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Questionnaire (USA)

1927 – August 25, 1950

Sting (USA) x Miss Puzzle (USA), by Disguise (USA)

Family 2-o

Picture
Used by permission of Quarter Horse Record (Susan Larkin).
A versatile horse who showed high-class form from 6 to 13 furlongs, Questionnaire was unfortunate to have come along in the same year as 1930 American Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox. He was perhaps even more unfortunate in that hard campaigns at 2 and 3 took their toll on his durability, as he was able to make only 7 starts all told at 4 and 5, though he won six of those and was beaten only a neck in the other. He retired from racing after finishing unplaced three times at 6. In spite of his rather offbeat pedigree, he proved a good sire and managed to continue the male line of 1898 Kentucky Derby winner Plaudit through his son Free For All.


Race record

45 starts, 19 wins, 8 seconds, 4 thirds, US$89,611


1929:
  • 2nd Ardsley Handicap (USA, 8F+70yD, Empire City)
  • 2nd Whirl Stakes (USA)

1930:
  • Won Broadway Handicap (USA, Aqueduct)
  • Won Empire City Derby (USA, 10FD, Empire City)
  • Won Mount Kisco Stakes (USA, Empire City)
  • Won Scarsdale Handicap (USA, 8F+70yD, Empire City)
  • Won Twin City Handicap (USA, 10FD, Belmont)
  • Won Vernon Handicap (USA, Empire City)
  • Won Yonkers Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Empire City)
  • Won Yorktown Handicap (USA, 9FD, Empire City)
  • 2nd Lawrence Realization (USA, 13FD, Belmont)
  • 2nd Edgemere Handicap (USA, 9FD, Aqueduct)
  • 3rd Belmont Stakes (USA, 12FD, Belmont)
  • 3rd Swift Stakes (USA, 7FD, Belmont)
  • 3rd Jerome Handicap (USA, 8FD, Belmont)
  • 3rd Metropolitan Handicap (USA, 8FD, Belmont)

1931:
  • Won Brooklyn Handicap (USA, 9FD, Aqueduct)
  • Won Empire City Handicap (USA, 10FD, Empire City)
  • Won Metropolitan Handicap (USA, 8FD, Belmont)
  • 2nd Suburban Handicap (USA, 10FD, Belmont)

1932:
  • Won Kings County Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Jamaica)
  • Won Paumonok Handicap (USA, 6FD, Jamaica)


Assessments

Ranked third among American 3-year-old males of 1930 by The Blood-Horse.

Ranked second among American older males of 1931 by The Blood-Horse.


As an individual

A bay, Questionnaire was slow to find his best form and improved dramatically as he matured. He was a plain, good-legged horse with short cannons and a good shoulder and hip. He was somewhat sickle-hocked and tended to transmit this fault. He also tended to transmit a long barrel.


As a stallion

Questionnaire finished among the top 10 American general sires five times, peaking at seventh in 1942 and 1944. He sired 194 winners (70.0%) and 24 stakes winners (8.7%) from 277 named foals according to records kept by The Jockey Club. As might be expected from his own race record, his progeny tended to improve with age and distance.


Notable progeny

Free For All (USA), Hash (USA), Requested (USA), Stefanita (USA)


Connections

Foaled in New York, Questionnaire was bred and owned by James Butler, a grocery tycoon who owned the Empire City race track. He was trained by Andy Schuttinger at 2 and 3. Following his racing career, Questionnaire was sold to Kentucky's Greentree Stud and stood there throughout his stud career. He died of colic in August 1950.


Pedigree notes

Questionnaire is inbred 5x4 to 1893 American Horse of the Year Domino and 5x4 to Domino's sire Himyar, who was American champion sire in 1893. He is a half brother to multiple sprint stakes winner Pique (by Sting's sire Spur) and to juvenile stakes winner Charade (by Vulcain). He is also a half brother to Curio (by Pebbles), second dam of 1937 Havre de Grace Handicap winner Eagle Pass and 1951 Paumonok Handicap winner Ferd.

Questionnaire and his siblings are out of the minor stakes winner Miss Puzzle, a tough daughter of the good Domino horse Disguise and a half sister to Topaz (by Uncle), second dam of 1934 American champion 2-year-old filly Mata Hari and third dam of 1945 Arlington Futurity winner Spy Song, a good sire. Her dam Ruby Nethersole (by Star Ruby) is a half sister to multiple juvenile stakes winner Bulse (by Disguise) and is out of Nethersole (by Tournament), a half sister to juvenile stakes winner Footpad (by Disguise). The next dam in Questionnaire's tail-female line, Fairy Slipper (by St. Serf) is a half sister to 1907 American champion 3-year-old male Peter Pan (by Commando) and stakes winner Von Tromp (by Ben Brush).


Books and media

Questionnaire is profiled in Chapter 70 of Abram S. Hewitt's Sire Lines (1977, The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association; updated and re-released by Eclipse Press in 2006).





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