Marguerite (April 24, 1920 – October 27, 1945) 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 ...

racemare Glossary of North American horse racing: Additional glossaries at: *Glossary of Australian and New Zealand punting *Glossary of equestrian terms This is a basic glossary of equestrian terms that includes both technical terminology and jargon ...

owned by

Belair Stud Belair Stud was an American thoroughbred horse racing stable and breeding farm founded by Provincial Governor of Maryland Samuel Ogle in 1747 in Collington, Prince George's County, Maryland, in Colonial America. Colonial period Queen Mab and S ...

who had to be retired after only one start but who established her place in racing history as the

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...

of four significant runners.

A broodmare's place in racing history

A 1946 ''

Daily Racing Form The ''Daily Racing Form'' (DRF) (referred to as the ''Racing Form'' or "Form" and sometimes "telegraph" or "telly") is a tabloid newspaper founded in 1894 in Chicago, Illinois, by Frank Brunell. The paper publishes the past performances of race ...

'' article lamented the fact that when a sire of one or more outstanding runners dies there will be much written about that stallion in country's all over the world. Conversely, when a mare who has produced similar such successful offspring, scant little will be reported on her accomplishment. That same article recounted a story by the sports Editor of the ''

Atlanta Journal ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the only major daily newspaper in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger between ...

'' about his visit to

Claiborne Farm Claiborne Farm is a thoroughbred horse breeding operation near Paris, Kentucky. It was established in 1910 by Arthur B. Hancock, owner of Ellerslie Stud in Albemarle County, Virginia, and has been operated by members of his family ever since. ...

and the gravesite of Marguerite. The ''Daily Racing Form'' commented that Arthur Hancock telling the reporter he was saving a space next to her for

Sir Gallahad III Sir Gallahad (1920–1949) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and an extremely important sire in the United States. Racing career Racing at age two in France for his British breeder/owner, Jefferson Davis Cohn, Sir Gallahad earned victory in ...

was "one of the most romantic stories in the annals of the world's turf".

Breeding

Marguerite was purchased as a yearling by William Woodward at a 1921 Saratoga sale. Her sire was

Celt The Celts (, see pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples () are. "CELTS location: Greater Europe time period: Second millennium B.C.E. to present ancestry: Celtic a collection of Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancient ...

, winner of the 1907 Junior Champion Stakes and the 1908

Brooklyn Handicap The Brooklyn Invitational Stakes (formerly known as the Brooklyn Handicap) is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, on Long Island. It currently is a Grade II event open to four-year-ol ...

who would be 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 ...

in 1921. Celt was a son of the great

Commando Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin">40_Commando.html" ;"title="Royal Marines from 40 Commando">Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin area of Afghanistan are pictured A commando is a combatant, or operativ ...

, an

American Horse of the Year The American Award for Horse of the Year, one of the Eclipse Awards, is the highest honor given in American thoroughbred horse racing. Because Thoroughbred horse racing in the United States has no governing body to sanction the various awards, "Hor ...

and U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee. Commando also sired Hall of Fame champions Colin and

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by List of Scottish novelists, Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and Puer aeternus, never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending ...

. Marguerite's dam was the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

mare Fairy Ray, a daughter of Radium who was a successful runner for

Leopold de Rothschild Leopold de Rothschild (22 November 1845 – 29 May 1917) was a British banker, thoroughbred race horse breeder, and a member of the prominent Rothschild family. Biography Early life Leopold de Rothschild was the third son and youngest of t ...

. Dam Fairy Ray also produced the multiple stakes winning colt Cloudland (1922) by Wrack.

Marguerite's best

Three of Marguerite's best progeny were sired by

, a French-bred stallion that had been bought in 1926 by an American syndicate when standing at stud for owner

Jefferson Davis Cohn Jefferson Davis Cohn (1881–1951) was a British American publisher and horse breeder. He was the godson of Jefferson Davis. In 1914, he bought Teddy from Edmond Blanc for 5,400 francs. Cohn also owned Haras du Bois-Roussel, a breeding farm in A ...

at his

Haras du Bois-Roussel Haras may refer to: * Al-Haras or the Haras, a bodyguard unit in service of caliphs during the Umayyad and the Abbasid caliphates * Haras Fyre (born 1953), an American songwriter, singer and multi-instrumentalist * Oleh Haras (Russian: Ол� ...

near

Alençon Alençon (, , ; nrf, Alençoun) is a commune in Normandy, France, capital of the Orne department. It is situated west of Paris. Alençon belongs to the intercommunality of Alençon (with 52,000 people). History The name of Alençon is firs ...

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. The syndicate was made up of Robert A. Fairbairn,

William Woodward Sr. William Woodward Sr. (April 7, 1876 – September 25, 1953) was an American banker and major owner and breeder in thoroughbred horse racing. __TOC__ Early life Woodward was born in New York City on April 7, 1876. He was a son of Sarah Abagail ( ...

Marshall Field III Marshall Field III (September 28, 1893 – November 8, 1956) was an American investment banker, publisher, racehorse owner/breeder, philanthropist, grandson of businessman Marshall Field, heir to the Marshall Field department store fortune, a ...

, and Arthur B. Hancock. * Petee-Wrack (1925) by Wrack - bred by Belair Stud but foaled at Arthur Hancock's Ellerslie Stud in

Albemarle County, Virginia Albemarle County is a county located in the Piedmont region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its county seat is Charlottesville, which is an independent city and enclave entirely surrounded by the county. Albemarle County is part of the Char ...

