Grey Dawn II was the produce of a "fish-and-fowl" mating between a sire whose strong suit was stamina and a brilliant and precocious dam who never won beyond five furlongs and failed to progress from her juvenile form. The only horse ever to defeat the great Sea-Bird, Grey Dawn II owed his conquest to his greater physical maturity as a juvenile and just lasted to defeat his stablemate in the 1964 Grand Criterium. At 3, he failed to make the progress that might have been expected from a son of Herbager and dropped well behind the best of his age. His racing career following his export to the United States was also disappointing, but he made up for it as a stallion, becoming a very good sire and broodmare sire. Oddly, while his racing career reflected the precocity and speed of his dam Polamia, a fair number of his progeny stayed well.
Race record
22 starts, 8 wins, 3 seconds, 1 third, US$201,620 (including converted French earnings)
1964:
1965:
1966:
Honors
French champion 2-year-old male (1964)
Assessments
Earned a Timeform rating of 132 pounds as a 2-year-old.
Highweighted on the Handicap Optional for French juveniles of 1964, 3 pounds above Sea-Bird.
Rated at 112 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American turf runners of 1966, 14 pounds below champion Assagai (a 3-year-old).
As an individual
Grey Dawn II stood 16.3 hands. He was a robust, strong-bodied gray horse with the excellent shoulder of his sire, good bone and an unusually straight hind leg. His hind pasterns were somewhat weak and he tended to pass on his hind-end conformation.
As a stallion
Grey Dawn II ranked among the top 10 American general sires five times, including a runner-up finish in 1983 and third-place rankings in 1977 and 1978. He led the American broodmare sire list in 1990, was runner-up in 1986, and was third in 1985 and 1987 with two more top 10 finishes. According to statistics kept by The Jockey Club, he sired 489 winners (63.9%) and 75 stakes winners (9.8%) from 765 named foals. Thoroughbred Times credits him with 73 stakes winners. Grey Dawn II is a Brilliant/Intermediate chef-de-race in the Roman dosage system.
Notable progeny
Adept (USA), Bounding Basque (USA), Bye Bye Paris (CAN), Christmas Past (USA), Dawn Deluxe (CAN), Delegant (USA), Dunbeath (USA), Grey Classic (CAN), Heavenly Cause (USA), Instrument Landing (USA), Mr. Redoy (USA), Shy Dawn (USA), Swing Till Dawn (USA), Vigors (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Eustace (USA), Opening Verse (USA), Two Punch (USA)
Connections
Grey Dawn II was bred and owned by Gertrude Widener. He was trained by Etienne Pollet while in France and by Horatio Luro in the United States. He entered stud in Kentucky at Domino Stud Farm in 1967 and remained an active breeding stallion until his death in 1991.
Pedigree notes
Grey Dawn II is inbred 5x5 to Teddy. He is a half brother to 1966 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches winner Right Away (by Right Royal V), dam of French stakes winner Timmy's Way (by Timmy My Boy) and second dam of French Group II winners High Sierra (by Chaparral) and Garde Royale (by Mill Reef), and to 1968 Prix La Rochette winner Mia Pola (by Relko), dam of Grade II winner Regal Bearing (by Viceregal) and French stakes winner Keep in Step (by Dance in Time) and second dam of five stakes winners including 1995 Star Sprint (SAF-I) winner Super Sheila and 1992 Gamely Handicap (USA-I) winner Metamorphose. Grey Dawn II is also a half brother to 1963 Prix Maurice de Gheest winner Tryptic (by Tyrone); to 1974 Prix Finlande winner Timolina (by Timmy My Boy), third dam of Argentine Group II winner Keyite and Grade III winner Kasaqui; to Vallee Sarthoise (by Val de Loir), dam of French Group II winner Viteric (by Versailles); and to Belle Promesse (by Right Royal V), dam of French stakes winner Chaud et Froid (by Tennyson).
Grey Dawn II's dam Polamia won the 1957 Prix du Bois, a juvenile race of some importance. She is a half sister to the extremely fast Sly Pola (by Spy Song) who won the 1959 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp against all-aged competition as a 2-year-old. Also the winner of the 1959 Prix Robert Papin and 1960 Prix de la Grotte, Sly Pola produced French stakes winner Green Herb (by Herbager) and the excellent broodmare Green Valley II (by Val de Loir), whose six stakes winners include 1975 Poule d'Essai des Poulains (FR-I) winner and important sire Green Dancer (by Nijinsky II). Polamia is also a half sister to Takawalk (by Native Dancer), winner of the 1963 Prix La Rochette.
