Estrapade (USA)
March 31, 1980 – February 25, 2005
Vaguely Noble (IRE) x Klepto (USA), by No Robbery (USA)
Family 23-b
March 31, 1980 – February 25, 2005
Vaguely Noble (IRE) x Klepto (USA), by No Robbery (USA)
Family 23-b
Late-maturing, Estrapade did not get to the races until August of her 3-year-old season. After breaking her maiden at Deauville, she showed creditable form in France but was much better after being transferred to North America. Benefiting from both increased maturity and the firmer turf common to American courses, she reached her peak at 6, when defeats of males in the Budweiser-Arlington Million Stakes (USA-G1) and Oak Tree Invitational Stakes (USA-G1) and a solid third in the Breeders' Cup Turf (USA-G1) behind champion turf male Manila and the following year's champion turf male, Theatrical, sealed an Eclipse Award for her in the turf female division. She was a better race mare than producer.
Race record
30 starts, 12 wins, 5 seconds, 5 thirds, US$1,924,556 (including converted French earnings)
1983:
1984:
1985:
1986:
Honors
Eclipse Award, American champion turf female (1986)
Assessments
Highweighted at 125 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American turf females of 1986, 2 pounds above second-rated Possible Mate.
As an individual
A smallish, lightly built chestnut mare who shipped well, Estrapade did her best racing from close to the pace. She had a light, fluid action. She did not care for racing on dirt (a surface she tried three times) and was also reputed not to care much for the Hollywood Park turf course although she won major races over it. Although she preferred firm going, she needed a course that had ample underlying cushion to produce her best. As a broodmare, Estrapade suffered from Cushing's disease, a disorder of the pituitary gland that causes over-secretion of the stress hormone cortisol and can lead to depressed immune system functioning, vulnerability to laminitis, elevated blood sugar levels and infertility.
As a producer
In a career plagued by reproductive woes, Estrapade produced six named foals, of which two started and won. Her important foals are as follow:
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Estrapade was bred by Nelson Bunker Hunt. She was owned by Bruce McNall and trained by Maurice Zilber while in France. She raced for most of 1985 under lease to Summa Stable but was sold to Allen Paulson for US$4.5 million at the 1985 Keeneland November mixed sale. She was trained by Charlie Whittingham during her American racing career. She died of an apparent heart attack at Hill 'n' Dale Farm on February 25, 2005, and is buried in the Old Friends equine cemetery at Hurstland Farm in Kentucky.
Pedigree notes
Estrapade is inbred 4x5x5 to six-time English/Irish champion sire Hyperion, winner of the 1933 Derby Stakes and St. Leger Stakes. She is a half sister to 1990 American Horse of the Year Criminal Type (by Alydar) and 1980 Premio Emilio Turati (ITY-G1) winner Isopach (by Reviewer).
Estrapade was the only filly produced by 1974 Bed o' Roses Handicap (USA-G2) winner Klepto, a cleverly named daughter of No Robbery and the winning Beau Gar mare Blue Blur. Blue Blur is also the dam of Blue Fences (by Third Martini), dam of 1981 Gallant Fox Handicap (USA-G2) winner Alla Breva (by Stop the Music).
Blue Blur's dam Blue Grouse (by 1939 Italian champion 3-year-old male Vezzano) did not produce any black-type runners but had 11 winners from 11 foals. She, in turn, is out of L'oiseau Bleu (by 1934 Dewhurst Stakes winner Hairan), a winning half sister to 1944 American Horse of the Year Twilight Tear (by Bull Lea) and to stakes winners Sun Lady (by Sun Teddy) and Perfection (by Bull Lea).
Fun facts
Last updated: September 30, 2023
Race record
30 starts, 12 wins, 5 seconds, 5 thirds, US$1,924,556 (including converted French earnings)
1983:
- 2nd Prix Vermeille (FR-G1, 2400mT, Longchamp)
1984:
- Won La Coupe de Maisons-Laffitte (FR-G3, 10FT, Maisons-Laffitte)
- Won Prix de la Pepiniere (FR-L, 10FT, Longchamp)
- 3rd Yellow Ribbon Stakes (USA-G1, 10FT, Santa Anita)
- 3rd Prix Corrida (FR-G3, 10.5FT, Saint-Cloud)
1985:
- Won Gamely Handicap (USA-G1, 9FT, Hollywood)
- Won Yellow Ribbon Invitational Stakes (USA-G1, 10FT, Santa Anita)
- Won Santa Ana Handicap (USA-G1, 9FT, Santa Anita)
- Won Las Palmas Handicap (USA-G2, 9FT, SA)
- 2nd San Juan Capistrano Invitational Handicap (USA-G1, about 14FT, Santa Anita)
- 2nd Beverly Hills Handicap (USA-G2, 9FT, Hollywood)
- 3rd Vanity Invitational Handicap (USA-G1, 9FD, Hollywood)
1986:
- Won Budweiser-Arlington Million Stakes (USA-G1, 10FT, Arlington Park)
- Won Oak Tree Invitational Stakes (USA-G1, 12FT, Santa Anita)
- Won Beverly Hills Handicap (USA-G2, 10FT, Hollywood)
- 2nd Santa Barbara Handicap (USA-G1, 10FT, Santa Anita)
- 2nd Gamely Handicap (USA-G1, 9FT, Hollywood)
- 3rd Breeders' Cup Turf (USA-G1, 12FT, Santa Anita)
- 3rd Wilshire Handicap (USA-G2, 8.5FT, Hollywood)
Honors
Eclipse Award, American champion turf female (1986)
Assessments
Highweighted at 125 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American turf females of 1986, 2 pounds above second-rated Possible Mate.
