Raja Baba
Encyclopedia
Raja Baba was an American Thoroughbred
racehorse who became the 1980 Champion sire in North America
. His sire was Bold Ruler
, the leading sire in North America eight times and a National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
inductee. His dam was Missy Baba, a daughter of My Babu
, a winner of the British Classic 2,000 Guineas Stakes in 1948 who became the influential sire of forty-seven stakes winners and a damsire sire of ninety-five winners.
Raja Baba was bred and raced by Michael G. Phipps, son of renowned owner and breeder, Ogden Phipps
. In 1970, two-year-old Raja Baba soon developed into a good sprint horse who was noted primarily for his speed and mud-running ability. As a three-year-old, he won the Francis Scott Key Stakes at Bowie Race Course followed a week later by a division of the Delaware Valley Handicap at Garden State Park
. At age four, Raja Baba won the Bold Ruler Purse at Delaware Park Racetrack and finished second in the Phoenix Handicap at Keeneland
, the Japan Racing Association Handicap at Laurel Park, and the Garrison Handicap at Liberty Bell Park Racetrack.
at Warner Jones' Hermitage Farm near Goshen, Kentucky
. As a freshman stallion in 1976, Raja Baba was the leading juvenile sire in the United States
and four years later both the leading juvenile sire and overall leading sire in the United States. In 1983 the highly successful British horseman Robert Sangster
paid $2.6 million for the Raja Baba colt, Side Chapel.
During his career at stud, Raja Baba sired sixty-two stakes winners and two Champions. In 1985, his daughter Summer Mood
won the Sovereign Award
as the Canadian Champion Sprint Horse
of either sex. Another daughter, Sacahuista
, won the 1987 Breeders' Cup Distaff and was voted the Eclipse Award
as that year's American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly. Sacahuista was the dam of Hussonet who became a highly successful multiple Champion sire in Chile
and who in 2002 earned the highest stud fee of any stallion ever to have stood in that country.
Raja Baba's other successful offspring included Is It True
, winner of the 1988 Breeders' Cup Juvenile
, as well as Grade 1 winners Well Decorated and Royal Ski, the latter the damsire of the undefeated Japan
ese runner Agnes Tachyon
who became the Leading sire in Japan
in 2008.
At the end of the 1987 breeding season Raja Baba was pensioned. He died at Hermitage Farm in 2002 at age thirty-four and was buried in its equine cemetery.
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 became the 1980 Champion sire in North America
Leading sire in North America
The list below shows the leading sire of Thoroughbred racehorses in North America for each year since 1830. This is determined by the amount of prizemoney won by the sire's progeny during the year...
. His sire was Bold Ruler
Bold Ruler
Bold Ruler was an American Thoroughbred Hall of Fame racehorse.Bred by the Wheatley Stable of Gladys Mills Phipps, Bold Ruler was foaled on April 6, 1954 at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky to Nasrullah and Miss Disco by Discovery...
, the leading sire in North America eight times and a National Museum of Racing and 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. His dam was Missy Baba, a daughter of My Babu
My Babu
My Babu 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...
, a winner of the British Classic 2,000 Guineas Stakes in 1948 who became the influential sire of forty-seven stakes winners and a damsire sire of ninety-five winners.
Raja Baba was bred and raced by Michael G. Phipps, son of renowned owner and breeder, Ogden Phipps
Ogden Phipps
Ogden Phipps was an American stockbroker, court tennis champion and Hall of Fame member, thoroughbred horse racing executive and owner/breeder, and an art collector and philanthropist...
. In 1970, two-year-old Raja Baba soon developed into a good sprint horse who was noted primarily for his speed and mud-running ability. As a three-year-old, he won the Francis Scott Key Stakes at Bowie Race Course followed a week later by a division of the Delaware Valley Handicap at Garden State Park
Garden State Park
Garden State Park was a harness and thoroughbred race track in Cherry Hill, Camden County, New Jersey. It is now the site of a high-end, mixed-use "town center" development of stores, restaurants, apartments, townhouses, and condominiums...
