Sardanapale (FR)
1911 – November 1934
Prestige (FR) x Gemma (GB), by Florizel II (GB)
Family 16-c
1911 – November 1934
Prestige (FR) x Gemma (GB), by Florizel II (GB)
Family 16-c
Touted by his proud owner as “the best horse in the world” after the 1914 racing season, Sardanapale probably wasn't far from that. Although he had a close rival in the other top French colt of that year, La Farina, Sardanapale certainly answered every question that could be asked of a great horse. Quick enough to win over five furlongs at first asking, he stayed in top company as far as he was asked to go and showed as much heart and determination as could be desired. He could not race as an older horse because of the shutdown of French racing In 1915 and so retired at the end of his 3-year-old season, still sound in spite of his conformational flaws. Oddly, because of the ravages of World War I on the French bloodstock industry and economy, Sardanapale ended up wielding a surprising amount of his long-term influence in the United States rather than his native land, but he was also an important influence on European bloodlines.
Race record
16 starts, 11 wins, 3 seconds, 1 thirds
1913:
1914:
Honors
French champion 3-year-old male (1914; by some authorities, ranked as co-champion with La Farina)
Assessments:
Rated second among French juveniles of 1913 on the Handicap Optional.
As an individual
A bay horse, Sardanapale was long-backed, long-necked and bad-legged in front with short, upright pasterns and light bone. On the positive side, he had short cannons and was well-muscled, particularly through the gaskins.
As a stallion
Sardanapale led the French general sire list in 1922 and 1923 per Thoroughbred Heritage and in 1927 per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (Churchill, Reichard and Rogers); according to the latter reference, he was among the top 10 French general sires on four other occasions, including a third-place finish in 1923. He is believed to have led the French broodmare sire list twice (though official records were lacking in 1930-1939) and was the leading sire of steeplechasers in France in 1926. Nonetheless, for all his success, his rankings were gained more by numbers of moderate winners than by great runners. On the other side of the coin, many of his youngsters and broodmare daughters were imported to the United States by major breeders including William Woodward, Harry Payne Whitney and Colonel E. R. Bradley, removing their chances of adding to his reputation in Europe. Sardanapale is a Professional chef-de-race in the Roman dosage system.
Notable progeny
Ageraton (ITY), Akenaton (ITY), Apelle (ITY), Bahadur (FR), Barandilla (ARG), Dis Donc (FR), Doniazade (FR), Filante (FR), Fiterari (FR), Kant (FR), Zariba (FR)
Notable progeny of daughters
Barraqueno (ARG), Brokers Tip (USA)
Connections
Foaled in France at Haras de Champagne de Saint-Hilaire, Sardanapale was bred and owned by Baron Maurice de Rothschild. He was trained by James d'Okhuysen. The horse entered stud at the Baron's Chateau en Vexin in 1915 and moved to the Baron's Haras de la Fontaine near Alençon in 1926.
Pedigree notes
Sardanapale is outcrossed through five generations. A son of the unbeaten French champion Prestige, he was out of the temperamental Gemma, a juvenile stakes winner in England. She is a full sister to 1905 Two Thousand Guineas winner Vedas (by Florizel II) and is out of Agnostic (by Rosicrucian), another precocious juvenile. Agnostic's dam Bonnie Agnes (by Blair Athol) also showed ability as a 2-year-old in spite of being a rather coarse, common-looking animal but came up with an Oaks Stakes winner in Bonny Jean (by Macaroni), who won the 1883 edition of the filly Classic. Bonny Jean, in turn, produced Tressure (by Bend Or), who placed in both English Classics for fillies but never won a race.
Fun facts
Last updated: June 5, 2021
Race record
16 starts, 11 wins, 3 seconds, 1 thirds
1913:
- Won Prix Yacowlef (FR, 1000mT, Deauville)
- Won Prix Morny (FR, 1200mT, Deauville)
- Won Prix de Seine-et-Oise (FR, 1400mT, Maisons-Laffitte)
- 2nd Prix de la Foret (FR, 1400mT, Longchamp)
- 3rd Grand Criterium (FR, 1600mT, Longchamp)
1914:
- Won Prix Lagrange (FR, 2000mT, Maisons-Laffitte)
- Won Prix Hocquart (FR, 2400mT, Longchamp)
- Won Prix Miss Gladiator (FR, 2200mT, Maisons-Laffitte)
- Won Prix Hedouville (FR, 2000mT, Chantilly)
- Won Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) (FR, 2400mT, Chantilly)
- Won Grand Prix de Paris (FR, 3000mT, Longchamp)
- Won Prix du President de la Republique (FR, 2500mT, Maisons-Laffitte)
- Won Prix Eugene Adam (FR, 2000mT, Maisons-Laffitte)
- 2nd Prix Daru (FR, 2100mT, Longchamp)
- 2nd Prix Lupin (FR, 2100mT, Longchamp)
Honors
French champion 3-year-old male (1914; by some authorities, ranked as co-champion with La Farina)
Assessments:
Rated second among French juveniles of 1913 on the Handicap Optional.
As an individual
A bay horse, Sardanapale was long-backed, long-necked and bad-legged in front with short, upright pasterns and light bone. On the positive side, he had short cannons and was well-muscled, particularly through the gaskins.
As a stallion
Sardanapale led the French general sire list in 1922 and 1923 per Thoroughbred Heritage and in 1927 per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (Churchill, Reichard and Rogers); according to the latter reference, he was among the top 10 French general sires on four other occasions, including a third-place finish in 1923. He is believed to have led the French broodmare sire list twice (though official records were lacking in 1930-1939) and was the leading sire of steeplechasers in France in 1926. Nonetheless, for all his success, his rankings were gained more by numbers of moderate winners than by great runners. On the other side of the coin, many of his youngsters and broodmare daughters were imported to the United States by major breeders including William Woodward, Harry Payne Whitney and Colonel E. R. Bradley, removing their chances of adding to his reputation in Europe. Sardanapale is a Professional chef-de-race in the Roman dosage system.
Notable progeny
Ageraton (ITY), Akenaton (ITY), Apelle (ITY), Bahadur (FR), Barandilla (ARG), Dis Donc (FR), Doniazade (FR), Filante (FR), Fiterari (FR), Kant (FR), Zariba (FR)
Notable progeny of daughters
Barraqueno (ARG), Brokers Tip (USA)
Connections
Foaled in France at Haras de Champagne de Saint-Hilaire, Sardanapale was bred and owned by Baron Maurice de Rothschild. He was trained by James d'Okhuysen. The horse entered stud at the Baron's Chateau en Vexin in 1915 and moved to the Baron's Haras de la Fontaine near Alençon in 1926.
Pedigree notes
Sardanapale is outcrossed through five generations. A son of the unbeaten French champion Prestige, he was out of the temperamental Gemma, a juvenile stakes winner in England. She is a full sister to 1905 Two Thousand Guineas winner Vedas (by Florizel II) and is out of Agnostic (by Rosicrucian), another precocious juvenile. Agnostic's dam Bonnie Agnes (by Blair Athol) also showed ability as a 2-year-old in spite of being a rather coarse, common-looking animal but came up with an Oaks Stakes winner in Bonny Jean (by Macaroni), who won the 1883 edition of the filly Classic. Bonny Jean, in turn, produced Tressure (by Bend Or), who placed in both English Classics for fillies but never won a race.
Fun facts
- In music, Sardanapale was the title of an unfinished opera by Franz Liszt.
Last updated: June 5, 2021