Suntica is not much remembered today, but on her record she was probably the second-best American 3-year-old filly of 1932 behind two-time champion Top Flight, who never lost a race to a member of her own sex. As a broodmare Suntica did fairly well. Her female family endures through the descendants of her daughter Gino Patty.
Race record
23 starts, 12 wins, 3 seconds, 2 thirds, US$31,345
1931:
1932:
As an individual
A bay mare, Suntica was well-muscled but not blocky and had good rein length. She was considered one of the speediest fillies of her time.
As a producer
Suntica produced eight foals, of which five started and four won. Her important foals are as follow:
Connections
Suntica was bred and owned by Willis Sharpe Kilmer. She was owned by Kilmer's widow after his death. After Suntica's death in 1947, she was buried next to her sire Sun Briar and the great Exterminator in the Whispering Pines Pet Cemetery near Binghamton, New York.
Pedigree notes
Suntica is inbred 4x5 to the noted speed sire Springfield and Sanda through the full sister and brother Sierra and Sainfoin. She is also inbred 4x5 to nine-time English champion sire St. Simon and 5x4x5 to 1880 Derby Stakes winner Bend Or. She is a half sister to multiple stakes winners Starpatic (by Star Master) and Try Sympathy (by Tryster). She is also a half sister to Beausympathy (by Sun Beau), dam of stakes winner Mr. Fox (by Chrysler II), and to Larkar (by Sun Beau), dam of stakes winner Weathercock (by Challenger II).
Suntica was produced from Simpatica, a half sister to 1921 Maryland Handicap winner Copper Demon (by Ormondale) and to Early Rose (by Star Shoot), dam of 1921 Gazelle Stakes winner Banksia (by His Majesty) and minor stakes winner Pinard (by His Majesty) and third dam of 1948 Kentucky Oaks winner Challe Anne. Simpatica is also a half sister to Sweet Brier (by Star Shoot), dam of 1929 Latonia Cup winner Ben Machree (by Man o War's full brother Playfellow) and 1926 Toronto Cup Handicap winner Joy Smoke (by Sir Martin), and to Star Class (by Star Shoot), dam of multiple stakes winner McAuliffe (by Spanish Prince II) and the good sprinter Preeminent (by Supremus).
Simpatica is out of the stakes-winning Ogden mare Lady Bedford, who was produced from the Hanover mare Matanza. The next dam in the tail-female line is the Alarm mare The Niece, dam of the good juvenile and sire Uncle (by Star Shoot) and a half sister to 1888 American co-champion 3-year-old male and 1901 American champion sire Sir Dixon (by Billet).
Books and media
Suntica is profiled in Chapter 6 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
Photo credit
Photographer unknown. From the private collection of Dale Wyatt; used by permission.
Last updated: November 12, 2022
Race record
23 starts, 12 wins, 3 seconds, 2 thirds, US$31,345
1931:
- Won Autumn Junior H. (USA)
1932:
- Won Kentucky Oaks (USA, 9FD, Churchill Downs)
- Won Illinois Oaks (USA, 9FD, Washington Park)
- Won Latonia Oaks (USA, 10FD, Latonia)
- Won Test Stakes (USA, 7FD, Saratoga)
As an individual
A bay mare, Suntica was well-muscled but not blocky and had good rein length. She was considered one of the speediest fillies of her time.
As a producer
Suntica produced eight foals, of which five started and four won. Her important foals are as follow:
- Gino Patty (1938, by Gino) never raced but produced Sicily (by Reaping Reward), winner of the 1945 Alabama Stakes and 1946 Top Flight Handicap. Sicily, in turn, produced 1954 Champagne Stakes and 1956 Manhattan Handicap winner Flying Fury (by Nasrullah), 1959 Gazelle Handicap winner Cee Zee (by Heliopolis) and 1965 Tropical Park Handicap winner Suspicious (by Alibhai) and is the second dam of 1972 Coaching Club American Oaks winner Summer Guest, 1968 Gulfstream Handicap winner Gentleman James and Eurasia, winner of six stakes including the 1962 Bougainvillea Turf Handicap. Another daughter of Gino Patty, stakes-placed Dentifrice (a full sister to Sicily) is the dam of 1956 Remsen Stakes winner Ambehaving (by Ambiorix), 1965 Test Stakes winner Cestrum (by Bold Ruler) and stakes winners Without Fail (by Nasrullah) and Turn True Blue (by Turn-to) and is the second dam of 1972 El Monte Handicap winner Chesapeake
- Tetravalent (1940, by Gino) never raced but produced 1954 Clark Handicap winner Happy Go Lucky (by Haltal).
- Sun Bahram (1946, by Bahram) won the 1949 Leonard Richards Stakes and the 1952 Sussex Handicap. He sired five stakes winners from 79 foals, but none were of any great importance.
Connections
Suntica was bred and owned by Willis Sharpe Kilmer. She was owned by Kilmer's widow after his death. After Suntica's death in 1947, she was buried next to her sire Sun Briar and the great Exterminator in the Whispering Pines Pet Cemetery near Binghamton, New York.
Pedigree notes
Suntica is inbred 4x5 to the noted speed sire Springfield and Sanda through the full sister and brother Sierra and Sainfoin. She is also inbred 4x5 to nine-time English champion sire St. Simon and 5x4x5 to 1880 Derby Stakes winner Bend Or. She is a half sister to multiple stakes winners Starpatic (by Star Master) and Try Sympathy (by Tryster). She is also a half sister to Beausympathy (by Sun Beau), dam of stakes winner Mr. Fox (by Chrysler II), and to Larkar (by Sun Beau), dam of stakes winner Weathercock (by Challenger II).
Suntica was produced from Simpatica, a half sister to 1921 Maryland Handicap winner Copper Demon (by Ormondale) and to Early Rose (by Star Shoot), dam of 1921 Gazelle Stakes winner Banksia (by His Majesty) and minor stakes winner Pinard (by His Majesty) and third dam of 1948 Kentucky Oaks winner Challe Anne. Simpatica is also a half sister to Sweet Brier (by Star Shoot), dam of 1929 Latonia Cup winner Ben Machree (by Man o War's full brother Playfellow) and 1926 Toronto Cup Handicap winner Joy Smoke (by Sir Martin), and to Star Class (by Star Shoot), dam of multiple stakes winner McAuliffe (by Spanish Prince II) and the good sprinter Preeminent (by Supremus).
Simpatica is out of the stakes-winning Ogden mare Lady Bedford, who was produced from the Hanover mare Matanza. The next dam in the tail-female line is the Alarm mare The Niece, dam of the good juvenile and sire Uncle (by Star Shoot) and a half sister to 1888 American co-champion 3-year-old male and 1901 American champion sire Sir Dixon (by Billet).
Books and media
Suntica is profiled in Chapter 6 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
- After Willis Sharpe Kilmer's death in 1940, Suntica was one of only four horses retained from the dispersal sale by his widow. The others were her sire Sun Briar, the great gelding Exterminator, and three-time American champion older male Sun Beau.
Photo credit
Photographer unknown. From the private collection of Dale Wyatt; used by permission.
Last updated: November 12, 2022