Capricciosa (foaled 2 March 1988) was an Irish

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 and

broodmare A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four ...

. In a racing career which lasted from June 1990 until April 1992 she won four of her seven races. She was one of the best juvenile fillies in Britain and Ireland in 1990 when she won four races including the Debutante Stakes,

Moyglare Stud Stakes The Moyglare Stud Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres), and it is scheduled ...

and

Cheveley Park Stakes The Cheveley Park Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it i ...

. She missed the whole of the next season and was then sent to race in the United States where she made no impact in two starts. She was retired from racing to become a broodmare in Japan and produced at least eleven winners.

Background

Capricciosa was a bay mare bred in Ireland by M Maguire. She was sired by Alzao, a son of

Lyphard Lyphard (10 May 1969 – 10 June 2005) was an American-bred, French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and an important sire. Background American bred in Pennsylvania, Lyphard was a son of Northern Dancer out of the mare Goofed. He was auctioned ...

who never won above Group Three level, but became a successful breeding stallion, his progeny including Alborada, Second Set and

Shahtoush Shahtoush (foaled 29 April 1995) was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare best known for winning The Oaks in 1998. In a racing career which lasted from August 1997 to September 1998 the filly ran eleven times and won three races. Sh ...

. Capricciosa was the best racehorse produced her dam, the unraced Clanjingle who was descended from the influential broodmare Molly Desmond. The filly was acquired by the British businessman

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

and was sent into training with

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

. She was ridden in all of her European races by John Reid.

Racing career

1990: two-year-old season

On her racecourse debut, Capricciosa started 9/2 second favourite for a

maiden race In horse racing a maiden race is an event for horses that have not won a race. Horses that have not won a race are referred to as maidens. Maiden horse races are held over a variety of distances and under conditions with eligibility based on the se ...

over five

furlongs 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 hors ...

at the

Curragh The Curragh ( ; ga, An Currach ) is a flat open plain of almost of common land in County 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 ...

on 30 June 1990. She won by two and a half

lengths Length is a measure of distance. In the International System of Quantities, length is a quantity with dimension distance. In most systems of measurement a base unit for length is chosen, from which all other units are derived. In the Intern ...

from the

Dermot Weld Dermot K. Weld (born 29 July 1948), a former jockey is one of Ireland's most successful racehorse trainers. He holds the record for the most winners trained in Ireland (2,578 set in August 2000). Weld maintains his stable, Rosewell House, in C ...

-trained favourite Inishdalla with four lengths back to the

Jim Bolger James Brendan Bolger ( ; born 31 May 1935) is a New Zealand retired politician of the National Party who was the 35th prime minister of New Zealand, serving from 1990 to 1997. Bolger was born to an Irish immigrant family in Ōpunake, Taran ...

-trained Noora Park in third. The filly was moved up sharply in class for the

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 ...

Heinz "57" Phoenix Stakes 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 ...

on 12 August. She started the joint second favourite on 5/1 but finished tenth of the thirteen runners behind the British-trained

colt Colt(s) or COLT may refer to: *Colt (horse), an intact (uncastrated) male horse under four years of age People * Colt (given name) *Colt (surname) Places *Colt, Arkansas, United States *Colt, Louisiana, an unincorporated community, United States ...

Mac's Imp. Twelve days after her poor run at Phoenix Park, the filly recorded her first important success when she started 11/10 favourite for the Group Three Debutante Stakes over the same course and distance and won by two lengths from Inishdalla. On 9 September Capricciosa faced Inishdalla yet again in the Group One Moyglare Stud Stakes over six furlongs at the Curragh. The other fancied runners included the

John Oxx John M. Oxx (born 14 July 1950) is a retired Irish trainer of thoroughbred racehorses. By the end of the 2009 season Oxx had trained 35 Group One winners over his career, including the winners of 11 Classic races. He is best known as the traine ...

-trained Isle of Glass, Capricciosa's stable companion African Dance and the British challengers Zigaura (placed in the

Cherry Hinton Stakes The Duchess of Cambridge Stakes is a Group races, Group 2 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old Filly, fillies. It is run on the July Course at Newmarket Ra ...

and the

Princess Margaret Stakes The Princess Margaret Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old fillies. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is scheduled to take ...

) and Jameelaty (runner-up in the

Sweet Solera Stakes The Sweet Solera Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old fillies. It is run on the July Course at Newmarket over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres), and it is ...

