Susan's Girl (1969–October 18, 1988) 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 ...

racehorse 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

Fred W. Hooper Fred William Hooper (October 6, 1897 – August 4, 2000) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse owner and breeder. He was a member of The Jockey Club, an honorary director of the Breeders' Cup, and one of the founders of the Thoroughbred Owners ...

. She was the first American filly to earn over $1,000,000.

Racing career

Racing as a two-year-old in 1971, Susan's Girl came up against a top filly called Numbered Account. Susan's Girl won her first races as a three-year-old, winning nine of her first thirteen starts and never finishing out of the money. That year she was the

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 ...

. At four, racing on both coasts, Susan's Girl won over $500,000. By the end of the racing season in 1973, the filly was second only to

Shuvee Shuvee (January 22, 1966 – April 1, 1986) was an American Thoroughbred Eclipse Award, Champion National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame horse racing, racehorse. Background Shuvee was a chestnut mare bred in Virginia by Whitney ...

in career earnings. In February 1974, however, she chipped a bone in her left foreleg. Hooper sent her to the

equine Equinae is a subfamily of the family Equidae, which have lived worldwide (except Indonesia and Australia) from the Hemingfordian stage of the Early Miocene (16 million years ago) onwards. They are thought to be a monophyletic grouping.B. J. MacFa ...

surgeon Dr. Robert Copelan, who removed three chips and sent her home to Hooper's farm in

Ocala, Florida Ocala ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Marion County within the northern region of Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city's population was 63,591, making it the 54th most populated city in Florida. Home to ...

. For two months, Susan's Girl swam in the nearby

Lake Weir Lake Weir is a fresh-water lake located in southern Marion County, Florida. Due to its large size and proximity, it is sometimes included with the Harris chain of lakes to the southeast, but is not directly hydrologically connected to them. It i ...

every day. After nine months, she recovered and returned to racing. At the age of five, Susan's Girl made a comeback. During her recovery, two European females had passed the million dollar mark:

Dahlia Dahlia (, ) is a genus of bushy, tuberous, herbaceous perennial plants native to Mexico and Central America. A member of the Asteraceae (former name: Compositae) family of dicotyledonous plants, its garden relatives thus include the sunflower, ...

and Allez France. In November 1974, Susan's Girl won the Falls City Handicap. In 1975, at the age of six, she had her best season in terms of earnings, winning six stakes and placed in eight. In the

Matchmaker Stakes The Matchmaker Stakes is a Graded stakes race, Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for Filly, fillies and mares age three and older run over a distance of miles on the turf held annually in July at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New ...

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

, she set a track record, beating males as well as older females and passing a million dollars in earning, the first American filly to do so. Of her 29 wins, 24 came in stakes races. Susan's Girl was the only filly in the 20th century to win a three-year-old championship and then two older female championships.

Stud record

As a broodmare, Susan's Girl produced a Grade I winner, Copelan, named after her surgeon. She died on Hooper's farm on October 18, 1988.

References

{{reflist

External links

Susan's Girl pedigree and photo.
The foal is by

Alydar Alydar (March 23, 1975 – November 15, 1990) was an American Thoroughbred race horse and sire. A chestnut colt, he was most famous for finishing a close second to Affirmed in all three races of the 1978 Triple Crown. With each successive ...

Susan's Girl in the Hall of Fame
1969 racehorse births 1988 racehorse deaths Racehorses trained in the United States Horse racing track record setters Racehorses bred in Florida United States Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame inductees Eclipse Award winners Kentucky Oaks winners Thoroughbred family 7