Bluebird (2 April 1984 – 14 May 2005) was an American-bred, Irish-trained

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 ...

racehorse and sire. He fetched $1.1 million as a

yearling Yearling may refer to: *Yearling (horse), a horse between one and two years old *''The Yearling ''The Yearling'' is a novel by American writer Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, published in March 1938. It was the main selection of the Book of the Mo ...

and spent his racing career in Europe. He showed promise as a juvenile in Ireland in 1986 when he won on his debut and finished third in his only other race that year. In the following spring, he finished second in the

Leopardstown 2,000 Guineas Trial Stakes The Leopardstown 2,000 Guineas Trial Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and geldings. It is run over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 met ...

before being dropped to sprint distances to win the

Ballyogan Stakes The Ballyogan Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at The Curragh over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is scheduled to ...

and subsequently recording an emphatic victory in the Group One

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 ...

. He failed to win in three subsequent starts and was retired at the end of the season. He later stood as a breeding stallion in Ireland and Australia and had considerable success as a sire of winners.

Background

Bluebird was a "lengthy, useful-looking" bay horse with a white star and three white

socks A sock is a piece of clothing worn on the feet and often covering the ankle or some part of the calf. Some types of shoes or boots are typically worn over socks. In ancient times, socks were made from leather or matted animal hair. In the late ...

and bred in Kentucky by the Seitz-Waldman Partnership. As a

, the colt was offered for sale at

Keeneland Keeneland Association, Inc. is an equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky. It includes two distinct divisions: the Keeneland Race Course, a Thoroughbred racing facility, and Keeneland Sales, a horse auction complex. It is also known for its ...

and was bought for by BBA Ireland on behalf of

Robert Sangster Robert Edmund Sangster (23 May 1936 – 7 April 2004)

and the

Coolmore Stud Coolmore Stud, in Fethard, County Tipperary, Ireland, is headquarters of the world's largest breeding operation of thoroughbred racehorses. Through its racing arm, Ballydoyle, Coolmore also has raced many classic winners and champions. The operat ...

. He was sent to race in Europe where he was trained throughout his racing career by

Vincent O'Brien Vincent O'Brien (9 April 1917 – 1 June 2009) was an Irish race horse trainer from Churchtown, County Cork, Ireland. In 2003 he was voted the greatest influence in horse racing history in a worldwide poll hosted by the ''Racing Post''. In ...

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, son in law to the racehorse trainer Vincent O'Brien. The current train ...

. Bluebird was from the second crop of foals sired by the Canadian-bred Storm Bird, who was the top-rated two-year-old in Europe in 1980. As a breeding stallion in Kentucky, he also sired Summer Squall,

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 ...

Indian Skimmer The Indian skimmer or Indian scissors-bill (''Rynchops albicollis'') is one of the three species that belong to the skimmer genus ''Rynchops'' in the family Laridae. They are somewhat tern-like but like other skimmers, have a short upper mandibl ...

and Balanchine. Bluebird's dame Ivory Dawn was an unraced daughter of

Sir Ivor Sir Ivor (May 5, 1965 – November 10, 1995) was an American-bred, Irish-trained champion Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career which lasted from July 1967 to October 1968 he ran thirteen times and won eight races. He won major races in ...

. She was a descendant of the American broodmare Sunday Evening who was the female-line ancestor of several major winners including

Henrythenavigator Henrythenavigator (foaled February 28, 2005) is an American-bred and Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. He won the 2000 Guineas, the Irish 2,000 Guineas, the St. James's Palace Stakes and the Sussex Stakes in 2008. After he finished second ...

, Indian Skimmer,

Saffron Walden Saffron Walden is a market town in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England, north of Bishop's Stortford, south of Cambridge and north of London. It retains a rural appearance and some buildings of the medieval period. The population was 15, ...

Java Gold Java Gold (1984–2009) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won three Grade 1 races and sired two Champions. Bred by Paul Mellon, and raced by his Rokeby Stables, Java Gold notably won the 1986 Remsen Stakes at age two with Jerry Bailey ...

and Dark Mirage.

Racing career

1986: two-year-old season

Bluebird began his racing career in a five

furlong A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one eighth of a mile, equivalent to 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains or approximately 201 metres. It is now mostly confined to use in hor ...

maiden race at

Phoenix Park Racecourse Phoenix Park Racecourse is a former horse racing venue in Ireland. It was located in the townlands of Ashtown and Castleknock in the civil parish of Castleknock on the northern edge of the Phoenix Park in Dublin. The course was founded by JHH ...

in October in which he started odds-on favourite and won by one and a half lengths from the filly White Water Lady. Later in the month, he was moved up in class and distance for the

Leopardstown Stakes The Leopardstown Stakes was a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old 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 ...

over seven furlongs at Leopardstown Racecourse. He took the lead approaching the final furlong but was overtaken in the closing stages and was beaten into third place by Antic Boy and the British challenger Mulhollande.

