Cicada (May 9, 1959 – 1981) was an American

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

who was the first filly in American racing history to be awarded consecutive championships at the ages of two, three and four. She was inducted into the

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 horse racing, Thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and Horse trainer, trainers. In 1955, the museum ...

in 1967.

Background

Cicada was bred by Christopher Chenery's Meadow Stud. A bay filly standing high, she was by Bryan G. and out of Satsuma by Bossuet. Satsuma's dam was Hildene, the first horse owned by Chenery (whose Meadow Stable later bred and owned

Secretariat Secretariat may refer to: * Secretariat (administrative office) * Secretariat (horse) Secretariat (March 30, 1970 – October 4, 1989), also known as Big Red, was a champion American thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who was the ninth winn ...

). Sired by the 1926

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby () is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of . Colt (horse), Colts and geldin ...

winner Bubbling Over, Hildene cost only $600 but became a " blue hen" mare (a prolific producer of quality offspring). Hildene was named

Kentucky Broodmare of the Year The Kentucky Broodmare of the Year is selected each year by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. The title is considered the highest honor an American thoroughbred broodmare can receive, as the majority of American breeding s ...

in 1950, the same year her son Hill Prince was named Horse of the Year. Cicada was trained by Casey Hayes, who also trained Hill Prince, First Landing, and Sir Gaylord.

Racing career

Hayes believed in starting his horses young, so Cicada first raced in February 1961 at Hialeah Park Race Track and won easily by 4½ lengths. She won one allowance race and lost one before being entered in her first stakes race. She lost the

Fashion Stakes The Fashion Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-old fillies. Raced on dirt over a distance of five furlongs, it was run annually from 1889 through 2005. Inaugurated at Morris Park Racecourse in Westchester County, New Yor ...

, but then won her third allowance easily. She won the

Blue Hen Stakes The Blue Hen Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-old fillies held annually in early October at Delaware Park Racetrack in Stanton, Delaware. A non-graded stakes event raced on dirt, since 2004 it has been contested at a dis ...

wire-to-wire, winning by 5½ lengths. Cicada was never out of the money in her sixteen starts as a two-year-old. She won eleven of those races (including the final six in a row) and set a new record for earnings by a filly. Her stakes victories included the Schuylerville, Frizette,

Matron Matron is the job title of a very senior or the chief nurse in a hospital in several countries, including the United Kingdom, and other Commonwealth countries and former colonies. Etymology The chief nurse, in other words the person in charge ...

, and Spinaway. She was named the Champion two-year-old filly of 1961. In her first race in 1962 as a three-year-old, she won an allowance race against older males. She then ran one of her most courageous efforts in the

Florida Derby The Florida Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses held annually at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Since 2005, it has been run five weeks before the Kentucky Derby, which is held on the first Saturd ...

, a major prep for the Kentucky Derby against some of the best colts in the country. It turned into a two horse battle between Cicada and Ridan, with Cicada losing by a nose. After she easily won the Oaks Prep (now called the Eight Belles Stakes) she was considered for the

but her stablemate Sir Gaylord was entered instead, then went lame and was unable to race. Cicada entered the

Kentucky Oaks The Kentucky Oaks is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The race currently covers at Churchill Downs; the horses carry . The Kentucky Oaks is held on the Frida ...

and won by three lengths. The purse made her the world's leading money-winning filly or mare of all time, replacing

Bewitch Bewitch (1945–1959) was a Thoroughbred race horse born in 1945 at Calumet Farm, Kentucky, United States in the same crop in which the stallion Bull Lea produced Citation and Coaltown. Each of them was eventually inaugurated into the Thoroughb ...

. She finished the year with 8 wins from 17 starts. Her other wins included the

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and

Beldame Stakes The Beldame Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares three-years-old and up. Inaugurated in 1939, it was run as a handicap prior to 1960. The race is held annually near the beginning of October at Belmont Park and curr ...

, in which she broke Kelso's track record for nine furlongs at Aqueduct. She also finished second in the

Coaching Club American Oaks The Coaching Club American Oaks is a race for thoroughbred three-year-old fillies and the second leg of the Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing. Originally run at Belmont Park, the Grade I $500,000 stakes race was moved to Saratoga Race Course i ...

and third in the

Alabama Stakes The Alabama Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race open to three-year-old fillies. Inaugurated in 1872, the Grade I race is run over a distance of one and one-quarter miles on the dirt track at Saratoga Race Course. Held in mid August, i ...

. Cicada also ran in the 1962

Travers Stakes The Travers Stakes is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is nicknamed the "Midsummer Derby" and is the third-ranked race for American three-year-olds accor ...

finishing fourth behind the winner

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. She received the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Three-Year-Old Filly of 1962. At age four, Cicada raced eight times and won four: the Columbiana,

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and Distaff handicaps. She was awarded the title of Champion older female horse of 1963. She suffered an injury and was temporarily retired, then returned at age five for one last race in which she finished fourth. In 1967, Cicada was inducted into the

. In 1993, the Cicada Stakes at Aqueduct was created in her honor. In the

Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century ''The Blood-Horse'' (also referred to simply as ''Blood-Horse'' and displayed on its nameplate in upright all-capital letters without hyphenation as BLOODHORSE) is a news magazine that originated in 1916 as a monthly bulletin of the Thoroughbred ...

, she was ranked #62.

Breeding record

As a broodmare, Cicada was not a great success. In her first season, she proved barren and was returned to the races. Retired a second time, she foaled Cicada's Pride in 1966 (by Sir Gaylord) who won the 1968 Juvenile Stakes at

Belmont Park Belmont Park is a thoroughbred racing, thoroughbred horse racetrack in Elmont, New York, just east of New York City limits best known for hosting the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the American Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United Stat ...

. She produced a total of four winners from six live foals. Cicada lived until the age of 22, dying in 1981. She is buried at Jonabell Farm in

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

Background

Racing career

Breeding record

Pedigree

References

Further reading