The Sixties was a decade rife with stars. Kelso gained Horse of the 12 months 5 instances whereas Northern Dancer and Buckpasser had been superstars on the racetrack after which within the breeding shed. Racing was at its peak throughout this period, with crowds flocking to the racetrack and bringing their wagering {dollars} with them. The game loved a prominence that will proceed into the subsequent decade, setting the stage for not one however three to put on a crown.
The Sixties additionally had its share of horses like Primonetta, Cicada, and Jaipur, stars who made sufficient of a mark on their second that they’re immortalized within the stakes races that bear their names.
Primonetta (1958-1993)
Swaps shocked the racing world together with his win within the 1955 Kentucky Derby the place he beat the favourite Nashua by 1½ lengths. After a Corridor of Fame profession by which he set or equaled a number of observe and world information, the California-bred survived a fractured leg and a number of other weeks in a sling to get better sufficient to face stud. His first crop hit the bottom in 1958 and instantly this report holder made a mark with the filly Primonetta.
Her dam Banquet Bell had been bought by John Galbreath of Darby Dan Farm on the 1952 Keeneland yearling sale. Although she gained solely as soon as in 15 begins, Banquet Bell boasted Preakness Stakes winner Polynesian as her sire and French basic winner Pot au Feu as her dam’s sire. After producing a foal by Ponder in 1957, her first cowl by Swaps produced a golden chestnut filly, Primonetta, her title which means ‘first infant,’ a mirrored image of her standing as Swaps’ first foal.
At 2, she began quick, profitable all 4 of her begins, together with the Marguerite Stakes at Pimlico. Skilled by James Conway, the filly added three extra stakes wins to her streak earlier than struggling her first loss within the Monmouth Oaks, ending second by a neck. She added the Alabama Stakes to her tally after which completed second behind Bowl of Flowers within the Spinster Stakes at Keeneland.
At 4, Primonetta continued her profitable methods going through horses like Cicada and Seven Thirty over the course of the season as she notched victories within the Molly Pitcher and Remorse Handicaps in addition to the Spinster Stakes. These had been sufficient to earn her a championship as champion older handicap feminine of 1962. She retired to broodmare life at Darby Dan Farm simply as her full brother Chateaugay gave Galbreath his first of two Kentucky Derby winners after which just a few weeks later added the 1963 Belmont Stakes to his basic wins.
Regardless of reproductive issues that left her barren greater than as soon as, Primonetta went on to develop into a wonderful broodmare, producing seven foals. She gained 1978 Kentucky Broodmare of the 12 months after her daughter Cum Laude Laurie gained 4 Grade 1s, together with the Spinster and the Beldame. She died at age 34 in January 1993 as one of many longest-lived Thoroughbred racehorses ever. Named for the champion racemare, the Primonetta Stakes is a black-type stakes contested at six furlongs now run yearly at Laurel Park.
Cicada (1959-1981)
Cicada was a powerhouse racehorse in a small bundle. Standing simply 15.3 palms and weighing 800 kilos throughout her profession, this homebred clad within the iconic blue and white silks of Christopher Chenery and Meadow Steady was a sensation throughout her three seasons on the racetrack, amassing wins with ease.
Her sire Bryan G. additionally was a Meadow homebred and winner of the Pimlico Particular and consecutive Aqueduct Handicaps within the early Fifties. But it was Cicada’s dam, Satsuma, whose household was the star on this pedigree. Although she gained as soon as in eight begins, the daughter of Bossuet continued the excellence that her dam, Hildene, had began within the breeding shed. Hildene produced 13 foals for Chenery, together with Horse of the 12 months and Preakness winner Hill Prince and First Touchdown, 1958 2-year-old champion and sire of Riva Ridge. Moreover, Bossuet was a product of Belair Stud and had sealed his place in racing historical past by being one of many three horses in that triple lifeless warmth within the 1944 Carter Handicap at Aqueduct.
Foaled Might 9, 1959, this daughter of Bryan G. and Satsuma was a stable bay apart from the splotch of white with a line on her face. Chenery despatched the filly to coach Casey Hayes, who favored racing horses early. She debuted in February 1961, earlier than she had even celebrated her precise second birthday, with a win in a three-furlong race at Hialeah Park. She then recorded wins within the Blue Hen and Nationwide Stallion Stakes earlier than Hayes despatched her to Saratoga. There, she began a profitable streak that included the Schuylerville, Spinaway, Matron, and Frizette Stakes, clinching the 2-year-old filly championship.
The next 12 months, she was on observe for the Kentucky Derby alongside stablemate Sir Gaylord, however Chenery pivoted her to the Kentucky Oaks as a substitute, believing that Sir Gaylord had a greater shot at getting the 1 ¼ miles. Nonetheless, on Oaks day, the colt suffered a hairline fracture of a sesamoid bone ending his pursuit of the Derby and his racing profession. Chenery left Cicada within the Oaks, which she gained by three lengths. She then gained the Acorn, Mom Goose, and Beldame Stakes, beating Kelso’s observe report for 1⅛ miles within the latter. Her eight wins in 17 begins at 3 earned her one other divisional championship.
