El Gran Senor (21 April 1981 – 18 October 2006) was an American-bred, Irish-trained

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 ...

race horse ''Race Horse'' was an 1850 clipper barque. She set a record of 109 days from New York to San Francisco during the first Clipper Race around the Horn. Construction ''Race Horse'' was similar to a barque built by Samuel Hall a few years earlier, ...

. Foaled at

Windfields Farm (Maryland) Windfields Farm in Chesapeake City was Maryland's leading stud farm for Thoroughbred horses before it closed in 1988. Overview Windfields Farm was owned by Canadian businessman E. P. Taylor, who bought the Maryland property in 1964 at the recomme ...

, he was the best horse of his generation in Europe at both two and three years of age. His only defeat in eight races came when he was beaten a short head by

Secreto Secreto (1981–1999) was an American-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that consisted of only four races, he won three times. His most important success came in June 1984 when he won the Derby. Background Se ...

in the 1984

Epsom Derby The Derby Stakes, more commonly known as the Derby and sometimes referred to as the Epsom Derby, is a Group races, Group 1 flat Horse racing, horse race in England open to three-year-old Colt (horse), colts and Filly, fillies. It is run at Ep ...

. El Gran Senor received an outstanding

Timeform Timeform is a sports data and content provider located in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. Founded in 1948, it provides systematic information on form to punters and others involved in the horse racing industry. The company was purchased by th ...

rating of 136. He also enjoyed notable success at stud before being pensioned at

Ashford Stud Coolmore Stud, in Fethard, County Tipperary, Ireland, is the headquarters of one of the world's largest breeding operation of thoroughbred racehorses. Through its racing arm, Ballydoyle, Coolmore also has raced many classic winners and champions ...

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 ...

in 2000.

Background

He was born in 1981 and was bred at

by Windfields' owner

E. P. Taylor Edward Plunket Taylor, Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George, CMG (January 29, 1901 – May 14, 1989), was a Canadians, Canadian business tycoon, investor, and philanthropist. He was a famous breeder of Thoroughbred horse racing, r ...

in partnership with

Vincent O'Brien Michael Vincent O'Brien (9 April 1917 – 1 June 2009) was an Irish race horse trainer from Churchtown, County Cork, Ireland. In 2003 he was voted the greatest influence in horse racing history in a worldwide poll hosted by the ''Racing Pos ...

John Magnier John Magnier (born 10 February 1948) is an Irish business magnate. He is a leading thoroughbred stud owner and has extensive business interests outside the horse-breeding industry. Magnier was a senator in the upper house of the Oireachtas, ...

, and

Robert Sangster Robert Edmund Sangster (23 May 1936 – 7 April 2004) Towards the end of his life he spent much of his time in Barbados and Australia. Death Sangster died of pancreatic cancer in London, on 7 April 2004, aged 67. British Classic Race wins * 1, ...

. He had a pronounced parrot mouth, which he often passed on to his progeny. His name comes from the nickname of

Horatio Luro Horatio A. Luro (February 27, 1901 - December 16, 1991) was a thoroughbred horse racing trainer in the United States. Luro was born in Argentina as one of nine children into the wealthy family of rancher and meat packer Adolfo Luro. The family ...

, trainer of his sire

Northern Dancer Northern Dancer (May 27, 1961 – November 16, 1990) was a Thoroughbred that, in 1964, became the first Canadian-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby. After being retired from racing, he became one of the most successful Stallion, sires of the 2 ...

. He went to Ireland to be trained by

, who had trained numerous major winners for Sangster including El Gran Senor's full brother,

Try My Best Try My Best (1975–1993) was an American-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. A son of Northern Dancer, he won the Dewhurst Stakes in 1978 and was the top-rated two-year-old in Britain and Ireland that year. Background Try My ...

, who was champion two-year-old in Great Britain and Ireland in 1977.

Racing career

The colt was unbeaten as a two-year-old. He won the Railway Stakes and

National Stakes The Vincent O'Brien National Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 me ...

at the

Curragh The Curragh ( ; ) is a flat open plain in County Kildare, Ireland. This area is well known for horse breeding and training. The Irish National Stud is on the edge of Kildare town, beside the Japanese Gardens. Pollardstown Fen, the larges ...

in Ireland. For his final race that year, he was sent to Newmarket in England for the

Dewhurst Stakes The Dewhurst Stakes is a Group races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old Colt (horse), colts and Filly, fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mi ...

