My Juliet
Encyclopedia
My Juliet was an American Thoroughbred
Champion
racehorse
who defeated both male and female competitors. Bred in Kentucky
, she was out of the mare
, My Bupers. Her sire
was Gallant Romeo, the multiple stakes winning son of U.S. Racing Hall of Fame
inductee, Gallant Man
. Gallant Romeo also sired Gallant Bob who earned 1975 Champion Sprint Horse honors.
(now known as Philadelphia Park Racetrack). She began her career in racing as a two-year-old in 1974, making her debut at Fonner Park in Grand Island, Nebraska
. She went on that year to earn her first important win in the Pocahontas Stakes
.
$65,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes
at Pimlico Race Course
. That day in Baltimore, Maryland My Juliet beat a strong field of six stakes winners including favorite Gala Lil and Funalon. She completed the one and one sixteenth mile race on dirt in 1:44.00 under jockey Alan Hill.
As a three-year-old in 1975, she also won the then Grade 1
Cotillion Handicap
at and ended the year winning nine of fifteen starts and established herself as one of the top sprinters of either sex racing in the United States.
for fillies and mares at New York's
Belmont Park
. Out of racing for more than five months, she came back to beat Kentucky Derby
and Belmont Stakes
winner Bold Forbes
and other males in winning the Vosburgh Stakes
, also at Belmont Park.
At a time when there was only one Eclipse Award
for horses of either sex in the Sprint category, My Juliet was voted the American Champion Sprint Horse of 1976.
My Juliet returned to race at age five. She began her campaign on January 1 in California
with a win against a field of females in the Las Flores Handicap
at Santa Anita Park
. She went on to win the 1977 Endine Stakes
at Delaware Park, again against a field of females, plus defeated males in winning both the Neshaminy Handicap at Keystone Racetrack
and in the Michigan Mile And One-Eighth Handicap
at Detroit Race Course
.
My Juliet retired a winner of twenty-four races, of which seventeen were stakes. As a broodmare in Kentucky, she notably produced two daughters by U.S. Racing Hall of Fame
inductee Alydar
who met with racing success:
My Juliet died at age twenty-nine in November of 2001.
She raced for most of her career from a base at Philadelphia Park Racetrack
(formerly known as Keystone Racetrack). In 1979, the track created the My Juliet Stakes and built the My Juliet Café in the Picnic Grove in her honor.
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...
Champion
Eclipse Award
The Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. The Eclipse Awards, honoring the champions of the sport, are sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association , Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers...
racehorse
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
who defeated both male and female competitors. Bred in Kentucky
Kentucky
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...
, she was out of the mare
Mare
Female horses are called mares.Mare is the Latin word for "sea".The word may also refer to:-People:* Ahmed Marzooq, also known as Mare, a footballer and Secretary General of Maldives Olympic Committee* Mare Winningham, American actress and singer...
, My Bupers. Her sire
Sire
Sire may refer to:* Father, the counterpart of a dam, particularly in animal breeding. See also stallion* James W. Sire, author on worldviews* Sire Records, a record label* Sire Advertising, an advertising agency...
was Gallant Romeo, the multiple stakes winning son of U.S. Racing Hall of Fame
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
inductee, Gallant Man
Gallant Man
Gallant Man was a thoroughbred racehorse, named for a horse in a Don Ameche movie.- Career at Kentucky Derby:Gallant Man is remembered primarily for his upset loss in the 1957 Kentucky Derby...
. Gallant Romeo also sired Gallant Bob who earned 1975 Champion Sprint Horse honors.
Two year-old season
My Juliet was initially trained by Leland G. Ripley until Eugene Euster took over during her three-year-old season. Both raced her from a base at Keystone RacetrackPhiladelphia Park Racetrack
Parx Racing and Casino is a thoroughbred horse racetrack and racino in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. It currently houses 3,300 slot machines.-History:...
(now known as Philadelphia Park Racetrack). She began her career in racing as a two-year-old in 1974, making her debut at Fonner Park in Grand Island, Nebraska
Grand Island, Nebraska
Grand Island is a city in and the county seat of Hall County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 48,520 at the 2010 census.Grand Island is home to the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center which is the sole agency responsible for training law enforcement officers throughout the state,...
. She went on that year to earn her first important win in the Pocahontas Stakes
Pocahontas Stakes
The Pocahontas Stakes is a Grade II race held every year at Louisville, Kentucky's Churchill Downs fall meet. Open only to two-year-old Thoroughbred fillies, it's set at a distance of one mile on the dirt. The race was upgraded from a Grade III race to a Grade II race in 2010 by the American...
.
Three year-old season
On May 16, 1975 My Juliet's connections owner George Weasel, Jr. and trainer Eugene Euster decided to run her in the defacto second jewel of the filly triple crown, the Grade IIGraded 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...
$65,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes
Black-Eyed Susan Stakes
The Black-Eyed Susan Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. The race is open to three-year-old fillies willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the dirt and currently offers a purse of $250,000...
at Pimlico Race Course
Pimlico Race Course
Pimlico Race Course is a horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of Olde Ben Pimlico's Tavern in London...
