A brilliant juvenile, Bee Mac was the first top-class runner for her sire War Admiral. Injury derailed her career before she could demonstrate that she had inherited her sire's stamina as well as his speed, but she went on to become a fine broodmare. While her name remains alive in pedigrees through her good son Better Self, Bee Mac also had substantial indirect influence on American breeding as her successes encouraged owner-breeder E. R. Bradley and other important breeders to support War Admiral with good mares. War Admiral went on to lead the American general sire list once and the broodmare sire list twice.
Race record
7 starts, 3 wins, 1 second, 1 third, US$44,900
1943:
Assessments
Ranked sixth among American juvenile fillies of 1943 by The Blood-Horse in a vintage year for the division.
As an individual
A neat, muscular, well-balanced bay filly who was on the small side, Bee Mac bore a close resemblance to her sire but was slightly back at the knee.
As a producer
Bee Mac produced 14 named foals. All 14 were starters and 12 were winners. Bee Mac's important foals are as follow:
Connections
Bee Mac was bred and owned by Colonel Edward Riley Bradley's Idle Hour Stock Farm. She raced under lease to Bradley's good friend Beatrice McGuire. (While the arrangement was officially a lease, Bradley actually charged McGuire nothing for it.) Following Bradley's death, Bee Mac became the property of Robert Kleberg's King Ranch in the division of Bradley's bloodstock. She was buried at King Ranch's Kentucky division on land that later became part of Old Frankfort Farm.
Pedigree notes
Bee Mac is inbred 4x5 to Ben Brush and 5x5 to 1880 Derby Stakes winner Bend Or. She is a full sister to Bird of War, dam of stakes winner T. Bird (by Fair Truckle) and second dam of stakes winners Act and Prince Guerrero. Bee Mac is also a half sister to Band O' Green (by Whichone), second dam of the useful handicapper Stratmat, and to Blinking Owl (by Pharamond II), third dam of 1988 American Horse of the Year Alysheba and of 1984 Prix Jacques Le Marois (FR-G1) winner and good sire Lear Fan.
The dam of Bee Mac, Baba Kenny (by Black Servant), is generally considered the American champion 2-year-old filly of 1930 and is a half sister to the good juvenile filly Beanie M. (by Black Servant's sire Black Toney), dam of 1947 Hibiscus Stakes winner Michael B. (by Challenger II) and second dam of the good Canadian stakes winner Royal Spirit and 1967 Jerome Handicap winner High Tribute. Continuing the theme of good juveniles from this family, Baba Kenny was produced from the North Star III mare Betty Beall, who won the 1922 Breeders' Futurity and Fort Thomas Handicap from colts. The next dam in the tail-female line, the Marco mare Macaroon, was imported to the United States in 1915 by E. R. Bradley and also produced juvenile stakes winner Batter Cake (by Buckwheat), dam of stakes winners Boys Howdy (by Bubbling Over) and Patty Cake (by Blue Larkspur).
Fun facts
Last updated: October 7, 2023
Race record
7 starts, 3 wins, 1 second, 1 third, US$44,900
1943:
- Won Spinaway Stakes (USA, 6FD, Saratoga)
- Won Hopeful Stakes (USA, 6.5FD, Saratoga)
Assessments
Ranked sixth among American juvenile fillies of 1943 by The Blood-Horse in a vintage year for the division.
As an individual
A neat, muscular, well-balanced bay filly who was on the small side, Bee Mac bore a close resemblance to her sire but was slightly back at the knee.
As a producer
Bee Mac produced 14 named foals. All 14 were starters and 12 were winners. Bee Mac's important foals are as follow:
- Better Self (1945, by Bimelech) was a versatile colt who won 10 stakes at distances ranging from 6 to 10 furlongs and was second in Citation's Belmont Stakes. He was a useful sire and broodmare sire whose name remains alive in pedigrees through his daughters Aspidistra and Lady Be Good.
- Prophet's Thumb (1946, by Bull Lea) won the 1949 Discovery Handicap and Pageant Handicap. He sired four stakes winners from 100 named foals.
- Beau Max (1947, by Bull Lea) was an undistinguished racehorse but was a fairly useful sire, getting 15 stakes winners from 295 named foals. Among those stakes winners was Chocolate Beau, third dam of multiple European champion Dancing Brave and 1995 Prix de Diane Hermes (French Oaks, FR-G1) winner Jolypha. Beau Max also sired Multiflora, dam of three-time American champion filly Gallant Bloom (by Gallant Man).
- Mac Bea (1950, by Bimelech) was a stakes winner at 2 and produced 1959 San Gabriel Handicap winner Macbern (by Bernborough). Mac Bea is also the second dam of 1973 Oak Tree Invitational (USA-G1) winner Portentous.
- Riverina (1951, by Princequillo) won the 1954 Acorn Stakes. She is the dam of 1965 Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap winner Moss Vale (by Gallant Man) and 1971 New Orleans Handicap winner Rio Bravo (by Saidam).
- Brief (1955, by Citation) is the third dam of Puerto Rican champion Poise and Charm and multiple Grade 3 winner Mistaurian.
- Bemuse (1959, by Princequillo) is the dam of stakes winner Never Confuse (by Never Bend), the second dam of stakes winner Cryptic and the third dam of nine stakes winners including German Group 2 winner Malmsley and Grade 3 winners Pima and Pantufla.
- Boyar (1961, by Princequillo) got his only stakes win in the 1965 Thistledown Handicap. He sired four minor stakes winners from 73 named foals.
Connections
Bee Mac was bred and owned by Colonel Edward Riley Bradley's Idle Hour Stock Farm. She raced under lease to Bradley's good friend Beatrice McGuire. (While the arrangement was officially a lease, Bradley actually charged McGuire nothing for it.) Following Bradley's death, Bee Mac became the property of Robert Kleberg's King Ranch in the division of Bradley's bloodstock. She was buried at King Ranch's Kentucky division on land that later became part of Old Frankfort Farm.
Pedigree notes
Bee Mac is inbred 4x5 to Ben Brush and 5x5 to 1880 Derby Stakes winner Bend Or. She is a full sister to Bird of War, dam of stakes winner T. Bird (by Fair Truckle) and second dam of stakes winners Act and Prince Guerrero. Bee Mac is also a half sister to Band O' Green (by Whichone), second dam of the useful handicapper Stratmat, and to Blinking Owl (by Pharamond II), third dam of 1988 American Horse of the Year Alysheba and of 1984 Prix Jacques Le Marois (FR-G1) winner and good sire Lear Fan.
The dam of Bee Mac, Baba Kenny (by Black Servant), is generally considered the American champion 2-year-old filly of 1930 and is a half sister to the good juvenile filly Beanie M. (by Black Servant's sire Black Toney), dam of 1947 Hibiscus Stakes winner Michael B. (by Challenger II) and second dam of the good Canadian stakes winner Royal Spirit and 1967 Jerome Handicap winner High Tribute. Continuing the theme of good juveniles from this family, Baba Kenny was produced from the North Star III mare Betty Beall, who won the 1922 Breeders' Futurity and Fort Thomas Handicap from colts. The next dam in the tail-female line, the Marco mare Macaroon, was imported to the United States in 1915 by E. R. Bradley and also produced juvenile stakes winner Batter Cake (by Buckwheat), dam of stakes winners Boys Howdy (by Bubbling Over) and Patty Cake (by Blue Larkspur).
Fun facts
- Bee Mac took her name from Colonel Bradley's nickname for Beatrice McGuire.
Last updated: October 7, 2023