Sly Pola (USA)
March 18, 1957 – After Spring 1981
Spy Song (USA) x Ampola (USA), by Pavot (USA)
Family 16-c
March 18, 1957 – After Spring 1981
Spy Song (USA) x Ampola (USA), by Pavot (USA)
Family 16-c
A half sister to the influential producer Polamia, Sly Pola was an even better race mare. Although she was not a top broodmare based on her own production record, her tail-female line continues to provide a dash of speed and brilliance to Thoroughbred pedigrees around the world, primarily through her influential daughter Green Valley II.
Race record
10 starts, 5 wins, 2 seconds, 1 third, US$38,691 (converted from French earnings)
1959:
1960:
Assessments
Rated second among 2-year-old fillies on the Handicap Optional for French juveniles of 1959.
As an individual
Sly Pola was a brilliantly quick, precocious chestnut mare. Unlike her half sister Polamia, she trained on fairly well at 3 although she remained a pure sprinter.
As a producer
Designated as a Reine-de-Course by pedigree analyst Ellen Parker, Sly Pola produced 10 named foals, of which eight started and seven won. Her important foals were as follow:
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Sly Pola was bred and owned by Gertrude Widener. She was trained by Etienne Pollet. Following her racing career, Sly Pola became a broodmare at Mrs. Widener's Haras du Mesnil. Jean Couturie acquired the mare after Mrs. Widener dispersed her stock in 1968, and Sly Pola's foals of 1971-1978 were bred by Couturie or his wife Elisabeth, most in partnership with E. W. Wetherill. Sly Pola's 1979 foal, Raisine Kerovial, was bred by Adrien Nicolas, but the mare's final foal, the 1981 filly Polaregina, was bred by Madame Couturie in partnership with Wetherill's wife Ella.
Pedigree notes
Sly Pola is inbred 3x5 to Black Toney, 4x4x4 to Man o' War and 4x5 to North Star III. She is a half sister to the very quick Polamia (by Mahmoud) who won the 1957 Prix de Bois and produced five stakes winners including 1964 French champion 2-year-old male Grey Dawn II (by Herbager; a very good sire), 1966 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French One Thousand Guineas) winner Right Away (by Right Royal II; dam of stakes winner Timmy's Way and second dam of French Group 2 winners High Sierra and Garde Royale), and 1968 Prix La Rochette winner Mia Pola (by Relko). Through Mia Pola, Polamia is the ancestress of 1995 European Horse of the Year Dream Well and Grade/Group 1 winners Super Sheila, Metamorphose, and Sulamani. Sly Pola is also a half sister to Takawalk (by Native Dancer), winner of the 1963 Prix La Rochette.
Sly Pola was produced from Ampola (by Pavot), a winning half sister to six stakes winners produced from the Blue Larkspur mare Blue Denim. The sibling group includes 1958 Travers Stakes winner Piano Jim (by Bernborough); multiple English stakes winner Blue Prince (by Princequillo); multiple American stakes winners Tahiti (by Polynesian), Green Baize (by Case Ace), and Suleiman (by Mahmoud); and the good steeplechaser Policeman Day (by Challedon). Ampola is also a half sister to Lighter (by Coastal Traffic), dam of multiple stakes producers Barge (by Curandero) and Sunny Morning (by Amber Morn); to Sail Cloth (by War Admiral); dam of multiple stakes winners Mainsheet (by Alycidon) and First Mate (by Limelight); to Dungaree (by Princequillo), dam of 1970 Amory L. Haskell Handicap and Hawthorne Gold Cup winner Gladwin (by First Landing); and to Coque Blue (by Daumier), dam of Canadian stakes winner Moonreindeer (by Dark Star).
Last updated: December 21, 2023
Race record
10 starts, 5 wins, 2 seconds, 1 third, US$38,691 (converted from French earnings)
1959:
- Won Prix Robert Papin (FR, 1200mT, Maisons-Laffitte)
- Won Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp (FR, 1000mT, Longchamp)
- 2nd Prix du Petit Couvert (FR, 1000mT, Longchamp)
- 2nd Prix du Bois (FR, 1000mT, Longchamp)
1960:
- Won Prix de la Grotte (FR, 1400mT, Longchamp)
- Won Prix du Gros Chene (FR, 1000mT, Chantilly)
- 3rd Prix Pourtales (FR, Longchamp)
Assessments
Rated second among 2-year-old fillies on the Handicap Optional for French juveniles of 1959.
