First Feather (USA)
March 20, 1963 – c. 1984
First Landing (USA) x Quill (USA), by Princequillo (IRE)
Family 5-g
March 20, 1963 – c. 1984
First Landing (USA) x Quill (USA), by Princequillo (IRE)
Family 5-g
Produced from the union of two juvenile champions, First Feather showed some ability but was not of stakes class. She was a much better producer than race mare. Four of her colts became stakes winners, including champion Run the Gantlet, and four of her daughters had some significance as broodmares.
Race record
22 starts, 4 wins, 6 seconds, 3 thirds, US$23,604
As an individual
A chestnut mare, First Feather was well-made and generally correct.
As a producer
First Feather produced 11 named foals, of which seven started and won. Her important foals are as follow:
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, First Feather was bred by E. V. Benjamin Jr. and E. V. Benjamin III. She was owned by Paul Mellon, who bought her for US$90,000 (then a world record for a Thoroughbred yearling filly sold at public auction) from the 1964 Saratoga yearling sales, and raced in the colors of Mellon’s Rokeby Stables. She remained in Mellon’s ownership throughout her broodmare career.
Pedigree notes
First Feather is outcrossed through five generations. She is a half sister to 1971 Canadian champion turf horse One for All (by Northern Dancer), to multiple Grade/Group 1 winner Caucasus (by Nijinsky II), and to 1982 Musidora Stakes (ENG-G3) winner Last Feather (by Vaguely Noble), dam of multiple listed stakes winners Ruznama (by Forty Niner) and Precious Feather (by Gone West), second dam of 2010 American champion 2-year-old filly Awesome Feather, and third dam of 2013 Gran Premio Provincia de Buenos Aires (ARG-G1) winner Bajista and multiple Argentine Group 2 winner Belarusa. First Feather is also a half sister to Euryanthe (by Nijinsky II), dam of 1992 Stephen Foster Handicap (USA-G2) winner Barkerville (by Mr. Prospector; a sire of some importance in Chile), 1982 Prix d’Aumale (FR-G3) winner Air Distingue (by Sir Ivor), and 1983 Prix d’Aumale (FR-G3) winner Eastern Dawn (by Damascus); second dam of 1995 Dubai Poule d’Essai des Poulains (French Two Thousand Guineas, FR-G1) winner Vettori and multiple Grade 2 winner Hero’s Tribute; and third dam of 2007 Uruguayan champion 3-year-old filly Ancona. In addition, First Feather is a half sister to Shill (by Buckpasser), dam of 1976 Japanese champion 2-year-old male Maruzensky (by Nijinsky II) and third dam of Japanese Group 3 winner Let’s Go Kirishima. Finally, First Feather is a half sister to Twill (by Swaps), second dam of 1986 Arlington Classic Stakes (USA-G1) winner Sumptious.
First Feather and her siblings were produced from 1958 American champion 2-year-old filly Quill, whose full sister Quilting is the dam of multiple juvenile stakes winner Hunka Papa (by Dr. Fager) and the second dam of 1990 Donn Handicap (USA-G1) winner Primal. Quill is a half sister to 1961 Narragansett Special Handicap winner Count Amber (by Ambiorix) and to 1956 Frizette Stakes winner Capelet (by Bolero), dam of 1963 Hopeful Stakes winner Traffic (by Traffic Judge) and second dam of 1975 Santa Barbara Handicap (USA-G1) winner Gay Style, 1992 Oak Leaf Stakes (USA-G1) winner Zoonaqua, and Grade 3 winner Royal Suite. Capelet is also the third dam of 1993 Panamanian Horse of the Year El Catedratico; 1983 Alabama Stakes (USA-G1) winner Spit Curl; Group 2 winners Air Marshall, Secret Haunt, and Tokai Trick; and Grade/Group 3 winners Break Bread, Diver, Elegance, and Smart Style. Returning to Quill, she is also a half sister to stakes winner Sorceress (by Slide Rule) and to Noble Touch (by Crafty Admiral), second dam of multiple Grade 3 winner Island Charm and third dam of 1983 Demoiselle Stakes (USA-G1) winner Qualique and French Group 2 winner Nerio.
