Bred in Alabama before Fred Hooper moved his breeding operation to Florida, My Portrait may not have been the classiest filly he ever owned but was certainly among the soundest and toughest from a breeding program noted for the durability of its stock. Unfortunately, she did not produce any foals to carry on her legacy.
Race record
94 starts, 17 wins, 16 seconds, 14 thirds, US$261,275
1960:
1961:
1962:
1963:
Assessments
Rated at 110 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1960, 10 pounds below champion juvenile filly Bowl of Flowers.
Rated at 120 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old fillies of 1961, 5 pounds below champion Bowl of Flowers.
Rated at 116 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older females of 1962, 10 pounds below champion Primonetta.
Rated at 113 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older females of 1963, 15 pounds below champion Cicada.
As an individual
A bay mare, My Portrait was considered very attractive but was also durable and tough. She was game and completely determined when set to a drive.
Connections
Foaled in Alabama, My Portrait was bred and owned by Fred Hooper. She was trained by Charles Parke.
Pedigree notes
My Portrait is inbred 4x4 to 1910 St. Leger Stakes winner and 1923 English champion sire Swynford. She is also inbred 4x5 to the champion race mare and great producer Selene. She is a full sister to juvenile stakes winner Olympia Site and a half sister to Mezier (by Crozier), dam of multiple stakes winner Festos (by Manifesto).
Sired by 1945 Hollywood Gold Cup winner Challenge Me (a son of Challenger II), My Portrait's dam Me is a half sister to juvenile stakes winner Our Pleasure (by With Pleasure). She is out of stakes-placed Me Again (by Menow), a half sister to stakes winner Childeric (by Pharamond II). The next dam in My Portrait's tail-female line, Miss Tony (by Black Toney), failed to win in three starts but is a half sister to Rare Bud (by Brown Bud), dam of the minor stakes winner Sortie Star (by Sortie).
Books and media
My Portrait is profiled in Chapter 9 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
Race record
94 starts, 17 wins, 16 seconds, 14 thirds, US$261,275
1960:
- 3rd Princess Pat Stakes (USA, 6FD, Arlington Park)
1961:
- Won Kentucky Oaks (USA, 8.5FD, Churchill Downs)
- Won Jersey Belle Stakes (USA, 8.5FD, Garden State)
- Won Monmouth Oaks (USA, 9FD, Monmouth; equaled track record 1:48-4/5)
- 2nd Ashland Stakes (USA, 6FD, Keeneland)
- 2nd Oaks Prep (USA, 7FD, Churchill Downs)
- 2nd Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (USA, 8.5FD, Pimlico)
- 2nd Gazelle Handicap (USA, 9FD, Belmont)
- 2nd Pucker Up Handicap (USA, 8FD, Arlington Park)
- 3rd Pageant Handicap (USA, 8FT, Atlantic City)
- 3rd Misty Isle Handicap (USA, 7FD, Arlington Park)
- 3rd Vineland Handicap (USA, 9FD, Garden State)
1962:
- 2nd Las Flores Handicap (USA, 6FD, Santa Anita)
1963:
- 2nd Vineland Handicap (USA, 9FD, Garden State)
- 3rd Beverly Handicap (USA, 8FD, Arlington Park)
- 3rd Santa Monica Handicap (USA, 7FD, Santa Anita)
- 3rd Vagrancy Handicap (USA, 7FD, Aqueduct)
Assessments
Rated at 110 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1960, 10 pounds below champion juvenile filly Bowl of Flowers.
Rated at 120 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old fillies of 1961, 5 pounds below champion Bowl of Flowers.
Rated at 116 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older females of 1962, 10 pounds below champion Primonetta.
Rated at 113 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older females of 1963, 15 pounds below champion Cicada.
As an individual
A bay mare, My Portrait was considered very attractive but was also durable and tough. She was game and completely determined when set to a drive.
Connections
Foaled in Alabama, My Portrait was bred and owned by Fred Hooper. She was trained by Charles Parke.
Pedigree notes
My Portrait is inbred 4x4 to 1910 St. Leger Stakes winner and 1923 English champion sire Swynford. She is also inbred 4x5 to the champion race mare and great producer Selene. She is a full sister to juvenile stakes winner Olympia Site and a half sister to Mezier (by Crozier), dam of multiple stakes winner Festos (by Manifesto).
Sired by 1945 Hollywood Gold Cup winner Challenge Me (a son of Challenger II), My Portrait's dam Me is a half sister to juvenile stakes winner Our Pleasure (by With Pleasure). She is out of stakes-placed Me Again (by Menow), a half sister to stakes winner Childeric (by Pharamond II). The next dam in My Portrait's tail-female line, Miss Tony (by Black Toney), failed to win in three starts but is a half sister to Rare Bud (by Brown Bud), dam of the minor stakes winner Sortie Star (by Sortie).
Books and media
My Portrait is profiled in Chapter 9 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
- Braulio Baeza rode My Portrait to a neck victory over Johnny Sellers and Playtime in the Kentucky Oaks. The following day, the same two jockeys hooked up in the stretch of the Kentucky Derby with Crozier (Baeza) and Carry Back (Sellers) and were separated by the same margin—a neck—at the finish, with Sellers and Carry Back emerging triumphant.
- The 1961 Kentucky Oaks also marked a training duel between brothers, as My Portrait was trained by Charles Parke and Playtime by his brother Ivan Parke. Ivan Parke had trained Olympia and other good horses for Fred Hooper but had been replaced by his brother after he became ill.