1987: three-year-old season

Bluebird began his second season in April when contested the

over seven furlongs in April and was beaten a short had into second by the Kevin Prendergast-trained Island Reef. In May, the colt was dropped back to six furlongs for the BBA Sprint Stakes at Phoenix Park and won "comfortably" by two lengths from the British-trained Powder Keg and eight others. In early June, he was stepped up in class for the Group Three Ballyogan Stakes over five furlongs at Leopardstown and won by half a length from the filly Flawless Image. Bluebird was then sent to England for the Group One King's Stand Stakes over five furlongs at Royal Ascot and started the 7/2 third favourite behind Gayane (winner of the Sirenia Stakes and the Sandy Lane Stakes) and Hallgate ( Diadem Stakes,

Palace House Stakes The Palace House Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 5 furlongs (1,006 metres) on the Rowle ...

). The other nine runners included Flawless Image, Governor General ( Abernant Stakes), Singing Steven ( Cornwallis Stakes) and Carol's Treasure ( Windsor Castle Stakes). Ridden by

Cash Asmussen Cash Asmussen (born March 15, 1962 in Agar, South Dakota) is an American thoroughbred horse racing jockey. Born Brian Keith Asmussen, in 1977 he legally changed his name to "Cash". From a Texas horse racing family, his parents, Keith and Marily ...

, he joined the leaders two furlongs out and drew right away in the closing stages to win by four lengths from the 25/1 shot Perion with the outsiders Orient and Sharp Romance in third and fourth. Timeform called his victory "as impressive a sprinting performance as seen all season." On his three subsequent starts, Bluebird failed to run up to his Ascot form. At

Newmarket Racecourse Newmarket Racecourse is a British Thoroughbred horse racing venue in Newmarket, Suffolk, comprising two individual racecourses: the Rowley Mile and the July Course. Newmarket is often referred to as the headquarters of British horserac ...

, he started odds-on favourite for the July Cup but started slowly before staying on in the closing stages to finish third behind

Ajdal Ajdal (2 April 1984 – 18 August 1988) was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was one of the leading European two-year-old of 1986, when he was unbeaten in three races including the Dewhurst Stakes. In the earl ...

and Gayane. After performing lazily in training gallops, he was equipped with blinkers for his run in the William Hill Sprint Championship at

York Racecourse York Racecourse is a horse racing venue in York, North Yorkshire, England. It is the third biggest racecourse in Britain in terms of total prize money offered, and second behind Ascot in prize money offered per meeting. It attracts around 350 ...

in August. He refused to co-operate with Asmussen and dropped to the rear of the field before making some progress in the final furlong to finish fourth behind Ajdal. On his final appearance, the colt was sent to France for the

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 i ...

over 1400 metres at

Longchamp Racecourse The Longchamp Racecourse (french: Hippodrome de Longchamp) is a 57 hectare horse-racing facility located on the Route des Tribunes at the Bois de Boulogne in Paris, France. It is used for flat racing and is noted for its variety of interlaced ...

on October 25. He made little impact as he finished ninth out of the fourteen runners, behind

Soviet Star Soviet Star (20 April 1984 – 7 October 2014) was an American-bred French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was bred in Kentucky, sold as a yearling for $310,000 and sent to race in Europe where he proved to be an outstanding sprinte ...

Assessment

In 1986, the independent

Timeform Timeform is a sports data and content provider located in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. Founded in 1948, it provides systematic information on form to punters and others involved in the horse racing industry. The company was purchased by t ...

organisation gave him a rating of 107 (25 pounds below their top two-year-old Reference Point) and described him in their annual ''Racehorses of 1986'' as a being likely to stay a mile and win more races. In the official classification of two-year-olds in Ireland, he was awarded a rating of 106, fourteen pounds behind the filly Minstrella. In the following year, he was rated 125 by Timeform, five pounds behind their best sprinter Ajdal. In the International Classification for 1987, he was rated the second best sprinter in Europe behind Ajdal.

Stud record

At the end of his racing career, Bluebird became a breeding stallion for Coolmore Stud at an initial fee of 12,500 Irish guineas. Although based in Ireland, he also stood for a time in Australia. After standing at the Castle Hyde Stud in

County Cork County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns a ...

, he was retired from stud duties in 2004. The best of his offspring included Lake Coniston, Fly to the Stars, Swallow Flight (

Sandown Mile The Sandown Mile is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) at Sandown Park in late April. Histo ...

), Dolphin Street (

), Bluegrass Prince (

Diomed Stakes The Diomed Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile and 113 yards (1,713 metres), and it is s ...

), Delilah (

Park Hill Stakes The Park Hill Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile, 6 furlongs and 115 yards (2 ...

) and Twilight Blues ( Duke of York Stakes) in Europe, Blues Traveller (

Bay Meadows Handicap Bay Meadows Breeders' Cup Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1934 at Bay Meadows Racetrack in San Mateo, California. Held in late September, the Bay Meadows Breeders' Cup Handicap is currently an Graded stakes ra ...

), Macaw (

Elkhorn Stakes The Elkhorn Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for four-year-olds and older over a distance of miles on the turf held annually in early April at Keeneland Race Course, Lexington, Kentucky during the spring meeting. It current ...

) and Aube Indienne (

Yellow Ribbon Stakes The Rodeo Drive Stakes is a Grade I race for thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three-years-old and upwards. It is run at Santa Anita Park with a current purse of $300,000 and is contested over a distance of . Originally named the Yellow Ribb ...

) in North America, and Flitter ( Winfield Classic) in Australia.

Pedigree

References

{{Reflist 1984 racehorse births 2005 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in Ireland Thoroughbred family 9-b