Roberto (USA)
March 16, 1969 – August 2, 1988
Hail to Reason (USA) x Bramalea (USA), by Nashua (USA)
Family 12-c
March 16, 1969 – August 2, 1988
Hail to Reason (USA) x Bramalea (USA), by Nashua (USA)
Family 12-c
Roberto was not always willing to run, but when he was, he had top-class ability. The only horse to defeat the great Brigadier Gerard, he proved an even more valuable stallion than racehorse, perpetuating his own branch of the male line of Hail to Reason.
Race record
14 starts, 7 wins, 3 seconds, 0 thirds, US$339,902 (in converted foreign earnings)
1971:
1972:
1973:
Honors
Assessments
Highweighted at 140 pounds on the Madrid Free Handicap for Irish 2-year-olds of 1971, 8 pounds above a tie for second between Bog Road and Slady Castle.
Rated at 125 pounds on the French Free Handicap for 2-year-olds of 1971, 7 pounds below highweighted Hard to Beat.
Rated at 138 pounds on the English Free Handicap for 3-year-olds of 1972, 2 pounds below top-rated Deep Diver and tied with Rheingold for second.
Roberto earned Timeform ratings of 127 pounds at 2 and 131 pounds at 3 and 4.
As an individual
A bay horse, Roberto stood 16.1-1/2 hands. He was plain and workmanlike although well-made. He could handle any kind of footing but did not favor soft going although he won on it. He was moody and not always willing to give his best, reflecting the temperament of his dam Bramalea. He had a long, low stride and was a good mover but had rather suspect knees. As a stallion, he apparently had his fair share of the nasty temper often seen in members of his sire line.
As a stallion
Roberto was the leading freshman sire in both the United States and the United Kingdom in 1977. According to statistics kept by The Jockey Club, he sired 334 winners (65.9%) and 84 stakes winners (16.6%) from 507 named foals; Thoroughbred Times credits him with 85 stakes winners (16.8%), while The Blood-Horse shows Roberto to have sired 86 stakes winners (17.0%). His progeny were typically plain and had much of the tough temperament passed down from Hail to Reason but had good bone and stayed well. His colts were generally better than his fillies. Roberto is a Classic chef-de-race in the Roman-Miller dosage system.
Sire rankings
Per the American Racing Manual (Daily Racing Form) series:
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
Notable progeny
Al Mufti (USA), At Talaq (USA), Bob Back (USA), Brian's Time (USA), Capitol South (USA), Celestial Storm (USA), Driving Home (USA), Dynaformer (USA), Kris S. (USA), Lear Fan (USA), Plenty of Grace (USA), Real Shadai (USA), Red Ransom (USA), Robellino (USA), Silver Hawk (USA), Sookera (USA), Sunshine Forever (USA), Touching Wood (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Alpride (IRE), Amerique (USA), Blushing K. D. (USA), Commander in Chief (GB), Dushyantor (USA), Electronic Unicorn (USA), Elmaamul (USA), Furiously (USA), Gun Salute (USA), Istidaad (USA), Lucky Roberto (USA), Mariah's Storm (USA), Observatory (GB), Raintrap (GB), Reams of Verse (USA), So Factual (USA), Still in Love (JPN), Sunshack (GB), Tweedside (USA), Warning (GB), Yashmak (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Roberto was bred and owned by John W. Galbreath. He was trained by Vincent O'Brien. Syndicated at a valuation of US$3.2 million, Roberto entered stud at Galbreath's Darby Dan Farm in 1974. He died August 2, 1988, after suffering a skull fracture in a stall accident.
Pedigree notes
Roberto is inbred 4x4 to two-time English/Irish champion sire Nearco, an unbeaten champion on the race course, and 4x4 to 1929 American Horse of the Year Blue Larkspur. He is also inbred 5x4 to the influential broodmare Mumtaz Begum, 5x5x5 to English and French champion sire Pharos and the great broodmare Plucky Liege, and 5x5 to 1916 French and Spanish champion 3-year-old male and 1923 French champion sire Teddy. As is typical of many pedigrees constructed by Olin Gentry (farm manager for both Colonel Edward Riley Bradley's Idle Hour Farm and John Galbreath's Darby Dan Farm), he had full siblings paired in the fourth generation of his ancestry, in this case the brothers Sir Gallahad III and Bull Dog. He also had the closely related Nasrullah (by Nearco from Mumtaz Begum) and Royal Charger (by Nearco from a daughter of Mumtaz Begum) paired in the third generation.