Quill and her siblings are out of the winning Count Fleet mare Quick Touch, whose dam Alms (by 1931 Whitney Stakes winner St. Brideaux) won the 1939 Pimlico Oaks and is a half sister to 1931 American Horse of the Year Twenty Grand (by St. Brideaux’s sire St. Germans). The next dam in Quill’s tail-female line, Bonus (by the Persimmon horse All Gold), is a stakes-placed half sister to 1930 Clark Handicap winner Stars and Bars (by Pennant) and Canadian stakes winner Token (by Pennant). Produced from Remembrance (by Hamburg or Broomstick), Bonus is also a half sister to Wendy (by Peter Pan), dam of 1929 Gazelle Stakes winner March Hare (by Mad Hatter), multiple stakes winner Elf (by Chicle), and juvenile stakes winner Zelide (by Mad Hatter); to Memento (by Pennant), dam of 1931 New Orleans Handicap winner Jimmy Moran (by Lucky Hour), 1937 Rockingham Park Handicap winner Memory Book (by St. Germans), and stakes winner Bring Back (by Memory Lane); and to Afterthought (by Mad Hatter), dam of claiming stakes winner Reminding (by St. Germans).
Last updated: November 26, 2021
Race record
22 starts, 4 wins, 6 seconds, 3 thirds, US$23,604
As an individual
A chestnut mare, First Feather was well-made and generally correct.
As a producer
First Feather produced 11 named foals, of which seven started and won. Her important foals are as follow:
- Run the Gantlet (1968, by Tom Rolfe) was the American champion turf horse of 1971. A Solid chef-de-race in the Roman-Miller dosage system, he sired 36 stakes winners from 440 named foals and was the Irish champion sire of 1985.
- Head of the River (1969, by Crewman) won the 1972 Everglades Stakes. He sired two stakes winners from 156 named foals.
- Spring Is Here (1972, by In Reality) placed in four graded races, including two Grade 1 events. She is the dam of 1986 Man o’ War Stakes (USA-G1) winner Dance of Life (by Nijinsky II) and 1986 Prince of Wales’s Stakes (ENG-G2) winner English Spring (by Grey Dawn II) and is the second dam of Grade 1-placed Group 3 winner Fragrant Hill. She is also the third dam of 1998 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (FR-G1) winner Fragrant Mix, 2006 Queensland Oaks (AUS-G1) winner Allow, 2009 Prix Jean Romanet (FR-G1) winner Alpine Rose, and French Group 3 winner Fracassant.
- Music of Time (1974, by Northern Dancer; a gelding) won the 1977 Jim Dandy Stakes (USA-G3) and the 1979 Stuyvesant Handicap (USA-G3).
- Tripos (1975, by Arts and Letters) never raced but is the dam of Group 3-placed listed stakes winner Silver Tally (by Superbity).
- Winter Words (1977, by Northern Dancer) won two of her eight starts. She is the second dam of Grade 3 winner Timeless Answer and the third dam of Peruvian Group 2 winner Sotil.
- Quilting Bee (1978, by Tom Rolfe) never raced but is the dam of restricted stakes winner Royal Jelly (by Magesterial) and the second dam of South African Group 2 winner Moroccan and Australian Group 3 winner Espinosa. She is also the third dam of 2014 All Aged Stakes (AUS-G1) winner Hana’s Goal.
- Lightning Leap (1982, by Nijinsky II) won the listed Cavan Stakes at Belmont Park as a 4-year-old. He sired five stakes winners from 209 named foals. His best runner was Nebraska favorite Leaping Plum, who won Fonner Park’s Grasmick Handicap for seven consecutive years and took one more edition of the race in 2003, when he was 12 years old.
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, First Feather was bred by E. V. Benjamin Jr. and E. V. Benjamin III. She was owned by Paul Mellon, who bought her for US$90,000 (then a world record for a Thoroughbred yearling filly sold at public auction) from the 1964 Saratoga yearling sales, and raced in the colors of Mellon’s Rokeby Stables. She remained in Mellon’s ownership throughout her broodmare career.