. At age four, Raja Baba won the Bold Ruler Purse at Delaware Park Racetrack and finished second in the Phoenix Handicap at Keeneland
Keeneland
Keeneland is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and sales complex in Lexington, Kentucky, USA. Operated by the Keeneland Association, Inc., it is also known for its reference library on the sport, which contains more than 10,000 volumes, an extensive videocassette collection, and a substantial...
, the Japan Racing Association Handicap at Laurel Park, and the Garrison Handicap at Liberty Bell Park Racetrack.
Champion sire and sire of Champions
Near the end of his racing career, Raja Baba was sold to William S. Farish III who in turn sold a half interest to breeder, Warner L. Jones. He was syndicated in 1972 in a 36 share deal at $10,000 per share, a figure that his success as a stallion would see rise to a selling price of $205,000 per share on the open market by 1982. Retired from racing at the end of 1972, he was sent to stand at studHorse breeding
Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses...
at Warner Jones' Hermitage Farm near Goshen, Kentucky
Goshen, Kentucky
Goshen is a city in Oldham County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 907 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Nestled along the banks of the Ohio River, Goshen is located at ....
. As a freshman stallion in 1976, Raja Baba was the leading juvenile sire in the United States
and four years later both the leading juvenile sire and overall leading sire in the United States. In 1983 the highly successful British horseman Robert Sangster
Robert Sangster
Robert Edmund Sangster was a British businessman, thoroughbred racehorse owner and breeder. He was British flat racing Champion Owner five times and his horses won many major races, including two Epsom Derbys, four Irish Derbys, two French Derbys, three Prix de l'Arc de Triomphes and a Melbourne...
paid $2.6 million for the Raja Baba colt, Side Chapel.
During his career at stud, Raja Baba sired sixty-two stakes winners and two Champions. In 1985, his daughter Summer Mood
Summer Mood
Summer Mood is a Canadian Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Sovereign Award as the 1985 Canadian Champion Sprint Horse of either sex. A daughter of 1980 leading sire in North America, Raja Baba, she was bred and raced by Kinghaven Farms. Trained by American John J...
won the Sovereign Award
Sovereign Award
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 Year....
as the Canadian Champion Sprint Horse
Canadian Champion Sprint Horse
The Canadian Champion Sprint Horse was a Canadian Thoroughbred horse racing honor that was part of the Sovereign Awards program awarded annually to the top Thoroughbred of either sex competing in sprint races in Canada...
of either sex. Another daughter, Sacahuista
Sacahuista
Sacahuista is an American Thoroughbred Champion filly racehorse. She is a descendant of Nearco through both her Champion sire Bold Ruler and through her dam, Nalees Flying Flag....
, won the 1987 Breeders' Cup Distaff and was voted the 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...
as that year's American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly. Sacahuista was the dam of Hussonet who became a highly successful multiple Champion sire in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and who in 2002 earned the highest stud fee of any stallion ever to have stood in that country.
Raja Baba's other successful offspring included Is It True
Is It True
Is It True was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by Warner L. Jones at his Hermitage Farm near Goshen, Kentucky, he was purchased by Eugene Klein who handed him over to trainer D. Wayne Lukas for race conditioning....
, winner of the 1988 Breeders' Cup Juvenile
Breeders' Cup Juvenile
The Breeders' Cup Juvenile is a Thoroughbred horse race for 2-year-old colts and geldings raced on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships....
, as well as Grade 1 winners Well Decorated and Royal Ski, the latter the damsire of the undefeated Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese runner Agnes Tachyon
Agnes Tachyon
Agnes Tachyon was an undefeated Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and a Leading sire in Japan....
who became the Leading sire in Japan
Leading sire in Japan
The list below shows the leading Thoroughbred sire of racehorses in Japan for each year since 1924. This is determined by the amount of prizemoney won by the sire's progeny during the season.-----References:* -See also:* Leading sire in Australia...
in 2008.
At the end of the 1987 breeding season Raja Baba was pensioned. He died at Hermitage Farm in 2002 at age thirty-four and was buried in its equine cemetery.