Anabaa (1992 – 2009) was an American-bred champion
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. Thoroughbreds are c ...
racehorse who was trained in France during a racing career which lasted from September 1995 to October 1996. Anabaa failed to win until the age of four, but in 1996 he won his first six starts including two
Group One
Group One, Group 1, Grade I or G1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. In Europe, the level of races for Thoroughbred racing is determined using the Pattern races, Pattern race sys ...
races; the
July Cup
The July Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run on the July Course at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres ...
in England and the
Prix Maurice de Gheest
The Prix Maurice de Gheest is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 1,300 metres (about 6½ furlongs), and it is sched ...
in France. At the end of the season he was named
European Champion Sprinter at the
Cartier Racing Awards The Cartier Racing Awards are awards in European horse racing, founded in 1991, and sponsored by Cartier. The award winners are decided by points earned in group races (40%) plus the votes cast by British racing journalists (30%) and readers of th ...
. He later had a successful career at stud, becoming particularly known as the
sire
Sire is an archaic respectful form of address to reigning kings in Europe. In French and other languages it is less archaic and relatively more current. In Belgium, the king is addressed as "Sire..." in both Dutch and French.
The words "sire" a ...
of
Goldikova
Goldikova (15 March 2005 – 5 January 2021) was a champion French Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Breeders' Cup Mile three times and was the 2010 European Horse of the Year.
She was based in France, although she also raced in the United St ...
.
Background
Anabaa was bred in
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
by his original owner,
Maktoum Al Maktoum's Gainsborough Stud.
His sire Danzig, who ran only three times before his career was ended by injury, was a highly successful stallion who sired the winners of more than fifty
Grade I
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
/
Group One
Group One, Group 1, Grade I or G1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. In Europe, the level of races for Thoroughbred racing is determined using the Pattern races, Pattern race sys ...
races. His offspring include the champions
Chief's Crown
Chief's Crown (April 7, 1982 – April 29, 1997) was an American-bred Thoroughbred race horse who won the 1984 Breeders' Cup Juvenile and was voted the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Two-Year-Old Male Horse. He later became a successful sire.
Ba ...
,
Dayjur
Dayjur (6 February 1987 – 25 September 2013) was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. A specialist sprinter, he ran eleven times between June 1989 and October 1990 and won seven races. In 1990 he dominated European sprint ...
and
Lure as well as the important stallions
Green Desert
''Green Desert'' is the twenty-seventh major release and the fifteenth studio album by Electronic music, electronic artists Tangerine Dream. The music was recorded in Berlin in 1973, during a period when Peter Baumann had temporarily left Germany ...
and
Danehill. Anabaa's dam
Balbonella was a high class racehorse who won the
Prix Robert Papin
The Prix Robert Papin is a Group 2 flat horse race in France open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Chantilly over a distance of 1,200 metres (about 6 furlongs), and it is scheduled to tak ...
in France and the
Dahlia Handicap in
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
. She proved equally successful as a broodmare, producing the
Poule d'Essai des Pouliches
The Poule d'Essai des Pouliches is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run over a distance of 1,600 metres (about 1 mile) at ...
winner
Always Loyal, and
Key of Luck
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (ma ...
who won the
Prix d'Arenberg
The Prix d'Arenberg is a Group 3 flat horse race in France open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Chantilly over a distance of 1,100 metres (about 5½ furlongs), and it is scheduled to take place ...
and sired
The Derby winner
Alamshar
Alamshar (foaled 18 April 2000) is a retired Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire. He won five of his nine races in a career which lasted from September 2002 to September 2003. He is best known for his performances as a three-year-old whe ...
.
Anabaa was owned as a four-year-old by
Ghislaine Head
Haras du Quesnay, known as "Le Quesnay", is a thoroughbred horse breeding farm in France about four miles (6 km) outside the city of Deauville on 3 km².
Early years
The stud was established in 1907 by wealthy American sportsman William Kissam ...
, trained throughout his career by her daughter
Criquette and ridden in all but one of his races by her son
Freddie. At the time of Anabaa's greatest success, Freddie Head, at 49, was the oldest professional jockey in France.
Racing career
1995: three-year-old season
As a two-year-old Anabaa diagnosed as being a "
wobbler", which delayed his appearance on the racecourse until late the following year.
Anabaa ran three times without success in the autumn of 1995. He was campaigned ambitiously, making his debut in a
Listed
Listed may refer to:
* Listed, Bornholm, a fishing village on the Danish island of Bornholm
* Listed (MMM program), a television show on MuchMoreMusic
* Endangered species in biology
* Listed building, in architecture, designation of a historicall ...
race at
Longchamp in September in which he finished fourth. He was then moved up to the highest level to finish sixth of the ten runners in the Group One
Prix de la Forêt
The Prix de la Forêt is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,400 metres (about 7 furlongs), and it is ...
in October. On his final start he was dropped back down to Listed class and finished third in a three-way photo finish at Évry.
1996: four-year-old season
In March 1996, Anabaa made his first appearance as a four-year-old when he won an 1100m Listed race at Évry by five lengths. A month later over the same course and distance, he won another Listed race by seven lengths.
