Turbulent Descent (foaled March 25, 2008 in

Ocala, Florida Ocala ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Marion County, Florida, United States. Located in North Central Florida, the city's population was 63,591 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 56,315 at the 2010 census and making ...

) is a retired

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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 ...

. She established herself as a premier sprinter with

Grade I In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...

wins at ages 2, 3, and 4. Turbulent Descent was the winner of more than $1.2 million in

graded stakes race A graded stakes race is a thoroughbred horse race in the United States that meets the criteria of the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA). A specific grade level (I, II, III or listed) is th ...

earnings over a three year racing career and holds the stakes record in the

Santa Anita Oaks Santa Anita Oaks is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Open to three-year-old fillies willing to race 8.5 furlongs ( miles) on the dirt. The race is a Grade II even ...

. In retirement, she has been successful as a

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 ...

producing a Group III winning colt,

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, by

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Background

Turbulent Descent was bred in Florida and is the winningest daughter of champion sire Congrats. She was purchased by

syndicate A syndicate is a self-organizing group of individuals, companies, corporations or entities formed to transact some specific business, to pursue or promote a shared interest. Etymology The word ''syndicate'' comes from the French word ''syndic ...

owner Blinkers On Racing Stable for $160,000 at the April 2010 Ocala Breeders Sale with the intention to base her in California under trainer Mike Puype. She injured her ankle during the flight to California after the plane encountered significant

turbulence In fluid dynamics, turbulence or turbulent flow is fluid motion characterized by chaotic changes in pressure and flow velocity. It is in contrast to laminar flow, which occurs when a fluid flows in parallel layers with no disruption between ...

. The incident pushed training back by several months and served as inspiration for her name.

Racing career

2010: two-year-old season

Turbulent Descent made her debut at

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on October 3, 2010 in a 6 furlong maiden special weight. After stalking the pace in fourth, she moved up to challenge the leaders at the quarter pole and faced little opposition. Hand ridden, she beat Canadian Pride by 1/2 length. She then made her stakes debut in the Moccasin Stakes on November 21. Under a hand ride again, she won by a length as the 3/5 favorite. This marked the first meeting between Turbulent Descent and Zazu, owned by

Jerry Moss Jerome Sheldon Moss (May 8, 1935 – August 16, 2023) was an American recording executive, best known for being the co-founder of A&M Records, along with trumpet player and bandleader Herb Alpert. Music career Early stages (1958–60) After gr ...

. She then capped off her year with a win in the Grade 1

Hollywood Starlet Stakes The Starlet Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-old fillies run over a distance of one and one sixteenth miles ( furlongs) on the dirt held annually in early December at Los Alamitos Race Course in Cypress, California ...

to remain unbeaten.

References

{{reflist 2008 racehorse births American racehorses Racehorses bred in Florida Racehorses trained in the United States Thoroughbred family 14-c