Sky Beauty ( February 9, 1990–July 2, 2004) was a

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 ...

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million y ...

who won the 1993

Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing The Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing, formerly known as the Filly Triple Crown, is a set of three horse races in the United States which is open to three-year-old fillies. Presently the only official Triple Tiara is the three race series in New Y ...

. As of 2018, she was the last

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 ...

to win this title.

Background

Georgia E. Hofmann, who owned Wycombe House Stud, bought Sky Beauty for $355,000 at the 1991 Saratoga yearling sale from her breeders, Howard and Susan Kaskel of Sugar Maple Farm. The acquisition served as a sort of homecoming because Hofmann and her late husband, Philip, had bred Sky Beauty's dam, Maplejinsky (by

Nijinsky II Nijinsky (21 February 1967 – 15 April 1992) was a Canadian-bred, Irish-trained champion Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was the outstanding two-year-old in Europe in 1969 when he was unbeaten in five races. In the following season, he bec ...

). Maplejinsky was sold to the Kaskels for $750,000 and was then trained by

Philip G. Johnson Philip Gustav Johnson (November 5, 1894 – September 14, 1944) was a pioneer in the manufacturing of airplanes and in the creation and operation of commercial airlines in the United States and Canada. With backgrounds as an engineer and businessma ...

. She scored her biggest win in the 1988

Alabama Stakes The Alabama Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race open to three-year-old fillies. Inaugurated in 1872, the Grade I race is run over a distance of one and one-quarter miles on the dirt track at Saratoga Race Course. Held in mid August, it cu ...

for Susan Kaskel. When she was bred to

Blushing Groom Blushing Groom (8 April 1974 – 6 May 1992) was a French champion Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse and sire (horse), sire. Background He was bred by American businessman John McNamee Sullivan and was raced by Aga Khan IV, HH Aga Khan IV. A ...

(a French

stallion A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded (castrated). Stallions follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" nec ...

by Red God out of Runaway Bride), Maplejinsky produced Sky Beauty. The Hofmanns, who bought the daughter of the filly they had sold to the Kaskels, also bred and raced Maplejinsky's dam, homebred Gold Beauty, the 1982 winner of the

Eclipse Award for Outstanding Sprint Horse The American Champion Sprint Horse award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor. Created in 1947, in 1971 it became part of the Eclipse Awards program and is awarded annually to the top horse in sprint races (usually those run at a distance ...

Triple Tiara

Now owned by the breeders of her dam and her grand-dam, Sky Beauty was trained by the "Giant Killer," H. Allen Jerkens. As a 2-year-old, she won the

Grade I In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

Matron Stakes and the Grade II

Adirondack Stakes The Adirondack Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race first run in 1901. Held in the middle of August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York, the Adirondack Stakes is open to two-year-old fillies willing to race six and a half ...

. She finished first in the Grade I

Spinaway Stakes The Spinaway Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Open to two-year-old fillies, it is a Grade I event contested at a distance of seven furlongs (1,408 metres) on dirt. Th ...

but was disqualified and placed third. In 1993-94, the filly dominated the New York distaff scene as a 3- and 4-year-old. She won 10 graded stakes races, eight of which were Grade I events. She took the three Grade I races that made up the former Triple Tiara—the

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 Tiara ...

and

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 mi ...

and the

Coaching Club American Oaks The Coaching Club American Oaks is a race for thoroughbred three-year-old fillies and the second leg of the Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing. Originally run at Belmont Park, the Grade I $500,000 stakes race was moved to Saratoga Race Course in 2 ...

. Additionally, she won the Grade I Alabama Stakes and the Grade II Rare Perfume Stakes. Sky Beauty seemed destined for a 3-year-old championship but lost out to Hollywood Wildcat after that filly won the

Breeders' Cup Distaff The Breeders' Cup Distaff is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares, 3 years old and up. Known as the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic between 2008 and 2012, it is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or ...

Santa Anita Racetrack Santa Anita Park is a Thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent horse racing events in the United States during early fall, winter and in spring. The track is home to numerous prestigious races ...

. At age four, Sky Beauty won the

Go For Wand Handicap The Go For Wand Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race established in 1954 for fillies and mares age three and up. Raced in the fall, it is a Grade III race (Grade I before 2010) on dirt at a distance of one mile. Inaugurated in 1954 at ...

, Ruffian Handicap,

Shuvee Handicap The Shuvee Stakes is a Graded stakes race, Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for Filly, fillies and Mare (horse), mares that are three years old or older over a distance of miles on the dirt track scheduled annually in August at Sarato ...

