Happy Issue (1940–1964) 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 broke the track record for a mile and a quarter on dirt to become the first female horse to win the prestigious

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 ...

Hollywood Park Racetrack Hollywood Park was a thoroughbred horse racing, race course located in Inglewood, California, about 3 miles (5 km) from Los Angeles International Airport and adjacent to The Forum (Inglewood, California), the Forum indoor arena. In 1994, t ...

Inglewood, California Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States, in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the city had a population of 107,762. ...

. Through 2010. only two other females have won the race.

Two Lea Two Lea (1946–1973) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the 1949 Champion Three-Year-Old Filly and 1950 Champion Older Female. Background Born at Calumet Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, her sire was Bull Lea whose progeny ...

did it in 1952 and then

Princessnesian Princessnesian (foaled in 1964 in Kentucky) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Background Princessnesian was a bay mare bred and raced by William Haggin Perry. Racing career In 1968 the four-year-old mare became only the third female to wi ...

was the last to accomplish the feat in 1968. Happy Issue was owned and trained by Charles H. "Frenchy" Pinon who raced her under the ''

nom de course NOM may refer to: Arts and entertainment * NOM and NOM2, mobile device games produced by Gamevil * "Nom", a song by DKZ * N.O.M., an experimental Russian rock band * Nickelodeon Original Movies * ''Nintendo Official Magazine'', the official Br ...

'', Happy Stable. On November 18, 1944 the four-year-old won the most important race to that point in her career with a victory in the

Vanity Handicap The Beholder Mile Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares aged three and up. It is run over a distance of one mile on the dirt each year in March at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. History The event was ...

, a mile and one-eighth race for fillies and mares at Hollywood Park Racetrack. On December 17 she set a new Hollywood Park track record of 2:01 4/5 for a mile and a quarter on dirt in becoming the first female to ever win the Hollywood Gold Cup. Frenchy Pinon raced Happy Issue for nine years after which she was retired to

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 ...

duty. Her offspring did not meet with success in racing.Happy Issue's progeny at Pedigree Query
/ref>

References

{{reflist
Happy Issue's pedigree and partial racing stats
1940 racehorse births 1964 racehorse deaths Thoroughbred family 9-c Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States