Quill (horse)

Won Gardenia Stakes (USA, 8.5FD, Garden State)
Won Matron Stakes (USA, 6FD, Belmont)
3rd Spinaway Stakes (USA, 6FD, Saratoga)
3rd Schuylerville Stakes (USA, 5.5FD, Saratoga)

1959:

Won Acorn Stakes (USA, 8FD, Belmont)
Won Mother Goose Stakes (USA, 9FD, Belmont)
2nd Coaching Club American Oaks (USA, 10FD, Belmont)

1960:

Won Delaware Handicap (USA, 10FD, Delaware)
Won New Castle Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Delaware)
2nd Top Flight Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Belmont)
2nd Diana Handicap (USA, 9FD, Saratoga)
2nd Molly Pitcher Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Monmouth)

Honors

American champion 2-year-old filly (1958)

Assessments

Rated at 117 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles, 2 pounds above the second-rated fillies, Dark Vintage and Khalita.

Rated at 122 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old fillies of 1959, 4 pounds below co-highweights Silver Spoon (an official co-champion in the division) and High Bid.

Rated at 126 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older females of 1960, 2 pounds below champion Royal Native but second overall.

As an individual

A small, short-coupled, well-balanced chestnut filly, Quill had the rough ankles and tendency toward osselets typical of the progeny of her dam but otherwise had clean, correct forelegs with short cannons. She had a good, straight hind leg and broad hips. She was temperamental and not inclined to work in the mornings. She was a good doer. She preferred to come from off the pace in her races.

As a producer

Designated as a Reine-de-Course by pedigree analyst Ellen Parker, Quill produced 11 named foals, of which seven started and four won. Her important foals are as follow:

First Feather (1963, by First Landing) won four of her 22 starts. She is the dam of 1971 American champion turf horse Run the Gantlet (by Tom Rolfe), 1972 Everglades Stakes winner Head of the River (by Crewman), multiple Grade 3 winner Music of Time (by Northern Dancer), and listed stakes winner Lightning Leap (by Nijinsky II). She is the second dam of 1986 Man o’ War Stakes (USA-G1) winner Dance of Life and English Group 2 winner English Spring and is also the third dam of South African Group 2 winner Moroccan and Grade/Group 3 winners Espinosa, Fragrant Hill, and Timeless Answer.
Twill (1964, by Swaps) was unplaced in her only start. She is the second dam of 1986 Arlington Classic Stakes (USA-G1) winner Sumptious.
One for All (1966, by Northern Dancer) was the Canadian champion turf horse of 1971. According to The Jockey Club’s records, he sired 30 stakes winners from 503 named foals, headed by Grade/Group 1 winners Agent Double, Bring out the Band, and The Very One.
Shill (1970, by Buckpasser) never raced but is the dam of 1976 Japanese champion 2-year-old male Maruzensky (by Nijinsky II). She is also the third dam of Japanese Group 3 winner Let’s Go Kirishima.
Caucasus (1972, by Nijinsky II) won three Grade/Group 1 stakes including the 1975 Irish St. Leger. According to The Jockey Club’s records, he sired 15 stakes winners from 355 named foals, headed by 1985 Canadian champion older female Lake Country and 1985 Ladies’ Handicap (USA-G1) winner Videogenic.
Euryanthe (1975, by Nijinsky II) never raced but is the dam of 1992 Stephen Foster Handicap (USA-G2) winner Barkerville (by Mr. Prospector; a sire of some importance in Chile), 1982 Prix d’Aumale (FR-G3) winner Air Distingue (by Sir Ivor), and 1983 Prix d’Aumale (FR-G3) winner Eastern Dawn (by Damascus). She is the second dam of 1995 Dubai Poule d’Essai des Poulains (French Two Thousand Guineas, FR-G1) winner Vettori and multiple Grade 2 winner Hero’s Tribute. She is also the third dam of 2007 Uruguayan champion 3-year-old filly Ancona.
Last Feather (1979, by Vaguely Noble) won the 1982 Musidora Stakes (ENG-G3) and ran third in that year’s Oaks Stakes (ENG-G1). She is the dam of multiple listed stakes winners Ruznama (by Forty Niner) and Precious Feather (by Gone West). She is also the second dam of 2010 American champion 2-year-old filly Awesome Feather and the third dam of 2013 Gran Premio Provincia de Buenos Aires (ARG-G1) winner Bajista and multiple Argentine Group 2 winner Belarusa.