Pedigree notes
First Feather is outcrossed through five generations. She is a half sister to 1971 Canadian champion turf horse One for All (by Northern Dancer), to multiple Grade/Group 1 winner Caucasus (by Nijinsky II), and to 1982 Musidora Stakes (ENG-G3) winner Last Feather (by Vaguely Noble), dam of multiple listed stakes winners Ruznama (by Forty Niner) and Precious Feather (by Gone West), second dam of 2010 American champion 2-year-old filly Awesome Feather, and third dam of 2013 Gran Premio Provincia de Buenos Aires (ARG-G1) winner Bajista and multiple Argentine Group 2 winner Belarusa. First Feather is also a half sister to Euryanthe (by Nijinsky II), dam of 1992 Stephen Foster Handicap (USA-G2) winner Barkerville (by Mr. Prospector; a sire of some importance in Chile), 1982 Prix d’Aumale (FR-G3) winner Air Distingue (by Sir Ivor), and 1983 Prix d’Aumale (FR-G3) winner Eastern Dawn (by Damascus); second dam of 1995 Dubai Poule d’Essai des Poulains (French Two Thousand Guineas, FR-G1) winner Vettori and multiple Grade 2 winner Hero’s Tribute; and third dam of 2007 Uruguayan champion 3-year-old filly Ancona. In addition, First Feather is a half sister to Shill (by Buckpasser), dam of 1976 Japanese champion 2-year-old male Maruzensky (by Nijinsky II) and third dam of Japanese Group 3 winner Let’s Go Kirishima. Finally, First Feather is a half sister to Twill (by Swaps), second dam of 1986 Arlington Classic Stakes (USA-G1) winner Sumptious.
First Feather and her siblings were produced from 1958 American champion 2-year-old filly Quill, whose full sister Quilting is the dam of multiple juvenile stakes winner Hunka Papa (by Dr. Fager) and the second dam of 1990 Donn Handicap (USA-G1) winner Primal. Quill is a half sister to 1961 Narragansett Special Handicap winner Count Amber (by Ambiorix) and to 1956 Frizette Stakes winner Capelet (by Bolero), dam of 1963 Hopeful Stakes winner Traffic (by Traffic Judge) and second dam of 1975 Santa Barbara Handicap (USA-G1) winner Gay Style, 1992 Oak Leaf Stakes (USA-G1) winner Zoonaqua, and Grade 3 winner Royal Suite. Capelet is also the third dam of 1993 Panamanian Horse of the Year El Catedratico; 1983 Alabama Stakes (USA-G1) winner Spit Curl; Group 2 winners Air Marshall, Secret Haunt, and Tokai Trick; and Grade/Group 3 winners Break Bread, Diver, Elegance, and Smart Style. Returning to Quill, she is also a half sister to stakes winner Sorceress (by Slide Rule) and to Noble Touch (by Crafty Admiral), second dam of multiple Grade 3 winner Island Charm and third dam of 1983 Demoiselle Stakes (USA-G1) winner Qualique and French Group 2 winner Nerio.
Quill and her siblings are out of the winning Count Fleet mare Quick Touch, whose dam Alms (by 1931 Whitney Stakes winner St. Brideaux) won the 1939 Pimlico Oaks and is a half sister to 1931 American Horse of the Year Twenty Grand (by St. Brideaux’s sire St. Germans). The next dam in Quill’s tail-female line, Bonus (by the Persimmon horse All Gold), is a stakes-placed half sister to 1930 Clark Handicap winner Stars and Bars (by Pennant) and Canadian stakes winner Token (by Pennant). Produced from Remembrance (by Hamburg or Broomstick), Bonus is also a half sister to Wendy (by Peter Pan), dam of 1929 Gazelle Stakes winner March Hare (by Mad Hatter), multiple stakes winner Elf (by Chicle), and juvenile stakes winner Zelide (by Mad Hatter); to Memento (by Pennant), dam of 1931 New Orleans Handicap winner Jimmy Moran (by Lucky Hour), 1937 Rockingham Park Handicap winner Memory Book (by St. Germans), and stakes winner Bring Back (by Memory Lane); and to Afterthought (by Mad Hatter), dam of claiming stakes winner Reminding (by St. Germans).
Last updated: November 26, 2021