A good staying filly, Teresina lacked the turn of foot to be of Classic caliber but was not far below that level. She was even more valuable as a broodmare than as a racer and has wielded influence on American pedigrees through her son Alibhai and her daughter Teretania.
Race record
17 starts, 4 wins, 4 seconds, 4 thirds
1923:
- Won Great Yorkshire Stakes (ENG, 12FT, York)
- 2nd Coronation Stakes (ENG, 8FT, Ascot)
- 2nd Newmarket Stakes (ENG, 10FT, Newmarket)
- 2nd Eclipse Stakes (ENG, 10FT, Sandown)
- 2nd Cesarewitch Stakes (ENG, 18FT, Newmarket)
- 3rd Oaks Stakes (ENG, 12FT, Epsom)
- 3rd St. Leger Stakes (ENG, about 14.5FT, Doncaster)
1924:
- Won Goodwood Cup (ENG, 21FT, Goodwood)
- Won Jockey Club Stakes (ENG, 14FT, Newmarket)
- Won Royal Plate (ENG, Newbury)
- 3rd Queen's Handicap (ENG, Kempton)
As an individual
A light-framed, lengthy, late-maturing chestnut mare who did not find her best form until midway through her 4-year-old season, Teresina was game and consistent on the race course. The best-known extant photograph of her suggests that she had an excellent shoulder but was over at the knee and upright in her pasterns.
As a producer
Teresina produced 13 named foals, of which 11 started and nine won. Her important foals are as follow:
- Theresina (1927, by Diophon) won the 1930 Irish Oaks. She proved an excellent broodmare, producing the following:
- Shahali (1932, by Sansovino; a gelding) won the important Imperial Produce Stakes at 2 and the Criterion Stakes at 3.
- Turkhan (1937, by Bahram) won the 1940 St. Leger Stakes and was second in that year's Derby Stakes.
- Ujiji (1939, by Umidwar) won a wartime substitute for the Ascot Gold Cup in 1943 at Newmarket and was third in the 1942 Derby Stakes.
- Benane (1944, by Big Game) was a juvenile stakes winner. She produced 1958 Prix de la Salamandre winner Princillon (by Prince Bio) and French stakes winner Nubena (by Nuccio) and is the second dam of 1966 Prix Dollar winner Tajubena and the third dam of 1965 Prix du Cadran winner Waldmeister, an important sire in Brazil, and English Group 3 winner Nasseem.
- Eboo (1945, by Umidwar) was a juvenile stakes winner.
- Tambara (1947, by Nasrullah) was a juvenile stakes winner and trained on to win the Coronation Stakes at 3. She is the second dam of 1965 Prix de Guiche winner White Star and two-time Waterford Crystal Champion Hurdle winner Monksfield and the third dam of multiple Australian Group 1 winner Importune.
- Nemrod (1949, by Nasrullah) won the 1952 Diomed Stakes.
- Gino (1930, by Tetratema) won the Imperial Produce Stakes as a juvenile and ran third in the Two Thousand Guineas at 3. Imported to the United States by Willis Sharpe Kilmer, he proved a useful sire, begetting 12 stakes winners (8.1%) from 149 named foals.
- Alibhai (1938, by Hyperion) never raced due to injury but became an outstanding sire in the United States. He sired 54 stakes winners including 1954 Kentucky Derby winner Determine, 1958 American champion handicap mare Bornastar and 1951 Santa Anita Derby winner Your Host, sire of the great Kelso.
- Teretania (1944, by Stardust) is the second dam of 1964 Spinaway Stakes and Matron Stakes winner Candalita, 1976 Gulfstream Park Handicap (USA-G1) winner Hail the Pirates, 1973 Widener Handicap (USA-G1) winner Vertee and English Group 3 winner Tatibah. She is also the third dam of Grade 2 winner Gem Master, Grade 3 winners Madame Adolphe and My Favorite Moment, and 1969 Sanford Stakes winner Walker's. In addition, Teretania is the ancestress of 2003 American champion 3-year-old male Funny Cide and 2003 Belmont Stakes (USA-G1) winner Empire Maker.
Connections
Teresina was bred by Lady Sykes. She was owned by the third Aga Khan, who purchased her for a sale-topping 7,700 guineas at the 1921 Doncaster yearling sale. Following her racing career, she lived out her days at the Aga Khan's Sheshoon Stud in Ireland.
Pedigree notes
Teresina is inbred 5x5 to seven-time leading English sire Hermit, winner of the 1867 Derby Stakes. A half sister to another good mare in Manchester November Handicap winner Blue Dun (by Corcyra, a high-class runner at 2 and 3 and second in the 1913 Two Thousand Guineas), she was produced from Blue Tit, a daughter of 1898 St. Leger Stakes winner Wildfowler. Blue Tit's dam Petit Bleu (by 1899 July Cup winner Eager) won a Biennial Stakes at Ascot as a 3-year-old.
Photo credit
Photographer unknown. From the collection of Quarter Horse Record (Susan Larkin); used by permission.
Last updated: November 25, 2020