Empire Glory
Empire Glory (foaled April 8, 1981) was a Thoroughbred racehorse who was sold for a world record price as a yearling in 1982. He proved to be just short of top class in a brief racing career, winning the Royal Whip Stakes and finishing second in the Irish St Leger. He made little impact as a breeding stallion.
| Empire Glory | |
|---|---|
| Sire | Nijinsky |
| Grandsire | Northern Dancer |
| Dam | Spearfish |
| Damsire | Fleet Nasrullah |
| Sex | Stallion |
| Foaled | April 8, 1981[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Colour | Dark Bay or Brown |
| Breeder | Glencoe Farm (Mortin Levy & Myron Rosenthal) |
| Owner | Robert Sangster Stavros Niarchos |
| Trainer | Vincent O'Brien |
| Record | 6: 2–2–2 |
| Major wins | |
| Royal Whip Stakes (1984) | |
| Awards | |
| Timeform rating 118 | |
Background
Empire Glory was a bay or brown horse bred in Kentucky by Mortin Levy & Myron Rosenthal's Glencoe Farm. His dam Spearfish had won the Hollywood Oaks in 1966 and had produced the leading North American racehorse King's Bishop and the Irish 1000 Guineas winner Gaily. Through Gaily, she was also the ancestor of Pilsudski.[2] Empire Glory was sired by the Triple Crown winner Nijinsky.
In 1982 he was consigned by Glencoe Farm to the Keeneland Sales where he was sold for a record-setting $4.25 million ($11.3 million inflation adjusted) to the bloodstock agents BBA (Ireland) on behalf of the British businessman Robert Sangster after a prolonged bidding battle with representatives of Sheikh Mohammed.[3][4] The colt was sent to Europe and was trained by Vincent O'Brien at Ballydoyle.
Racing career
Empire Glory raced only as a three-year-old in the 1984 season. After refusing to enter the starting stalls on his first racecourse appearance he finished second in his first completed race and then won a maiden race at Leopardstown by six lengths. He was then stepped up in class for the Grade Three Royal Whip Stakes over one and a half miles at the Curragh Racecourse in July. Ridden by Pat Eddery, he won by three quarters of a length from Sondrio and Yawa. In his two remaining races, Empire Glory was equipped with blinkers. He finished third to Arctic Lord in the Beresford Stakes and then produced his best effort when finishing second, a neck behind the filly Opale, in the Group One Irish St Leger.[5]
Stud record
Empire Glory stood as a breeding stallion in the USA. He sired several minor winners but nothing of top class. He died in 2001.
Pedigree
| Sire Nijinsky (CAN) 1967 |
Northern Dancer (CAN) 1961 |
Nearctic | Nearco |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lady Angela | |||
| Natalma | Native Dancer | ||
| Almahmoud | |||
| Flaming Page (CAN) 1959 |
Bull Page | Bull Lea | |
| Our Page | |||
| Flaring Top | Menow | ||
| Flaming Top | |||
| Dam Spearfish (USA) 1963 |
Fleet Nasrullah (USA) 1955 |
Nasrullah | Nearco |
| Mumtaz Begum | |||
| Happy Go Fleet | Count Fleet | ||
| Dreah | |||
| Alabama Gal (USA) 1957 |
Determine | Alibhai | |
| Koubis | |||
| Trojan Lass | Priam | ||
| Rompers (Family:11)[2] |
- Empire Glory was inbred 4 × 4 to Nearco, meaning that this stallion appears twice in the fourth generation of his pedigree.
References
- "Empire Glory pedigree". equineline.com. 2012-05-08. Retrieved 2013-10-27.
- "Sedbury Royal Mare - Family 11". Thoroughbred Bloodlines. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
- "Colt Brings $4.25 Million". New York Times. July 20, 1982.
- "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2014-06-11.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- Timeform staff (1985). Racehorses of 1984. Timeform. p. 296. ISBN 0-900599-40-5.
| Records | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ballydoyle |
Most expensive Thoroughbred colt yearling July 19, 1982 – July 19, 1983 |
Next: Snaafi Dancer |