Fun facts
Race record
22 starts, 8 wins, 3 seconds, 1 third, US$201,620 (including converted French earnings)
1964:
- Won Grand Criterium (FR, 1600mT, Longchamp)
- Won Prix de la Salamandre (FR, 1400mT, Longchamp)
- Won Prix Morny (FR, 1200mT, Deauville)
1965:
- Won Prix de Fontainebleau (FR, 1600mT, Longchamp)
- 2nd Poule d'Essai des Poulains (FR, 1600mT, Longchamp)
- 2nd Prix de la Porte Maillot (FR, 1400mT, Longchamp)
1966:
- Won Brandywine Turf Handicap (second division) (USA, 8.5FT, Delaware)
Honors
French champion 2-year-old male (1964)
Assessments
Earned a Timeform rating of 132 pounds as a 2-year-old.
Highweighted on the Handicap Optional for French juveniles of 1964, 3 pounds above Sea-Bird.
Rated at 112 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American turf runners of 1966, 14 pounds below champion Assagai (a 3-year-old).
As an individual
Grey Dawn II stood 16.3 hands. He was a robust, strong-bodied gray horse with the excellent shoulder of his sire, good bone and an unusually straight hind leg. His hind pasterns were somewhat weak and he tended to pass on his hind-end conformation.
As a stallion
Grey Dawn II ranked among the top 10 American general sires five times, including a runner-up finish in 1983 and third-place rankings in 1977 and 1978. He led the American broodmare sire list in 1990, was runner-up in 1986, and was third in 1985 and 1987 with two more top 10 finishes. According to statistics kept by The Jockey Club, he sired 489 winners (63.9%) and 75 stakes winners (9.8%) from 765 named foals. Thoroughbred Times credits him with 73 stakes winners. Grey Dawn II is a Brilliant/Intermediate chef-de-race in the Roman dosage system.
Notable progeny
Adept (USA), Bounding Basque (USA), Bye Bye Paris (CAN), Christmas Past (USA), Dawn Deluxe (CAN), Delegant (USA), Dunbeath (USA), Grey Classic (CAN), Heavenly Cause (USA), Instrument Landing (USA), Mr. Redoy (USA), Shy Dawn (USA), Swing Till Dawn (USA), Vigors (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Eustace (USA), Opening Verse (USA), Two Punch (USA)
Connections
Grey Dawn II was bred and owned by Gertrude Widener. He was trained by Etienne Pollet while in France and by Horatio Luro in the United States. He entered stud in Kentucky at Domino Stud Farm in 1967 and remained an active breeding stallion until his death in 1991.
Pedigree notes
Grey Dawn II is inbred 5x5 to Teddy. He is a half brother to 1966 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches winner Right Away (by Right Royal V), dam of French stakes winner Timmy's Way (by Timmy My Boy) and second dam of French Group II winners High Sierra (by Chaparral) and Garde Royale (by Mill Reef), and to 1968 Prix La Rochette winner Mia Pola (by Relko), dam of Grade II winner Regal Bearing (by Viceregal) and French stakes winner Keep in Step (by Dance in Time) and second dam of five stakes winners including 1995 Star Sprint (SAF-I) winner Super Sheila and 1992 Gamely Handicap (USA-I) winner Metamorphose. Grey Dawn II is also a half brother to 1963 Prix Maurice de Gheest winner Tryptic (by Tyrone); to 1974 Prix Finlande winner Timolina (by Timmy My Boy), third dam of Argentine Group II winner Keyite and Grade III winner Kasaqui; to Vallee Sarthoise (by Val de Loir), dam of French Group II winner Viteric (by Versailles); and to Belle Promesse (by Right Royal V), dam of French stakes winner Chaud et Froid (by Tennyson).
Grey Dawn II's dam Polamia won the 1957 Prix du Bois, a juvenile race of some importance. She is a half sister to the extremely fast Sly Pola (by Spy Song) who won the 1959 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp against all-aged competition as a 2-year-old. Also the winner of the 1959 Prix Robert Papin and 1960 Prix de la Grotte, Sly Pola produced French stakes winner Green Herb (by Herbager) and the excellent broodmare Green Valley II (by Val de Loir), whose six stakes winners include 1975 Poule d'Essai des Poulains (FR-I) winner and important sire Green Dancer (by Nijinsky II). Polamia is also a half sister to Takawalk (by Native Dancer), winner of the 1963 Prix La Rochette.
Fun facts
- Grey Dawn II is registered simply as “Grey Dawn” in the French Stud Book; he became “Grey Dawn II” in the American Stud Book to avoid confusion with a 1951 mare by Russia II—Slave Song.