Halo (February 7, 1969 – November 28, 2000) was 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 ...

and an important

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 ...

sire.

Background

Bred 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 ...

John R. Gaines John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

, founder of the

Breeders Cup 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, i ...

, Halo was out of the mare

Cosmah Cosmah (April 4, 1953 - 1979) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. While not known for her racing career, she is well known for being the dam of Tosmah and Halo, who were both top level race winners. Racing career Cosmah won the 1955 Astarit ...

(who was the Kentucky Broodmare of the Year in 1974), which made him a half-brother to the

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

filly A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use: *In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old. *In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, t ...

Tosmah Tosmah (1961–1992) was a champion Thoroughbred race horse. She was the leading American filly of her generation at both two and three years of age. Background Tosmah was bred in Kentucky by Eugene Mori. Her sire was the great Tim Tam (horse ...

. His sire was

Hail To Reason Hail to Reason (April 18, 1958 – February 24, 1976) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse and an influential sire. In a racing career cut short by injury, he was named the American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt of 1960 after winning seven stake ...

, the U.S. Champion 2-Year-Old Colt and a great-grandson of the extremely important sire

Nearco Nearco (January 24, 1935 – June 27, 1957) was an Italian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse described by ''Thoroughbred Heritage'' as "one of the greatest racehorses of the Twentieth Century" and "one of the most important sires of the century." He ...

. Purchased by

Charles W. Engelhard, Jr. Charles W. Engelhard Jr. (February 15, 1917 – March 2, 1971) was an American businessman, a major owner in Thoroughbred horse racing, and a candidate in the 1955 New Jersey State Senate Elections. He controlled an international mining and metal ...

, owner of

Nijinsky Vaslav (or Vatslav) Nijinsky (; rus, Вацлав Фомич Нижинский, Vatslav Fomich Nizhinsky, p=ˈvatsləf fɐˈmʲitɕ nʲɪˈʐɨnskʲɪj; pl, Wacław Niżyński, ; 12 March 1889/18908 April 1950) was a ballet dancer and choreog ...

, Halo raced under his Cragwood Stable banner.

Racing career

After having little success at age two racing on dirt tracks, in his three-year-old campaign his U.S. Racing Hall of Fame trainer

MacKenzie Miller MacKenzie "Mack" Todd Miller (October 16, 1921 – December 10, 2010) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer and owner/breeder. During his forty-six-year career, he conditioned seventy-two stakes winners, including four Eclipse Award cha ...

switched him to racing on

turf Sod, also known as turf, is the upper layer of soil with the grass growing on it that is often harvested into rolls. In Australian and British English, sod is more commonly known as ''turf'', and the word "sod" is limited mainly to agricultu ...

, where he achieved better results. Although never a superstar horse, Halo raced for four years and in 1974, at age five, won the

Grade I In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

United Nations Handicap The United Nations Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds and older run over a distance of one and three-eighth miles on the turf held annually in July at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. The event ...

Stud record

After retiring from racing, in 1975 Halo was sent to stand at

stud Stud may refer to the following terms: Animals * Stud (animal), an animal retained for breeding ** Stud farm, a property where livestock are bred Arts and entertainment * Stud (band), a British progressive rock group * The Stud (bar), a gay bar ...

at the

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

division of

Windfields Farm Windfields Farm was a six square kilometre (1,500 acre) Thoroughbred horse breeding farm that was founded by businessman E. P. Taylor in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. Origin The first stable and breeding operation of E. P. Taylor originated w ...

, where his progeny included

Sunny's Halo Sunny's Halo (February 11, 1980 – June 3, 2003) was a Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1983 Kentucky Derby. In 1986, Sunny's Halo was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. Background Foaled at Oshawa, Ontario, Sunny's Halo wa ...

and, through his mating with the mare Ballade,

Devil's Bag Devil's Bag (1981–2005) was an American champion Thoroughbred racehorse who was syndicated as a two-year-old for US$36 million, the highest price for any 2-year-old in racing history. Background Bred by Canadian E. P. Taylor at his Windfie ...

Glorious Song {{Infobox racehorse , horsename = Glorious Song , image = , caption = , sire = Halo , grandsire = Hail To Reason , dam = Ballade , damsire = Herbager , sex = Filly , foaled = 1976 , country = Canada , colour = Bay , breeder = E. P. ...

