L'Enjoleur (1972 – January 26, 2000) was a Canadian

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 ...

race horse 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 ...

. Bred and owned by prominent

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

businessman

Jean-Louis Lévesque Jean-Louis Lévesque, (April 13, 1911 – December 28, 1994) was a Canadian entrepreneur, thoroughbred racehorse owner, and philanthropist. J. Louis Lévesque was born in Nouvelle in Quebec's Gaspé Peninsula to an Acadian father and an I ...

, L'Enjoleur was sired by U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee, Buckpasser, a son of another Hall of Famer,

Tom Fool Tom Fool (March 31, 1949 – August 20, 1976) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the 1953 American Horse of the Year and was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame. He sired the champion racehorses Buckpasser and Tim Tam. B ...

. He was out of the racing mare Fanfreluche, a daughter of the 20th Century's most influential sire,

Northern Dancer Northern Dancer (May 27, 1961 – November 16, 1990) was a Thoroughbred who, in 1964, became the first Canadian-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby. He then became one of the most successful sires of the 20th century. He is considered a Canad ...

. Trained by

Yonnie Starr Joseph "Yonnie" Starr (August 11, 1905 – March, 1990) was a Canadian Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse trainer about whom the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame says has a "record unmatched in Canadian racing history." Starr began his caree ...

, in 1974 L'Enjoleur was voted the

Sovereign Award {{refimprove, date=October 2021 The Sovereign Award is given annually since 1975 by the Jockey Club of Canada to the outstanding horses and people in Canadian Thoroughbred racing. The most prestigious award for horses is Sovereign Horse of the Y ...

as Canadian champion two-year-old plus the most prestigious of all, the

Sovereign Award for Horse of the Year The Canadian Horse of the Year is a thoroughbred horse racing honour given annually since 1951 by the Jockey Club of Canada. It is the most prestigious honour in Canadian thoroughbred horse racing. Part of the Sovereign Awards program since 1975, ...

. Included in his 1974 wins was the important

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 ...

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 ...

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

in which he defeated Wajima while equalling the track record time

At age three, L'Enjoleur earned both titles again, becoming the first repeat winner of "Horse of the Year" honours in the award's 25 year history. L'Enjoleur's 1975 campaign included victory in the first two legs of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, Canadian Triple Crown. He captured the

Queen's Plate The King's Plate (known as the Queen's Plate between 1860 to 1901 and 1952 to 2022) is Canada's oldest Thoroughbred horse race, having been founded in 1860. It is also the oldest continuously run race in North America. It is run at a distance of ...

in June then the Prince of Wales Stakes in July before finishing third on the

grass Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns an ...

in the August

Breeders' Stakes The Breeders' Stakes is a stakes race for Thoroughbred race horses foaled in Canada, first run in 1889. Since 1959, it has been the third race in the Canadian Triple Crown for three-year-olds. Held annually in August at Woodbine Racetrack in T ...

. L'Enjoleur 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 ...

at the end of the 1975 season with a race record of 15-4-2 in 30 starts. As a

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 ...

, L'Enjoleur produced two champions, seven group/graded stakes winners, and 32 overall stakes winners. After ill health forced Jean-Louis Lévesque (1911-1994) to sell his stable, in 1993 L'Enjoleur was sent to a breeding farm in

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

where he led the Ohio general sire list on five occasions including four consecutive years from 1995 through 1998. Pensioned, L'Enjoleur died at the age of 28 in 2000 at Highland Meadows Farm near Petersburg, Ohio. In 2007, L'Enjoleur was inducted into the

Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame was established in 1976 to honour those who have made a significant contribution to the sport of harness and Thoroughbred horse racing in Canada. It is located at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. The ...

. Racing wins at age 2: *

* Ontario Foaled Stakes *

Coronation Futurity The Coronation Futurity Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race for 2-year-old horses foaled in Canada. It is run annually in mid-November at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at a distance of miles. Along with its turf counterpart, the ...