Roberto is a full brother to Glorious Spring, dam of multiple Grade 3 winner Low Tolerance (by Proud Truth) and second dam of 1992 Spinaway Stakes (USA-G1) winner Family Enterprize (by Tri Jet), Grade 2 winners Kyle's Our Man and Aspen Rose and stakes winners Abbey Leix and Sazarac Jazz. His dam Bramalea won the 1962 Coaching Club American Oaks and is out of Rarelea (by Bull Lea), whose stakes-placed full sister Delta Queen produced the good stakes winners Apatontheback (by Olympia) and Advocator (by Round Table) and is the second dam of the good runner and sire Delta Judge and three other stakes winners. Rarelea is also a half sister to Blue Whirl (by Whirlaway), dam of stakes winner Dip and Whirl (by Big Dipper II). Rarelea's dam Bleebok (by Blue Larkspur) is a half sister to 1933 Kentucky Derby winner Brokers Tip and stakes winner Billionaire, both by Blue Larkspur's grandsire Black Toney.
Books and media
Fun facts
Last updated: April 22, 2023
Race record
14 starts, 7 wins, 3 seconds, 0 thirds, US$339,902 (in converted foreign earnings)
1971:
- Won National Stakes (IRE-G2, 7FT, The Curragh)
- Won Anglesey Stakes (IRE-G3, about 6.25FT, The Curragh)
1972:
- Won Derby Stakes (ENG-G1, 12FT, Epsom)
- Won Benson & Hedges Gold Cup Stakes (ENG-G1, about 10.5FT, York)
- Won Vauxhall Trial Stakes (IRE-G3, 7FT, Phoenix Park)
- 2nd Two Thousand Guineas (ENG-G1, 8FT, Newmarket)
- 2nd Prix Niel (FR-G3, 2200mT, Longchamp)
1973:
- Won Coronation Cup (ENG-G1, 12FT, Epsom)
- 2nd Nijinsky Stakes (IRE-G2, 10FT, Leopardstown)
Honors
- Irish champion 2-year-old male (1971)
- English champion 3-year-old male (1972)
Assessments
Highweighted at 140 pounds on the Madrid Free Handicap for Irish 2-year-olds of 1971, 8 pounds above a tie for second between Bog Road and Slady Castle.
Rated at 125 pounds on the French Free Handicap for 2-year-olds of 1971, 7 pounds below highweighted Hard to Beat.
Rated at 138 pounds on the English Free Handicap for 3-year-olds of 1972, 2 pounds below top-rated Deep Diver and tied with Rheingold for second.
Roberto earned Timeform ratings of 127 pounds at 2 and 131 pounds at 3 and 4.
As an individual
A bay horse, Roberto stood 16.1-1/2 hands. He was plain and workmanlike although well-made. He could handle any kind of footing but did not favor soft going although he won on it. He was moody and not always willing to give his best, reflecting the temperament of his dam Bramalea. He had a long, low stride and was a good mover but had rather suspect knees. As a stallion, he apparently had his fair share of the nasty temper often seen in members of his sire line.
As a stallion
Roberto was the leading freshman sire in both the United States and the United Kingdom in 1977. According to statistics kept by The Jockey Club, he sired 334 winners (65.9%) and 84 stakes winners (16.6%) from 507 named foals; Thoroughbred Times credits him with 85 stakes winners (16.8%), while The Blood-Horse shows Roberto to have sired 86 stakes winners (17.0%). His progeny were typically plain and had much of the tough temperament passed down from Hail to Reason but had good bone and stayed well. His colts were generally better than his fillies. Roberto is a Classic chef-de-race in the Roman-Miller dosage system.
Sire rankings
Per the American Racing Manual (Daily Racing Form) series:
- 3rd on the American general sire list in 1988.
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
- 4th on the American broodmare sire list in 1993; 7th in 1996 and 1997; 9th in 1995.
- 2nd on the combined English/Irish general sire list in 1982.
- 3rd on the combined English/Irish broodmare sire list in 1993; 5th in 1990, 1996, and 1997; 7th in 1988.