, and

Saint Ballado Saint Ballado (1989-2002) was a Canadian-bred Thoroughbred race horse, best known as the sire of Horse of the Year Saint Liam and champion Ashado. Saint Ballado was the leading sire in North America of 2005. Background Saint Ballado was bred in ...

. In 1984, new majority owners moved Halo to stand at Arthur B. Hancock III's Stone Farm in

Paris, Kentucky Paris is a home rule-class city in Bourbon County, Kentucky. It lies northeast of Lexington on the Stoner Fork of the Licking River. Paris is the seat of its county and forms part of the Lexington–Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. As ...

, where he continued to produce notable offspring, the star of which was

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 ...

. In all, Halo sired seven champions and 62 stakes winners including two

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 ...

winners. Twice, he was the

leading sire in North America The list below shows the leading sire of Thoroughbred racehorses in North America for each year since 1830. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the year. It is restricted to stallions which are based in N ...

. Halo was pensioned in 1997 and died at Stone Farm in 2000 at age thirty-one.

Offspring

Halo was the sire of:http://www.galopp-sieger.de/galoppsieger/stammtafel_html?startPferd=HaloHail%20to%20Re&fart=&ftype=&tiefe=5&suchePferd=Halo&efil= Halo's progeny for five generations at Galopp-Sieger.de *

– won 1983

– won 1989 Kentucky Derby,

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs () on ...

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 ...

. The U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee is the most successful sire in the world by progeny earnings *

– won Champagne Stakes,

Laurel Futurity The Laurel Futurity is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in late September at Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland. Run over a distance of miles on turf, at one time it was a Grade I stakes race on dirt, and one of the riches ...

, voted 1983 U.S. Champion 2-Year-Old Colt *

– 1980 & 1981 Canadian Champion Older Female Horse, 1980 United States Champion Older Female Horse, 1980 Canadian Horse of the Year *

– won 1992

Arlington Classic Stakes The Arlington Classic Stakes is a Graded stakes race, Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three year old horses over a distance of miles on the turf held annually in late May at Arlington Park race track near Chicago. History The ev ...

, sire of

Saint Liam Saint Liam (April 13, 2000 – August 22, 2006) was an American thoroughbred racehorse who was voted 2005 Eclipse Award Horse of the Year honors after winning the Donn Handicap, Stephen Foster, Woodward Stakes and Breeders' Cup Classic. He d ...

and

Ashado Ashado (foaled February 4, 2001 in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racemare whose seven Grade I wins included the 2004 Breeders' Cup Distaff. She won Eclipse Awards as the Champion Three-Year-Old Filly of 2004 and Champion Older Female of 2 ...

Goodbye Halo Goodbye Halo (February 12, 1985 – August 23, 2014) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. A daughter of the noted sire Halo, she won 10 graded stakes races over a race career spanning from ages two to four. Following her racing ...

– filly won six Grade I stakes, earned in excess of $1.7 million * Jolie's Halo – won three Grade I stakes, equaled track record in winning the Philip H. Iselin Handicap, earned in excess of $1.2 million *

Lively One Lively may refer to: Places * Lively, Missouri, United States, an unincorporated community * Lively, Texas, an unincorporated community * Lively, Virginia, United States, an unincorporated community * Lively, West Virginia, United States, an uni ...

– won Grade I

Swaps Stakes The Los Alamitos Derby (formerly the Swaps Stakes) is a race for Thoroughbred horses run annually at Los Alamitos Race Course in Los Alamitos, California. The race is open to three-year-old horses and is contested at one and one-eighth miles on th ...

, earned in excess of $1.5 million *

Present Value In economics and finance, present value (PV), also known as present discounted value, is the value of an expected income stream determined as of the date of valuation. The present value is usually less than the future value because money has inte ...

– multiple stakes winner, earned in excess of $1.1 million *

Southern Halo Southern Halo (1983–2009) was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In his racing career he ran twenty-four times, winning five races and finishing second in the Grade I Swaps Stakes and Super Derby. He is chiefly notable for h ...

– Leading Sire in Argentina for eleven years, sire of 170 stakes winners. Grandsire of: *

Agnes Tachyon Agnes Tachyon (Japanese : アグネスタキオン, April 13, 1998 - June 22, 2009) was an undefeated Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and a Leading sire in Japan. He was by Sunday Silence, his dam, Agnes Flora (by Royal Ski) won the Oka Sho (Jap ...