, and Hempstead Handicap (all Grade I races) plus the Grade III

Vagrancy Handicap The Vagrancy Handicap is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares that are three years old and older run over a distance of furlongs on the dirt track held annually in late May or early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, Ne ...

. She failed to live up to expectations in the Breeders' Cup Distaff at

Churchill Downs Churchill Downs is a horse racing complex located on Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, famed for hosting the annual Kentucky Derby. It officially opened in 1875 and was named for Samuel Churchill, whose family was ...

, running unplaced, but accomplished enough to be voted the 1994

Eclipse Award for Outstanding Older Female Horse The Eclipse Award for Champion Older Dirt Female Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually to a filly or mare, four years old and up, for performances on dirt and main track racing surfaces. In 1971, it became part of th ...

. At five, she again won the Vagrancy, and she placed in the Shuvee.

As a broodmare

Sky Beauty was retired in 1995 with a record of 15 wins and earnings of $1,336,000. She produced her first three foals for Georgia Hofmann. Then, through Taylor Made Farms, she was sold (in foal to

Gone West Gone West (March 10, 1984 – September 7, 2009) was an American Thoroughbred Horse racing, racehorse. Bred by William O. Reed, he was a son of the influential sire Mr. Prospector. His dam, Secrettame, was a daughter of 1973 United States Tripl ...

) for $2,850,000 to

John Magnier John Magnier (born 10 February 1948; also known as "The Boss") is an Irish business magnate. He is Ireland's leading thoroughbred stud owner and has extensive business interests outside the horse-breeding industry. Magnier has also been a Senat ...

Coolmore Stud Coolmore Stud, in Fethard, County Tipperary, Ireland, is headquarters of the world's largest breeding operation of thoroughbred racehorses. Through its racing arm, Ballydoyle, Coolmore also has raced many classic winners and champions. The operat ...

at the 1999 Keeneland November breeding stock sale. Sky Beauty produced five named foals, three of which were winners. Her two youngest offspring, a yearling and a weanling, are unnamed colts by

Storm Cat Storm Cat (February 27, 1983 – April 24, 2013) was an American Thoroughbred stallion whose breeding fee during the peak of his stud career was $500,000, the highest in North America at the time. He was the leading sire in North America in 1999 ...

. Three of Sky Beauty's offspring fetched high prices, with two yearlings selling for $1.2 million and $500,000, and a weanling selling for $800,000. Sky Beauty was euthanized at age fourteen on July 2, 2004, at Creekview Farm near

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 ...

, due to complications from

laminitis Laminitis is a disease that affects the feet of ungulates and is found mostly in horses and cattle. Clinical signs include foot tenderness progressing to inability to walk, increased digital pulses, and increased temperature in the hooves. Sever ...

. She initially suffered from founder after delivering her seventh foal (a colt by leading sire

) on May 28. Dermot Ryan, manager at Coolmore's

Ashford Stud Coolmore Stud, in Fethard, County Tipperary, Ireland, is headquarters of the world's largest breeding operation of thoroughbred racehorses. Through its racing arm, Ballydoyle, Coolmore also has raced many classic winners and champions. The operat ...

near

Versailles, Kentucky Versailles () is a home rule-class city in Woodford County, Kentucky, United States. It lies by road west of Lexington and is part of the Lexington-Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. Versailles has a population of 9,316 according to 2017 cen ...

, confirmed Sky Beauty's death on July 2, 2004. Several times, Sky Beauty was nominated to the Racing Hall of Fame, including in the year of her death. She was elected in 2011. Sky Beauty's great-great-grandson Violence who is a GI winner, first foal to race a filly out of Melody Lady named Buy Sell Hold won a Maiden Special Weight at Keeneland on April 20, 2017.

Sky Beauty's progeny

Bestyoucanbe 1997 horse by Danzig Storming Beauty 1998 mare by Storm Cat Sky Legend 1999 mare by Deputy Minister PVT Lynch 2001 horse by Storm Cat Desert Tigress 2002 mare by Storm Cat Hurricane Cat 2003 horse by Storm Cat Portobello Road 2004 horse by Storm Cat

References

{{Reflist
Sky Beauty's pedigree

Profile of Sky Beauty at Hello Race Fans

1990 racehorse births 2004 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing winners Eclipse Award winners United States Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame inductees Thoroughbred family 1-g