Heavenly Cause (foaled May 22, 1978 in

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 ...

) 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 ...

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 ...

racehorse.

Background

Bred by

Adele W. Paxson Adele Warden Paxson (1913 – December 27, 2000) was an American socialite, philanthropist, conservationist, and a champion breeder of thoroughbred racehorses. Born Adele Corning Warden, she was the daughter of Helen Corning and her husband Clare ...

, Heavenly Cause was sired by Grey Dawn, the 1964 French Champion Two-Year-Old Colt and 1990

Leading broodmare sire in North America The list below shows the leading Thoroughbred sire of broodmares in North America for each year since 1924. This is determined by the amount of prize money won during the year by racehorses which were foaled by a daughter of the sire. The most ...

. Her dam was Lady Dulcinea, a granddaughter of

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 ...

who has been described by '' Thoroughbred Heritage'' as "one of the greatest racehorses of the Twentieth Century" and "one of the most important sires of the century." She was purchased by Jim and Eleanor Ryan who raced her under the name of their

Ryehill Farm Ryehill may refer to: *Ryehill, East Riding of Yorkshire, England * Ryehill, Aberdeenshire, Scotland See also *Ryhill Ryhill is a small village and civil parish situated on the B6428 road in West Yorkshire, England approximately south-east ...

. Heavenly Cause was trained by U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee,

Woody Stephens Woody Stephens (September 1, 1913 – August 22, 1998) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame trainer. Biography Born Woodford Cefis Stephens in Stanton, Kentucky, he had a younger brother named William Ward Stephens who also b ...

Racing career

Heavenly Cause won four of nine starts at age two, including the Grades 1 Selima and Frizette Stakes and was voted the 1980

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 ...

for American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly. As a three-year-old, Heavenly Cause had five wins in twelve starts. Racing at Florida's

Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park, owned by The Stronach Group, is a Thoroughbred race track, casino and outdoor entertainment and shopping destination in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Thoroughbred horse racing occurs year-round, defined by three distinct race meets ...

early in 1981, she finished second to Dame Mysterieuse in the

Forward Gal Stakes The Forward Gal Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies, over a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt held annually in late January or early February at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Th ...

and third to her in the

Bonnie Miss Stakes The Gulfstream Park Oaks is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three year old fillies, over a distance of one and one-eighth miles on the dirt held annually in March at Gulfstream Park, Hallandale Beach, Florida. The event currently ...

. Heavenly Cause then went on to win the

La Troienne La Troienne (1926–1954) was one of the most famous and influential Thoroughbred broodmares in twentieth century America. She produced 10 winners including two Hall of Fame inductees while at stud, while her daughters in turn produced many nota ...

and

Fantasy Stakes The Fantasy Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies at a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt run annually usually in early April at Oaklawn Park Race Track in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The ...

before capturing the May 2,

Kentucky Oaks The Kentucky Oaks is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The race currently covers at Churchill Downs; the horses carry . The Kentucky Oaks is held on the Friday ...

at Churchill Downs in which she defeated a very strong field that included De La Rose,

Wayward Lass Wayward Lass (April 13, 1978 – July 10, 2003) was an American Thoroughbred Champion racehorse. Bred in Florida by Hall of Fame trainer Horatio Luro, Wayward Lass was bought in 1980 by Carl Lizza, Jr. for $30,000 at the then-Florida Breeders ...

, and the

betting Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of value ("the stakes") on a random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy are discounted. Gambling thus requires three elem ...

favorite, Truly Bound. Three weeks later she followed up with a win in the May 23

Acorn Stakes The Acorn Stakes is an American Grade I race at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies. It is raced on dirt over a distance of one mile with a current purse of $500,000. It is the first leg of the US Triple Tiar ...

at Belmont Park. In late June Heavenly Cause ran second to in the

Mother Goose Stakes The Mother Goose Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies held at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Raced on dirt in late June or early July, the race currently offers a purse of $300,000. Inaugurated in 1957 at a m ...

to Wayward Lass who would dominate her age group for the remainder of the year and earn

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 ...

honors.

Broodmare

Retired to broodmare duty, Heavenly Cause stood in the United States until going to breeders in England in 1992. Between 1983 and 1997, she produced twelve foals from notable stallions including Danzig, Lyphard, Mr. Prospector,

Seattle Slew Seattle Slew (February 15, 1974 – May 7, 2002) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who became the tenth winner of the American Triple Crown (1977). He is one of only two horses to have won the Triple Crown while being undefeated in ...

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 racehorse who is the ninth winner of the Ame ...

, and

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 ...

. Ten of her foals raced, and seven were minor winners.Pedigree Query progeny chart
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Honors

Heavenly Cause was elected to the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame on March 15, 1981. In her honor, a seven furlong race for two-year-old fillies at

Laurel Park Racecourse Laurel Park, formerly Laurel Race Course, is an American thoroughbred racing, thoroughbred racetrack located just outside Laurel, Maryland which opened in 1911. The track is miles in circumference. Its name was changed to "Laurel Race Course" fo ...

was named the Heavenly Cause Stakes.

References

{{reflist 1978 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Maryland Racehorses trained in the United States Eclipse Award winners Kentucky Oaks winners Thoroughbred family 21-a