmare [2]. Another daughter, Natasha, also became a major producer, and her daughter Natashka was Broodmare of the Year in 1981. In foaling Black Tarquin, she seemed to justify her importation. Black Tarquin was a huge colt that often demonstrated his brilliance by ascertaining victories in sprints, one-mile distances as well as marathons. He finished second in the Ascot Gold Cup, all told winning eight of fifteen starts and being recorded as England's champion three-year old of 1948.