My Babu (1945–1970) was a French-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who became one of the most influential sires in American breeding of show jumpers, eventers and hunters. His descendants include Bruce Davidson's former eventing mount JJ Babu, Anky van Grunsven's dressage horse Bonfire, and puissance and grand prix jumper Sympatico. Also, the grand prix jumper Napur is related to him through his sire Damascus dam Kerala. My Babu was the sire of Kerala, and therefore one of Napur's grandsires.
| My Babu | |
|---|---|
| Sire | Djebel |
| Grandsire | Tourbillon |
| Dam | Perfume II |
| Damsire | Badruddin |
| Sex | Stallion |
| Foaled | 1945 |
| Country | France |
| Colour | Bay |
| Breeder | Peter Beatty[1] |
| Owner | HH Maharaja of Baroda |
| Trainer | Sam Armstrong |
| Record | 16: 11-2-0 |
| Earnings | £29,830 |
| Major wins | |
| Champagne Stakes (1947) New Stakes (1947) Woodcote Stakes (1947) Craven Stakes (1948) Sussex Stakes (1948) Victoria Cup Handicap Stakes (1949) British Classic Race wins: 2000 Guineas Stakes (1948) | |
| Awards | |
| Timeform top-rated two-year-old colt (1947)[2] | |
| Last updated on January 23, 2010 | |
Racing career edit
During My Babu's racing career in England, the bay colt had 16 starts, 11 wins, 2 places, and 0 shows, with career earnings of £29,830. His most important win came in the 1948 Classic, the 2000 Guineas Stakes in which he set a new stakes record time.[3] He was later sold in 1955 to Americans Leslie W. Combs II and John W. Hanes for over $600,000,[4][5] the highest price ever paid for a Thoroughbred imported to the United States. The stallion stood at Spendthrift Farm in Kentucky during his breeding career.
Stud record edit
My Babu was a sire of 47 stakes winners and was a broodmare sire of 95 winners. He earned the title of Leading Juvenile Sire in 1960. His son, Better Boy, was the Leading sire in Australia four times.[6] By 1965, his racing descendants had won over $3,000,000. My Babu was the grandsire of National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame inductee Precisionist, and the damsire of Hall of Fame inductees Damascus and Gamely as well as the damsire of Little Current, the 1974 American Champion Three-Year-old Colt and winner of the Preakness and Belmont Stakes.
Pedigree edit
| Sire Djebel b. 1937 |
Tourbillon b. 1928 |
Ksar ch. 1918 |
Bruleur |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kizil Kourgan | |||
| Durban b. 1918 |
Durbar | ||
| Banshee | |||
| Loika ch. 1926 |
Gay Crusader b. 1914 |
Bayardo | |
| Gay Laura | |||
| Coeur A Coeur ch. 1921 |
Teddy | ||
| Ballantrae | |||
| Dam Perfume gr. 1938 |
Badruddin gr. 1931 |
Blandford br. 1919 |
Swynford |
| Blanche | |||
| Mumtaz Mahal gr. 1921 |
The Tetrarch | ||
| Lady Josephine | |||
| Lavendula br. 1930 |
Pharos br. 1920 |
Phalaris | |
| Scapa Flow | |||
| Sweet Lavender ch. 1923 |
Swynford | ||
| Marchetta (Family 1-w) |
References edit
- ^ "My Babu (Horse)".
- ^ Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1990). Horse Racing: Records, Facts, Champions (Third ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 46. ISBN 0-85112-902-1.
- ^ My Babu Wins 2,000 Guineas, The Miami News, April 28, 1948, accessed April 13, 2010.
- ^ French Bred Stallion Sold For $600,000, Kentucky New Era, September 16, 1955, accessed April 13, 2010.
- ^ $600,000 Paid for Sire; My Babu, British Stallion Sold to Combs and Hanes, New York Times, June 22, 1956, accessed April 13, 2010.
- ^ Nearly 50 Years On, Djebel blood to fore in Australian classic, The Sydney Morning Herald, November 21, 1988, accessed April 13, 2010.