Dark Mirage (March 6, 1965 – July 9, 1969) was an American
Hall of Fame 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, a ...
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.
Racing career
Dark Mirage was 15.1
hands high. In her 1967 campaign as a two-year-old, she had two minor wins in fifteen starts. As a three-year-old, she lost her first race, then (en route to winning nine in a row) became the first winner of the
Filly Triple Crown The Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing, formerly known as the Filly Triple Crown, is a set of three horse races in the United States which is open to three-year-old fillies. Presently the only official Triple Tiara is the three race series in New Y ...
, capturing all three races with ease. Her handlers decided to rest her for the remainder of the racing season. Dark Mirage's performance earned her the
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 ...
honor.
At age four, Dark Mirage raced only two times. She won her first race and, in the next, severely injured a fetlock joint. This injury ended her racing career and resulted in her death a few months later.
Hall of fame
In 1974, Dark Mirage was inducted into the United States'
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.
Pedigree
References
{{reflist
External links
Dark Mirage at the United States' National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
1965 racehorse births
1969 racehorse deaths
Horses who died from racing injuries
Racehorses bred in Kentucky
Racehorses trained in the United States
Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing winners
Eclipse Award winners
United States Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame inductees
Kentucky Oaks winners
Thoroughbred family 9-b