Notable progeny
Al Mufti (USA), At Talaq (USA), Bob Back (USA), Brian's Time (USA), Capitol South (USA), Celestial Storm (USA), Driving Home (USA), Dynaformer (USA), Kris S. (USA), Lear Fan (USA), Plenty of Grace (USA), Real Shadai (USA), Red Ransom (USA), Robellino (USA), Silver Hawk (USA), Sookera (USA), Sunshine Forever (USA), Touching Wood (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Alpride (IRE), Amerique (USA), Blushing K. D. (USA), Commander in Chief (GB), Dushyantor (USA), Electronic Unicorn (USA), Elmaamul (USA), Furiously (USA), Gun Salute (USA), Istidaad (USA), Lucky Roberto (USA), Mariah's Storm (USA), Observatory (GB), Raintrap (GB), Reams of Verse (USA), So Factual (USA), Still in Love (JPN), Sunshack (GB), Tweedside (USA), Warning (GB), Yashmak (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Roberto was bred and owned by John W. Galbreath. He was trained by Vincent O'Brien. Syndicated at a valuation of US$3.2 million, Roberto entered stud at Galbreath's Darby Dan Farm in 1974. He died August 2, 1988, after suffering a skull fracture in a stall accident.
Pedigree notes
Roberto is inbred 4x4 to two-time English/Irish champion sire Nearco, an unbeaten champion on the race course, and 4x4 to 1929 American Horse of the Year Blue Larkspur. He is also inbred 5x4 to the influential broodmare Mumtaz Begum, 5x5x5 to English and French champion sire Pharos and the great broodmare Plucky Liege, and 5x5 to 1916 French and Spanish champion 3-year-old male and 1923 French champion sire Teddy. As is typical of many pedigrees constructed by Olin Gentry (farm manager for both Colonel Edward Riley Bradley's Idle Hour Farm and John Galbreath's Darby Dan Farm), he had full siblings paired in the fourth generation of his ancestry, in this case the brothers Sir Gallahad III and Bull Dog. He also had the closely related Nasrullah (by Nearco from Mumtaz Begum) and Royal Charger (by Nearco from a daughter of Mumtaz Begum) paired in the third generation.
Roberto is a full brother to Glorious Spring, dam of multiple Grade 3 winner Low Tolerance (by Proud Truth) and second dam of 1992 Spinaway Stakes (USA-G1) winner Family Enterprize (by Tri Jet), Grade 2 winners Kyle's Our Man and Aspen Rose and stakes winners Abbey Leix and Sazarac Jazz. His dam Bramalea won the 1962 Coaching Club American Oaks and is out of Rarelea (by Bull Lea), whose stakes-placed full sister Delta Queen produced the good stakes winners Apatontheback (by Olympia) and Advocator (by Round Table) and is the second dam of the good runner and sire Delta Judge and three other stakes winners. Rarelea is also a half sister to Blue Whirl (by Whirlaway), dam of stakes winner Dip and Whirl (by Big Dipper II). Rarelea's dam Bleebok (by Blue Larkspur) is a half sister to 1933 Kentucky Derby winner Brokers Tip and stakes winner Billionaire, both by Blue Larkspur's grandsire Black Toney.
Books and media
- Roberto is profiled in Chapter 29 of Sir Charles Leicester's Bloodstock Breeding (2nd ed.) (1983, J. Allen & Co. Ltd, with revisions and updates by Howard Wright).
- Roberto is one of 75 stallions profiled in Tony Morris' Thoroughbred Stallions (1990, The Crowood Press).
- Roberto is profiled in connection with his sire Hail to Reason in Part III of Edward Bowen's Dynasties: Great Thoroughbred Stallions (2000, The Blood-Horse).
- Roberto is one of 205 stallions whose accomplishments at stud are profiled in Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, The Australian Bloodhorse Review), a massive reference work written by Jennifer Churchill, Andrew Reichard and Byron Rogers.
Fun facts
- Roberto was named for Puerto-Rican born baseball Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente, a star right fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates who was tragically killed while flying to Nicaragua with relief aid following the 1972 Managua earthquake.
- Roberto's victory in the 1972 Derby Stakes, coupled with Chateaugay's victory in the 1962 Kentucky Derby, made John Galbreath the first person to breed and own winners of both races.
- During his racing career, Roberto never won on a course with right-hand turns or bends.
Last updated: April 22, 2023