). Capricciosa won by three quarters of a length and half a length from Inishdalla and Zigaura. On her final appearance of the season, Capricciosa was sent to England for the Group One Cheveley Park over six furlongs at

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

on 3 October. The French-trained Divine Danse (winner of 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 ...

) started favourite ahead of Imperfect Circle (

Firth of Clyde Stakes The Firth of Clyde Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old fillies. It is run at Ayr over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is scheduled to take place ...

) with Capricciosa next in the betting on 7/1. The other eight runners included Zigaura and the

Lowther Stakes The Lowther Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old fillies. It is run at York over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each ...

winner Only Yours. Reid sent the Irish filly into the lead from the start before accelerating a furlong out. Capricciosa kept on well in the closing stages to hold off the challenge of Imperfect Circle and win by three quarters of a length with two and a half lengths back to Divine Danse in third.

1992: four-year-old season

Capricciosa missed the whole of the 1991 season with training problems and injuries. In 1992 she was relocated to race in the United States where she was trained by

Gary F. Jones Gary F. Jones (June 16, 1944 – October 11, 2020) was a trainer of Thoroughbred racehorses whose career began in 1974 and ended with his retirement at the end of July, 1996 having earned $52,672,611 in purses and the winner of 1,465 races includ ...

. On her North American debut she finished fifth in an allowance race at

Santa Anita Park Santa Anita Park is a Thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent horse racing events in the United States during early fall, winter and in spring. The track is home to numerous prestigious races ...

in February. On her final appearance she contested the Grade III Las Cienegas Handicap over six and a half furlongs at the same track on 4 April and finished sixth behind Heart of Joy.

Breeding record

Capricciosa was retired from racing to become a broodmare in Japan. She has produced seventeen foals and eleven winners between 1993 and 2011: *Saint Aria, a bay colt, foaled in 1993, sired by Woodman. Won one race. *Brand Carey, bay filly, 1994, by Sakura Yutaka O. Won four races. *Saint Heart, bay colt, 1995, by

Nihon Pillow Winner Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. Unraced. *Nishino Erhab, bay filly, 1996, by

Erhaab Erhaab (24 May 1991 – 22 November 2021) was a Thoroughbred race horse and sire, bred in the United States but trained in the United Kingdom. He is best known as the winner of the 1994 Epsom Derby. In 2011 he was moved from the Wood Farm St ...

. Won three races. *Nishino Perugia, bay filly, 1997, by Sakura Bakushin O. Second on her only start. *Nishino Romanesque, brown colt, 1998, by Paradise Creek. Unraced. *Nishino Al Capone, brown colt, 1999, by

Sunday Silence Sunday Silence (March 25, 1986 – August 19, 2002) was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In 1989, he won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes but failed to complete the Triple Crown when he was defeated in the Belmont ...

. Won one race. *Nishinoichibanbosi, bay colt, 2000, by Sakura Lurel. Won two races. *Nishino Hokiboshi, bay colt, 2001, by Forty Niner. Won one race. *Nishino Julietta, filly, 2003, by

Mejiro McQueen Mejiro McQueen (Japanese : メジロマックイーン, April 3, 1987 - April 3, 2006) was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was a late-maturing horse who did not emerge as a top-class performer until the autumn of his three-year-o ...

. Failed to win in three races. *Nishino Blue Moon, bay filly, 2004, by Tanino Gimlet. Won six races including the Grade III Nakayama Himba Stakes. *T M De Sky, colt, 2005, by Seiun Sky. Won one race. *Speculator, bay colt (later

gelded A gelding is a castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. Castration, as well as the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male equine to be calmer and better-behaved, making th ...

), 2006, by Forty Niner. Failed to win in nine races. *Meine Black Tea, brown filly, 2007, by

Roses In May Roses In May (foaled February 9, 2000) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won 8 of his 13 races, including the 2005 Dubai World Cup, and earned $5,490,187. Background Roses In May, a black horse with a white star and snip, was bred by Marg ...

. Won twelve races. *Meiner Liberte, colt, 2008, by Alkaased. Unplaced on only start. *Beyond the World, colt, 2009, by

Brian's Time Brian's Time (1985 – April 4, 2013) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was sired by Roberto by breeder Joan Phillips. Brian's Time was a grade one stakes-winning millionaire who is probably most remembered for his win in the Florida ...

. Won four races. *Nonno, bay filly, 2011, by Alkaased. Won four races.

Pedigree

References

{{reflist, 2 1988 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Ireland Racehorses trained in Ireland Thoroughbred family 14-c