Canadian Champ (CAN)
May 15, 1953 – 1978
Windfields (CAN) x Bolesteo (CAN), by Filisteo (ARG)
Family 9-b
May 15, 1953 – 1978
Windfields (CAN) x Bolesteo (CAN), by Filisteo (ARG)
Family 9-b
Canadian Champ won the Canadian Triple Crown before there was a Canadian Triple Crown, sweeping through the Queen’s Plate, the Prince of Wales Stakes, and the Breeders’ Stakes three years before the races were officially linked. The popular horse proved well named, racing to a title as the Canadian Horse of the Year in 1956, and had some success as a sire in Canada before being sent to Japan.
Race record
42 starts, 20 wins, 11 seconds, 3 thirds, US$151,705 (includes converted Canadian earnings)
1955:
1956:
1957:
Honors
Assessments
Rated at 117 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1955, 9 pounds below highweighted Career Boy and 8 pounds below the official divisional co-champions, Nail and Needles.
Rated at 111 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-olds of 1956, 17 pounds below champion Needles.
Rated at 106 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1957, 12 pounds below champion Dedicate.
As an individual
A bay horse, Canadian Champ typically broke sharply and controlled the pace from the front end, often running his rivals off their feet.
As a stallion
According to statistics compiled by the Jockey Club, Canadian Champ sired 106 winners (80.3%) and 7 stakes winners (5.3%) from 132 named foals of racing age. Records for his Japanese-sired foals may be incomplete.
Notable progeny
Canebora (CAN), Titled Hero (CAN)
Connections
Foaled in Ontario, Canadian Champ was bred by E. P. Taylor. He was owned by the Bill Beasley Stable after Beasley bough him for CAN$7,500 from the 1954 yearling sale at Taylor’s National Stud Farm. He was trained by John Passero and was ridden to his Queen’s Plate triumph by Dave Stevenson. He entered stud at Windfields Farm in Ontario in 1959 after being sold back to Taylor for CAN$150,000. Canadian Champ stood in Canada in 1959-1968 and then in Japan until his death in 1978.
Pedigree notes
Canadian Champ’s pedigree is outcrossed through five generations. He is a half brother to Canadian stakes winner Festivity (by Fairaris). His dam Bolesteo is a half sister to juvenile stakes winner Bolaris (by Fairaris), dam of multiple Canadian stakes winners Bold Scholar (by Education) and Menaris (by Ménétrier), second dam of 1973 Canadian Horse of the Year Kennedy Road and Grade 2 winner Glenaris, and third dam of Grade 3 winner Pensioner.
Bolesteo, in turn, is out of the Bull Dog mare Bold Fay, a winning half sister to 1936 Test Stakes winner Snow Fairy (by Byrd). The sisters are out of Busy Fairy, by 1922 Blue Grass Stakes winner Busy American (by North Star III) out of Fairy Story (by Voter), Produced from the Ben Brush mare Idle Fancy, Fairy Story is a half sister to Just Fancy (by Colin), dam of juvenile stakes winner Our Fancy (by Busy American); to Idle Tale (by Superman), second dam of 1927 Pimlico Futurity winner Glade and ancestress of the family of twentieth-century foundation mare Sunday Evening; and to Blushes (by Hurst Park), second dam of 1929 Empire City Derby winner Healy and 1931 Jerome Handicap winner Ironclad. Fairy Story is also a half sister to Ultimate Fancy (by Ultimus), second dam of 1950 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Hildene.
