Teddy (1913–1936) was a French racehorse and an influential sire, especially for lines in Italy, France, and the United States. He is considered one of the most influential sires in the 20th century.

Racing career

Teddy was sold to captain Jefferson Davis Cohn, godson of

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

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president

Jefferson Davis Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the only President of the Confederate States of America, president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the Unite ...

, for 5,400 francs. His racing career was limited partly due to World War I, which erupted when he was a yearling. He was shipped to the San Sebastian racecourse in Spain, where he began to race as a three-year-old, winning 5 of his 7 starts. His record in Spain included a win at his maiden race, the Gran Premio San Sebastian (2400 meters), a win at the "Spanish St. Leger" Premio Villamejor (2800 meters), and a third-place finish in the Copa d'Oro del Re (2400 meters). In France, he won the Prix Darbonnay (1700 meters), Prix Darney, and Prix des Trois Ans (2400 meters)—amazingly, within 8 days of each other—and finished third in the Prix d'Elevage. He had one race as a four-year-old, the Prix des Sablonieres (2400 meters), which he won to retire with a record of 6 wins in 8 starts.

Stud record

Teddy began his breeding career in France in 1918, where he stood at Haras de Fitz-James and

Haras du Bois-Roussel Haras may refer to: * Al-Haras or the Haras, a bodyguard unit in service of caliphs during the Umayyad and the Abbasid caliphates * Haras Fyre (born 1953), an American songwriter, singer and multi-instrumentalist * Oleh Haras (Russian: Ол� ...

Alençon Alençon (, , ; ) is a commune in Normandy, France, and the capital of the Orne department. It is situated between Paris and Rennes (about west of Paris) and a little over north of Le Mans. Alençon belongs to the intercommunality of Alen� ...

Orne Orne (; or ) is a département in the northwest of France, named after the river Orne. It had a population of 279,942 in 2019.Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

until his death in 1936, at the age of 24, due to a twisted intestine. Teddy sired 65 stakes winners. Notable progeny in France include: * Marguerite de Valois: 1919 filly out of

Plucky Liege Plucky Liege (1912–1937) was a British Thoroughbred racemare who produced eleven winners, including an Epsom Derby winner at the age of twenty-three and three British Classic race winners. The performances of these horses led to her becoming o ...

(by

Spearmint Spearmint (''Mentha spicata''), also known as garden mint, common mint, lamb mint and mackerel mint, is native to Europe and southern temperate Asia, extending from Ireland in the west to southern China in the east. It is naturalized in many othe ...

), who placed in stakes races and was then sold to the United States. Found in the pedigrees of

Fappiano Fappiano (May 19, 1977 – September 3, 1990) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse whose most important win was the 1981 Metropolitan Handicap. When retired to stud, he became a major sire whose offspring included Kentucky Derby winner Unbrid ...

, Ogygian and Quiet Qmerican. * Lady Elinor: 1919 filly and stakes winner, dam of Vatellor *

Sir Gallahad III Sir Gallahad (1920–1949) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and an important sire in the United States. Racing career Racing at age two in France for his British breeder/owner, Jefferson Davis Cohn, Sir Gallahad earned victory in three of hi ...

: 1920 colt out of Plucky Liege (by Spearmint), won 12 out of 25 starts including the Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French 2,000 Guineas). Was U.S.

Leading broodmare sire in North America The list below shows the leading Thoroughbred sire of broodmares in North America for each year since 1924. This is determined by the amount of prize money won during the year by racehorses which were foaled by a daughter of the sire. The most f ...

a record 12 times, sired

Gallant Fox Gallant Fox (March 23, 1927 – November 13, 1954) was a champion American Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who is the second winner of the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, American Triple Crown. In a racing career which la ...

. * Anna Bolena: 1920 filly out of Queen Elizabeth II (by Wargrave), winner of the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French 1,000 Guineas), dam of Mary Tudor (who was dam of Ascot Gold Cup-winner

Owen Tudor Sir Owen Tudor (, – 2 February 1461) was a Welsh courtier and the second husband of Queen Catherine of Valois (1401–1437), widow of King Henry V of England. He was the grandfather of Henry VII, founder of the Tudor dynasty. Background ...

) * Asterus: b. 1923 colt out of Astrella (by Verdun), won 6 races including the Poule d'Essai des Poulains. Champion Stakes, and Royal Hunt Cup. 2nd Leading Sire in 1933, Leading Broodmare Sire in 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947 and 1948. * Coeur A Coeur: 1921 ch. filly, granddam to

Djebel : ''For mountains or other uses, see: Jabal (disambiguation), Jabal.'' Djebel (1937–1958) was a French Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse, who won 15 of 22 races during 1939–1942 including the Prix d'Essai, 2000 Guineas and Prix de l'Arc de ...

