Pocahontas (USA)
February 19, 1955 – c. 1972
Roman (USA) x How (USA), by Princequillo (IRE)
Family 9-h
"GENETIC GEM"
February 19, 1955 – c. 1972
Roman (USA) x How (USA), by Princequillo (IRE)
Family 9-h
"GENETIC GEM"
Pocahontas was a stakes-winning juvenile on the track, but her primary contributions to the history of the Thoroughbred were in the paddocks rather than on the race course. The dam of five stakes winners, she was named the 1965 Broodmare of the Year by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders. Her family has produced several good sires and has also bred on through Pocahontas' daughters.
Race record
13 starts, 3 wins, 1 second, 1 third, US$27,835
1957:
Assessments
Assigned 111 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1957, 9 pounds below champion 2-year-old filly Idun.
As an individual
A small brown mare, Pocahontas was precocious and had good speed.
As a producer
Designated as a Reine-de-Course by pedigree analyst Ellen Parker, Pocahontas produced nine named foals, of which five started and won. Her important foals are as follow:
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Pocahontas was bred by H. B. Delman. She was owned by Raymond Guest, who raced as “Powhatan.” She was trained by R. N. Blackburn.
Pedigree notes
Pocahontas is inbred 3x5 to 1927 English leading sire Buchan. She is out of 1951 Coaching Club American Oaks winner How, whose full sister Cherokee Rose won the 1954 Coaching Club American Oaks and is the second dam of 1971 American Horse of the Year Ack Ack, 1974 Futurity Stakes (USA-G1) winner Just the Time, and Grade 2 winner Delay. How is also a full sister to 1957 Spinaway Stakes winner Sequoia, dam of 1973 Santa Anita Derby (USA-G1) winner Sham (by Pretense) and 1971 San Bernardino Handicap winner Dendron and second dam of Grade 3 winner Top Competitor and 1972 Astarita Stakes winner Princess Doubleday.
How and her siblings were produced from The Squaw II (by Sickle), a half sister to 1947 Grand Prix de Paris winner Avenger (by Victrix). The Squaw II is also a half sister to Dynamite II (by Dogat), second dam of 1959 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes winner Toluene. The Squaw II's dam Minnewaska (by Blandford) is out of 1926 Cheveley Park Stakes winner Nipisiquit (by Buchan), also the dam of the good English stakes winner Raymond (by Gainsborough).
Fun facts
Last updated: May 25, 2024
Race record
13 starts, 3 wins, 1 second, 1 third, US$27,835
1957:
- Won Schuylerville Stakes (USA, 5.5FD, Saratoga)
- 2nd National Stallion Stakes (Fillies) (USA, 5FD, Belmont)
- 2nd Astoria Stakes (USA, 5.5FD, Belmont)
Assessments
Assigned 111 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1957, 9 pounds below champion 2-year-old filly Idun.
As an individual
A small brown mare, Pocahontas was precocious and had good speed.
As a producer
Designated as a Reine-de-Course by pedigree analyst Ellen Parker, Pocahontas produced nine named foals, of which five started and won. Her important foals are as follow:
- Celia (1960, by Swaps) was unraced. She is the dam of 1978 John B. Campbell Handicap (USA-G2) winner Ripon (by Ribocco) and 1967 Larkspur Stakes winner Ballygoran (by Larkspur). She is the second dam of six stakes winners including Grade 2 winner Absentia, dam of English Group 2 winner Dancing Dissident. Celia is also the third dam of Grade 3 winner No Jacket Required.
- Chieftain (1961, by Bold Ruler) was a good stakes winner at 2, 3 and 4. He sired 43 stakes winners from 491 named foals, headed by 1977 American champion older female Cascapedia.
- Tom Rolfe (1962, by Ribot) was the 1965 American champion 3-year-old male. According to The Jockey Club, he sired 48 stakes winners from 665 named foals, including champions Hoist the Flag, Bowl Game and Run the Gantlet.