As an individual
Sly Pola was a brilliantly quick, precocious chestnut mare. Unlike her half sister Polamia, she trained on fairly well at 3 although she remained a pure sprinter.
As a producer
Designated as a Reine-de-Course by pedigree analyst Ellen Parker, Sly Pola produced 10 named foals, of which eight started and seven won. Her important foals were as follow:
- Green Herb (1964, by Herbager) won the 1967 Prix Pourtales.
- Foxy One (1966, by Sanctus) is the second dam of 1985 Norsk Oaks (NOR-G1) winner Sangelin.
- Green Valley II (1967, by Val de Loir) never raced but produced six stakes winners. The best of the group was 1991 French champion sire Green Dancer (by Nijinsky II), the second-rated juvenile male in England and France in 1974 and winner of the 1975 Poule d'Essai des Poulains (FR-G1). Green Valley II is also the second dam of 1995 European champion 2-year-old male Alhaarth and the third dam of 2000 French champion 2-year-old male Okavango.
- El Palomar (1971, by Le Mesnil) produced 1979 Italian champion 2-year-old male Pareo (by Armos), who trained on to win the Gran Premio d'Italia (ITY-G1) as a 3-year-old. She is also the dam of Madame's Gift (by Roybet) and Merci Madame (by English Prince), both multiple stakes producers in India.
- Pola de Raggia (1973, by River Peace) is the third dam of 2003 Prix Maurice de Gheest (FR-I) winner Porlezza.
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Sly Pola was bred and owned by Gertrude Widener. She was trained by Etienne Pollet. Following her racing career, Sly Pola became a broodmare at Mrs. Widener's Haras du Mesnil. Jean Couturie acquired the mare after Mrs. Widener dispersed her stock in 1968, and Sly Pola's foals of 1971-1978 were bred by Couturie or his wife Elisabeth, most in partnership with E. W. Wetherill. Sly Pola's 1979 foal, Raisine Kerovial, was bred by Adrien Nicolas, but the mare's final foal, the 1981 filly Polaregina, was bred by Madame Couturie in partnership with Wetherill's wife Ella.
Pedigree notes
Sly Pola is inbred 3x5 to Black Toney, 4x4x4 to Man o' War and 4x5 to North Star III. She is a half sister to the very quick Polamia (by Mahmoud) who won the 1957 Prix de Bois and produced five stakes winners including 1964 French champion 2-year-old male Grey Dawn II (by Herbager; a very good sire), 1966 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French One Thousand Guineas) winner Right Away (by Right Royal II; dam of stakes winner Timmy's Way and second dam of French Group 2 winners High Sierra and Garde Royale), and 1968 Prix La Rochette winner Mia Pola (by Relko). Through Mia Pola, Polamia is the ancestress of 1995 European Horse of the Year Dream Well and Grade/Group 1 winners Super Sheila, Metamorphose, and Sulamani. Sly Pola is also a half sister to Takawalk (by Native Dancer), winner of the 1963 Prix La Rochette.
Sly Pola was produced from Ampola (by Pavot), a winning half sister to six stakes winners produced from the Blue Larkspur mare Blue Denim. The sibling group includes 1958 Travers Stakes winner Piano Jim (by Bernborough); multiple English stakes winner Blue Prince (by Princequillo); multiple American stakes winners Tahiti (by Polynesian), Green Baize (by Case Ace), and Suleiman (by Mahmoud); and the good steeplechaser Policeman Day (by Challedon). Ampola is also a half sister to Lighter (by Coastal Traffic), dam of multiple stakes producers Barge (by Curandero) and Sunny Morning (by Amber Morn); to Sail Cloth (by War Admiral); dam of multiple stakes winners Mainsheet (by Alycidon) and First Mate (by Limelight); to Dungaree (by Princequillo), dam of 1970 Amory L. Haskell Handicap and Hawthorne Gold Cup winner Gladwin (by First Landing); and to Coque Blue (by Daumier), dam of Canadian stakes winner Moonreindeer (by Dark Star).
Last updated: December 21, 2023