Missile Belle (USA)
April 10, 1967 – c. 1992
Missile (USA) x River Princess (USA), by Princequillo (IRE)
Family 5-i
April 10, 1967 – c. 1992
Missile (USA) x River Princess (USA), by Princequillo (IRE)
Family 5-i
Sired by a horse who had been a top-flight juvenile, Missile Belle was more like her broodmare sire Princequillo and waited until her 3-year-old season to start getting good. She was among the best sophomore fillies of 1970 but was forced into retirement after a single unplaced start at 4. She was a moderately successful broodmare but had little lasting impact.
Race record
21 starts, 9 wins, 4 seconds, 1 third, US$213,968
1970:
Assessments
Rated at 106 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1969, 10 pounds below champion Fast Attack.
Rated at 123 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old fillies of 1970, 1 pound below divisional co-champion Office Queen and tied with the other divisional co-champion, Fanfreluche. (Missile Belle and Fanfreluche shared second place with Cathy Honey.)
As an individual
A chestnut standing about 15.3 hands, Missile Belle was lengthy with an excellent hind leg and a stayer's flat musculature. Her girth was fairly deep and she was wide across the hips. She could be faulted for rather long, low pasterns. During a race, she could be placed as her jockey desired, but she had a cantankerous disposition and was sometimes given to sulking.
As a producer
Missile Belle produced 11 named foals, of which 10 started and won. Her important foals are as follow:
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Missile Belle was bred and owned by John A. Morris. She was trained by Woody Stephens and was ridden to her score in the Coaching Club American Oaks by Pete Anderson. She began her broodmare career in the ownership of Morris and later passed to the ownership of Sirrom, Inc. The last report of her was as barren in 1992.
Pedigree notes
Missile Belle is outcrossed through five generations. She is a half sister to multiple Grade 2 winner L'Heureux (by Herbager) and to Hill River (by Hill Prince), dam of stakes winners Honest Moment (by Honest Pleasure) and Sabatini (by Fappiano), second dam of Brazilian Group 2 winner Atecom, and third dam of Grade 2 winner Silver Wizard and Grade 3 winner Ammy Hils.
Missile Belle is out of the unraced Princequillo mare River Princess, whose half sister Channel (by Johns Joy) is the dam of Grade 2 winner Gleaming Channel (by Gleaming). River Princess is also a half sister to Lagoon (by Hunter's Moon IV), third dam of Panamanian Group 3 winner and American Grade 1-placed Yosi Boy.
Crevasse (by Johnstown), the dam of River Princess and her siblings, failed to win or place in two starts but is a half sister to stakes-placed Edified (by Jacopo), dam of multiple juvenile stakes winner Primate (by Some Chance) and 1967 San Bernardino Handicap winner Sermon (by Nadir). Produced from the Stimulus mare Predestined, Crevasse is also a half sister to Beautified (by Jacopo), second dam of 1961 Arlington Lassie Stakes winner Rudoma, 1965 Queen Mary Stakes winner Visp and 1968 Swaps Handicap winner Good Investment.
Books and media
Missile Belle is profiled in Chapter 10 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
Last updated: July 10, 2024
Race record
21 starts, 9 wins, 4 seconds, 1 third, US$213,968
1970:
- Won Coaching Club American Oaks (USA, 10FD, Belmont)
- Won Gazelle Handicap (USA, 9FD, Belmont)
- Won Indian Creek Stakes (USA, 8.5FD, Hialeah)
- Won La Troienne Stakes (USA, 7FD, Churchill Downs)
- 2nd Acorn Stakes (second division) (USA, 8FD, Aqueduct)
- 2nd Test Stakes (second division) (USA, 7FD, Saratoga)
- 3rd Mother Goose Stakes (USA, 9FD, Belmont)
Assessments
Rated at 106 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1969, 10 pounds below champion Fast Attack.
Rated at 123 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old fillies of 1970, 1 pound below divisional co-champion Office Queen and tied with the other divisional co-champion, Fanfreluche. (Missile Belle and Fanfreluche shared second place with Cathy Honey.)
As an individual
A chestnut standing about 15.3 hands, Missile Belle was lengthy with an excellent hind leg and a stayer's flat musculature. Her girth was fairly deep and she was wide across the hips. She could be faulted for rather long, low pasterns. During a race, she could be placed as her jockey desired, but she had a cantankerous disposition and was sometimes given to sulking.
As a producer
Missile Belle produced 11 named foals, of which 10 started and won. Her important foals are as follow:
- Vixenly (1976, by Vitriolic) produced multiple stakes winner Marfa Missile (by Marfa).
- Bravest Miss (1979, by Bravest Roman) won the 1982 Colonia Stakes at The Meadowlands. She produced multiple stakes winner Hero's Hurrah (by Hero's Honor) and restricted stakes winner Set to Fly (by Relaunch; dam of multiple restricted stakes winner Raghib, by Phone Trick).
- One Fine Day (1985, by Quadratic) produced French listed stakes winner Clever Day (by Clever Trick).
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Missile Belle was bred and owned by John A. Morris. She was trained by Woody Stephens and was ridden to her score in the Coaching Club American Oaks by Pete Anderson. She began her broodmare career in the ownership of Morris and later passed to the ownership of Sirrom, Inc. The last report of her was as barren in 1992.
Pedigree notes
Missile Belle is outcrossed through five generations. She is a half sister to multiple Grade 2 winner L'Heureux (by Herbager) and to Hill River (by Hill Prince), dam of stakes winners Honest Moment (by Honest Pleasure) and Sabatini (by Fappiano), second dam of Brazilian Group 2 winner Atecom, and third dam of Grade 2 winner Silver Wizard and Grade 3 winner Ammy Hils.
Missile Belle is out of the unraced Princequillo mare River Princess, whose half sister Channel (by Johns Joy) is the dam of Grade 2 winner Gleaming Channel (by Gleaming). River Princess is also a half sister to Lagoon (by Hunter's Moon IV), third dam of Panamanian Group 3 winner and American Grade 1-placed Yosi Boy.
Crevasse (by Johnstown), the dam of River Princess and her siblings, failed to win or place in two starts but is a half sister to stakes-placed Edified (by Jacopo), dam of multiple juvenile stakes winner Primate (by Some Chance) and 1967 San Bernardino Handicap winner Sermon (by Nadir). Produced from the Stimulus mare Predestined, Crevasse is also a half sister to Beautified (by Jacopo), second dam of 1961 Arlington Lassie Stakes winner Rudoma, 1965 Queen Mary Stakes winner Visp and 1968 Swaps Handicap winner Good Investment.
Books and media
Missile Belle is profiled in Chapter 10 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
- Missile Belle's victory in the 1970 La Troienne Stakes made her the first horse to carry the famous all-scarlet Morris silks to victory at Churchill Downs since Manuel won the 1899 Kentucky Derby for John A. Morris' father and uncle.
Last updated: July 10, 2024