–

Leading sire in Japan The list below shows the leading Thoroughbred sire of racehorses in Japan for each year since 1924. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the season. ---- * 1924 - Ebor (1) * 1925 - Ebor (2) * 1926 - ...

(2008) *

Answer Lively {{Infobox racehorse , horsename = Answer Lively , image = , caption = , sire = Lively One , grandsire = Halo , dam = Twosies Answer , damsire = Two's a Plenty , sex = Stallion , foaled = 1996 , country = United States , colour = Bay , ...

– 1998 U.S. Champion 2-Year-Old Colt *

–

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 ...

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 ...

winner, 2004 U.S. Champion 3-Yr-Old filly, 2005 U.S. Champion Older Female Horse * Deep Impact – won 2005 Japanese Triple Crown, Japan Horse of the Year (2005, 2006), Leading sire of Japan (2012-22); sire of

Gentildonna is a retired Japanese thoroughbred racehorse. In 2012 she won the Japanese Fillies Triple Crown and was voted Japanese Horse of the Year. She was also the first three-year-old filly to win the Japan Cup, in 2012, and the following year became th ...

and

Contrail Contrails (; short for "condensation trails") or vapor trails are line-shaped clouds produced by aircraft engine exhaust or changes in air pressure, typically at aircraft cruising altitudes several miles above the Earth's surface. Contrails ar ...

Devil His Due Devil His Due (April 18, 1989 – May 22, 2017) was a multimillionaire American Thoroughbred racehorse and successful sire. Bred in Kentucky by Peter E. Blum and raced under the Blue Ribbon Farm banner, he had a record of 41: 11-12-3 with career ...

– multiple Grade I stakes winner, earned in excess of $3.9 million * Heart's Cry – won the

Dubai Sheema Classic The Dubai Sheema Classic is a Group 1 flat horse race in the United Arab Emirates open to thoroughbreds which are four-years-old or above. It is run over a distance of 2,400 metres (approximately miles; 2410 metres since 2010) on the turf track at ...

and

Arima Kinen The Arima Kinen (有馬記念) is a Grade I flat horse race in Japan open to Thoroughbreds which are three-years-old or above and the world's largest betting horserace.

; sire of

Just A Way Just A Way (Japanese ジャスタウェイ, foaled 8 March 2009) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. After showing useful, but unexceptional form in his early career he emerged as a major talent with a win in the 2013 Autumn edition of the Te ...

Manhattan Cafe Manhattan Cafe, ( ja, マンハッタンカフェ, link=no, 5 March 1998 – August 2015) was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Unraced as a juvenile he began his racing career as a three-year-old in 2001. He improved throughout the sea ...

– Leading sire in Japan (2009) *

– won

, 2005 U.S. Horse of the Year *

Special Week Special Week ( ja, スペシャルウィーク, link=no, 2 May 1995 – 27 April 2018) was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Between 1997 and 1999 he won ten of his seventeen races including four at Grade I level. After winning his only ...

– multiple Grade I winner; sire of

Buena Vista Buena Vista, meaning "good view" in Spanish, may refer to: Places Canada *Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador, with the name being originally derived from “Buena Vista” *Buena Vista, Saskatchewan *Buena Vista, Saskatoon, a neighborhood in ...

* Stay Gold – won the Dubai Sheema Classic and

Hong Kong Vase The Hong Kong Vase is a Group 1 flat horse race in Hong Kong which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 2,400 metres (about miles or 12 furlongs) at Sha Tin, and it is scheduled to take place each year ...

; sire of

Orfevre Orfevre ( ja, オルフェーヴル, link=no, foaled May 14, 2008) is a retired Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and active breeding stallion. In 2011 he won the Japanese Triple Crown and was voted Japanese Horse of the Year. In 2012 he added vic ...

Gold Ship Gold Ship ( ja, ゴールドシップ, link=no) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. In a racing career which began in July 2011, he ran twenty-eight times and won thirteen races. As a two-year-old in 2011, he won his two of his four races. In ...

, and

Oju Chosan Oju Chosan (Japanese : オジュウチョウサン, foaled April 3, 2011) is a retired champion Japanese thoroughbred racehorse who is best known for his multiple victories in Japan's major steeplechase races. He owns speed records in Nakayama Rac ...

