Playful Act

Last updated
Playful Act
Sire Sadler's Wells
Grandsire Northern Dancer
Dam Magnificient Style
DamsireSilver Hawk
Sex Mare
Foaled2002
Country Ireland
Colour Bay
Breeder Swettenham Stud
Owner1) Sangster Family
2) Sheikh Mohammed
Trainer John Gosden
Record6: 4–2–0
EarningsUS$487,191 (Equivalent)
Major wins
Fillies' Mile (2004)
May Hill Stakes (2004)
Lancashire Oaks (2005)

Playful Act (foaled April 12, 2002 in Ireland) is a Thoroughbred racehorse and the world's most expensive broodmare. Owned and bred by prominent British owner/breeder Robert Sangster, she was sired by the Champion Sire Sadler's Wells, she was out of the mare Magnificient Style, a granddaughter of the 1972 Epsom Derby winner, Roberto.

Ireland Island in north-west Europe, 20th largest in world, politically divided into the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland (a part of the UK)

Ireland is an island in the North Atlantic. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the second-largest island of the British Isles, the third-largest in Europe, and the twentieth-largest on Earth.

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.

Horse racing Equestrian sport

Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic premise – to identify which of two or more horses is the fastest over a set course or distance – has been unchanged since at least classical antiquity.

A success in racing at age two, Playful Act had notable wins in the 2004 Fillies' Mile and May Hill Stakes. She raced at age three with her best result a win in the Group 2 Lancashire Oaks and a second-place finish to Shawanda in the Irish Oaks.

The Fillies' Mile is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile, and it is scheduled to take place each year in October.

The May Hill Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile, and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.

Conditions races are horse races in which 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 weight from older runners to allow for relative maturity, referred to as weight for age; and the quality of the runners, with horses that have won certain values of races giving weight to less successful entrants.

Retired to broodmare duty, Playful Act was put up for sale in November 2007 and was purchased by Sheikh Mohammed's Darley Stud operation at the Keeneland breeding stock sale for a world record price of US$10.5 million. [1]

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Emirati politician

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and ruler of the Emirate of Dubai. Since his accession in 2006, after the death of his brother Sheikh Maktoum, he has undertaken reforms in the UAE's government, starting with the UAE Federal Government Strategy in April 2007. In 2010 he launched the UAE vision 2021 with the aim of making the UAE 'one of the best countries in the world' by 2021.

Darley Stud

Darley Stud is located at Dalham Hall, the global breeding operation owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai and vice-president of the United Arab Emirates. It is on the outskirts of Newmarket, Suffolk, the international headquarters and historic home of thoroughbred horse racing.

Keeneland Sales is an American Thoroughbred auction house in Lexington, Kentucky founded in 1935 as a nonprofit racing/auction entity on 147 acres of farmland west of Lexington, which had been owned by Jack O. Keene. A division of Keeneland Association, Inc., it holds three annual horse auctions that attract buyers from around the globe:

Related Research Articles

Sadler's Wells was a thoroughbred racehorse who was bred in the United States but raced in Europe, winning the 1984 Irish 2000 Guineas, Eclipse Stakes and Phoenix Champion Stakes. He also finished second in the Prix du Jockey Club and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. He was named the champion miler in France, and was rated sixth overall in the International Classification for 1984.

Lemons Forever is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the Grade 1 132nd Kentucky Oaks horse race on May 5, 2006. Her win was the biggest upset in the history of the Oaks.

My Typhoon is an American Thoroughbred racehorse whom the NTRA calls "one of the world's best-bred horses."

Better Than Honour is an American thoroughbred mare racehorse, best known for her career as a broodmare. She is out of the Kentucky Oaks winner, Blush With Pride, by the sire, Deputy Minister. Owned by Robert Waxman, she was trained by John Kimmel.

Bull Page was a Canadian Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse and an important sire.

My Charmer was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known as an outstanding broodmare.

Intercontinental is a Thoroughbred Champion racehorse who competed in England, France, and the United States.

Thoroughbred valuation is the art of determining the value or potential value of a Thoroughbred horse, particularly of race horses.

User Friendly (horse)

User Friendly is a European Champion Thoroughbred racehorse.

