Heavenly Cause

Last updated
Heavenly Cause
Sire Grey Dawn
Grandsire Herbager
DamLady Dulcinea
DamsireNantallah
Sex Filly
Foaled1978
Country United States
Colour Gray
Breeder Adele W. Paxson
Owner Ryehill Farm
Trainer Woody Stephens
Record21: 9-4-2
Earnings US$622,481 [1]
Major wins
Selima Stakes (1980)
Frizette Stakes (1980)
Acorn Stakes (1981)
Fantasy Stakes (1981)
La Troienne Stakes (1981)
Kentucky Oaks (1981)
Awards
American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly (1980)
Honours
Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame (1981)
Heavenly Cause Stakes at Laurel Park

Heavenly Cause (foaled May 22, 1978 in Maryland) was an American Thoroughbred Champion racehorse.

Maryland State of the United States of America

Maryland is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east. The state's largest city is Baltimore, and its capital is Annapolis. Among its occasional nicknames are Old Line State, the Free State, and the Chesapeake Bay State. It is named after the English queen Henrietta Maria, known in England as Queen Mary.

Thoroughbred Horse breed developed for racing

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. Thoroughbreds are considered "hot-blooded" horses that are known for their agility, speed, and spirit.

The Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse.

Contents

Background

Bred by Adele W. Paxson, she was sired by Grey Dawn, the 1964 French Champion Two-Year-Old Colt and 1990 Leading broodmare sire in North America. Her dam was Lady Dulcinea, a granddaughter of Nearco who has been described by Thoroughbred Heritage as "one of the greatest racehorses of the Twentieth Century" and "one of the most important sires of the century." [2] Heavenly Cause was purchased by Jim and Eleanor Ryan who raced her under the name of their Ryehill Farm.

Adele Warden Paxson was an American socialite, philanthropist, conservationist, and a Champion breeder of Thoroughbred racehorses.

Grey Dawn (1962–1991) was a French Thoroughbred Champion racehorse who was the only horse to ever beat Sea-Bird.

The list below shows the leading Thoroughbred sire of broodmares in North America for each year since 1924. This is determined by the amount of prize money won during the year by racehorses which were foaled by a daughter of the sire. The most frequent sires on the list are Star Shoot (5), Princequillo (8), Mr. Prospector (9) and Sir Gallahad III (12).

Heavenly cause was trained by U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee, Woody Stephens.

National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Professional sports hall of fame in Saratoga Springs, New York

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1951 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American Thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers. In 1955, the museum moved to its current location on Union Avenue near Saratoga race course, at which time inductions into the hall of fame began. Each spring, following the tabulation of the final votes, the announcement of new inductees is made, usually during Kentucky Derby Week in early May. The actual inductions are held in mid-August during the Saratoga race meeting.

Woody Stephens was an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame trainer.

Racing career

Heavenly Cause won four of nine starts at age two, including the Grades 1 Selima and Frizette Stakes and was voted the 1980 Eclipse Award for American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly.

The Selima Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland. Raced in late November, it is open to two-year-old fillies and is raced on turf.

The Frizette Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-old fillies raced annually at Belmont Park in October. It is currently a Grade I stakes race at a distance of one mile. The Frizette is the female counterpart of the Champagne Stakes.

The American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually to a female horse in Thoroughbred flat racing. It became part of the Eclipse Awards program in 1971.

As a three-year-old, Heavenly Cause had five wins in twelve starts. Racing at Florida's Gulfstream Park early in 1981, she finished second to Dame Mysterieuse in the Forward Gal Stakes and third to her in the Bonnie Miss Stakes. Heavenly Cause then went on to win the La Troienne and Fantasy Stakes before capturing the May 2, Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs in which she defeated a very strong field that included De La Rose, Wayward Lass, and the betting favorite, Truly Bound. [3] Three weeks later she followed up with a win in the May 23 Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park. [4] In late June Heavenly Cause ran second to in the Mother Goose Stakes to Wayward Lass who would dominate her age group for the remainder of the year and earn American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly honors.

Florida State of the United States of America

Florida is the southernmost contiguous state in the United States. The state is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, and to the south by the Straits of Florida. Florida is the 22nd-most extensive, the 3rd-most populous, and the 8th-most densely populated of the U.S. states. Jacksonville is the most populous municipality in the state and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. The Miami metropolitan area is Florida's most populous urban area. Tallahassee is the state's capital.

Gulfstream Park is a racetrack and county-approved casino in Hallandale Beach, Florida. During its annual meet, which spans December through October, it is one of the most important venues for horse racing in America.

The Forward Gal Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at the end of January or early February at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. The seven-furlong dirt event is open to three-year-old fillies. The race is a Grade II event with a current purse of $200,000 and is part of the Road to the Kentucky Oaks.

Broodmare

Retired to broodmare duty, Heavenly Cause stood in the United States until being sent to breeders in England in 1992. Between 1983 and 1997 she produced twelve foals from notable stallions such as Danzig, Lyphard, Mr. Prospector, Seattle Slew, Secretariat, and Halo, among others. Ten of her foals raced, of which seven were minor winners. [5]

Danzig was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who is best known as a leading sire. He was purchased for $310,000 by Henryk de Kwiatkowski at the 1978 Saratoga Yearling Sale. The son of Hall of Famer Northern Dancer and the most important sire of the second half of the 20th century, he won all three of his races before knee problems ended his racing career.

Lyphard American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Lyphard was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and an important sire.

Mr. Prospector American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Mr. Prospector was a Thoroughbred racehorse who became an outstanding breeding stallion and notable sire of sires. A sprinter whose career was cut short by repeated injuries, he won seven of his 14 starts, including the Gravesend Handicap at Aqueduct Racetrack and the Whirlaway Handicap at Garden State Park.

Honors

Heavenly Cause was elected to the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame on March 15, 1981.

In her honor, a seven furlong race for two-year-old fillies at Laurel Park Racecourse was named the Heavenly Cause Stakes.

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References

  1. ↑ http://www.pedigreequery.com/heavenly+cause Heavenly Cause's pedigree and partial racing stats
  2. ↑ Thoroughbred Heritage
  3. ↑ Daytona Beach Morning Journal - May 2, 1981
  4. ↑ Ocala Star-Banner - May 24, 1981
  5. ↑ Pedigree Query progeny chart
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