Princess Doreen failed to score in her first five starts at any level and only got her first stakes win when apparent winner Glide was disqualified for interference in the Kentucky Oaks. But from there, the Princess developed into one of the great race mares of American history, beating males repeatedly and winning under weights of up to 133 pounds. She was much less successful as a broodmare but is the ancestress of another tough mare in 1989 American champion turf female Brown Bess.
Race record
94 starts, 34 wins, 15 seconds, 17 thirds, US$174,745
1923:
1924:
1925:
1926:
1927:
Honors
Assessments
In a poll of the American Trainers Association conducted by Delaware Park in 1955, Princess Doreen was ranked the eighth best race mare in American racing history.
As an individual
A bay filly, Princess Doreen was short-coupled and had an exceptionally deep girth. She had a long hip, a sloping croup and clean legs. She was generally better in the second half of the year than in the spring and early summer.
As a producer
Princess Doreen produced eight foals. All started and four won. Her important foals are as follow:
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Princess Doreen was bred by John E. Madden. She was owned by B. B. and Montfort Jones, who raced her in the name of their Audley Farm Stable. She was trained by Kay Spence and was ridden in both the Kentucky Oaks and the Coaching Club American Oaks by Harry Stutts.
Pedigree notes
Princess Doreen is outcrossed through five generations. She is a half sister to the stakes-winning steeplechaser Word of Honor (by Ormondale). Her dam Lady Doreen is a full sister to 1908 American champion 2-year-old male Sir Martin and a half sister to 1919 American Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year Sir Barton (by Star Shoot).
Lady Sterling, the dam of Lady Doreen and her siblings, is by Hanover out of English-bred Aquila, an unraced daughter of Sterling who produced nothing else of any note. The next dam in the tail-female line, Eagle (by four-time Argentine champion sire Phoenix, who sired Eagle prior to export), was produced from the See Saw mare Au Revoir, whose half sister Ante Diem (by Musket) founded an important family in Argentina.
Books and media
Princess Doreen is profiled in Chapter 5 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
Photo credit
Princess Doreen, J. McTague up, undated. Charles C. Cook photo. From the private collection of Dale Wyatt, from a negative held by the Keeneland Library Cook Collection; used by permission. Please contact the Keeneland Library with any questions regarding use or licensure of this photo.
Last updated: May 9, 2023
Race record
94 starts, 34 wins, 15 seconds, 17 thirds, US$174,745
1923:
- 2nd Fort Thomas Handicap (USA, 6FD, Latonia)
- 3rd Matron Stakes (USA, 6FD, Belmont)
1924:
- Won Kentucky Oaks (USA, 9FD, Churchill Downs; by disqualification of Glide)
- Won Coaching Club American Oaks (USA, 11FD, Belmont)
- Won Labor Day Handicap (USA, 10FD, Hawthorne)
- Won Covington Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Latonia)
- Won Falls City Handicaps (USA, 9FD, Churchill Down)
- 2nd Latonia Oaks (USA, 10FD, Latonia)
- 2nd Alabama Stakes (USA, 10FD, Saratoga)
- 2nd Chicago Special (USA, 9.5FD, Hawthorne)
- 2nd Prince George Handicap (USA, 9FD, Bowie)
- 2nd G. D. Bryan Memorial Handicap (USA, 8FD, Bowie)
1925:
- Won Independence Handicap (USA, 9.5FD, Latonia)
- Won Cincinnati Times-Star Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Cincinnati)
- Won Commercial Tribune Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Cincinnati)
- Won Western Hills Handicap (USA, 9.5FD, Cincinnati)
- Won Cincinnati Enquirer Handicap (USA, 9FD, Cincinnati)
- Won Covington Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Latonia)
- Won Autumn Handicap (USA, 6FD, Latonia)
- Won Bowie Handicap (USA, 12FD, Pimlico)
- 2nd Thanksgiving Handicap (USA, 9.5FD, Bowie)
- 3rd Harford Handicap (USA, 6FD, Havre de Grace)
- 3rd Grainger Memorial Handicap (USA, 10FD, Churchill Downs)
- 3rd Inaugural Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Latonia)
- 3rd Enquirer Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Latonia)
- 3rd Flint Stone Memorial Handicap (USA, 8FD, Thistledown)
- 3rd Chicago Special (USA, 9.5FD, Hawthorne)
- 3rd Pimlico Cup Handicap (USA, 18FD, Pimlico)
- 3rd G. D. Bryan Memorial Handicap (USA, 8FD, Bowie)
1926:
- Won Inaugural Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Latonia)
- Won Saratoga Handicap (USA, 10FD, Saratoga)
- 2nd Grainger Memorial Handicap (USA, 10FD, Churchill Downs)
- 2nd Independence Handicap (USA, 9.5FD, Latonia)
- 3rd Saratoga Cup (USA, 14FD, Saratoga)
- 3rd Bowie Handicap (USA, 12FD, Pimlico)
- 3rd Pimlico Serial Weight-For-Age #3 (USA, 9FD, Pimlico)
- 3rd Pimlico Cup Handicap (USA, 18FD, Pimlico)
1927:
- Won Independence Handicap (USA, 9.5FD, Latonia)
- Won Greater Chicago Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Hawthorne)
- 2nd Hotel Statler Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Fairmount Park)
- 3rd Lincoln Handicap (USA, 10FD, Lincoln Fields)
- 3rd Oak Park Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Hawthorne)
Honors
- National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (inducted in 1982)
- American co-champion 3-year-old filly (1924)
- American champion handicap female (1925, 1926)
Assessments
In a poll of the American Trainers Association conducted by Delaware Park in 1955, Princess Doreen was ranked the eighth best race mare in American racing history.