His reputation was growing, and only three horses opposed him when he moved back up to Group class for the
Prix de Saint-Georges
The Prix de Saint-Georges is a Group 3 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 1,000 metres (about 5 furlongs) at Longcham ...
at Longchamp in May. Freddie Head tracked the English-trained filly Millyant in the early stages before allowing Anabaa to move into the lead 400m from the finish. The colt quickly went clear and won his first Group race "very easily" by six lengths. Three weeks later, Anabaa was sent to
Deauville
Deauville () is a commune in the Calvados department, Normandy, northwestern France. Major attractions include its harbour, race course, marinas, conference centre, villas, Grand Casino, and sumptuous hotels. The first Deauville Asian Film Fes ...
for the
Prix du Gros Chêne
The Prix du Gros Chêne is a Group 2 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Chantilly over a distance of 1,000 metres (about 5 furlongs), and it is scheduled ...
for which he was made 3/10 favourite. The race reflected the betting as Anabaa moved up to take the lead 200m out and recorded an "impressive" two length win.
The July Cup over six furlongs at Newmarket seemed likely to provide Anabaa with his first real test of the season. Apart from the reigning
Champion Sprinter Hever Golf Rose
Hever Golf Rose (22 February 1991 – September 1999) was a thoroughbred racehorse who was bred and trained in the United Kingdom, and campaigned throughout Europe in a career that lasted from 1993 to 1998. She was a specialist sprinter, showing ...
, the field included the highly regarded English colts
Pivotal
Pivotal may refer to:
* Pivotal CRM, a customer relationship management software system offered by Aptean
* Pivotal Labs, a software company
** Pivotal Tracker, a project management product offered by Pivotal Labs
* Pivotal Software, a softwar ...
and Mind Games, who had finished first and second in the
King's Stand Stakes
The King's Stand Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 5 furlongs (1,006 metres), and it is scheduled t ...
. In a change of tactics, Head sent Anabaa into the lead from the start, and the colt was never headed. In the final furlong, he ran on strongly to win by one and three quarter lengths from Lucayan Prince. In August Anabaa returned to Deauville for the Group One
Prix Maurice de Gheest
The Prix Maurice de Gheest is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 1,300 metres (about 6½ furlongs), and it is sched ...
, for which he started at odds of 1/2 in a field of nine. On this occasion, the colt was held up by Freddie Head before taking the lead 200m out and winning "comfortably" by a length and a half from Miesque's Son.
In October, Anabaa started at odds of 3/10 for the
Prix de l'Abbaye
The Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp is a Group races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged two years or older. It is run at Longchamp Racecourse, L ...
at Longchamp, where he was under pressure after 400m. He then responded to pass the English-trained filly Eveningperformance and take the lead inside the last 200m, only to be caught in the closing strides and beaten a neck by his stable companion
Kistena.
Assessment and honours
At the 1996
Cartier Racing Awards The Cartier Racing Awards are awards in European horse racing, founded in 1991, and sponsored by Cartier. The award winners are decided by points earned in group races (40%) plus the votes cast by British racing journalists (30%) and readers of th ...
Anabaa was named
European Champion Sprinter.
Stud career
Anabaa stood as a stallion at the
Haras du Quesnay
Haras du Quesnay, known as "Le Quesnay", is a thoroughbred horse breeding farm in France about four miles (6 km) outside the city of Deauville on 3 km².
Early years
The stud was established in 1907 by wealthy American sportsman William Kissam V ...
near
Deauville
Deauville () is a commune in the Calvados department, Normandy, northwestern France. Major attractions include its harbour, race course, marinas, conference centre, villas, Grand Casino, and sumptuous hotels. The first Deauville Asian Film Fes ...
, until his death in 2009. He was also shuttled to stand in Australia for the Southern Hemisphere breeding season and spent 2007 at the Castlelyons Stud in
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, Fayette County. By population, it is the List of cities in Kentucky, second-largest city in Kentucky and List of United States cities by popul ...
.
Despite being a sprinter, his progeny succeeded across a wide range of distances. His most famous offspring is the record-breaking mare
Goldikova
Goldikova (15 March 2005 – 5 January 2021) was a champion French Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Breeders' Cup Mile three times and was the 2010 European Horse of the Year.
She was based in France, although she also raced in the United St ...
who excelled over a mile, while the best of his sons have been
Anabaa Blue
Anabaa Blue (foaled 12 April 1998) is a British-bred, French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was sired by the sprinter Anabaa out of Allez Les Trois, a mare with a very strong middle-distance pedigree. Between September 2000 and Octo ...
who won the Group One
Prix du Jockey Club
The Prix du Jockey Club, sometimes referred to as the French Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Chantilly over a ...
over 2400m (one and a half miles) and Precision, who won the
Hong Kong Cup
The Hong Kong Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Hong Kong which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 2000 metres (about miles or 10 furlongs) at Sha Tin, and it is scheduled to take place each year in ...
over a mile and a quarter. Anabaa is the damsire of the 2013 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner
Treve. Anabaa died on 7 July 2009 from
peritonitis
Peritonitis is inflammation of the localized or generalized peritoneum, the lining of the inner wall of the abdomen and cover of the abdominal organs. Symptoms may include severe pain, swelling of the abdomen, fever, or weight loss. One part or ...
after undergoing surgery for
colic
Colic or cholic () is a form of pain that starts and stops abruptly. It occurs due to muscular contractions of a hollow tube ( small and large intestine, gall bladder, ureter, etc.) in an attempt to relieve an obstruction by forcing content out ...
.
At the time of his death his stud fee was €30,000.
Pedigree
References
{{reflist
Cartier Award winners
1992 racehorse births
2009 racehorse deaths
Racehorses bred in Kentucky
Racehorses trained in France
Thoroughbred family 1-n