Arguably the best American runner sired by Royal Charger, Mongo was a champion on the grass and not far off that level on dirt. He was also an exceptionally handsome animal, but he was only a moderate success at stud and failed to establish his own branch of Royal Charger’s male line.
Race record
46 starts, 22 wins, 10 seconds, 4 thirds, US$820,766
1962:
1963:
1964:
Honors
American champion grass horse (1963)
Assessments
Rated at 126 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1962, 2 pounds below divisional highweight and champion Jaipur.
Rated at 126 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1963, 10 pounds below divisional highweight and Horse of the Year Kelso; on the same year's Free Handicap for turf runners, co-highweighted with The Axe II at 130 pounds.
Rated at 133 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1964, 3 pounds below co-highweights Kelso (the official divisional champion and Horse of the Year) and Gun Bow but third overall.
Ranked fourth among American 3-year-old males of 1962, second among American older males of 1963, and third among American older males of 1964 by The Blood-Horse.
As an individual
According to Charles Hatton of the Daily Racing Form, Mongo "was at once a most attractive individual, perhaps the handsomest in training, and as correctly constructed as the most fastidious could wish." A chestnut horse standing 16.1 hands, he could be criticized for somewhat rough ankles but had an unusually long hip, strong hindquarters, and a strong, straight hind leg. He was game and resolute when in action.
As a stallion
According to Jockey Club records, Mongo sired 168 winners (60.2%) and 21 stakes winners (7.5%) from 279 named foals.
Notable progeny
Bushongo (USA), Mongo Queen (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Virginia, Mongo was bred and owned by Marion duPont Scott, racing under the colors of her Montpelier racing operation. He was trained by former steeplechase jockey Frank Bonsal. He entered stud in 1965 at Blue Ridge Farm in Virginia and stood there throughout his stud career. He died in March 1983.
Pedigree notes
Mongo is outcrossed through five generations. He is a half brother to three-time American champion steeplechaser Neji (by Hunter’s Moon IV), 1957 Salvator Mile winner Nahodah (by Nasrullah), multiple steeplechase stakes winner Nala (by Nasrullah), steeplechase stakes winner Songai (by Flushing II), and stakes winner Mandingo (by Princequillo). He is also a half brother to Kumasi (by Princequillo), dam of steeplechase stakes winners Kamsin (by Castle Hill II) and Kakanda (by Nashua).
Mongo and his siblings were produced from the winner Accra, whose sire Annapolis was a beautiful but wayward son of Man o’ War. A stakes winner both on the flat and over jumps, Annapolis received only limited opportunities at stud but was a highly successful sire of steeplechasers. Accra’s dam Ladala, also a winner, was also sired by a Fair Play-line horse, in her case Ladkin (by Fair Play), whose six stakes wins included the 1924 Dwyer Stakes and the second International Special over Épinard.
The next dam in Mongo’s tail-female line is the Broomstick mare Tonala, an unraced half sister to two-time American champion filly Prudery (by Peter Pan), who became the dam of 1927 Kentucky Derby winner Whiskery (by Whisk Broom II), 1928 Preakness Stakes winner Victorian (by Whisk Broom II), and the good stakes winner Halcyon (by Broomstick). Produced from Polly Flinders, Tonala is also a half sister to 1922 Coaching Club American Oaks winner Prudish (by Peter Pan), dam of multiple stakes winner Comstockery (by Chicle), and to Polly Pennant (by Pennant), dam of stakes winner Infinity (by Eternal).
Fun facts
Last updated: August 21, 2023
Race record
46 starts, 22 wins, 10 seconds, 4 thirds, US$820,766
1962:
- Won United Nations Handicap (USA, 9.5FT, Atlantic City)
- Won Trenton Handicap (USA, 10FD, Monmouth)
- Won Pilgrim Handicap (USA, 9FD, Garden State)
- Won Ventnor Turf Handicap (USA, 8.5FT, Atlantic City)
- Won Lexington Handicap (USA, 8FD, Aqueduct)
- 2nd Knickerbocker Handicap (USA, 11FT, Aqueduct)
1963:
- Won Washington D.C. International Handicap (USA, 12FT, Laurel)
- Won United Nations Handicap (USA, 9.5FT, Atlantic City)
- Won Kelly-Olympic Handicap (USA, 9FT, Atlantic City; new course record 1:48)
- Won Bowie Handicap (USA, 8.5FT, Bowie)
- Won Camden Handicap (USA, 9FD, Garden State)
- Won Diamond State Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Delaware)
- 2nd Monmouth Handicap (USA, 10FD, Monmouth)
- 2nd Trenton Handicap (USA, 10FD, Monmouth)
- 2nd Salvator Mile (USA, 8FD, Monmouth)
- 3rd Quaker City Handicap (USA, 9FD, Garden State)
- 3rd Atlantic City Handicap (USA, 9FD, Atlantic City)
- 3rd Valley Forge Handicap (USA, 8f+70yD, Garden State)
1964:
- Won Monmouth Handicap (USA, 10FD, Monmouth)
- Won John B. Campbell Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Bowie)
- Won Widener Handicap (USA, 10FD, Hialeah)
- Won Trenton Handicap (USA, 10FD, Garden State; new track record 2:00)
- Won Diamond State Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Delaware Park)
- 2nd Grey Lag Handicap (USA, 9FD, Aqueduct)
- 2nd Whitney Stakes (USA, 9FD, Saratoga)
Honors
American champion grass horse (1963)
Assessments
Rated at 126 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1962, 2 pounds below divisional highweight and champion Jaipur.
