Hippodamia (29 April 1971 – after 1993) was a Kentucky-bred, French-trained

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 ...

. As a two-year-old she showed some promise racing over short distances, finishing third in the

Prix Robert Papin The Prix Robert Papin is a Group 2 flat horse race in France open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Chantilly over a distance of 1,200 metres (about 6 furlongs), and it is scheduled to take ...

, before establishing herself as the best juvenile filly in Europe with an emphatic six-

length 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 Interna ...

win in the

Critérium des Pouliches The Prix Marcel Boussac is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to two-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,600 metres (about 1 mile), and it is sche ...

. She failed to win in 1974, despite being placed in several important races and later won two races after being transferred to the United States. After her retirement from racing she had some success as a broodmare.

Background

Hippodamia was a brown mare with no white markings bred in Kentucky by Tom Gentry. She was sired by

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 ...

who was named

American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse The American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually in Thoroughbred flat racing. It became part of the Eclipse Awards program in 1971. The award originated in 1936 when the ''Daily Racing Fo ...

in 1960 before his racing career was ended by injury. He became a very successful breeding stallion, whose other progeny included

Halo Halo, halos or haloes usually refer to: * Halo (optical phenomenon) * Halo (religious iconography), a ring of light around the image of a head HALO, halo, halos or haloes may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Video games * ''Halo'' (franch ...

Roberto The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

Bold Reason Bold Reason (1968–1985) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse and Champion broodmare sire. Background Bold Reason was bred by Harry Guggenheim, and was sired by Hail To Reason, the 1970 Leading sire in North America. His dam was Guggenheim ...

Proud Clarion Proud Clarion (January 19, 1964 – December 17, 1981) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 1967 Kentucky Derby. Background Owned and bred by John W. Galbreath, Proud Clarion was foaled at his Darby Dan Farm in Le ...

Hail To All Hail To All (foaled 1962) was an American thoroughbred racehorse which won the 1965 Belmont Stakes. Background Hail to All was a bay horse bred at Styles Colwill's Halcyon Farm in Maryland. He was sired by Hail To Reason, out of the mare Elle ...

Personality Personality is the characteristic sets of behaviors, cognitions, and emotional patterns that are formed from biological and environmental factors, and which change over time. While there is no generally agreed-upon definition of personality, mos ...

, Stop The Music and

Trillion ''Trillion'' is a number with two distinct definitions: * 1,000,000,000,000, i.e. one million million, or (ten to the twelfth power), as defined on the short scale. This is now the meaning in both American and British English. * 1,000,000,000,0 ...

. Hippodamia's dam White Lie was of little use as a racehorse but came from a good family: her grand-dam Your Hostess was the ancestor of many important winners including

Caracolero Caracolero (1971 – after 1987) was a Kentucky-bred, French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He showed some promise as a two-year-old in 1973, winning one of his three races, but was rated well behind the best of his year in France. ...

Majestic Prince Majestic Prince (March 19, 1966 – April 22, 1981) was a Thoroughbred racehorse. One of the leading North American horses of his generation, he won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in 1969. Background In September 1967, Majestic Prince ...

Secreto Secreto (1981–1999) was a Maryland-bred Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that consisted of only four races, he won three times. His most important success came in June 1984 when he won the Derby. Background Secret ...

Daiwa Major Daiwa Major ( ja, ダイワメジャー, link=no) is a retired Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire (horse), sire. A horse who excelled at distances of , he won the Satsuki Shō, the first leg of the Japanese Triple Crown in 2004. His ...

and

Real Quiet Real Quiet (March 7, 1995 – September 27, 2010) was an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. He was nicknamed "The Fish" by his trainer due to his narrow frame. He is best remembered for winning the first two legs of American Triple ...

. As a

yearling Yearling may refer to: *Yearling (horse), a horse between one and two years old *''The Yearling ''The Yearling'' is a novel by American writer Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, published in March 1938. It was the main selection of the Book of the Mo ...

, Hippodamia was offered for sale and bought for $42,000 by representatives of

Nelson Bunker Hunt Nelson Bunker Hunt (February 22, 1926 – October 21, 2014) was an American oil company executive. He was a billionaire whose fortune collapsed after he and his brothers William Herbert and Lamar tried to corner the world market in silver ...

. The filly was sent to Europe where she was trained in France by

Maurice Zilber Maurice Zilber (c. 1920 – 21 December 2008) was a French thoroughbred horse trainer born and raised in Cairo, Egypt to a Turkish mother and a French- Hungarian father. He trained horses in Egypt from 1946 to 1962, and then moved to France wher ...

Racing career

1973: two-year-old season

After finishing second over 900 metres on her racecourse debut, Hippodamia recorded her first success in a minor race over 1100 metres and then finished fifth in her next appearance. She was then moved up 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 ...

Prix Robert Papin over 1100 metres at

Maisons-Laffitte Maisons-Laffitte () is a Communes of France, commune in the Yvelines Departments of France, department in the northern Île-de-France Regions of France, region of France. It is a part of the affluent outer suburbs of northwestern Paris, from its ...

on 29 July. Ridden by the Australian

Bill Pyers Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...

