Halfbridled (foaled February 2, 2001 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 ...

) is an American

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 ...

who was the 2003

American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly The American Champion Two-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 t ...

Background

Halfbridled is a bay mare bred by in Kentucky by the French-based

Wertheimer et Frère Wertheimer et Frère is a Thoroughbred horse racing and breeding business partnership between brothers Alain and Gérard Wertheimer of France. The Wertheimer brothers are the owners of the House of Chanel in Paris. They inherited that company a ...

, who also owned her during her racing career. She was sired by

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, ...

, winner of the

1990 Kentucky Derby The 1990 Kentucky Derby was the 116th running of the Kentucky Derby. The race took place on May 5, 1990, with 128,257 people in attendance. Full results Payout * $2 Exacta: (7-11) Paid $65.80 References 1990 Kentucky Derby Derby Kentu ...

and Eclipse Eclipse Champion Three-Year-Old Male, and was out of the Deputy Minister mare Half Queen. She was trained by

Richard E. Mandella Richard Eugene Mandella (born November 5, 1950 in Altadena, California), is a Thoroughbred horse trainer and a member of the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame. Mandella's father, a blacksmith, introduced him to horses at an early age and while still in ...

Racing career

2003: Two-Year-Old Season

She won her debut in a Maiden Special Weight at

Del Mar Racetrack The Del Mar Fairgrounds is a event venue in Del Mar, California. The annual San Diego County Fair is held here, which was called the Del Mar Fair from 1984 to 2001. In 1936, the Del Mar Racetrack was built by the Thoroughbred Club with foundin ...

, and then defeated five opponents

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 ...

Del Mar Debutante Stakes The Del Mar Debutante Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race for two-year-old fillies run each year in early September at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. A Grade I event since 1999, the Debutante is raced on dirt at a distance of s ...

including Hollywood Story and Victory USA. She then won the

Grade 2 Grade 2 may refer to: * Grade 2, the second year of primary education. * Grade 2 horse races, the second tier in worldwide horse racing. * Grade 2, the English punk band. Grade II may refer to: * Grade II listed buildings that are of special inter ...

Oak Leaf Stakes The Chandelier Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at the end of September at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is restricted to two-year-old fillies. The Grade II race is contested at a distance of one and one- ...

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 ...

, a prep for the

Breeders' Cup World Championships The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I Thoroughbred horse races, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, ...

. She faced six rivals including Hollywood Story again. Entering the

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies The Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies is a -mile thoroughbred horse race on dirt (although the distance has varied, depending on the configuration of the host track) for two-year-old fillies run annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in the Uni ...

undefeated, Halfbridled started as the 2-1 favorite in a field of fourteen. She drew the farthest post from the rail, #14. She won under her usual jockey, Hall of Fame rider

Julie Krone Julieann Louise Krone (born July 24, 1963), is a retired American jockey. In 1993, she became the first (and so far only) female jockey to win a Triple Crown race when she captured the Belmont Stakes aboard Colonial Affair. In 2000, she became the ...

. Halfbridled was named the Eclipse Champion 2-Year-Old Filly.

2004: Three-Year-Old Season

Halfbridled made her sophomore debut in the

Santa Anita Oaks Santa Anita Oaks is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Open to three-year-old fillies willing to race 8.5 furlongs ( miles) on the dirt. The race is a Grade II even ...

, finishing second behind Composure. Next she contested the Beaumont Stakes, again finishing second in what was her final race. After the Beaumont Stakes, it was discovered that Halfbridled had sustained an injury to her canon bone and would be sidelined for the rest of the season. The following November, after supposedly healing from her injury, Halfbridled returned to training to prepare for the 2005 racing season. During a gallop it was realized that the filly never truly healed from her injury, and the decision was made to retire her.

Breeding career

After her retirement from racing, Halfbridled began her career as a broodmare. She delivered her first foal, a bay filly by

Giant's Causeway The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption. It is located in County Antrim on the north coast of Northern Ireland, about three miles (5 km) northeast of ...

, in 2007. She was later sent to Europe. Her offspring include:{{Cite web, url=http://www.pedigreequery.com/progeny/halfbridled, title=Halfbridled Offspring, last=Michelson, first=Miles, website=www.pedigreequery.com, access-date=2017-10-03 * Half Strike (2009

gelding 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, makin ...

Smart Strike Smart Strike (foaled May 21, 1992 in Ontario – died March 25, 2015) was a Canadian Thoroughbred racehorse. The son of the Champion sire, Mr. Prospector, and out of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame mare Classy 'n Smart, Smart Strike is a ...

) - a five-time winner with earnings of over $100,000 * Humoristica (2011 filly by

Distorted Humor Distorted Humor (foaled March 19, 1993 in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse and a successful sire. Bloodline Distorted Humor's sire is Forty Niner, 1987's Eclipse Award winning Outstanding Two-Year-Old Male Horse by the champio ...

) - a winner with earnings of $38,345 * Pas Prete (GB) (2014 filly by More Than Ready)- a winner with earnings of €22,300 * Gianthalf (2010 filly by Giant's Causeway) - non winner of two starts, now a broodmare * Halfcause (2007 filly by Giant's Causeway) - non winner of 7 starts, now a broodmare * Primaprima (2013 filly by More Than Ready) - unraced, now a broodmare * A.P. Few- (2008 filly by

A.P. Indy A.P. Indy (March 31, 1989 – February 21, 2020) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Belmont Stakes and Breeders' Cup Classic on his way to American Horse of the Year honors in 1992. His time in the Belmont Stakes tied Easy Goer for ...

) - unraced, now a broodmare

References

2001 racehorse births Thoroughbred family 8-h Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winners Eclipse Award winners