Anabaa
Encyclopedia
Anabaa was an American-bred champion Thoroughbred
racehorse who was trained in France
during a racing career which lasted from September 1995 to October 1996. Anabaa failed to win until the age of four, but in 1996 he won his first six starts including two Group One
races; the July Cup
in England and the Prix Maurice de Gheest
in France. At the end of the season he was named European Champion Sprinter at the Cartier Racing Awards. He later had a successful career at stud, becoming particularly known as the sire of Goldikova
.
by his original owner, Maktoum Al Maktoum’s
Gainsborough Stud.
His sire Danzig, who ran only three times before his career was ended by injury, was a highly successful stallion who sired the winners of more than fifty Grade I
/Group One
races. His offspring include the champions Chief's Crown
, Dayjur
and Lure
as well as the important stallion Danehill
. Anabaa’s dam Balbonella was a high class racehorse who won the Prix Robert Papin
in France and the Dahlia Handicap
in California
. She proved equally successful as a broodmare, producing the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches
winner Always Loyal, and Key of Luck who won the Prix d'Arenberg
and sired the Epsom Derby
winner Alamshar
.
Anabaa was owned as a four-year-old by Ghislaine Head, trained throughout his career by her daughter Criquette
and ridden in all but one of his races by her son Freddie. At the time of Anabaa's greatest success, Freddie Head, at 49, was the oldest professional jockey in France.
", which delayed his appearance on the racecourse until late the following year.
Anabaa ran three times without success in the Autumn of 1995. He was campaigned ambitiously, making his debut in a Listed race at Longchamp in September in which he finished fourth. He was then moved up to the highest level to finish sixth of the ten runners in the Group One Prix de la Foret
in October. On his final start he was dropped back down to Listed class and finished third in a three-way photo finish at Evry.
His reputation was growing and only three horses opposed him when he moved back up to Group class for the Prix de Saint-Georges
at Longchamp in May. Freddie Head tracked the English-trained filly Millyant in the early stages before allowing Anabaa to move smoothly into the lead 400m from the finish. The colt quickly went clear and won his first Group race "very easily" by six lengths. Three weeks later Anabaa was sent to Deauville for the Prix du Gros Chêne
for which he was made 3/10 favourite. The race reflected the betting as Anabaa moved up smoothly to take the lead a 200m out and recorded an "impressive" two length win.
The July Cup over six furlongs at Newmarket seemed likely to provide Anabaa with his first real test of the season. Apart from the reigning Champion Sprinter Hever Golf Rose
, the field included the highly-regarded English colts Pivotal and Mind Games, who had finished first and second in the King's Stand Stakes
. In a change of tactics Head sent Anabaa into the lead from the start and the colt was never headed. In the final furlong he ran on strongly to win by one and three quarter lengths from Lucayan Prince. In August Anabaa returned to Deauville for the Group One Prix Maurice de Gheest
, for which he started at odds of 1/2 in a field of nine. On this occasion, the colt was held up by Freddie Head before taking the lead 200m out and winning "comfortably" by a length and a half from Miesque's Son.
In October, Anabaa started at odds of 3/10 for the Prix de l'Abbaye
at Longchamp. It was soon clear that on this occasion he was not at his best and was under pressure after 400m. He responded well however to pass the English-trained filly Eveningperformance and take the lead inside the last 200m only to be caught in the closing strides and beaten a neck by his stable companion Kistena.
near Deauville
, until his death in 2009. He was also shuttled to stand in Australia for the Southern Hemisphere breeding season and spent 2007 at the Castlelyons Stud in Lexington, Kentucky
. Despite being a sprinter, his progeny succeeded across a wide range of distances. His most famous offspring is the record-breaking mare Goldikova
who excelled over a mile, while the best of his sons have been Anabaa Blue who won the Group One Prix du Jockey Club
over 2400m (one and a half miles) and Precision, who won the Hong Kong Cup
over a mile and a quarter. Anabaa died on 7 July 2009 from peritonitis
after undergoing surgery for colic
. At the time of his death his stud fee was €30,000.
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...
racehorse who was trained in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
during a racing career which lasted from September 1995 to October 1996. Anabaa failed to win until the age of four, but in 1996 he won his first six starts including two Group One
Conditions races
Conditions races are horse races where the weights carried by the runners are laid down by the conditions attached to the race. Weights are allocated according to; the sex of the runners, with female runners carrying less weight than males; the age of the runners, with younger horses receiving...
races; the July Cup
July Cup
The July Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run on the July Course at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July....
in England and the Prix Maurice de Gheest
Prix Maurice de Gheest
The Prix Maurice de Gheest is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 1,300 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August.-History:...
in France. At the end of the season he was named European Champion Sprinter at the Cartier Racing Awards. He later had a successful career at stud, becoming particularly known as the sire of Goldikova
Goldikova
Goldikova is a champion Thoroughbred racemare based in France, although she has raced in North America and England. She has won fourteen group one races, with nine victories over colts and geldings. This puts her above the great Miesque as the only European-trained horse to have won more than 10...