Nathaniel (horse) Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Nathaniel is an Irish-bred British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. Nathaniel failed to win in two races as a two-year-old but attracted attention by running Frankel to half a length at Newmarket. At three he recorded his first major win in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot and then won Britain's most prestigious all-aged race, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes over the same course and distance. Nathaniel returned in 2012 to win the Eclipse Stakes on his seasonal debut. Although he failed to win again he was placed in the King George, the Irish Champion Stakes and the Champion Stakes before being retired at the end of the year. During his racing career he earned £1,464,688. He made an immediate impact as a breeding stallion, siring the champion filly Enable in his first season at stud.

Midway Lady

Midway Lady was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare who won two British Classic Races in 1986. In a racing career lasting from August 1985 until June 1986, the filly ran six times and won her last five races. She sustained her only defeat when finishing second on her racecourse debut but won her remaining three races in 1985 including the May Hill Stakes at Doncaster and the Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp. Her three-year-old campaign consisted of only two races, as she won the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket and the Oaks at Epsom a month later. After sustaining a serious leg injury, she was retired to stud where she became a successful producer of winners including the Oaks winner Eswarah.

Pure Clan is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse. She won eight races and nearly $2 million in her two-year racing career, participating in races on dirt and turf tracks in the United States and the United Arab Emirates. She was retired in 2010 to be a broodmare and has produced two foals to date. Pure Clan was sold in late 2012 for $4.5 million and currently resides at Three Chimneys Farm in Kentucky.

Magnificient Style is an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. She only raced as a three-year-old, winning two of her four races, including the Musidora Stakes. Since retiring from racing she has become a successful broodmare, with her progeny including Playful Act, Nathaniel and Great Heavens. She was trained by Henry Cecil and owned by Buckram Oak Holdings.

Take Charge Lady is an American Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. She was one of the leading fillies of her generation in the United States, winning 11 of her 22 races between April 2001 and November 2003, earning over $2 million. She recorded Grade I victories in the Ashland Stakes and consecutive editions of the Spinster Stakes, and also won the Alcibiades Stakes, Silverbulletday Stakes, Fair Grounds Oaks, Dogwood Stakes and Arlington Matron Stakes.

Punctilous is a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. Bred in England by Björn Nielsen she showed very promising form as a juvenile in 2003, winning her first two starts before finishing third in the Fillies' Mile. In the following year she developed into a top-class middle distance performer, winning the Musidora Stakes and the Ribblesdale Stakes as well as finishing second in the Irish Oaks and the E P Taylor Stakes, third in The Oaks and fourth in the Yorkshire Oaks. In 2005 she made little impact in her first two starts but then won the Chalice Stakes before recording her biggest victory in the Yorkshire Oaks. She was retired from racing at the end of the year to become a broodmare.

Teggiano was an Irish-bred, British-trained thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. In a racing career which lasted from July 1999 until July 2000 she won three of her six races. As a two-year-old she was one of the best fillies of her generation in Britain when she won three races including the May Hill Stakes and the Fillies' Mile. After a change of stable she made two appearances in the following year, producing the better of her efforts when finishing second in the Ribblesdale Stakes. She has had some success as a broodmare.

Shawanda is an Irish-bred, French-trained. Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. She was unraced as a two-year-old and finished second on her racecourse debut in April 2005. She then established herself as one of the best fillies of her generation in Europe with five consecutive win including the Prix de Royaumont, Irish Oaks and the Prix Vermeille. After finishing sixth in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe she was bought by Godolphin and retired from racing in 2006. She made an immediate impact as a broodmare, with her second foal being the St Leger winner Encke.

Preseli is an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. She was one of the best two-year-olds in Ireland in 1999 when she was undefeated in three races including the Debutante Stakes and the Moyglare Stud Stakes. In the following spring she took her winning streak to four when she won the Derrinstown Stud 1,000 Guineas Trial but was beaten in her next three races that year, producing her best subsequent effort when narrowly beaten in the Pretty Polly Stakes. In 2001 she raced in North America, but failed to reproduce her European form. As a broodmare she has produced several minor winners.

Masaka was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. She was one of the best fillies of her generation in Europe in 1947 when she won three races including the Queen Mary Stakes and the July Stakes. In the following year she became increasingly temperamental and refused to start on more than one occasion but did show top class form over middle distances, winning the Epsom Oaks and the Irish Oaks.

Blush With Pride was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. A winner of the Kentucky Oaks, Blush With Pride won graded stakes races on both dirt and turf during her racing career. She later went on to become an important broodmare.

References

  1. "Bidding War at Keeneland". New York Times . November 6, 2007.