As an individual
A smallish, lightly built chestnut mare who shipped well, Estrapade did her best racing from close to the pace. She had a light, fluid action. She did not care for racing on dirt (a surface she tried three times) and was also reputed not to care much for the Hollywood Park turf course although she won major races over it. Although she preferred firm going, she needed a course that had ample underlying cushion to produce her best. As a broodmare, Estrapade suffered from Cushing's disease, a disorder of the pituitary gland that causes over-secretion of the stress hormone cortisol and can lead to depressed immune system functioning, vulnerability to laminitis, elevated blood sugar levels and infertility.
As a producer
In a career plagued by reproductive woes, Estrapade produced six named foals, of which two started and won. Her important foals are as follow:
- Estrabug (1988, by Nijinsky II) never raced but is the second dam of Peruvian Group 2 winner Calypso.
- Rice (1992, by Blushing John; a gelding) won the 1998 Meadowlands Endurance Stakes (a listed race) and was Grade 2-placed.
- Troika (1994, by Strawberry Road) won four of her eight races and is the dam of Group 1-placed Irish stakes winner Miss Mambo (by Kingmambo). Miss Mambo, in turn, is the dam of stakes winner Race to Urga (by Bernstein), herself the dam of 2016 FrontRunner Stakes (USA-G1) winner Gormley (by Malibu Moon).
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Estrapade was bred by Nelson Bunker Hunt. She was owned by Bruce McNall and trained by Maurice Zilber while in France. She raced for most of 1985 under lease to Summa Stable but was sold to Allen Paulson for US$4.5 million at the 1985 Keeneland November mixed sale. She was trained by Charlie Whittingham during her American racing career. She died of an apparent heart attack at Hill 'n' Dale Farm on February 25, 2005, and is buried in the Old Friends equine cemetery at Hurstland Farm in Kentucky.
Pedigree notes
Estrapade is inbred 4x5x5 to six-time English/Irish champion sire Hyperion, winner of the 1933 Derby Stakes and St. Leger Stakes. She is a half sister to 1990 American Horse of the Year Criminal Type (by Alydar) and 1980 Premio Emilio Turati (ITY-G1) winner Isopach (by Reviewer).
Estrapade was the only filly produced by 1974 Bed o' Roses Handicap (USA-G2) winner Klepto, a cleverly named daughter of No Robbery and the winning Beau Gar mare Blue Blur. Blue Blur is also the dam of Blue Fences (by Third Martini), dam of 1981 Gallant Fox Handicap (USA-G2) winner Alla Breva (by Stop the Music).
Blue Blur's dam Blue Grouse (by 1939 Italian champion 3-year-old male Vezzano) did not produce any black-type runners but had 11 winners from 11 foals. She, in turn, is out of L'oiseau Bleu (by 1934 Dewhurst Stakes winner Hairan), a winning half sister to 1944 American Horse of the Year Twilight Tear (by Bull Lea) and to stakes winners Sun Lady (by Sun Teddy) and Perfection (by Bull Lea).
Fun facts
- “Estrapade” means “the attempt of a horse to throw its rider.” However, Laura de Seroux (who worked as an exercise rider for trainer Charlie Whittingham before becoming a successful trainer in her own right and who galloped Estrapade, among others) attributed the name to the Rue de l'Estrapade, a street in Paris which was the scene for carrying out public tortures mandated by the judicial system of centuries past. The primary torture used was the strappado in which the victim's hands were tied behind his back and attached to a rope. The victim was then dropped from a height and usually suffered dislocation of both shoulders when the body's weight hit the end of the rope.
- Estrapade was the first (and to date only) filly or mare to win the Arlington Million. She was the second of three Million winners for Charlie Whittingham, the others being Perrault (1982) and Golden Pheasant (1990).
- One of Charlie Whittingham's favorite dogs was an Australian Shepherd named for Estrapade, though the dog was usually called “Esther” for short.
- Estrapade's death came on the same day that she was scheduled to be moved to the Old Friends equine retirement facility at Hurstland Farm. She was buried at the facility by consent of Allen Paulson's son Michael, who had become the mare's owner after his father's death.
- The Estrapade Stakes was a turf race for fillies and mares at Arlington Park; it was last run in 2004. Hollywood Park also had a stakes race named in Estrapade's honor, but this race was dropped from Hollywood's schedule in 2002.
Last updated: September 30, 2023