Banshee Breeze (1995–2001) was an American

Champion A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, an ...

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 Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

. A winner of five

Grade 1 First grade (also called Grade One, called ''Year 2'' in England or Primary 2 in Scotland) is the first grade in elementary school and the first school year after kindergarten. Children are usually 6–7 years old in this grade. Examples by re ...

races, she was voted the 1998

American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly The American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually to a female horse in Thoroughbred flat racing. It became part of the Eclipse Awards program in 1971. The award originated in 1936 when both ...

Background

Banshee Breeze was bred in Kentucky by James B. Tafel. She was her mother's, Banshee Winds, first foal. Her sire was

Unbridled Unbridled (March 5, 1987 – October 18, 2001) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1990 Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic. He retired with a career record of eight wins, six places, and six shows in 24 starts, ...

, the winner of the 1990

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...

and

Breeders' Cup Classic The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3-year-olds and older run at a distance of on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships in late October o ...

Racing career

Banshee Breeze only raced once as a two-year-old, coming seventh in a maiden race at

Churchill Downs Churchill Downs is a horse racing complex located on Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, famed for hosting the annual Kentucky Derby. It officially opened in 1875 and was named for Samuel Churchill, whose family was ...

. Her three-year-old debut was a maiden race at Gulfstream Park, which she won by 3 ¾ lengths. She then won an allowance race by eight lengths. Banshee Breeze won her first graded stakes on March 16, 1998, the

Bonnie Miss Stakes The Gulfstream Park Oaks is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three year old fillies, over a distance of one and one-eighth miles on the dirt held annually in March at Gulfstream Park, Hallandale Beach, Florida. The event currently ...

. Her trainer was doubtful she was ready for the race, but Doug Bredar, stakes coordinator at Gulfstream Park at the time, persuaded him she belonged in the field. Banshee Breeze ended up winning by 11 ½ lengths. She then came third in the

Ashland Stakes The Ashland Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early April at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. It and the Ashland Oaks, the Kentucky Association racetrack's predecessor race, were named for ...

. Banshee Breeze next raced in the

Kentucky Oaks The Kentucky Oaks is a Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred Filly, fillies staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The race currently covers at Churchill Downs; the horses carry . The Kentucky O ...

, but lost by a neck to the favored Keep Hill. That June, she came third in the

Mother Goose Stakes The Mother Goose Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies held at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Raced on dirt in late June or early July, the race currently offers a purse of $300,000. Inaugurated in 1957 at a mi ...

. Banshee Breeze started picking up wins again with the

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 $500,000 stakes race was moved to Saratoga Race Course in 2 ...

, beating Keeper Hill, the filly who bested her in the Kentucky Oaks, by a neck. She then won the

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 cu ...

, and the

Spinster Stakes The Spinster Stakes (also known as the "Juddmonte Spinster" with Juddmonte Farms sponsorship) is an American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares aged three or up run annually in early October at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Kentucky ...

by twelve lengths while preparing for the

Breeders' Cup Distaff The Breeders' Cup Distaff is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares, 3 years old and up. Known as the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic between 2008 and 2012, it is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or ...

. Before her final race of the season, Breeders' Cup Distaff, Jayeff B Stables purchased a half-interest in the filly. In the race, she lost by a nose to

Escena {{Infobox racehorse , horsename = Escena , image = , caption = , sire = Strawberry Road , grandsire = Whiskey Road , dam = Claxton's Slew , damsire = Seattle Slew , sex = Filly , foaled = 1993 , country = United States , colour = ...

. She was voted the

. Banshee Breeze's four-year-old debut was the Rampart Handicap, which she won by 5 ½ lengths. Her next race was the

Apple Blossom Handicap The Apple Blossom Handicap is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares that are four years old or older, run under handicap conditions over a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt track held annually in April ...

, in which she went off as the heavy favorite. She ended up winning the race. Banshee Breeze went on to win the

Fleur de Lis Handicap The Fleur de Lis Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares age three and older over a distance of miles on the dirt run annually in mid-June at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. History The event was i ...

in June, and the

Go For Wand Handicap The Go For Wand Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race established in 1954 for fillies and mares age three and up. Raced in the fall, it is a Grade III race (Grade I before 2010) on dirt at a distance of one mile. Inaugurated in 1954 at ...

by half a length in August. She ran in the

Personal Ensign Stakes The Personal Ensign Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the third week of August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Open to fillies and Mares age three and older, it is contested at a dista ...

later in August, but lost by 2 ¼ lengths to

Beautiful Pleasure Beautiful Pleasure (March 31, 1995 – August 11, 2011) was an American Thoroughbred Champion racehorse who won the 1999 Breeders' Cup Distaff and was voted that year's American Champion Older Female Horse. Bred in Florida by Farnsworth Farms, w ...

. She lost again in the Spinster Stakes, being beaten by 2 ½ lengths by Keeper Hill. Banshee Breeze ran in the last race of her career, the Breeder's Cup Distaff, that November. She lost by three quarters of a length to Beautiful Pleasure, and suffered a heat stroke after the race. Overall, Banshee Breeze raced 18 times, won 10, came second 5 times, and came third twice. Her total career earnings were $2,784,798.

Death

Following her retirement, Banshee Breeze was sent to

Claiborne Farm Claiborne Farm is a thoroughbred horse breeding operation near Paris, Kentucky. It was established in 1910 by Arthur B. Hancock, owner of Ellerslie Stud in Albemarle County, Virginia, and has been operated by members of his family ever since. ...

, and was bred to the leading sire

Storm Cat Storm Cat (February 27, 1983 – April 24, 2013) was an American Thoroughbred stallion whose breeding fee during the peak of his stud career was $500,000, the highest in North America at the time. He was the leading sire in North America in 1999 ...

. On April 8, 2001, near the end of her pregnancy, she was discovered to have a torsion of the uterus. It was surgically corrected that night, but she continued to show signs of discomfort the next morning. Banshee Breeze was found to have another torsion, this time in her small intestine. An operation to correct it required her foal, who was 19 days premature, to be removed via cesarean section. On noon of April 11th, 2001, Banshee Breeze was euthanized at the Hagyard-Davidson-McGee equine veterinary clinic after her condition deteriorated. Her colt died that day as well. She is buried in the Marchmont Cemetery at

Pedigree

References

{{reflist

External links

Banshee Breeze's pedigree and partial racing stats
1995 racehorse births 2001 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Eclipse Award winners Thoroughbred family 8-h