Cup and Saucer Stakes The Cup and Saucer Stakes is a thoroughbred horse race held annually in October at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Open to two-year-old horses foaled in Canada, it is currently run at a distance of miles on turf. Along with its dir ...

Summer Stakes The Summer Stakes is a Group races, Group 3 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to Filly, fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at York Racecourse, York over a ...

* Winnipeg Futurity *

Clarendon Stakes The Clarendon Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race currently run annually at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Held in early July, the sprint race is open to two-year-old horses foaled in the Province of Ontario and is contested over ...

Racing wins at age 3: * Carling O'Keefe Invitational Handicap *

* Prince of Wales Stakes *

Manitoba Derby The Manitoba Derby is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race run annually at the beginning of August at Assiniboia Downs in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from ...

* Quebec Derby * Colonel R. S. McLaughlin Handicap * Harry Jeffrey Handicap

Pedigree

{{Pedigree , name = L'Enjoleur , f = Buckpasser , m = Fanfreluche , ff =

, fm = Busanda , mf =

, mm = Ciboulette , fff =

Menow Menow (1935–1964) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He won several important races in 1937, when he was voted American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse. Background Bred and raced by Hal Price Headley, Menow was foaled on May 19, late ...

, ffm = Gaga , fmf =

War Admiral War Admiral (May 2, 1934 – October 30, 1959) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who is the fourth winner of the American Triple Crown. He was also the 1937 Horse of the Year and well known as the rival of Seabiscuit in the 'Match ...

, fmm = Businesslike , mff =

Nearctic The Nearctic realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting the Earth's land surface. The Nearctic realm covers most of North America, including Greenland, Central Florida, and the highlands of Mexico. The parts of North America t ...

, mfm =

Natalma Natalma (March 26, 1957 – January 29, 1985) was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse best known as the dam (mother) of the most important sire, and sire of sires, of the late 20th Century, Northern Dancer. She also established a highly inf ...

, mmf = Chop Chop , mmm = Windy Answer , ffff =

Pharamond II Pharamond (1925–1952) was an English Thoroughbred racehorse who became a successful sire of Champions in the United States where he was registered as Pharamond II. He was a full brother to Sickle, who also stood at stud successfully in the Uni ...

, fffm = Alcibiades , ffmf = Bull Dog , ffmm = Alpoise , fmff =

Man o' War Man o' War (March 29, 1917 – November 1, 1947) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who is widely regarded as the greatest racehorse of all time. Several sports publications, including ''The Blood-Horse'', ''Sports Illustrated'', ESPN, and ...

, fmfm = Brushup , fmmf =

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 ...

, fmmm =

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 ...

, mfff =

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 ...

, mffm =

Lady Angela Lady Angela (1944–1966) was a British-bred Thoroughbred who became the foundation mare of E.P. Taylor's Windfields Farm in Canada. She was the dam of Nearctic, the Canadian Horse of the Year in 1958 and seven-time leading sire in Canada. Amon ...

, mfmf = Native Dancer , mfmm =

Almahmoud Almahmoud (1947–1971) was an American Thoroughbred racemare that was best known as an influential broodmare who produced Natalma and Cosmah. She was sired by the 1936 Epsom Derby winner Mahmoud, who was imported to the United States in 1940 ...

, mmff = Flares , mmfm = Sceptical , mmmf =

Windfields Windfields (1943–1971) was a Canadian Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse who was the first stakes race winner bred by E. P. Taylor and for whom he named his world-famous Windfields Farm. Out of the mare Nandi, for whom the Nandi Stakes at ...

, mmmm = Reply }

References

L'Enjoleur's pedigree and stats
1972 racehorse births 2000 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Canada Racehorses trained in Canada King's Plate winners Canadian Champion racehorses Sovereign Award winners Canadian Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductees Thoroughbred family 4-g