Taiki Shuttle Taiki Shuttle (, foaled March 23, 1994; died August 17, 2022) was an American-bred, Japanese-trained thoroughbred race horse and stallion. He won races at the highest level both home and abroad, most notably winning the Mile Championship (twice), ...

– 1998 Japan Horse of the Year *

Zenno Rob Roy (27 March 2000 – 2 September 2022) was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire. In a racing career which lasted from February 2003 until December 2005, he ran twenty times, winning seven races and being placed on ten further occasi ...

– Multiple Grade I winner, 2004 Japan Horse of the Year *

Team A team is a group of individuals (human or non-human) working together to achieve their goal. As defined by Professor Leigh Thompson (academic), Leigh Thompson of the Kellogg School of Management, " team is a group of people who are interde ...

- Multiple Grade I winner, 1998 Argentinian Horse of the Year Damsire of: * Coup de Genie – multiple Group I winner, 1993 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly in France *

King Halo King Halo（, April 28, 1995 - March 19, 2019）was a Japanese thoroughbred race horse. King Halo won the GI 2000 Takamatsunomiya Kinen, as well as the GII 1999 Nakayama Kinen and the GIII 1997 Tokyo Sports Hai Sansai Stakes and 1999 Tokyo Sh ...

- foaled by Goodbye Halo; won the

Takamatsunomiya Kinen The is a Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan for four-year-old and above thoroughbreds. It is run over a distance of 1,200 metres (approximately 6 furlongs) at Chukyo Racecourse in late March. The forerunner of this race was the . It was started a ...

in 2000 *

Machiavellian Machiavellianism or Machiavellian may refer to: Politics *Machiavellianism (politics), the supposed political philosophy of Niccolò Machiavelli *Political realism Psychology *Machiavellianism (psychology), a personality trait centered on cold an ...

– 1989 Champion 2-Year-Old Colt in France * Pine Bluff – winner of the 1992

Arkansas Derby The Arkansas Derby is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually in April at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is currently a Grade I race run over a distance of 1 1/8 miles (9 furlongs) on dirt. In 2004, t ...

and

Rahy Rahy (February 18, 1985 – September 22, 2011) was a Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in England and the United States. Background Bred by Hill 'n' Dale Farms in Lexington, Rahy was a son of the very important sire Blushing Groom and out o ...

– sired Champions

Fantastic Light Fantastic Light (foaled February 13, 1996) is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse and pensioned sire (horse), sire. He was foaled in the United States but was trained in England and Dubai during his racing career, which ran from August 1998 to his ...

Serena's Song Serena's Song (foaled April 4, 1992) is an American Thoroughbred race horse. She won 17 graded stakes races, including 11 Grade I (some against males and older mares), in three seasons for $3,286,388 in earnings. Background Serena's Song is a s ...

and was the

Leading broodmare sire in Great Britain & Ireland The list below shows the leading sire of broodmares in Great Britain and Ireland for each year since 1899. This is determined by the amount of prize money won during the year in Great Britain and Ireland by racehorses that were foaled by a daughter ...

Singspiel A Singspiel (; plural: ; ) is a form of German-language music drama, now regarded as a genre of opera. It is characterized by spoken dialogue, which is alternated with ensembles, songs, ballads, and arias which were often strophic, or folk-like ...

– won

Canadian International Stakes The Canadian International Stakes is a Grade I stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years of age and up on Turf. It is held annually in October at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The current purse is Since its creation i ...

and

Japan Cup The is one of the most prestigious horse races in Japan. It is contested on the last Sunday of November, post time of 15:40 at Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu, Tokyo at a distance of 2400 meters (about miles) run under weight for age conditions with ...

(1996),

Dubai World Cup The Dubai World Cup (Arabic: كأس دبي العالمي) is a Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1996 and contested at the Meydan Racecourse (Arabic: ميدان) which in Arabic suggests a place wher ...

(1997). Voted 1996 U.S. Champion Male Turf Horse

Pedigree

Halo is inbred 4x4 to

Blue Larkspur Blue Larkspur (1926–1947) was a bay Kentucky-bred thoroughbred race horse. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1957, and ranks Number 100 in The Blood-Horse's top 100 U.S. thoroughbred champions of the 20t ...

, meaning Blue Larkspur appears twice in the fourth generation of his pedigree.

References

{{reflist 1969 racehorse births 2000 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States United States Champion Thoroughbred Sires Thoroughbred family 2-d Chefs-de-Race