From the private collection of Dale Wyatt. Used by permission.
Nasty-tempered and none too sound, Chicle was second to Johren among the American-raced sons of 1906 Derby Stakes winner Spearmint but was a much better sire; in fact, he was one of Spearmint's best sire sons. Unfortunately, he also passed on his sire's poorly made forelegs, contributing to unsoundness among his progeny. He also tended to pass on his own evil disposition.
Race record
3 wins
1915:
1916:
Assessments
Rated sixth among American 3-year-old males of 1916 by The Blood-Horse.
As an individual
A bay horse, Chicle had a good shoulder and beautiful muscling in his forearms and gaskins but was upright in his pasterns and had the bad knees of his sire; he was also long-backed. He was rather slow-developing and did not come to hand until late in his 2-year-old season. His temperament was so vicious that he was reportedly being considered for destruction until the merits of his first foals to race earned him a reprieve. Even so, he wore a muzzle most of the time and, in the words of Daily Racing Form writer Charles Hatton, would "kick the shortening out of a cake."
As a stallion
Chicle led the American general sire list in 1929. His only other appearance among the top 10 American general sires was in 1934, when he was 10th. He led the American broodmare sire list in 1942 and was among the top 10 American broodmare sires on eight other occasions, including a runner-up finish in 1941. According to The Blood-Horse Silver Anniversary Edition (Blood-Horse), Chicle sired 173 winners (60.1%) and 38 stakes winners (13.2%) from 288 named foals.
Notable progeny
Edelweiss (USA), Goose Egg (USA), Mother Goose (USA), Whichone (USA)
Connections
Foaled in France, Chicle was imported to the USA by his breeder and owner, Harry Payne Whitney. He was trained by James Rowe, Sr. He did not enter stud until 1920 and stood his entire stud career at the Whitney farm in Kentucky.
Pedigree notes
Chicle is inbred 5x5 to two-time English champion sire King Tom. He is a half brother to Dis Donc (by Sardanapale), sire of the great filly Top Flight. His dam, Lady Hamburg II, is a half sister to the hardy gelding Tippety Witchet (by Broomstick), a stakes winner at ages 2 through 6. She was produced from the St. Simon mare Lady Frivoles, whose half sister Lady Quex (by St. Simon's son Florizel II) produced Lord Quex (by Lemberg), a sire of some importance in Australia. Another half sister to Lady Frivoles, Sebenico (by St. Simon's son William the Third) is the second dam of 1927 American champion 2-year-old filly Anita Peabody.
Fun facts
Race record
3 wins
1915:
- Won Champagne Stakes (USA, about 6.5FD, Belmont)
- 3rd Nursery Handicap (USA, 6FD, Belmont)
1916:
- Won Brooklyn Derby (USA, 9FD, Aqueduct)
- 3rd Long Beach Handicap (USA, 9FD, Jamaica)
Assessments
Rated sixth among American 3-year-old males of 1916 by The Blood-Horse.
As an individual
A bay horse, Chicle had a good shoulder and beautiful muscling in his forearms and gaskins but was upright in his pasterns and had the bad knees of his sire; he was also long-backed. He was rather slow-developing and did not come to hand until late in his 2-year-old season. His temperament was so vicious that he was reportedly being considered for destruction until the merits of his first foals to race earned him a reprieve. Even so, he wore a muzzle most of the time and, in the words of Daily Racing Form writer Charles Hatton, would "kick the shortening out of a cake."
As a stallion
Chicle led the American general sire list in 1929. His only other appearance among the top 10 American general sires was in 1934, when he was 10th. He led the American broodmare sire list in 1942 and was among the top 10 American broodmare sires on eight other occasions, including a runner-up finish in 1941. According to The Blood-Horse Silver Anniversary Edition (Blood-Horse), Chicle sired 173 winners (60.1%) and 38 stakes winners (13.2%) from 288 named foals.
Notable progeny
Edelweiss (USA), Goose Egg (USA), Mother Goose (USA), Whichone (USA)
Connections
Foaled in France, Chicle was imported to the USA by his breeder and owner, Harry Payne Whitney. He was trained by James Rowe, Sr. He did not enter stud until 1920 and stood his entire stud career at the Whitney farm in Kentucky.
Pedigree notes
Chicle is inbred 5x5 to two-time English champion sire King Tom. He is a half brother to Dis Donc (by Sardanapale), sire of the great filly Top Flight. His dam, Lady Hamburg II, is a half sister to the hardy gelding Tippety Witchet (by Broomstick), a stakes winner at ages 2 through 6. She was produced from the St. Simon mare Lady Frivoles, whose half sister Lady Quex (by St. Simon's son Florizel II) produced Lord Quex (by Lemberg), a sire of some importance in Australia. Another half sister to Lady Frivoles, Sebenico (by St. Simon's son William the Third) is the second dam of 1927 American champion 2-year-old filly Anita Peabody.
Fun facts
- Chicle was originally registered as “Ruser” in France. His name in America refers to the latex exuded by the sapodilla tree, an ingredient of chewing gum, which was commonly flavored with spearmint.
- Of all Harry Payne Whitney's important stallions, Chicle was the only one he bred himself.
- Chicle sired four starters in the 1923 Kentucky Derby, emulating the 19th-century stallion Enquirer, who had four starters each in the 1875 and 1878 editions. Neither stallion ever sired a Derby winner.