.
Background
Anabaa was bred in KentuckyKentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
by his original owner, Maktoum Al Maktoum’s
Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum , also referred to as Sheikh Maktoum was the Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and the emir of Dubai.-Biography:...
Gainsborough Stud.
His sire Danzig, who ran only three times before his career was ended by injury, was a highly successful stallion who sired the winners of more than fifty Grade I
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
/Group One
Conditions races
Conditions races are horse races where the weights carried by the runners are laid down by the conditions attached to the race. Weights are allocated according to; the sex of the runners, with female runners carrying less weight than males; the age of the runners, with younger horses receiving...
races. His offspring include the champions Chief's Crown
Chief's Crown
Chief's Crown was an American-bred Thoroughbred race horse who won the 1984 Breeders' Cup Juvenile and was voted the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Two-Year-Old Male Horse. He later became a successful sire.-Background:...
, Dayjur
Dayjur
Dayjur was an American-bred racehorse who was trained by Dick Hern in the United Kingdom. He was beaten only four times out of eleven starts and of those, one was because he did not stay the trip, and another in the most freakish circumstances...
and Lure
Lure (horse)
Lure is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred and owned by Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky, he is a son of the leading stallion Danzig, who in turn was sired by Hall of Famer and prominent sire Northern Dancer...
as well as the important stallion Danehill
Danehill (horse)
Danehill was a Thoroughbred racehorse who was bred in the United States. During his phenomenal stud career Danehill became a champion sire on both sides of the Equator...
. Anabaa’s dam Balbonella was a high class racehorse who won the Prix Robert Papin
Prix Robert Papin
The Prix Robert Papin is a Group 2 flat horse race in France open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Maisons-Laffitte over a distance of 1,100 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July.-History:...
in France and the Dahlia Handicap
Dahlia Handicap
The Dahlia Handicap is a race for thoroughbred horses run annually at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California. The Dahlia is open to filles and mares, age three and up, willing to race one and one-sixteenth miles on the turf...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. She proved equally successful as a broodmare, producing the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches
Poule d'Essai des Pouliches
The Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, sometimes referred to as the French 1,000 Guineas, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies...
winner Always Loyal, and Key of Luck who won the Prix d'Arenberg
Prix d'Arenberg
The Prix d'Arenberg is a Group 3 flat horse race in France which is open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Chantilly over a distance of 1,100 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.-History:...
and sired the Epsom Derby
Epsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
winner Alamshar
Alamshar
Alamshar is a retired Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire. He won five of his nine races in a career which lasted from September 2002 to September 2003...
.
Anabaa was owned as a four-year-old by Ghislaine Head, trained throughout his career by her daughter Criquette
Criquette Head-Maarek
Christiane "Criquette" Head is considered to be the leading female racehorse trainer in the world.Known as Criquette, she was born into the Thoroughbred horse racing business...
and ridden in all but one of his races by her son Freddie. At the time of Anabaa's greatest success, Freddie Head, at 49, was the oldest professional jockey in France.
1995: three-year-old season
As a two-year-old Anabaa diagnosed as being a "wobblerWobbler disease
Wobbler disease is a condition of the cervical vertebrae that causes an unsteady gait and weakness in dogs and horses. The term wobbler disease refers to a number of different conditions of the cervical spinal column that all cause similar symptoms...
", which delayed his appearance on the racecourse until late the following year.
Anabaa ran three times without success in the Autumn of 1995. He was campaigned ambitiously, making his debut in a Listed race at Longchamp in September in which he finished fourth. He was then moved up to the highest level to finish sixth of the ten runners in the Group One Prix de la Foret
Prix de la Forêt
The Prix de la Forêt is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late September or early October.-History:The race was established in 1858,...
in October. On his final start he was dropped back down to Listed class and finished third in a three-way photo finish at Evry.