, she started a 17/1 outsider and finished third, beaten two

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 ...

and a head by

Lianga Lianga, officially the Municipality of Lianga ( Surigaonon: ''Lungsod nan Lianga''; tl, Bayan ng Lianga), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Surigao del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 33,869 pe ...

and Soyez Brave. Hippodamia was then sent to England to contest the

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

York Racecourse York Racecourse is a horse racing venue in York, North Yorkshire, England. It is the third biggest racecourse in Britain in terms of total prize money offered, and second behind Ascot Racecourse, Ascot in prize money offered per meeting. It att ...

in August, but made little impression, finishing seventh behind

Giacometti Alberto Giacometti (, , ; 10 October 1901 – 11 January 1966) was a Swiss sculptor, painter, Drafter, draftsman and Printmaking, printmaker. Beginning in 1922, he lived and worked mainly in Paris but regularly visited his hometown Borgonovo, ...

. The filly returned to France in September and was moved up in distance for the

Prix des Chênes The Prix des Chênes is a Conditions races, Group 3 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in France open to two-year-old thoroughbred Colt (horse), colts and geldings. It is run at Longchamp Racecour ...

over 1600 metres at

Longchamp Racecourse The Longchamp Racecourse (french: Hippodrome de Longchamp) is a 57 hectare horse-racing facility located on the Route des Tribunes at the Bois de Boulogne in Paris, France. It is used for flat racing and is noted for its variety of interlaced tr ...

and finished second, four lengths behind the

Aga Khan Aga Khan ( fa, آقاخان, ar, آغا خان; also transliterated as ''Aqa Khan'' and ''Agha Khan'') is a title held by the Imām of the Nizari Ismāʿīli Shias. Since 1957, the holder of the title has been the 49th Imām, Prince Shah Karim ...

's colt Bayraan. On 7 October at Longchamp, Hippodamia started 4.2/1 second favourite for the Group One Critérium des Pouliches over 1600 metres. The favourite was Insistance, runner-up to

Nonoalco Nonoalco (1971–1992) was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who raced in France. Background He was out of the mare Seximee, a daughter of the 1954 Preakness Stakes winner Hasty Road. His sire was the very important Nearctic, who also si ...

in the Prix Morny, whilst the other runners included

Polygamy Crimes Polygamy (from Late Greek (') "state of marriage to many spouses") is the practice of marrying multiple spouses. When a man is married to more than one wife at the same time, sociologists call this polygyny. When a woman is married ...

and three others from Britain, Cake (third in the Morny) from Ireland and the locally-trained

Comtesse de Loir Comtesse de Loir (1971 – after 1993) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. In her three-year racing career, she won only one important race, the Prix Saint-Alary in 1974. but was placed in numerous major events including the ...

, winner of her only previous start. Pyers sent the filly into the lead early in the straight and Hippodamia drew away from her sixteen rivals to win by a record margin of six lengths from Comtesse de Loir, La Tulipe and Polygamy.

1974: three-year-old season

On her three-year-old debut, Hippodamia finished second to Paddy's Princess in the

Prix de la Grotte The Prix de la Grotte is a Group 3 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run over a distance of 1,600 metres (about 1 mile) at Longchamp in Apr ...

over 1600 metres at Longchamp in April. On 5 May she started 5/2 second favourite behind Lianga in the

Poule d'Essai des Pouliches The Poule d'Essai des Pouliches is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run over a distance of 1,600 metres (about 1 mile) at ...

and finished second, beaten a length by the 30/1 outsider Dumka. Three weeks later she was moved up in distance to contest the

Prix Saint-Alary The Prix Saint-Alary is a Group races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred Filly, fillies. It is run at Longchamp Racecourse, Longchamp ove ...

over 2000 metres at Longchamp, and started at odds of 3.75/1 against thirteen opponents including Comtesse de Loir, Paddy's Princess, Dumka, Pale Ale (winner of the

Prix Penelope The Prix Penelope is a Group 3 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run over a distance of 2,100 metres (about 1 mile and 2½ furlongs) at Saint-Cl ...

) and Rose Bed (

Prix Chloé The Prix Chloé is a Group 3 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Chantilly over a distance of 1,800 metres (about 1⅛ miles), and it is scheduled to take p ...

). Hippodamia stayed on in the straight without ever looking likely to win and finished second, two and a half length behind the winner Comtesse de Loir. On her next appearance she started 11/2 third favourite for the

Prix de Diane The Prix de Diane, sometimes referred to as the French Oaks, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Chantilly over a distance of 2,100 metre ...

over 2100 metres at

Chantilly Racecourse Chantilly Racecourse (In French: "Hippodrome de Chantilly") is a Thoroughbred turf racecourse for flat racing in Chantilly, Oise, France, about north of the centre of the city of Paris. Chantilly Racecourse is located in the country's main hors ...

and finished fifth behind the British filly

Highclere Highclere (pronounced ) is a village and civil parish situated in the North Wessex Downs (an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) in the Basingstoke and Deane district of Hampshire, England. It lies in the northern part of the county, near the B ...