, the most prestigious two-year-old race in that country. His defeat of

Rainbow Quest ''Rainbow Quest'' (1965–66) was a U.S. television series devoted to folk music and hosted by Pete Seeger. It was videotaped in black-and-white and featured musicians from traditional American music genres such as traditional folk music, old ...

earned him an unusually high two-year-old rating of 131 from Timeform. As a three-year-old, El Gran Senor again raced four times before injury ended his season in mid-summer. He easily won the Gladness Stakes beating stablemate

Sadler's Wells Sadler's Wells Theatre is a London performing arts venue, located in Rosebery Avenue, Islington. The present-day theatre is the sixth on the site. Sadler's Wells grew out of a late 17th-century pleasure garden and was opened as a theatre buil ...

at the Curragh and then returned to Newmarket in England, where he competed in the

2,000 Guineas Stakes The 2000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1.6 km) and scheduled to take place each year ...

, the first Classic of the year. In one of the highest-quality runnings of the race El Gran Senor easily beat

Chief Singer Chief Singer (19 March 1981 – 2000) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and Horse breeding#Terminology, sire. In a racing career which lasted from June 1983 until September 1984 he ran nine times and won four races. ...

Lear Fan Lear Fan (2 February 1981 – 7 July 2008) was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. One of an exceptionally strong generation of European racehorses he was one of the leading two-year-olds when he was unbeaten i ...

and Rainbow Quest. Chief Singer franked the form by winning the

St. James's Palace Stakes The St James's Palace Stakes is a Group races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old Colt (horse), colts. It is run at Ascot Racecourse, Ascot ...

and

Sussex Stakes The Sussex Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), a ...

over a mile and the

July Cup The July Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run on the July Course at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 me ...

over six furlongs. Lear Fan won the

Prix Jacques le Marois The Prix Jacques Le Marois is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbred colts and fillies aged three years or older. It is run in August each year at Deauville over a distance of ...

over a mile at Deauville in France. Despite some doubts over his stamina, stemming from the amount of speed in the distaff side of his pedigree and the speed he had shown at Newmarket, El Gran Senor was an odds-on favourite for the Derby (Gr1) over 12 furlongs at Epsom. In the stretch, he engaged in a battle with another Irish-trained colt Secreto, who had finished third in the Irish 2,000 Guineas to Sadler's Wells in his previous race, but lost narrowly. Many felt that Pat Eddery had ridden an ill-judged race, hitting the front too soon and not being able to use El Gran Senor's acceleration. Eddery later acknowledged that El Gran Senor should have won the race but that when the pacemakers dropped away early in the straight he found himself in the lead much earlier than intended. Both colts, trained by father and son (Vincent and David O'Brien), were sired by the same stallion, were bred at the same stud farm and, it has been reported, had shared a paddock as yearlings. El Gran Senor went on to beat Rainbow Quest in the

Irish Derby The Irish Derby ( Irish: Dearbaí na hÉireann) is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a dista ...

over 12 furlongs at the Curragh. He then sustained an injury (lameness due to a keratoma in his hoof) and was retired to stud in America.

Stud career

Throughout his stud career, El Gran Senor had low fertility and typically sired no more than 40 foals in any single year - these days, most top sires and champions sire between 60 and 180 foals in a year. Over the course of his career, he fathered fewer than 400 foals. There were only 14 in his first foal-crop, but they included Al Hareb, who won the Racing Post Trophy (Gr1) over a mile in England. Al Hareb was at stud in Australia, and while his overall record was unremarkable, he did sire the top class sprinter Hareeba, a multiple Group 1 winning sprinter. El Gran Senor sired a total of 12 horses who won at the highest level - Group/Grade 1. These included South African classic winner

Kundalini In Hinduism, kundalini (, ) is a form of divine feminine energy (or ''Shakti'') believed to be located at the base of the spine, in the '' muladhara''. It is an important concept in Śhaiva Tantra, where it is believed to be a force or power ...

, top American fillies Corrazona, Spanish Fern and Toussaud,

Breeders' Cup Sprint The Breeders' Cup Sprint is an American Weight for Age Grade I Thoroughbred horse race for horses three years old and older. Run on dirt over a distance of 6 Furlongs ( mile), the race has been held annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in t ...

hero

Lit de Justice In France under the Ancien Régime, the ''lit de justice'' (, "bed of justice") was a particular formal session of the Parlement of Paris, under the presidency of the King of France, for the compulsory registration of the royal edicts and to im ...

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot ...

winner Belmez, and multiple European Group 1 winner

Rodrigo de Triano Rodrigo de Triano (foaled 27 May 1989 – 5 August 2014) was an American-bred, English-trained Thoroughbred Champion racehorse. Background Foaled in Kentucky, and bred and raced by leading British horseman, Robert Sangster, he was out of the ma ...