Rated at 126 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1963, 10 pounds below divisional highweight and Horse of the Year Kelso; on the same year's Free Handicap for turf runners, co-highweighted with The Axe II at 130 pounds.
Rated at 133 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1964, 3 pounds below co-highweights Kelso (the official divisional champion and Horse of the Year) and Gun Bow but third overall.
Ranked fourth among American 3-year-old males of 1962, second among American older males of 1963, and third among American older males of 1964 by The Blood-Horse.
As an individual
According to Charles Hatton of the Daily Racing Form, Mongo "was at once a most attractive individual, perhaps the handsomest in training, and as correctly constructed as the most fastidious could wish." A chestnut horse standing 16.1 hands, he could be criticized for somewhat rough ankles but had an unusually long hip, strong hindquarters, and a strong, straight hind leg. He was game and resolute when in action.
As a stallion
According to Jockey Club records, Mongo sired 168 winners (60.2%) and 21 stakes winners (7.5%) from 279 named foals.
Notable progeny
Bushongo (USA), Mongo Queen (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Virginia, Mongo was bred and owned by Marion duPont Scott, racing under the colors of her Montpelier racing operation. He was trained by former steeplechase jockey Frank Bonsal. He entered stud in 1965 at Blue Ridge Farm in Virginia and stood there throughout his stud career. He died in March 1983.
Pedigree notes
Mongo is outcrossed through five generations. He is a half brother to three-time American champion steeplechaser Neji (by Hunter’s Moon IV), 1957 Salvator Mile winner Nahodah (by Nasrullah), multiple steeplechase stakes winner Nala (by Nasrullah), steeplechase stakes winner Songai (by Flushing II), and stakes winner Mandingo (by Princequillo). He is also a half brother to Kumasi (by Princequillo), dam of steeplechase stakes winners Kamsin (by Castle Hill II) and Kakanda (by Nashua).
Mongo and his siblings were produced from the winner Accra, whose sire Annapolis was a beautiful but wayward son of Man o’ War. A stakes winner both on the flat and over jumps, Annapolis received only limited opportunities at stud but was a highly successful sire of steeplechasers. Accra’s dam Ladala, also a winner, was also sired by a Fair Play-line horse, in her case Ladkin (by Fair Play), whose six stakes wins included the 1924 Dwyer Stakes and the second International Special over Épinard.
The next dam in Mongo’s tail-female line is the Broomstick mare Tonala, an unraced half sister to two-time American champion filly Prudery (by Peter Pan), who became the dam of 1927 Kentucky Derby winner Whiskery (by Whisk Broom II), 1928 Preakness Stakes winner Victorian (by Whisk Broom II), and the good stakes winner Halcyon (by Broomstick). Produced from Polly Flinders, Tonala is also a half sister to 1922 Coaching Club American Oaks winner Prudish (by Peter Pan), dam of multiple stakes winner Comstockery (by Chicle), and to Polly Pennant (by Pennant), dam of stakes winner Infinity (by Eternal).
Fun facts
- “Mongo” can refer to the Mongo people, a large ethnic group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It can also refer to the city of Mongo, Chad; to the chiefdom of Mongo in Sierra Leone; to the Mongo Department, an administrative division of the nation of Gabon; or to the Mongo River, a tributary of the Little Scarces River in western Africa.
- Following the 1963 Washington, D. C., International, the stewards reviewed tapes of the race for 20 minutes due to a foul claim by Ismael Valenzuela, who claimed that Mongo and Wayne Chambers had illicitly forced Valenzuela and Kelso wide. After the stewards confirmed Mongo as the victor, Valenzuela admitted there had been no contact between the horses but he had claimed foul anyway because “I thought I had a chance in this situation.”
- Mongo’s owner, Marion duPont Scott, was the first female exhibitor to ride a show horse at Madison Square Garden, which she did in 1903.
Last updated: August 21, 2023