Somethingroyal (March 12, 1952 – June 9, 1983) 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 ...

racehorse best known 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 the 1973 U.S. Triple Crown champion and Hall of Fame inductee

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 ...

. She also produced three other stakes winners and was named the 1973 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year.

Background

Somethingroyal was bred in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

by her owner

Christopher Chenery Christopher Chenery (September 16, 1886 – January 3, 1973) was an American engineer, businessman, and the owner/breeder of record for Thoroughbred horse racing's U.S. Triple Crown champion Secretariat. Early life and career Christopher ...

's Meadow Stud. Her sire was

Princequillo Princequillo (1940–1964) was a Thoroughbred racehorse conceived in France and born in Ireland. He is known for his performances in long-distance races and his successes as a sire. Background His sire, Prince Rose, stood at the Haras de Cheff ...

, an Irish-bred horse who originally had a reputation as a "plodder" because his major victories came in long distance races. Princequillo soon proved himself an outstanding sire, known for transmitting his stamina. Somethingroyal's dam Imperatrice was a stakes winning mare who was bought by Chenery at a dispersal sale in 1947 for $30,000. Imperatrice was the dam of six stakes winners but is now best known for producing Somethingroyal, who raced only once, finishing unplaced.

Broodmare career

Somethingroyal was named the 1973 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year when at age 18 she became the oldest mare to foal an American Triple Crown winner,

. She had already established herself as a " blue hen", having produced several stakes-winning and stakes-placed horses. Her most important foals included: * Cherryville (foaled in 1958) – sired by Correspondent. Was stakes-placed and became a successful producer * Sir Gaylord (1959) – by

Turn-To Turn-To (1951–1973) was a British-born, American-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Background He was sired by the British stallion Royal Charger, out of the French mare Source Sucree, whose sire, Admiral Drake, was third on the Fre ...

. Won six stakes races and later became an excellent sire, whose offspring include

Sir Ivor Sir Ivor (May 5, 1965 – November 10, 1995) was an American-bred, Irish-trained champion Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career which lasted from July 1967 to October 1968 he ran thirteen times and won eight races. He won major races in ...

* Mostar (1961) – by Double Jay. Stakes-placed * First Family (1962) – by First Landing. Stakes winner * Swansea (1963) – by Turn-to. Winless but became a successful producer * Grand Coulee (1964) – by First Landing. Stakes-placed and producer * Syrian Sea (1965) – by Bold Ruler. Multiple stakes winner and successful producer * The Bride (1969) – by Bold Ruler. Winless but became a successful producer *

(1970) – by Bold Ruler. Triple Crown winner, Hall of Fame inductee, good sire and leading broodmare sire * Somethingfabulous (1972) – by

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 ...

. Grade I-placed and good regional sire * Straight Flush (1975) - by

Riva Ridge Riva Ridge (April 13, 1969 – April 21, 1985) was a Thoroughbred racehorse, the winner of the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes in 1972. Often remembered simply as a stablemate of Secretariat, Riva Ridge was a successful racehorse in his own rig ...

. Race winner and sire. * Queen's Colours (1976) – by

Reviewer A review is an evaluation of a publication, product, service, or company or a critical take on current affairs in literature, politics or culture. In addition to a critical evaluation, the review's author may assign the work a rating to indi ...

. Winless but became a successful producer Somethingroyal produced 18 named foals, 15 of which started and 11 of which won. She was pensioned from broodmare duty in 1978 and died in 1983 at the age of 31. As both Secretariat and Sir Gaylord were successful sires,

inbreeding Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely related genetically. By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genetic disorders and o ...

to Somethingroyal became fairly common in later generations. Weekend Surprise, the 1992 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year and dam of leading sire A.P. Indy, is an example of such inbreeding. Somethingroyal is one of the key influences tracked by the Rasmussen Factor, a Thoroughbred breeding theory that measures inbreeding to superior producers.

Pedigree

References

{{Reflist
Pedigree and stats
*http://www.secretariat.com/spotlight/secretariats-brother/ 1952 racehorse births 1983 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Virginia Racehorses trained in the United States Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Thoroughbred family 2-s