- Wampum (1964, by Warfare) never raced. She is the dam of French stakes winner Fiddlers Fare (by Luthier). Through her daughter Imagery (by Dancer's Image), she is the second dam of Brazilian Group 2 winner Dieter Jet and Brazilian Group 3 winner Makatani and the third dam of 2014 Gran Prêmio Presidente da Republica (Ciudad Jardim) (BRZ-G1) winner Joe Owen. Through another daughter, Get Ready Peggy (by Hello Gorgeous), Wampum is also the second dam of Australian Group 2 winner The Warrior and third dam of multiple New Zealand Group 2 winner Kerry O'Reilly.
- Wenona (1965, by Larkspur) won the 1968 Blandford Stakes and is the dam of Irish stakes winner Opachisco (by In Reality). She is also the second dam of 1983 Norwegian champion 3-year-old male What Nonsense and the third dam of 1997 Puerto Rican Horse of the Year Lightning Al, 2004 Peruvian champion 2-year-old filly La Foquita, New Zealand Group 2 winner Sculptor, and Australian Group 3 winner Slightly Sweet.
- Santa Paula II (1967, by Santa Claus) never raced but produced 1979 Premio Roma (ITY-G1) winner Noble Saint (by Vaguely Noble). She is also the second dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Squeak and Irish Group 3 winner My Sister and the third dam of English Group 2 winner Tipsy Creek, Irish Group 3 winner Abunawwas, and Brazilian Group 3 winner Ontemhojeesempre.
- Lady Rebecca (1971, by Sir Ivor) won the 1974 Prix Vanteaux (FR-G3). Her son Alzao (by Lyphard) won the 1984 Premio Ellington (ITY-G3) and had sired 100 stakes winners at the time of his pensioning in 2006. In addition, Lady Rebecca is the third dam of 1997 Santa Monica Handicap (USA-G1) winner Toga Toga Toga, 2004 VRC Oaks (AUS-G1) winner Arapaho Miss, and Grade/Group 2 winners Real Success and Minakshi. Her more distant descendants include 2024 Doomben Cup (AUS-G1) winner Bois d'Argent.
- Ahdeek (1972, by Reindeer) won the 1974 Pepsi Stakes in Ireland and was Group 3-placed. He was of no account as a sire.
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Pocahontas was bred by H. B. Delman. She was owned by Raymond Guest, who raced as “Powhatan.” She was trained by R. N. Blackburn.
Pedigree notes
Pocahontas is inbred 3x5 to 1927 English leading sire Buchan. She is out of 1951 Coaching Club American Oaks winner How, whose full sister Cherokee Rose won the 1954 Coaching Club American Oaks and is the second dam of 1971 American Horse of the Year Ack Ack, 1974 Futurity Stakes (USA-G1) winner Just the Time, and Grade 2 winner Delay. How is also a full sister to 1957 Spinaway Stakes winner Sequoia, dam of 1973 Santa Anita Derby (USA-G1) winner Sham (by Pretense) and 1971 San Bernardino Handicap winner Dendron and second dam of Grade 3 winner Top Competitor and 1972 Astarita Stakes winner Princess Doubleday.
How and her siblings were produced from The Squaw II (by Sickle), a half sister to 1947 Grand Prix de Paris winner Avenger (by Victrix). The Squaw II is also a half sister to Dynamite II (by Dogat), second dam of 1959 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes winner Toluene. The Squaw II's dam Minnewaska (by Blandford) is out of 1926 Cheveley Park Stakes winner Nipisiquit (by Buchan), also the dam of the good English stakes winner Raymond (by Gainsborough).
Fun facts
- In history, Pocahontas was the daughter of Powhatan, chief of the most powerful confederacy of Native American peoples living near the Jamestown settlement in Virginia. She married colonist John Rolfe and had one son by him, Thomas “Tom” Rolfe. She took the name “Rebecca” on her conversion to Christianity and was known as “Lady Rebecca” when she and her husband traveled to England in 1616. She died in Gravesend, England, in 1617.
- The American Pocahontas is the second of two notable broodmares to bear the name. The first, an English-bred daughter of Glencoe, was one of the greatest matrons of the 19th century and is most remembered for her trio of notable stallion sons: Stockwell, Rataplan and King Tom.
- The Pocahontas Stakes is a Grade 3 race for 2-year-old fillies at Churchill Downs. It was inaugurated in 1969.
Last updated: May 25, 2024