Fun facts
Last updated: January 25, 2024
Race record
42 starts, 20 wins, 11 seconds, 3 thirds, US$151,705 (includes converted Canadian earnings)
1955:
- Won Golden Spoon Handicap (CAN, 6.5FD, Long Branch)
- Won Coronation Futurity (CAN, 8F+70yD, Old Woodbine)
- Won Cup and Saucer Handicap (CAN, 8.5FD, Long Branch)
- Won Diamond Ring Stakes (CAN, 8.5FD, Long Branch)
- 2nd Troy Stakes (USA, 5.5FD, Saratoga)
- 2nd United States Hotel Stakes (USA, 6FD, Saratoga)
1956:
- Won Queen's Plate (CAN, 9FD, Woodbine)
- Won Prince of Wales Stakes (CAN, 8.5FD, Woodbine; equaled track record 1:46-1/5)
- Won Breeders' Stakes (CAN, 9FD, Woodbine)
- Won Achievement H. (CAN, 8.5FD, Fort Erie)
- Won Sandown Stakes (CAN, 6FD, Old Woodbine)
- Won Seagram Cup Handicap (CAN, 8.5FD, Woodbine)
- Won Bunty Lawless Stakes (CAN, 9FD, Woodbine; new track record 1:51-2/5)
- Won Plate Trial (CAN, 7FD, Woodbine)
- 2nd Fairbank Handicap (CAN, 8.5FD, Old Woodbine)
1957:
- Won Horometer Handicap (CAN, 9FD, Old Woodbine; new track record 1:50-1/5)
- Won Inferno Handicap (CAN, 9FD, Old Woodbine)
- Won Swynford Stakes (CAN, 6.5FD, Old Woodbine)
- 2nd Seagram Cup Stakes (CAN, 8.5FD, Woodbine)
- 2nd Seaway Handicap (CAN, 7FD, Woodbine)
- 2nd Jacques Cartier Stakes (CAN, 6FD, Woodbine)
- 2nd Ultimus Handicap (CAN, 6.5FD, Old Woodbine)
- 3rd Bunty Lawless Stakes (CAN, 9FD, Woodbine)
- 3rd Canadian Maturity Stakes (CAN, 9FD, Woodbine)
- Also equaled the Hialeah course record of 1:05-1/5 for 5.5FT.
Honors
- Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame (inducted in 2007)
- Canadian Horse of the Year (1956)
- Canadian champion 2-year-old male (1955)
- Canadian champion 3-year-old male (1956)
Assessments
Rated at 117 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1955, 9 pounds below highweighted Career Boy and 8 pounds below the official divisional co-champions, Nail and Needles.
Rated at 111 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-olds of 1956, 17 pounds below champion Needles.
Rated at 106 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1957, 12 pounds below champion Dedicate.
As an individual
A bay horse, Canadian Champ typically broke sharply and controlled the pace from the front end, often running his rivals off their feet.
As a stallion
According to statistics compiled by the Jockey Club, Canadian Champ sired 106 winners (80.3%) and 7 stakes winners (5.3%) from 132 named foals of racing age. Records for his Japanese-sired foals may be incomplete.
Notable progeny
Canebora (CAN), Titled Hero (CAN)
Connections
Foaled in Ontario, Canadian Champ was bred by E. P. Taylor. He was owned by the Bill Beasley Stable after Beasley bough him for CAN$7,500 from the 1954 yearling sale at Taylor’s National Stud Farm. He was trained by John Passero and was ridden to his Queen’s Plate triumph by Dave Stevenson. He entered stud at Windfields Farm in Ontario in 1959 after being sold back to Taylor for CAN$150,000. Canadian Champ stood in Canada in 1959-1968 and then in Japan until his death in 1978.
Pedigree notes
Canadian Champ’s pedigree is outcrossed through five generations. He is a half brother to Canadian stakes winner Festivity (by Fairaris). His dam Bolesteo is a half sister to juvenile stakes winner Bolaris (by Fairaris), dam of multiple Canadian stakes winners Bold Scholar (by Education) and Menaris (by Ménétrier), second dam of 1973 Canadian Horse of the Year Kennedy Road and Grade 2 winner Glenaris, and third dam of Grade 3 winner Pensioner.
Bolesteo, in turn, is out of the Bull Dog mare Bold Fay, a winning half sister to 1936 Test Stakes winner Snow Fairy (by Byrd). The sisters are out of Busy Fairy, by 1922 Blue Grass Stakes winner Busy American (by North Star III) out of Fairy Story (by Voter), Produced from the Ben Brush mare Idle Fancy, Fairy Story is a half sister to Just Fancy (by Colin), dam of juvenile stakes winner Our Fancy (by Busy American); to Idle Tale (by Superman), second dam of 1927 Pimlico Futurity winner Glade and ancestress of the family of twentieth-century foundation mare Sunday Evening; and to Blushes (by Hurst Park), second dam of 1929 Empire City Derby winner Healy and 1931 Jerome Handicap winner Ironclad. Fairy Story is also a half sister to Ultimate Fancy (by Ultimus), second dam of 1950 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Hildene.
Fun facts
- Bill Beasley later said that after buying Canadian Champ as a yearling, his first thought on inspecting the colt was “I bought a champ.” That impression and the colt’s regal bearing led to the animal being given his name.
- Canadian Champ’s stable name was “George.” It became “King George” after the colt proved himself the best of his age in Canada at 2.
- Canadian Champ was the leading Canadian-bred by money earned at the time of his retirement.
Last updated: January 25, 2024