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

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

race horse ''Race Horse'' was an 1850 clipper barque. She set a record of 109 days from New York to San Francisco during the first Clipper Race around the Horn. Construction ''Race Horse'' was similar to a barque built by Samuel Hall a few years earlier, ...

. Bred and owned by prominent

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

businessman Jean-Louis Lévesque, L'Enjoleur was sired by U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee,

Buckpasser Buckpasser (1963– March 6, 1978) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a ...

, 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 National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Racing Hall of Fame. He sired the champi ...

. 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 that, in 1964, became the first Canadian-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby. After being retired from racing, he became one of the most successful Stallion, sires of the 2 ...

. Trained by

Yonnie Starr Joseph "Yonnie" Starr (August 11, 1905 – March, 1990) was a Canadian Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse Horse trainer, trainer about whom the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame says has a "reco ...

, 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 race, 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 Aw ...

. Included in his 1974 wins was the important

Grade 1 First grade (also 1st Grade or Grade 1) is the first year of formal or compulsory education. It is the first year of elementary school, and the first school year after kindergarten. Children in first grade are usually 6–7 years old. Examples ...

Laurel Futurity in

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

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 from 1860 to 1901 and 1952 to 2022) is Canada's oldest thoroughbred horse race and the oldest continuously run race in North America, having been founded in 1860. It is run at a distance of for a ma ...

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

grass Poaceae ( ), also called Gramineae ( ), is a large and nearly ubiquitous family (biology), family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos, the grasses of natural grassland and spe ...

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 October at Woodbine Racetrack in ...

. L'Enjoleur was retired to

stud Stud may refer to: 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 bar in San Francisco * ...

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" an ...

, 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 U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

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 racing, harness and Thoroughbred racing, Thoroughbred horse racing in Canada. It is located at Woodbine ...

. Racing wins at age 2: * Laurel Futurity * 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 * 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 *

Quebec Derby The Quebec Derby was a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race held annually between 1961 and 1975 at Hippodrome de Montreal, Blue Bonnets Raceway in Montreal, Canada. A race for three-year-olds on dirt, it was run over a distance of {{convert, 1+1/8, mi, ...

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

Pedigree

{{Pedigree , name = L'Enjoleur , f =

, m = Fanfreluche , ff =

, fm =

Busanda Busanda (1947–1968) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best remembered as the dam of U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee Buckpasser. Background Busanda was sired by 1937 U.S. Triple Crown champion War Admiral, a son of Man o' War, who w ...

, mf =

, mm = Ciboulette , fff = Menow , ffm = Gaga , fmf =

War Admiral War Admiral (May 2, 1934 – October 30, 1959) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse and 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 Ra ...

, 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 ...

, 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 ...

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Alcibiades Alcibiades (; 450–404 BC) was an Athenian statesman and general. The last of the Alcmaeonidae, he played a major role in the second half of the Peloponnesian War as a strategic advisor, military commander, and politician, but subsequently ...

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

Man o' War Man o' War was a thoroughbred racehorse considered an all-time great. Man o' War (or capitalization variations thereof) may also refer to: Animals * Portuguese man o' war, a floating marine animal found in the Atlantic that resembles a jellyfish ...

, fmfm = Brushup , fmmf = Blue Larkspur , 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 notab ...

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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 Native Dancer (March 27, 1950 – November 16, 1967), nicknamed the ''Gray Ghost'', was one of the most celebrated and accomplished Thoroughbred racehorses in American history and was the first horse made famous through the medium of television ...

, mfmm = Almahmoud , mmff =

Flares A flare, also sometimes called a fusée, fusee, or bengala, bengalo in several European countries, is a type of pyrotechnic that produces a bright light or intense heat without an explosion. Flares are used for distress signaling, illuminatio ...

, mmfm = Sceptical , mmmf = Windfields , 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