La Troienne, born in France in 1926, was a Thoroughbred racing mare by Teddy (Fr), out of Helene de Troie (Fr) by Helicon (GB). She was bred and owned by Marcel Boussac. The Thoroughbred is a horse breed developed in 18th century England when English mares were bred with imported Arabian stallions to create a distance racer. ... Horse-racing is an equestrian sporting activity which has been practiced over the centuries; the chariot races of Roman times were an early example, as was the contest of the steeds of the god Odin and the giant Hrungnir in Norse mythology. ... Marcel Boussac April 17, 1889 – March 21, 1980) was a French entrepreneur best known for his ownership of the Maison Dior and one of the most successful thoroughbred race horse breeding farms in European history. ...

Racing wasn't her game

Racing in France, almost always entered into events in which she was outclassed by better company, La Troienne seems to have started seven times, winning once, and placing once. By her last race, her entire earnings totaled $146. But none of this mattered...because La Troienne eventually became one of the most famous and the most influential, if not the most influential, broodmares in the United States.

Sent by Boussac to England to be sold at Newmarket's December Sales in 1930, she went for the surprising sum of 1,250 guineas (a guinea equals one pound and one pence). At the time, she was in foal to Chef-de-Race Gainsborough. But her buyer, Colonel E. R. Bradley of the Idle Hour Stock Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, certainly knew his horseflesh. La Troienne came in time to be described as "the most important producer to be brought across the Atlantic Ocean in this century." And this even though the filly she produced with Gainsborough was born deformed and had to be destroyed. Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification    - by Athelstan AD927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi   - Water (%) Population... This article is about the English town. ... Idle Hour Stock Farm Idle Hour Stock Farm was a 400-acre thoroughbred horse breeding and training farm near Lexington, Kentucky, United States established in 1906 by Colonel Edward R. Bradley. ... Nickname: Athens of the West Horse Capital of the World Location in the Commonwealth of Kentucky Coordinates: Country State Counties United States Kentucky Fayette Mayor Teresa Isaac (D) Area    - City 285. ... Filly is also a town in Belgium. ...

But babies were

La Troienne wasn't much to look at: small and plain, very unlike her three-parts French sister Adargatis, but she somehow gave to her progency tremendous speed. She produced fourteen foals and 12 of them raced. 10 of those 12 were winners. The first of these was the Champion Black Helen, by Black Toney, born in 1932. Black Helen won the American Derby, the Florida Derby, the Maryland Handicap, and the CCA Oaks Stakes. The second was born in 1934, Biologist, by Bubbling Over who won the 1926 Kentucky Derby. The third was Baby League, born in 1935, again by Bubbling Over, who became the dam of four stakes winners: the great Hall of Fame filly Busher, as well as Mr. Busher, Striking, and Harmonizing. Her fourth winning foal was Big Hurry, another Black Toney filly, born in 1936, and the dam of five stakes winners: Be Fearless, Bridal Flower, The Admiral, Great Captain, and Searching. La Troienne also brought forth the great Hall of Fame colt Bimelech, born in 1937. By Black Toney, Bimlech won the Belmont Stakes, the Preakness Stakes, and placed in the 1940 Kentucky Derby. Big Event came next in 1938, a Blue Larkspur filly and dam of stakes winner Hall of Fame. In 1939, she dropped Businesslike who was the dam of two stakes winners: Busanda (who was the dam of Buckpasser) and Auditing. Then came Beseiged by Balladier in 1940, Broke Even in 1941, a colt by Blue Larkspur, Back Yard in 1942, a gelding by Balladier, and in 1944 Bee Ann Mac by Blue Larkspur. Belle Histoire came along in 1945, once more by Blue Larkspur. Belle Histoire was the dam of stakes winner Royal Record. La Troienne's last two foals were Belle of Troy in 1947, again by Blue Larkspur, and the gelding Trojan War in 1948 by Shut Out. Churchill Downs racetrack, 2004 The Kentucky Derby is a stakes race for three-year-old thoroughbred horses, staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky on the first Saturday in May, capping the three-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. ... 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. ... Filly is also a town in Belgium. ... 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. ... The term Colt, when used by itself, can refer to: A firearm produced by Colts Manufacturing Company, founded by Samuel Colt. ... The Belmont Stakes is a prestigious horse race held yearly in June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. ... The Preakness Stakes is a classic 1 3/16 mile (1. ... Buckpasser was a beautiful bay thoroughbred racehorse born in 1963. ... A gelding is a castrated animal—specifically, a castrated male horse. ...

From the names of La Troienne's foals, it's evident Colonel Bradley liked to name his horses with words beginning with B. (See Blue Larkspur.)

Les Brinsfield, a pedigree expert, wrote: "Anyone who wants can take any daughter of La Troienne (or all of them) and trace them through pedigrees to today's stars. It will be a rare week when there is no stakes winner linebred to La Troienne."

Becoming a Legend

In 1938, at the age of 13, La Troienne was badly frightened by a thunderstorm. Startled and confused, but worse, half blind due to a loss of vision in her right eye, she ran straight into a tree. Her right shoulder was so badly damaged the vets assured Colonel Bradley she would have to be destroyed. Col. Bradley said, "Put ten men with her night and day if it will help. We'll never get another like her." At the time La Troienne was carrying Businesslike. Businesslike ran twice and lost twice. If La Troienne had been destroyed that day there would have been no descendents of the less than wonderful racing filly, Businesslike. What this would have meant was there would have been no Buckpasser, no Slew o'Gold, no Easy Goer, no Silver Charm, no Funny Cide, no Smarty Jones, plus many more now gone and surely many more to come. Easy Goer is a thoroughbred racehorse, famous for conquering the champion Sunday Silence in the 1989 Belmont Stakes by 8 lengths. ... Silver Charm won the 1997 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes before falling short of the Triple Crown in the Belmont Stakes. ... Funny Cide is an American thoroughbred race horse bred at WinStar Farm in Versailles, Kentucky, and born on April 20, 2000 at the McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbred Farm, owned by Joe and Anne McMahon in the upstate New York town of Saratoga. ... Smarty Jones (born February 28, 2001) is a thoroughbred race horse, and winner of the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. ...

When Col. Bradley died in 1946, his stock was sold off. A syndicate including Greenstud Stud, King Ranch, and Ogden Phipps was very fortunate...the syndicate got La Troienne. King Ranch logo - the running W brand King Ranch, located in south Texas between Corpus Christi, Texas and Brownsville, Texas, is one of the worlds largest ranches (larger than Rhode Island). ...

After her foaling days had ended La Troienne lived out her life in comfort. She died at Greentree Stud at the age of 28 on January 30, 1954.

La Troienne is the stuff of legend. In the "Family Table of Racehorses, Vol.III," she and her descendents occupy three full pages. Her best foals were her daughers. La Troienne heads her own branch of Family 1, tracing to Tregonwell's Natural Barb Mare.

But Bimelech, her greatest son, became a great sire himself. He is found in pedigrees everywhere, as is his mother, the greatest broodmare of the Twentieth Century. (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s The 20th century lasted from 1901 to 2000 in the Gregorian calendar (often from (1900 to 1999 in common usage). ...

Trivia

The Grade III seven furlong La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs, Kentucky is, of course, named after La Troienne. In 2006, it was won by Joint Effort. A graded stakes race is a term applied to a Thoroughbred horse race in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay. ... Composite image of Churchill Downs on Derby Day, 1901 Churchill Downs, located on Central Avenue in Louisville, Kentucky, is a thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

External links

• La Troienne's pedigree, with photo