Very Subtle (foaled 1984 in
Kentucky
Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
) 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 who won three
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 ...
stakes including the 1987
Breeders' Cup Sprint
The Breeders' Cup Sprint is an American Weight for Age Grade I Thoroughbred horse race for horses three years old and older. Run on dirt over a distance of 6 Furlongs ( mile), the race has been held annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in t ...
against male opponents in which she defeated the heavily favored
Groovy
''Groovy'' (or, less commonly, ''groovie'' or ''groovey'') is a slang colloquialism popular during the 1960s and 1970s. It is roughly synonymous with words such as "excellent", "fashionable", or "amazing", depending on context.
History
The word ...
by four lengths.
Very Subtle was trained by
Mel Stute and initially raced by the California-based partnership of Carl Grinstead and Ben Rochelle who had owned a number of other top runners including the 1986
American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse The American Champion Three-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 ''Turf & Sports Di ...
and
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 ...
winner
Snow Chief
Snow Chief (March 17, 1983 in California – May 18, 2010) was an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse.
Background
Snow Chief was bred by Carl Grinstead. In 1984, retired vaudevillian and successful real estate investor Ben Rochelle bought a ...
who was also trained by Stute. Following the March 1987 passing of Carl Grinstead, the partnership horses were auctioned at an October sale at which Ben Rochelle bought Very Subtle for $1.2 million.
Subsequent to her Breeders' Cup win, Very Subtle raced for two more years before retiring 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 after her 1989 campaign.
Breeding record
Bred to Snow Chief as well as other notable sires such as
Alydar
Alydar (March 23, 1975 – November 15, 1990) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing, race horse and sire. A chestnut colt, he was most famous for finishing a close second to Affirmed in all three races of the 1978 Triple Crown of Thoro ...
and
Caerleon
Caerleon ( ; ) is a town and Community (Wales), community in Newport, Wales. Situated on the River Usk, it lies northeast of Newport city centre, and southeast of Cwmbran. Caerleon is of archaeological importance, being the site of a notable ...
, Very Subtle's most successful earner among her foals was the mare Dianehill, a winner of $426,551 sired by the outstanding Champion sire
Danehill.
Very Subtle's progeny
/ref>
Pedigree
References
{{reflist
Very Subtle's pedigree and partial racing stats
1984 racehorse births
Racehorses bred in Kentucky
Racehorses trained in the United States
Breeders' Cup Sprint winners
American Grade 1 Stakes winners
Thoroughbred family 18