* Brumeux: 1925 b. colt out of La Brume (by Alcantara II), winner of 6 out of 22 starts including the Prix Edgard Gillois (2600 meters), Newbury Autumn Cup (17 f.) and Jockey Club Cup (18 f.). Sired Borealis (winner of the

Coronation Cup The Coronation Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 6 yards ...

), Herero (German Derby winner), Cardington King (St. Leger), and Early Mist (winner of the

Grand National The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Aintree, Merseyside, England. First run in 1839, it ...

). *

La Troienne La Troienne (1926–1954) was one of the most famous and influential Thoroughbred broodmares in twentieth century America. She produced 10 winners including two Hall of Fame inductees while at stud, while her daughters in turn produced many notab ...

: b. 1926 filly who became one of the most influential broodmares in the United States * Rose of England: br. 1927 filly out of Perce-Neige (by Neil Gow), winner of the 1930 English Oaks. Had 10 foals, with 4 stakes winners, including St. Leger winner Chulmleigh. *

Bull Dog The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is a stocky, muscular dog of medium size, with a large head, thick folds of skin around the face and shoulders and a rel ...

: 1927 b. colt out of Plucky Liege (by Spearmint, Leading Sire in 1943 and Leading Broodmare Sire in 1953, 1954, 1956. Sired 52 stakes winners, Broodmare sire of more than 85 stakes winners. He also sired the

stallion A stallion is an adult male horse that has not been gelded ( castrated). Stallions follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cre ...

Bull Lea Bull Lea (March 11, 1935 – June 16, 1964) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who is best known as the foundation sire responsible for making Calumet Farm one of the most successful racing stables in American history. In their ...

, a hugely influential American sire. * Quatre Bras: b. 1928 colt out of Plucky Liege (by Spearmint), record of 41-9-12-6 * Betty: 1930 filly, winner of the Coronation Stakes * Assignation: 1930 filly out of Cinq a Sept (by Roi Herode), 4th dam of

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 ...

, in pedigree of Alleged. Other notable progeny include: * Ortello: Italian-bred 1926 ch. colt out of Hollebeck by Gorgos. Record of 16 wins in 19 starts, including the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, and was Leading Sire in Italy 1937, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, and 1944 with many notable offspring. * Sun Teddy: American-bred 1933 ch. colt out of Sunmelia (by

Sun Briar Sun Briar (foaled 1915 in France) was a Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse retrospectively named the American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt of 1917 and the American Champion Older Male Horse of 1919 by writers from ''The Blood-Horse'' magazine. He ...

), won the

Arlington Handicap The Arlington Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged four years old over a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the turf held annually in late May or early June at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. T ...

& Saranac Handicap, produced 6 stakes winners in his 6-year breeding career. Grandsire of

Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...

*Case Ace: American-bred 1934 b. colt out of Sweetheart (by Ultimus), won 6 out of 9 starts. Sired Ace Card (1952 Broodmare of the Year),

Pavot Pavot (January 27, 1942 - June 5, 1975) was an American Thoroughbred Champion racehorse. In a career that lasted from 1944 to 1946 he ran thirty-two times and won fourteen races. He was the leader of his generation in 1944 when he was named Ameri ...

, the 1944

American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt The American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually in Thoroughbred flat racing. It became part of the Eclipse Awards program in 1971. The award originated in 1936 when the ''Daily Racing F ...

and 1945

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 ...

winner, and the filly Raise You (dam of

Raise a Native Raise a Native (April 18, 1961 – July 28, 1988) was an undefeated Thoroughbred Horse racing, racehorse that was named 1963 champion two-year-old colt in the Turf and Sport Digest poll and was the highest rated juvenile in the Experimental Free ...

). Teddy's sire line continued mainly through his sons Sir Gallahad and Sun Teddy (through Damascus).

Pedigree

''Note: b. =

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, ci ...

, br. =

Brown Brown is a color. It can be considered a composite color, but it is mainly a darker shade of orange. In the CMYK color model used in printing and painting, brown is usually made by combining the colors Orange (colour), orange and black. In the ...

, ch. =

Chestnut The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Description ...

References

{{reflist
Profile of Teddy at Thoroughbred heritage
1913 racehorse births 1936 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in France Racehorses trained in France French Thoroughbred Classic Race winners Champion Thoroughbred Sires of France Thoroughbred family 2-n Chefs-de-Race