Imperatrice (May 26, 1938 – August 9, 1972) was an American

Thoroughbred racehorse The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are co ...

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 f ...

. She was the dam of

Somethingroyal Somethingroyal (March 12, 1952 – June 9, 1983) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known as the dam of the 1973 U.S. Triple Crown champion and Hall of Fame inductee Secretariat. She also produced three other stakes winners and was ...

and second dam of the 1973 U.S. Triple Crown champion and Hall of Fame inductee,

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 racehorse who is the ninth winner of the Ameri ...

(by

Bold Ruler Bold Ruler (April 6, 1954 – July 11, 1971) was an American Thoroughbred Hall of Fame racehorse who was the 1957 Horse of the Year. This following a three-year-old campaign that included wins in the Preakness Stakes and Trenton Handicap, in whic ...

). A

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a gulf, sea, sound, or bight. A cove is a small, circular bay with a nar ...

mare 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 f ...

bred in New Jersey, Imperatrice was bred by William H. LaBoyteaux, president of

Johnson & Higgins Johnson & Higgins was one of the largest insurance brokerage firms in the world until it was acquired by Marsh & McLennan in 1997. At that point based in New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the ...

. He died in 1947 and his horses were all sold by the Executors of the LaBoyteaux Estate. Among them, Imperatrice was purchased for $30,000 by Christopher Chenery's Meadow Stud. Trained for LaBoyteaux by George M. Odom, she raced 31 times with 11 wins, 7 shows, and 2 places. Some of her winning efforts included the

New England Oaks The New England Oaks was an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually from 1936 thru 1944 at Narragansett Park in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Run on dirt over a distance of a mile and one-sixteenth, like all "Oaks" races for Thoroughbreds, it wa ...

, New Rochelle Handicap, the

Test Stakes The Test Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race open to three-year-old fillies and run each summer at the Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is contested at a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt and is an influe ...

, and the

Fall Highweight Handicap The Fall Highweight Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually near the end of November at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. Currently run at a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 m), it is open to horses three years of age and o ...

. Imperatrice lived to the age of 34 before being euthanized due to age related urinal and digestive complications. She was the dam of winners Imperial Hill (

Hill Prince Hill Prince (1947–1970) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was one of the leading American two-year-olds of 1949, alongside Oil Capitol and Middleground. In 1950, he ran fifteen times, winning races including the Preakness Stakes, W ...

), Scattered (

Whirlaway Whirlaway (April 2, 1938 – April 6, 1953) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who is the fifth winner of the American Triple Crown. He also won the Travers Stakes after his Triple Crown sweep to become the first and only horse to w ...

), Speedwell (

), Squared Away2 (Piping Rock) and was the third dam of successful New York sire

Cure the Blues A cure is a substance or procedure that ends a medical condition, such as a medication, a surgical operation, a change in lifestyle or even a philosophical mindset that helps end a person's sufferings; or the state of being healed, or cured. The m ...

(through daughter Speedwell). Her daughter Scattered (April 15, 1945 - January 18, 1979) also lived nearly as long.

Influence

Imperatrice's influence is not limited only to Thoroughbreds, but

Quarter Horses The American Quarter Horse, or Quarter Horse, is an American breed of horse that excels at sprinting short distances. Its name is derived from its ability to outrun other horse breeds in races of a quarter mile or less; some have been clocked at ...

as well, as Imperatrice is the fourth dam of Quarter Horse

Dash For Cash Dash For Cash (April 17, 1973May 20, 1996) was an American Quarter Horse racehorse and an influential sire in the Quarter Horse breed. Racing career Dash For Cash won $507,688 during his career and was the Racing World Champion in 1976 and 197 ...

through daughter Scattered. Imperatrice is considered to be a Reines-de-Course.

Breeding

{{Pedigree , name = Imperatrice , f = Caruso , m = Cinquepace , ff = Polymelian , fm = Sweet Music , mf = Brown Bud , mm = Assignation , fff =

Polymelus Polymelus (1902–1924) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse who was the leading sire of racehorses in Great Britain and Ireland for five years (1914, 1915, 1916, 1920, 1921). Among his most famous descendants are Secretariat and Northern Dancer ...

, ffm = Pasquita , fmf = Harmonicon , fmm = Ivette , mff = Brown Prince , mfm = June Rose , mmf =

Teddy Teddy is an English language given name, usually a hypocorism of Edward or Theodore. It may refer to: People Nickname * Teddy Atlas (born 1956), boxing trainer and fight commentator * Teddy Bourne (born 1948), British Olympic epee fencer * Tedd ...

, mmm = Cinq A Sept , ffff = Cyllene , fffm = Maid Marion , ffmf = Sundridge , ffmm = Pasquil , fmff =

Disguise A disguise can be anything which conceals or changes a person's physical appearance, including a wig, glasses, makeup, fake moustache, costume or other items. Camouflage is a type of disguise for people, animals and objects. Hats, glasses, cha ...

, fmfm = Harpsicord , fmmf =

Isinglass Isinglass () is a substance obtained from the dried swim bladders of fish. It is a form of collagen used mainly for the clarification or fining of some beer and wine. It can also be cooked into a paste for specialised gluing purposes. The ...

, fmmm = Brielle , mfff =

Dark Ronald Dark Ronald was an English bred Thoroughbred racehorse and sire with a global influence on the breeding of Thoroughbreds and sport horses, with many show jumpers tracing back to him. Breeding The sire of Dark Ronald, Bay Ronald, was a moderate ...

, mffm = Excellenza , mfmf = Myram , mfmm = Pietra , mmff =

Ajax Ajax may refer to: Greek mythology and tragedy * Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea * Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris * ''Ajax'' (play), by the ancient Gree ...

, mmfm = Rondeau , mmmf =

Roi Herode Roi or ROI may refer to: People * Adenes Le Roi (c. 1240–c. 1300), French minstrel * Roi Cohen Kadosh (born 1976), Israeli-British cognitive neuroscientist * Roi Huber (born 1997), Israeli basketball player * Roi Kahat (born 1992), Israel ...

, mmmm = Rackety Coo } Imperatrice Pedigree
/ref>

References

1938 racehorse births 1972 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in New Jersey Racehorses trained in the United States Thoroughbred family 2-s