. The filly was then employed as a

pacemaker An artificial cardiac pacemaker (or artificial pacemaker, so as not to be confused with the natural cardiac pacemaker) or pacemaker is a medical device that generates electrical impulses delivered by electrodes to the chambers of the heart eith ...

for her stable companion

Dahlia Dahlia (, ) is a genus of bushy, tuberous, herbaceous perennial plants native to Mexico and Central America. A member of the Asteraceae (former name: Compositae) family of dicotyledonous plants, its garden relatives thus include the sunflower, ...

in the

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot o ...

and the

Benson and Hedges Gold Cup Benson may refer to: Animals *Benson (fish), largest common carp caught in Britain Places Geography Canada *Rural Municipality of Benson No. 35, Saskatchewan; rural municipality *Benson, Saskatchewan; hamlet United Kingdom *Benson, Oxfordshire ...

. Dahlia won both races, with Hippodamia unplaced. She then started joint-favourite for the

Prix de l'Opéra The Prix de l'Opéra is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,000 metres (about 1¼ miles), and it ...

at Longchamp on 6 October, but ran poorly, finishing unplaced behind Cheryl.

1975: four-year-old season

In 1975, Hippodamia was campaigned in the United States where she won two minor races and finished second to Gull's Cry in the Grade III

Columbiana Handicap Columbiana may refer to: Taxonomy In botany: * ''Arctostaphylos columbiana'' or hairy manzanita, a plant species native to North America * ''Calatola columbiana'', a species of plant in the family Icacinaceae endemic to Colombia * ''Clematis colum ...

Hialeah Park The Hialeah Park Race Track (also known as the Hialeah Race Track or Hialeah Park) is a historic racetrack in Hialeah, Florida, Hialeah, Florida. Its site covers 40 square blocks of central-east side Hialeah from Palm Avenue east to East 4th Avenu ...

Assessment

There was no International Classification of European two-year-olds in 1973: the official handicappers of Britain, Ireland and France compiled separate rankings for horses which competed in those countries. In the French Free Handicap, Hippodamia was rated the best filly of her generation, three pounds ahead of Lianga and seven behind the leading colt Mississipian . The independent

Timeform 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 ...

organisation gave her a rating of 130 and described her as "far and away the best staying filly of her age trained in Europe". In the following year she was given a rating of 116 by Timeform, fifteen pounds behind their top-rated three-year-old filly Comtesse de Loir. In the official French handicap she was rated fourteen pound behind Comtesse de Loir, who was the top-rated three-year-old of either sex.

Breeding record

Hippodamia was retired from racing to become a broodmare in Kentucky. She produced at least eleven foals and five winners between 1976 and 1993. Her foals included: *Synclinal, a brown filly, foaled in 1976, sired by

Vaguely Noble Vaguely Noble (1965–1989) was an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in the United Kingdom and France. The colt is best known as the winner of the 1968 Group One Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe when he defeated the best horses from Engla ...

. Unraced. *Globe, brown colt, 1977, by

Secretariat Secretariat may refer to: * Secretariat (administrative office) * Secretariat (horse) Secretariat (March 30, 1970 – October 4, 1989), also known as Big Red, was a champion American thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who is the ninth winne ...

. Won six races including the

Excelsior Handicap The Excelsior Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the first week of April at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. A Listed event for three-year-olds and up, it is contested over a distance of one-and-on ...

and

Grey Lag Handicap The Grey Lag Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. Open to horses age three and older, in its final years it was contested on dirt over a distance of one and three-sixteenths miles ...

. *Balance, bay filly, 1979, by

Youth Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood ( maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as being a young adult. You ...

. Won two races, second in the

Prix Imprudence The Prix Imprudence is a Group 3 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run over a distance of 1,400 metres (about 7 furlongs) at Maisons-Laffitt ...

*Vaguely Essence, chestnut filly, 1981, by

. Unraced. *Petela, bay filly, 1983 by

Big Spruce Big Spruce (1969–2001) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was an outstanding middle to longer distance runner on both dirt and grass called "one of North America's leading runners in the early 1970s" by the ''Thoroughbred Times'' Back ...

. Unraced. *Foamflower, grey filly, 1984, by Grey Dawn. Won two races. *Hippo, brown colt, 1986, by

Riverman Riverman (1969–1999) was a French Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse. Background Foaled in Kentucky, Riverman was bred by Harry F. Guggenheim of the prominent American Guggenheim family. Riverman was from the mare (horse), mare River Lady ...

. Failed to win in fourteen races. *Housatonic, brown filly, 1987, by

. Won one race. *Hoya, bay filly, 1989, by

. Won four races including the Listed Prix Charles Laffitte. *Hiawathas Song, chestnut filly, 1990, by

Chief's Crown Chief's Crown (April 7, 1982 – April 29, 1997) was an American-bred Thoroughbred race horse who won the 1984 Breeders' Cup Juvenile and was voted the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Two-Year-Old Male Horse. He later became a successful sire. Ba ...

. Unraced. *Hymenee, brown filly, 1993, by

. Failed to win in three races.

Pedigree

References

{{reflist 1971 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in France Racehorses trained in the United States Thoroughbred family 4-d