. He was pensioned from stallion duty in 2000 at the age of 19. His final tally of 55 stakes winners represented a rate of more than 14% stakes winners to named foals - 10%+ is the usually accepted sign of a very good stallion. His record as a sire of successful stallions has been disappointing, however as a broodmare sire he has done very well. His daughters have produced over 60 stakes winners, including Grade/Group 1 winners Chester House, Chiselling, Emin Baja (CHI), Empire Maker, Grand Arch, Grand Vitesse (ARG), Honest Lady, Ice Horse (ARG), Ramonti (FR), Redoute's Dancer (AUS), and Square Eddie. El Gran Senor will have a lasting impact on the breed through his best daughter, Grade One winner Toussaud. She ranks among a tiny handful of mares who have produced multiple Group/Grade 1 winners, with four.

Chester House Chester House (February 1, 1995 – June 28, 2003) was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In his racing career, he ran in both Europe and North America, winning six races, most notably the Arlington Million as a five-year-old ...

(born in 1995 by Mr. Prospector) was first, winning the Arlington Million (Gr.1) in 2000. Advertised as a "genetic masterpiece", Chester House also showed promise as a stallion before cancer cut his stud career short in 2003, after only three years at stud. Next was daughter Honest Lady (born in 1996 by

Seattle Slew Seattle Slew (February 15, 1974 – May 7, 2002) was a champion American Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who became the tenth winner of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States), American Triple Crown (1977). He is one of only ...

), who won the Santa Monica Handicap (Gr.1) and finished 2nd against the boys in the

Metropolitan Handicap The Metropolitan Handicap, frequently called the "Met Mile", is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is contested on dirt over a distance of one mile (8 furl ...

(Gr.1). Honest Lady became an excellent broodmare herself, producing Gr.1 winner First Defence along with stakes winners Phantom Rose and Honest Quality. After Honest Lady came Chiselling (born in 1999 by Woodman), who won the

Secretariat Stakes The Secretariat Stakes is a Graded stakes race, Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds over a distance of one mile on the Grass, turf. The event was originally raced at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Illinois, Arlingto ...

(Gr.1). Chiselling was initially going be sent to South Africa for stud, however he was diagnosed with

Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is a disease that affects the central nervous system of horses. It is caused by a protozoal infection that is brought about by the apicomplexan parasites '' Sarcocystis neurona'' or '' Neospora hughesi''. M ...

and it is unclear what happened to him after he missed the 2004 breeding season. Her fourth and final Grade 1 winner is arguably her best,

Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over the worldwide classic distance of . Colt (horseracing), Colt ...

(Gr.1) winner

Empire Maker Empire Maker (April 27, 2000 - January 18, 2020)Wood Memorial The Wood Memorial Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually in April at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. It is run over a distance of 1 1/8 miles (9 furlongs) on dirt. The Wood Memorial ...

and

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 ...

. Empire Maker stood at his owner-breeder Prince Khalid Abdullah's Juddmonte Farm in Kentucky until 2010, when he was sold to the Japan Bloodhorse Breeders Association to stand at Shizunai Stallion Station. Eleven days earlier, his two-year-old daughter, future champion Royal Delta, won her first start by 12 lengths. In September 2015, two months after his grandson

American Pharoah American Pharoah (foaled February 2, 2012) is a Thoroughbred racehorse who won the American Triple Crown and the Breeders' Cup Classic in 2015. He was the 12th Triple Crown winner in history, and in winning all four races, became the first ...

won the American Triple Crown, it was announced that Empire Maker had been bought back from Japan and as of 2019 he stands at

Gainesway Farm Gainesway Farm is an American Thoroughbred horse breeding business in Lexington, Kentucky. It was originally called Greentree Stables, Greentree Farms. The 1,500-acre (6 km2) property has been home to stallions such as Youth (horse), Youth a ...

in Lexington, Kentucky. El Gran Senor was

euthanized Animal euthanasia (euthanasia from ; "good death") is the act of killing an animal humanely, most commonly with injectable drugs. Reasons for euthanasia include incurable (and especially painful) conditions or diseases, lack of resources to con ...

on 18 October 2006 at

in Kentucky due to the infirmities of old age.

Major winners

''c = colt, f =

filly A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use: *In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old. *In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States ...

, g =

gelding A gelding (Help:IPA/English, /ˈɡɛldɪŋ/) is a castration, castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. The term is also used with certain other animals and livestock, such as domesticated Camelidae, camels. By compa ...

Pedigree

References

{{2000 Guineas winners 1981 racehorse births 2006 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Maryland Racehorses trained in Ireland Irish Classic Race winners Thoroughbred family 8-f 2000 Guineas winners