Flamenco Wave (1 March 1986 – 2003) was an American-bred, Irish-bred

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 and

broodmare A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four ...

. As a two-year-old in 1988, she won a

maiden race In horse racing, a maiden race is an event for horses that have not won a race. Horses that have not won a race are referred to as maidens. Maiden horse races are held over a variety of distances and under conditions with eligibility based on the s ...

on her debut and then recorded her biggest victory when taking the

Group 1 Group 1 may refer to: * Alkali metal, a chemical element classification for Alkali metal * Group 1 (motorsport), a regulation set of the FIA for series-production touring cars used in motorsport. * Group One Thoroughbred horse races, the leading e ...

Moyglare Stud Stakes The Moyglare Stud Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres), and it is schedu ...

. She did not run again as a juvenile and finished last in both her races in 1989. After her retirement from racing, she became an outstanding broodmare, producing Starborough,

Aristotle Aristotle (; 384–322 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath. His writings cover a broad range of subjects spanning the natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, a ...

and Ballingarry, and being the female-line ancestor of

St Nicholas Abbey St Nicholas Abbey is located in Saint Peter, Barbados, and is a plantation house, museum and rum distillery. Colonel Benjamin Berringer built the house in 1658. This house is one of only three genuine Jacobean mansions in the Western Hemisphe ...

and Charming Thought. She died in 2003 at the age of 17.

Background

Flamenco Wave was a "well-made" chestnut mare with a white

star A star is a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by Self-gravitation, self-gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night sk ...

bred in Kentucky by Dan J Agnew & Cardiff Stud Farms. As a yearling, the filly was consigned to the

Fasig-Tipton The Fasig-Tipton Company, Inc. is an American auction house for Thoroughbred horses. Founded in 1898, it is the oldest auction company of its kind in North America. The company has offices in Lexington, Kentucky, Elkton, Maryland, and Saratoga ...

sale at

Saratoga Springs, New York Saratoga Springs is a Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the United States Census 2020, 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the ...

, where she was sold for $140,000 to representatives of Sheikh Mohammed. She was sent to race in Europe, where she entered training with

John Oxx John M. Oxx (born 14 July 1950) is a retired Irish trainer of thoroughbred racehorses. By the end of the 2009 season Oxx had trained 35 Group One winners over his career, including the winners of 11 Classic races. He is best known as the trai ...

in Ireland. The filly was ridden in all of her races by the Australian jockey Ron Quinton. She was from the first crop of foal sired by the American stallion Desert Wine, who finished second in both the

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 ...

and the

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually on Armed Forces Day, the third Saturday in May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland (except in 2026 when it will move to Laurel Park (race track), Laurel Park dur ...

in 1983 before taking the

Hollywood Gold Cup The Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes is a Grade II American thoroughbred horse race for horses age three and older over a distance of miles on the dirt held at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California in May. The race currently offers a purse of $200,000 ...

a year later. Flamenco Wave's dam, Armada Way, showed good racing ability, winning eight times in the United States. She was a great-granddaughter of Lea Lark, an American broodmare whose other descendants have included Tobougg,

Miswaki Miswaki (February 22, 1978 – December 17, 2004) was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse that was a Group One winner in France and a stakes race winner in the United States. He was an important sire of 97 stakes race winners and was the Le ...

, Almutawakel,

Southern Halo Southern Halo (1983–2009) was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and Horse breeding#Terminology, sire. In his racing career he ran twenty-four times, winning five races and finishing second in the Graded stakes race, Grade I Swaps Sta ...

Peter Davies,

A Shin Hikari A Shin Hikari (japanese language, Japanese エイシンヒカリ, foaled 3 May 2011) is a retired Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. He began his racing career as a three-year-old in 2014 when he won his first five races including the Listed Irela ...

and White Muzzle.

Racing career

1988: two-year-old season

Flamenco Wave made her racecourse debut in a

over six

furlongs A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to any of 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains, or approximately 201 metres. It is no ...

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 ...

on 13 August. She started the 9/4 favourite against twelve opponents and won by a length from City Index. For her next race, the filly was stepped up sharply in class for the

Moyglare Stud Stakes over the same course and distance on 11 September. Despite her lack of experience, she was made the 11/2 third choice in the betting behind the

Dermot Weld Dermot K. Weld (born 29 July 1948), in Kildare, is a former jockey, and one of Ireland's most successful racehorse trainers, setting the record in 2000 for the most winners trained in Ireland with 2,578. He won the Irish Flat Training Champion ...