, he was purchased and raced by

John R. Macomber John Russell Macomber (February 1, 1875 – May 11, 1955) was an American financier and sportsman. Early life Macomber was born on February 1, 1875, in Framingham, Massachusetts, to John F. and Helen A. Hunt Macomber. He attended public schools ...

. Marguerite was moved to Hancock's Claiborne Farm in Kentucky where all her future foals were born. Among Petee-Wrack's race wins were the 1928

Travers Stakes The Travers Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is nicknamed the "Mid-Summer Derby" and is the third-ranked race for American three-year-olds according to internation ...

in which he defeated

Reigh Count Reigh Count (April 13, 1925–April 8, 1948) was an American Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1928 Kentucky Derby and the 1929 Coronation Cup in England. Reigh Count was bred by Willis Sharpe Kilmer and foaled at Court Ma ...

, the 1929 Twin City, Merchants and Citizens and

Metropolitan Handicap The Metropolitan Handicap, frequently called the "Met Mile", is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is contested on dirt over a distance of one mile (8 furl ...

s, and the 1930

Suburban Handicap The Suburban Stakes is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is now run at the mile distance on dirt for a $700,000 purse. Named after the City and Su ...

. ::Petee-Wrack's offspring included Widener Challenge Cup winner Columbiana,

Grand National The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. First run in 1839, it is a handicap ...

winner Brother Jones, and

Maryland Hunt Cup The Maryland Hunt Cup is a Timber race, which is an American Steeplechase. It was first run on May 26 1894 and won by Johnny Miller. Eight horses have won the race three times but no horse has won it four times. It is considered one of the most ...

winners Peterski and Pine Rep. *

Gallant Fox Gallant Fox (March 23, 1927 – November 13, 1954) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who is the second winner of the American Triple Crown. In a racing career which lasted from 1929 to 1930, Gallant Fox won 11 of his 17 races includ ...

(1927) by Sir Gallahad III - 1930

Triple Crown Triple Crown may refer to: Sports Horse racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States) ** Triple Crown Trophy ** Triple Crown Productions * Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Trip ...

winner and U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee. ::Among his progeny were 1935 Triple Crown winner

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...

. Through 2019 Gallant Fox remains the only U.S. Triple Crown winner to sire another U. S. Triple Crown winner. As well, Gallant Fox was the sire of Granville, the 1936

and a Hall of Fame inductee. Gallant Fox also sired Omaha's full brother

Flares A flare, also sometimes called a fusée, fusee, or bengala in some Latin-speaking countries, is a type of pyrotechnic that produces a bright light or intense heat without an explosion. Flares are used for distress signaling, illumination, o ...

, who in 1936 had won the

Newmarket Stakes The Newmarket Stakes is a Listed flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs (2,012 metres) on t ...

sand in 1938 became only the second American-bred to ever win England's

Ascot Gold Cup The Gold Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 2 miles 3 furlongs and 210 yards (4,014 ...

. *

Fighting Fox Combat (French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of self-defense, or ...

(1935) by Sir Gallahad III - wins included the

Grand Union Hotel Stakes The Grand Union Hotel Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race run at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. A sprint race, it was open to two-year-old horses and run on dirt over a distance of six furlongs. The Grand Union Ho ...

, the

Wood Memorial Stakes The Wood Memorial Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually in April at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. It is run over a distance of 1 1/8 miles (9 furlongs) on dirt. The Wood Memori ...

Carter Handicap The Carter Handicap is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for three-years-old and older run over a distance of seven furlongs run annually in early April at Aqueduct Racetrack. Race history First run in 1895, the race was named for Br ...

Jamaica Handicap The Caesars Belmont Derby is an American Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred race horse run over a distance of miles on the turf at Belmont Park in July. The purse for the event is US$1,000,000. The event is the first of three of ...

, and the

Fleetwing Handicap The Fleetwing Handicap was an American Thoroughbred race for horses age three and older that was run between 1908 and 1953. Inaugurated at Empire City Race Track in Yonkers, New York it remained there through 1942 with the exception of 1915 when ...

in which he broke an Empire City track record that had stood for twenty-one years. Four days later he won the

Massachusetts Handicap The Massachusetts Handicap, frequently referred to as the "MassCap", was a flat thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds and up held annually at Suffolk Downs in East Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was an ungraded stakes race run o ...

. ::Fighting Fox was the sire of

Crafty Admiral Crafty Admiral (June 6, 1948 – 1972) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the 1952 American Champion Older Male Horse and Leading broodmare sire in North America in 1978. Background A very late foal, Crafty Admiral's dam, Admiral's L ...

, a 1952

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 ...

and the 1978

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 freq ...

. * Foxbrough (1936) by Sir Gallahad III - sent to England as a yearling where he was that country's Two Year Old Champion. At age five in the United States he won the

Yonkers Yonkers () is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. Developed along the Hudson River, it is the third most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City and Buffalo. The population of Yonkers was 211,569 as enu ...

and Butler Memorial Handicaps. ::Foxbrough was not successful as a sire. Following a story by Ed Danforth, sports Editor of the ''

'', about his visit to

and the gravesite of Marguerite, the ''

'' commented that Arthur Hancock's saying that he was saving a space next to her for

was "one of the most romantic stories in the annals of the world's turf".

The Marguerite Stakes

In 1942 the Maryland Jockey Club announced there would be a new race to be inaugurated in 1945 for two-year-old fillies that would be named in honor of Marguerite. The race was created as a companion event to the

Pimlico 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 ...

and declared to be one of the richest of its kind in the United States. The final running of the Marguerite Stakes took place on November 27, 1965 and was won by Harbor View Farm's Swift Lady.

Pedigree

References

{{reflist 1920 racehorse births 1945 racehorse deaths Thoroughbred racehorses Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States American racehorses