1996: four-year-old season
The first indication of Anabaa's true ability came in March 1996 on his first appearance as a four-year-old when he won an 1100m Listed race at Evry by five lengths. A month later over the same course and distance he was even more impressive, winning another Listed race by a seven length margin.His reputation was growing and only three horses opposed him when he moved back up to Group class for the Prix de Saint-Georges
Prix de Saint-Georges
The Prix de Saint-Georges is a Group 3 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,000 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May.-History:...
at Longchamp in May. Freddie Head tracked the English-trained filly Millyant in the early stages before allowing Anabaa to move smoothly into the lead 400m from the finish. The colt quickly went clear and won his first Group race "very easily" by six lengths. Three weeks later Anabaa was sent to Deauville for the Prix du Gros Chêne
Prix du Gros Chêne
The Prix du Gros Chêne is a Group 2 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Chantilly over a distance of 1,000 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late May or early June....
for which he was made 3/10 favourite. The race reflected the betting as Anabaa moved up smoothly to take the lead a 200m out and recorded an "impressive" two length win.
The July Cup over six furlongs at Newmarket seemed likely to provide Anabaa with his first real test of the season. Apart from the reigning Champion Sprinter Hever Golf Rose
Hever Golf Rose
Hever Golf Rose was a thoroughbred racehorse who was bred and trained in the United Kingdom, and campaigned throughout Europe in a career that lasted from 1993 to 1998...
, the field included the highly-regarded English colts Pivotal and Mind Games, who had finished first and second in the King's Stand Stakes
King's Stand Stakes
The King's Stand Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 5 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.-History:...
. In a change of tactics Head sent Anabaa into the lead from the start and the colt was never headed. In the final furlong he ran on strongly to win by one and three quarter lengths from Lucayan Prince. In August Anabaa returned to Deauville for the Group One Prix Maurice de Gheest
Prix Maurice de Gheest
The Prix Maurice de Gheest is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 1,300 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August.-History:...
, for which he started at odds of 1/2 in a field of nine. On this occasion, the colt was held up by Freddie Head before taking the lead 200m out and winning "comfortably" by a length and a half from Miesque's Son.
In October, Anabaa started at odds of 3/10 for the Prix de l'Abbaye
Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp
The Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged two years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,000 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early October.-History:The Prix de l'Abbaye was one of two major...
at Longchamp. It was soon clear that on this occasion he was not at his best and was under pressure after 400m. He responded well however to pass the English-trained filly Eveningperformance and take the lead inside the last 200m only to be caught in the closing strides and beaten a neck by his stable companion Kistena.
Assessment and honours
At the 1996 Cartier Racing Awards Anabaa was named European Champion Sprinter.Stud career
Anabaa stood as a stallion at the Haras du QuesnayHaras du Quesnay
Haras du Quesnay, known as "Le Quesnay", is a thoroughbred horse breeding farm in France about four miles outside the city of Deauville on 3 km², established in 1907 by wealthy American sportsman William Kissam Vanderbilt. He sold the property to another American horseman, A. Kingsley Macomber,...
near Deauville
Deauville
Deauville is a commune in the Calvados département in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.With its racecourse, harbour, international film festival, marinas, conference centre, villas, Grand Casino and sumptuous hotels, Deauville is regarded as the "queen of the Norman beaches" and...
, until his death in 2009. He was also shuttled to stand in Australia for the Southern Hemisphere breeding season and spent 2007 at the Castlelyons Stud in Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
. Despite being a sprinter, his progeny succeeded across a wide range of distances. His most famous offspring is the record-breaking mare Goldikova
Goldikova
Goldikova is a champion Thoroughbred racemare based in France, although she has raced in North America and England. She has won fourteen group one races, with nine victories over colts and geldings. This puts her above the great Miesque as the only European-trained horse to have won more than 10...
who excelled over a mile, while the best of his sons have been Anabaa Blue who won the Group One Prix du Jockey Club
Prix du Jockey Club
The Prix du Jockey Club, sometimes referred to as the French Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
over 2400m (one and a half miles) and Precision, who won the Hong Kong Cup
Hong Kong Cup
The Hong Kong Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Hong Kong which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 2000 metres at Sha Tin, and it is scheduled to take place each year in mid December....
over a mile and a quarter. Anabaa died on 7 July 2009 from peritonitis
Peritonitis
Peritonitis is an inflammation of the peritoneum, the serous membrane that lines part of the abdominal cavity and viscera. Peritonitis may be localised or generalised, and may result from infection or from a non-infectious process.-Abdominal pain and tenderness:The main manifestations of...
after undergoing surgery for colic
Horse colic
Colic in horses is defined as abdominal pain, but it is a clinical sign rather than a diagnosis. The term colic can encompass all forms of gastrointestinal conditions which cause pain as well as other causes of abdominal pain not involving the gastrointestinal tract. The most common forms of colic...
. At the time of his death his stud fee was €30,000.