Herbager (1956 – 25 March 1976) was a French

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 an influential

sire Sire is an archaic respectful form of address to reigning kings in Europe. In French and other languages it is less archaic and relatively more current. In Belgium, the king is addressed as "Sire..." in both Dutch and French. The words "sire" a ...

in both France and the United States.

Background

Herbager was sired by Vandale, a stayer who won the 1946

Prix du Conseil Municipal The Prix du Conseil de Paris is a Group 2 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres (about miles), and it is sche ...

and whom Herbager helped make the 1959

Leading sire in France The list below shows the leading Thoroughbred sire of racehorses in France for each year since 1887. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the season. Due to the huge prize money of the Prix de l'Arc de T ...

. His dam was Flagette (by Escamillo), who was inbred 2x2 to St. Leger winner Firdaussi, meaning both her parents were sired by him. During his racing career he was owned by Simone Del Duca and trained by Pierre Pelat.

Racing career

Herbager made two starts at age two, finishing second once and winning the Prix Seraphine. At age three, he was the best colt in his age group in France, winning important races including the

Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud The Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Saint-Cloud over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and it is ...

and the

Classic A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or highest quality, class, or rank – something that exemplifies its class. The word can be an adjective (a ''c ...

French Derby The Prix du Jockey Club, sometimes referred to as the French Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Chantilly over ...

in which he earned a

Timeform rating 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 ...

of 136. In the

Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris, France, over a distance ...

, he sustained a serious leg injury but finished only two lengths from the winner. This injury ended his racing career.

Stud record

Herbager was retired to

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 ba ...

for the 1960 season in France and in December 1964 was sold for US$700,000 to the prominent

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 ...

breeder Bull Hancock. Hancock then syndicated Herbager and moved him to his Claiborne Farm. At Claiborne Farm, the horse sired sixty-four stakes winners and became a major stamina influence.

Major winners

''c =

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 ...

, f =

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 ...

, g =

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 ...

'' Damsire: Some of Herbager's daughters who produced foals that went on to racing success include: *

Ballade Ballad is a form of narrative poetry, often put to music, or a type of sentimental love song in modern popular music. Ballad or Ballade may also refer to: Music Genres and forms * Ballade (classical music), a musical setting of a literary ballad ...

(1972), was purchased as a yearling by Canadian

E. P. Taylor Edward Plunket Taylor, Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George, CMG (January 29, 1901 – May 14, 1989) was a Canadians, Canadian business tycoon, investor and philanthropist. He was a famous breeder of Thoroughbred horse racing, race ...

. As a broodmare, she stood at Taylor's

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 ...

. Ballade was voted the 1992 Sovereign Award for Outstanding Broodmare. She was the dam of major stakes winners

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

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 Windfi ...

, plus

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 ...

, who in turn sired 2005 American Horse of the Year Saint Liam as well as 2-time

Eclipse Award The Eclipse Award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th-century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. An Eclipse Award Trophy is presented to the winner in each division that is made by a few small selected American ...

winner Ashado * Bete A Bon Dieu (1964) - dam of Buckskin, winner of the

Prix du Cadran The Prix du Cadran is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 4,000 metres (about 2 miles), and it is scheduled to ta ...

(2x),

Jockey Club Cup A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

Doncaster Cup The Doncaster Cup is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 2 miles 1 furlong and 197 yards (3,600 metr ...

* I Will Follow (1975) - dam of

Rainbow Quest ''Rainbow Quest'' (1965–66) was a U.S. television series devoted to folk music and hosted by Pete Seeger. It was videotaped in black-and-white and featured musicians playing in traditional American music genres such as traditional folk music, ...

, winner of the 1985

Coronation Cup The Coronation Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 6 yards (2 ...

and

. Herbager died on 25 March 1976 at the age of twenty at Claiborne 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 ...

and is buried in their main equine cemetery.

Pedigree

References

Herbager profile at ''Thoroughbred Heritage''
* McLean, Ken. ''Designing Speed in the Racehorse'' (2006) Russell Meerdink Co. Ltd. {{ISBN, 978-0-929346-80-9 1956 racehorse births 1976 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in France Racehorses trained in France French Thoroughbred Classic Race winners Thoroughbred family 16-c Chefs-de-Race