Her 4-year-old season noticed her strive the turf for the primary time, profitable the Sheepshead Bay Handicap at Aqueduct. She additionally collected wins within the Distaff, Vagrancy, and Columbiana Handicaps, and added a second within the Delaware Handicap, sufficient to earn a 3rd consecutive championship, this time as older handicap feminine. Chenery retired her to broodmare life, however Cicada didn’t instantly get in foal and was returned to coaching. Her one begin at 5 was a fourth-place end in an allowance at Backyard State Park. She was retired for good after that and despatched again to Meadow Stud in Virginia, the place she produced six foals for Chenery, together with Cicada’s Satisfaction, her lone stakes winner. Â
Cicada’s 23 wins in 42 begins earned her a spot within the Corridor of Fame in addition to the a number of championships she obtained throughout her time on the racetrack. This petite dynamo additionally made her mark going through colts a number of instances at 3, together with a runner-up end within the Florida Derby and a begin within the Travers Stakes. For her tenacity and grit, the Meadow Steady star had a stakes race named for her, a six-furlong black-type race run yearly at Aqueduct.
Jaipur (1959-1987)
Cicada’s Travers strive noticed her end seventh in a race dominated by two colts and separated by a nostril. A type of was Jaipur.
A homebred for George D. Widener Jr.’s Erdenheim Farms, Jaipur’s pedigree virtually dripped with racing royalty: his sire, Nasrullah, would produce Nashua, Daring Ruler, and Noor and his dam’s sire, Eight Thirty, was one other Erdenheim homebred, winner of the Travers and Whitney Stakes in addition to the Suburban and Metropolitan Handicaps. Jaipur’s dam, Uncommon Fragrance, was additionally a stakes winner and had already produced Uncommon Deal with, one other stakes winner, by Stymie. Named for town in India, the darkish bay Jaipur went to coach Bert Mulholland, who had additionally labored with Uncommon Fragrance and Eight Thirty, for his preparations.
Widener particularly valued the New York stakes and Jaipur’s early begins mirrored that. Making the rounds of the Gotham State’s tracks, the colt gained his debut at Aqueduct after which adopted with a victory within the Flash Stakes at Saratoga. He stayed in stakes firm for the remainder of the 12 months, profitable the Hopeful and Cowdin Stakes and ending second within the Champagne and Futurity Stakes. It was sufficient to make him one of many prime juveniles of the 12 months, however Crimson Devil, winner of the Backyard State Stakes and the Pimlico Futurity, got here away with the championship.
Jaipur was not pointed to the Kentucky Derby in 1962, however as a substitute began his season with wins within the Gotham and the Withers Stakes forward of a strive on the Preakness Stakes. The mercurial colt, who had inherited among the Nasrullah temperament, sulked his approach via the Preakness, sad concerning the dust flying in his face. He then met Crimson Devil within the Jersey Derby and battled with the champion and Admiral’s Voyage down the stretch, with simply noses separating the three on the wire. The stewards appeared on the race’s movie and decided that Crimson Devil had interfered with Jaipur within the stretch and disqualified him, giving the Widener colt the win.
The Belmont Stakes was subsequent, with Widener keen so as to add the historic race to the lengthy record of races he gained over his time as an proprietor. Relationship again to 1918, he had entered 9 horses within the Belmont with no success, however Jaipur was completely different. He connected with Admiral’s Voyage early, staying a size to 1½ lengths behind across the large oval with Crimson Devil trailing them each. Early within the stretch, Crimson Devil got here in on Jaipur, bumping him barely, a faucet which appeared to make the Widener colt mad. He fought on and challenged Admiral’s Voyage all the way down to the wire, eking out the win by a nostril.
Jaipur refused to coach at Belmont forward of his subsequent begin, so Mulholland despatched him again to Erdenheim for a break earlier than Saratoga and the Travers. Looming within the subject was Ridan, one other extremely rated juvenile who was coming into the race off a win within the Arlington Traditional and a second within the American Derby. The 1962 Travers subject counted seven, however actually the race got here all the way down to the horses breaking from posts one and two, with Ridan on the rail and Jaipur on his outdoors. The sphere broke from the gate, horses bumping into one another from the center posts, however on the within Jaipur and Ridan had been already a size forward. Ridan had a slight benefit below the wire the primary time, however, by the primary flip, they had been head and head and stayed that approach down the backstretch, across the far flip, and into the stretch drive.
Jaipur floor out a brief lead within the stretch as Ridan seemingly hit his distance restrict, however the battle was not but completed. Jockey Manny Ycaza gave Ridan a few faucets and the colt rallied, difficult Jaipur once more. The 2 hit the wire as a tandem, seemingly inseparable with out the advantage of the picture. Ultimately, Jaipur had a nostril in entrance and equaled the observe report for the mile and 1 / 4, whereas decreasing Man o’ Warfare’s Travers Stakes report of two:01 4/5 by a 1/5 of a second.
It will be Jaipur’s final win. He would spherical out 1962 with three extra begins, together with a second to Kelso within the Woodward, after which began twice extra at 4, ending second to Ridan within the Palm Seashore Handicap, earlier than a wrenched ankle ended his profession. Jaipur retired to Erdenheim Farm, the place he sired 102 winners and 13 stakes winners from his 162 foals.
Although he might not have reproduced himself at stud, Jaipur lives on in his namesake stakes, a Grade 1, six-furlong turf dash at Belmont Park run yearly on the Belmont Stakes undercard.