Connections

Foaled in Kentucky, Quill was bred and owned by Reginald N. Webster. She was trained by Lucien Laurin. Following her racing career, she was sold privately to the partnership of E. V. Benjamin Jr. and E. V. Benjamin III, who are the breeders of record for her first two foals; her next two were bred by the partnership of E. V. Benjamin III and Jonabell Farm. In 1967, Quill was sent to the Saratoga mixed sale and sold for US$365,000, a price that was then a record for a horse of any age. The buyer was Charles Englehard, and Quill’s next four foals were bred by his Cragwood Estate. The mare then passed to the ownership of Engelhard’s widow Jane (née Reiss), who bred two more fillies from her. Quill’s final owner was Dr. Morgan Brosnan.

Pedigree notes

Quill is inbred 5x5 to 1896 Derby Stakes winner and four-time English/Irish champion sire Persimmon. She is a full sister to Quilting, dam of multiple juvenile stakes winner Hunka Papa (by Dr. Fager) and second dam of 1990 Donn Handicap (USA-G1) winner Primal. She is a half sister to 1961 Narragansett Special Handicap winner Count Amber (by Ambiorix) and to 1956 Frizette Stakes winner Capelet (by Bolero), dam of 1963 Hopeful Stakes winner Traffic (by Traffic Judge) and second dam of 1975 Santa Barbara Handicap (USA-G1) winner Gay Style, 1992 Oak Leaf Stakes (USA-G1) winner Zoonaqua, and Grade 3 winner Royal Suite. Capelet is also the third dam of 1993 Panamanian Horse of the Year El Catedratico; 1983 Alabama Stakes (USA-G1) winner Spit Curl; Group 2 winners Air Marshall, Secret Haunt, and Tokai Trick; and Grade/Group 3 winners Break Bread, Diver, Elegance, and Smart Style. Returning to Quill, she is also a half sister to stakes winner Sorceress (by Slide Rule) and to Noble Touch (by Crafty Admiral), second dam of multiple Grade 3 winner Island Charm and third dam of 1983 Demoiselle Stakes (USA-G1) winner Qualique and French Group 2 winner Nerio.

Quill and her siblings are out of the winning Count Fleet mare Quick Touch, whose dam Alms (by 1931 Whitney Stakes winner St. Brideaux) won the 1939 Pimlico Oaks and is a half sister to 1931 American Horse of the Year Twenty Grand (by St. Brideaux’s sire St. Germans). The next dam in Quill’s tail-female line, Bonus (by the Persimmon horse All Gold), is a stakes-placed half sister to 1930 Clark Handicap winner Stars and Bars (by Pennant) and Canadian stakes winner Token (by Pennant). Produced from Remembrance (by Hamburg or Broomstick), Bonus is also a half sister to Wendy (by Peter Pan), dam of 1929 Gazelle Stakes winner March Hare (by Mad Hatter), multiple stakes winner Elf (by Chicle), and juvenile stakes winner Zelide (by Mad Hatter); to Memento (by Pennant), dam of 1931 New Orleans Handicap winner Jimmy Moran (by Lucky Hour), 1937 Rockingham Park Handicap winner Memory Book (by St. Germans), and stakes winner Bring Back (by Memory Lane); and to Afterthought (by Mad Hatter), dam of claiming stakes winner Reminding (by St. Germans).

Fun facts

Reginald Webster was lucky to keep Quill’s dam Quick Touch, as she had been claimed away from him in a race. The claim was disallowed by the racing secretary on the grounds that the claim slip had been improperly filled out, and Webster retained the mare.
Quill was a reverse case of “a horse for a course,” as she consistently ran worse at Saratoga than anywhere else.
Quill was the first champion trained by Lucien Laurin, a member of the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame who later trained the immortal Secretariat and multiple champion Riva Ridge.
Quill’s first foal, First Feather, brought a world record of US$90,000 for a Thoroughbred filly sold at public auction when she went through the Saratoga yearling sales in 1964.

Last updated: November 26, 2021