As an individual
A bay filly, Princess Doreen was short-coupled and had an exceptionally deep girth. She had a long hip, a sloping croup and clean legs. She was generally better in the second half of the year than in the spring and early summer.
As a producer
Princess Doreen produced eight foals. All started and four won. Her important foals are as follow:
- Miss Doreen (1942, by Pilate) won the 1948 Santa Margarita Handicap. She is the dam of 1954 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes and 1955 Everglades Stakes winner Prince Noor (by Noor) and of Noordeen (by Noor), dam of stakes winners Copying (by Warfare), Bold Noordeen (by Bold Reason) and Northern Flag (by Tom Rolfe).
- Duchess Doreen (1943, by Pilate) is the dam of multiple stakes winner Arracado (by Ajax), the second dam of multiple stakes winner Greta and the third dam of 1989 American champion turf female Brown Bess.
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Princess Doreen was bred by John E. Madden. She was owned by B. B. and Montfort Jones, who raced her in the name of their Audley Farm Stable. She was trained by Kay Spence and was ridden in both the Kentucky Oaks and the Coaching Club American Oaks by Harry Stutts.
Pedigree notes
Princess Doreen is outcrossed through five generations. She is a half sister to the stakes-winning steeplechaser Word of Honor (by Ormondale). Her dam Lady Doreen is a full sister to 1908 American champion 2-year-old male Sir Martin and a half sister to 1919 American Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year Sir Barton (by Star Shoot).
Lady Sterling, the dam of Lady Doreen and her siblings, is by Hanover out of English-bred Aquila, an unraced daughter of Sterling who produced nothing else of any note. The next dam in the tail-female line, Eagle (by four-time Argentine champion sire Phoenix, who sired Eagle prior to export), was produced from the See Saw mare Au Revoir, whose half sister Ante Diem (by Musket) founded an important family in Argentina.
Books and media
Princess Doreen is profiled in Chapter 5 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
- Princess Doreen was the first and to date only Kentucky Oaks winner to win the race by disqualification.
- Princess Doreen was the first of two Kentucky Oaks winners owned by Audley Farms Stable and trained by Kay Spence. The other was 1928 victress Easter Stockings, the best runner sired by Sir Barton.
- Princess Doreen was the first filly to complete the Kentucky Oaks/Coaching Club American Oaks double. The double has been accomplished since then by Wistful (1949), How (1951), Real Delight (1952), Dark Mirage (1968), Davona Dale (1979), Bold 'n Determined (1980), Goodbye Halo (1988), Open Mind (1989), Lite Light (1991), Ashado (2004), Princess of Sylmar (2013), and Abel Tasman.
- Princess Doreen was the world's leading money-winning Thoroughbred filly or mare at the time of her retirement.
- Princess Doreen was the earliest Kentucky Oaks winner to be inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame.
- The streets of Lexington, Kentucky, include a Princess Doreen Drive named in the great mare's honor.
- The Jockey Club permitted the name “Princess Doreen” to be reused for one of the Princess' own great-granddaughters, a 1968 daughter of Journalist. Perhaps fortunately for future students of pedigrees and racing history, the Journalist filly failed to achieve any note as a racer or broodmare.
Photo credit
Princess Doreen, J. McTague up, undated. Charles C. Cook photo. From the private collection of Dale Wyatt, from a negative held by the Keeneland Library Cook Collection; used by permission. Please contact the Keeneland Library with any questions regarding use or licensure of this photo.
Last updated: May 9, 2023