. That day in Baltimore, Maryland My Juliet beat a strong field of six stakes winners including favorite Gala Lil and Funalon. She completed the one and one sixteenth mile race on dirt in 1:44.00 under jockey Alan Hill.
As a three-year-old in 1975, she also won the then Grade 1
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...
Cotillion Handicap
Cotillion Handicap
The F. Eugene Dixon, Jr. Cotillion Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Parx Racing and Casino in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. Since 2010, it has been raced on the first Saturday in October as a prelude to the annual Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships...
at and ended the year winning nine of fifteen starts and established herself as one of the top sprinters of either sex racing in the United States.
Four year-old season
In early May of 1976, four-year-old My Juliet suffered a fracture to her left foreleg while winning the Vagrancy HandicapVagrancy Handicap
The Vagrancy Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at the end of May/early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The event is open to fillies and mares, age three and older...
for fillies and mares at New York's
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Belmont Park
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...
. Out of racing for more than five months, she came back to beat Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
and Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
winner Bold Forbes
Bold Forbes
Bold Forbes was a champion thoroughbred racehorse, winner of the 1976 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes.-Beginnings:...
and other males in winning the Vosburgh Stakes
Vosburgh Stakes
The Vosburgh Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Run at the end of September/early October, it is open to horses three-years-old and up of either gender...
, also at Belmont Park.
At a time when there was only one Eclipse Award
Eclipse Award
The Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. The Eclipse Awards, honoring the champions of the sport, are sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association , Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers...
for horses of either sex in the Sprint category, My Juliet was voted the American Champion Sprint Horse of 1976.
My Juliet returned to race at age five. She began her campaign on January 1 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...
with a win against a field of females in the Las Flores Handicap
Las Flores Handicap
The Las Flores Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the first week of April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California...
at Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita Park is a thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent racing events in the United States during the winter and in spring. With its backdrop of the purple San Gabriel Mountains, it is considered by many as the world's most beautiful race...
. She went on to win the 1977 Endine Stakes
Endine Stakes
The Endine Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in mid September at Delaware Park Racetrack in Stanton, Delaware. A Grade III six furlong sprint on dirt, the race is open to fillies and mares age three and older....
at Delaware Park, again against a field of females, plus defeated males in winning both the Neshaminy Handicap at Keystone Racetrack
Philadelphia Park Racetrack
Parx Racing and Casino is a thoroughbred horse racetrack and racino in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. It currently houses 3,300 slot machines.-History:...
and in the Michigan Mile And One-Eighth Handicap
Michigan Mile And One-Eighth Handicap
The Michigan Mile And One-Eighth Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at the now defunct Detroit Race Course in Livonia, Michigan. A one time Grade II event raced on dirt, it was open to horses age three and older.In 1975, trainer S...
at Detroit Race Course
Detroit Race Course
The Detroit Race Course was a horse racing facility in the Detroit, Michigan suburb of Livonia in the United States. Opened in 1950, it hosted Thoroughbred flat racing and harness racing for Standardbreds....
.
My Juliet retired a winner of twenty-four races, of which seventeen were stakes. As a broodmare in Kentucky, she notably produced two daughters by U.S. Racing Hall of Fame
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
inductee Alydar
Alydar
Alydar was a chestnut colt and an American thoroughbred race horse who was most famous for finishing a close second to Affirmed in all three races of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a feat not achieved before or repeated since.-Racing career:Trained by John M...
who met with racing success:
- Tis Juliet (b. 1986) - won the Shuvee HandicapShuvee HandicapThe Shuvee Handicap is an American race Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Run in mid May, it is open to fillies and mares, age three and up, who are willing to race one mile on the dirt. A Grade II event, it offers a purse of $150,000...
- Stella Madrid (b. 1987) - won the FrizetteFrizette StakesThe Frizette Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-old fillies raced annually at Belmont Park in the late fall. It is currently a Grade I stakes race at as distance of one mile. The Frizette is the female counterpart of the Champagne Stakes.The race is currently part of the...
, SpinawaySpinaway StakesThe Spinaway Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Open to two-year-old fillies, it is a Grade I event contested at a distance of seven furlongs on dirt...
, MatronMatron StakesMatron Stakes may refer to:*Matron Stakes , a horse race held at Flemington Racecourse in Australia.*Matron Stakes , a horse race held at Leopardstown Racecourse in Ireland....
and Acorn StakesAcorn StakesThe Acorn Stakes is an American Grade I race at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies. It is raced on dirt over a distance of one mile with a current purse of $250,000. It is the first leg of the US Triple Tiara and is followed by the Coaching Club American Oaks...
.
My Juliet died at age twenty-nine in November of 2001.
She raced for most of her career from a base at Philadelphia Park Racetrack
Philadelphia Park Racetrack
Parx Racing and Casino is a thoroughbred horse racetrack and racino in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. It currently houses 3,300 slot machines.-History:...
(formerly known as Keystone Racetrack). In 1979, the track created the My Juliet Stakes and built the My Juliet Café in the Picnic Grove in her honor.