-trained Elegance in Design and the Flying Five winner Heather Seeker. The other eight runners included Run To Jenny (runner-up in the

Phoenix Stakes The Phoenix 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 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is ...

) and Honoria ( Railway Stakes). Flamenco Wave was not among the early leaders as Heather Seeker set the pace, but began to make progress in the last quarter mile. Despite hanging to the right in the closing stages, she gained the advantage in the final strides and won by a head and a neck from Honoria and Heather Seeker.

1989: three-year-old season

Flamenco Wave began her second season in the Athasi Stakes over seven furlongs at the Curragh on 22 April. She started the 3/1 second favourite under top weight of 128 pounds but finished last of the ten runners behind the

Tommy Stack Tommy Stack (born 15 November 1945 in Moyvane, County Kerry, Ireland) is a former National Hunt racing jockey and trainer. As a jockey, he is probably best known for piloting Red Rum to a third Grand National victory. Stack was National Hunt Cha ...

-trained Pirouette. On 27 May racing on much firmer ground than she had previously encountered, she started a 25/1 outsider for the

Irish 1000 Guineas The Irish 1,000 Guineas is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and it is schedule ...

. After leading in the early stages, she quickly dropped out of contention and came home last of the thirteen-runner field. Flamenco Wave never ran again, retiring with a record of two wins in four races.

Breeding record

At the end of her racing career, Flamenco Wave was retired to become a broodmare for Sheikh Mohammed's stud. In December 1995, she was sent to the

Tattersalls Tattersalls (formerly Tattersall's) is the main auctioneer of race horses in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Founding It was founded in 1766 by Richard Tattersall (1724–1795), who had been stud groom to the second Duke of Kingston. ...

sale and was bought for 45,000

guineas The guinea (; commonly abbreviated gn., or gns. in plural) was a coin, minted in Great Britain between 1663 and 1814, that contained approximately one-quarter of an ounce of gold. The name came from the Guinea region in West Africa, from where m ...

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, ...

of the

Coolmore 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 champio ...

. She produced nine foals and six winners between 1990 and 1999: *Leaping Water, a chestnut filly, foaled in 1990, sired by Sure Blade. Unraced: dam of

. *Father Sky, bay colt (later gelded), 1991, by

Dancing Brave Dancing Brave (11 May 1983 – 2 August 1999) was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a racing career which lasted from the autumn of 1985 until October 1986, he ran ten times and won eight races. Dancing Brave ...

. Won 15 races. *Cante Chico, bay, 1992, by Reference Point. Won one race. *Spanish Falls, chestnut filly, 1993, by Belmez. Won Prix de Royaumont. * Starborough, chestnut colt, 1994, by

Soviet Star Soviet Star (20 April 1984 – 7 October 2014) was an American-bred French-trained Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse and sire (horse), sire. He was bred in Kentucky, sold as a yearling for $310,000 and sent to race in Europe where he proved to ...

. Won

Prix Jean Prat The Prix Jean Prat is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 1,400 metres (about 7 furlongs), and it is s ...

and

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 ...

. *Sanchez, chestnut filly, 1995, by Wolfhound. Failed to win in four races. *

, bay colt, 1997, by

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 ...

. Won Racing Post Trophy. *Kylemore, bay filly, 1998, by Sadler's Wells. Failed to win in two races. Dam of Annabelle's Charm ( Dick Hern Fillies' Stakes) and grand-dam of Charming Thought. * Ballingarry, bay colt, 1999, by Sadler's Wells. Won

Critérium de Saint-Cloud The Critérium de Saint-Cloud is a Conditions races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in France open to two-year-old thoroughbred Colt (horse), colts and Filly, fillies. It is run at Saint-Cloud R ...

and

Canadian International Stakes The Canadian International Stakes is a Grade I stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses from three years of age and upwards on Turf. It is held annually at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The current purse is . History The Cana ...

Pedigree

*Flamenco Wave was

inbred Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely related genetically. By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genetic disorders an ...

3 × 4 to Nasrullah, meaning that this stallion appears in both the third and fourth generations of her pedigree.

References

{{Reflist 1986 racehorse births 2003 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in Ireland Thoroughbred family 16-g