A big, rugged staying filly in the mold of her maternal grandsire, Man o' War, Vagrancy was not quite a match for the best colts of her age but was a clear-cut choice as the best 3-year-old filly of her crop; in fact, she was widely considered the best female of any age racing in 1942. She was not quite the same at 4 but as a broodmare could hardly be faulted, producing three stakes winners including a Classic winner. Two of her daughters bred on to continue her branch of the family of the great matriarch Frizette.
Race record
42 starts, 15 wins, 8 seconds, 8 thirds, US$102,480
1941:
1942:
1943:
Honors
Assessments
Weighted at 108 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap at 2.
As an individual
A dark bay mare, Vagrancy was a good-sized, lengthy, rather angular mare with plenty of bone. She was rather coarse with prominent withers, but the 21 races she ran as a 3-year-old (including six starts against colts) are testimony to her rugged constitution.
As a producer
Designated as a Reine-de-Course by pedigree analyst Ellen Parker, Vagrancy produced eight named foals, of which six started and won. Her important foals were as follow:
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Vagrancy was bred and owned by William Woodward's Belair Stud. She was trained by Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons.
Pedigree notes
Vagrancy is inbred 4x5x5 to nine-time English champion sire St. Simon and 5x5 to 1880 Derby Stakes winner Bend Or. She is one of four stakes winners produced by the Man o' War mare Valkyr. The others are 1946 Alabama Stakes and Coaching Club American Oaks winner Hypnotic (by Hypnotist II), 1935 Saratoga Handicap winner Vicar (by Flying Ebony) and 1934 Spinaway Stakes winner Vicaress (by Flying Ebony), second dam of four stakes winners including 1964 Gazelle Handicap winner Face the Facts. In addition, Vagrancy is a full sister to stakes-placed Valse, dam of 1944 Alabama Stakes winner Vienna (by Menow) and second dam of Ambler, winner of the 1954 Craven Stakes in England; 1952 Saranac Handicap winner Golden Gloves; and 1958 Cleopatra Handicap winner Milly K. Vagrancy is also a half sister to War Vixen (by Gallant Fox), dam of multiple Canadian stakes winner Warrigan (by Osiris II); to Valkara (by Gallant Fox), dam of 1944 Starlet Stakes winner Post Graduate (by Rhodes Scholar) and second dam of 1962 Governor's Gold Cup winner Daddy R.; and to stakes-placed Bellicose (by Boswell), dam of multiple stakes winner Torch of War (by Bimelech) and second dam of the good stakes filly Sarcastic.
Stakes-placed on the track, Valkyr is out of the Prince Palatine mare Princess Palatine, a daughter of the great matriarch Frizette (by Hamburg). In addition to Valkyr, Princess Palatine produced stakes winner Count Palatine (by Under Fire) and Epitine (by Épinard), dam of stakes winner Zacatine (by Zacaweista), second dam of 1958 Fall Highweight Handicap winner Bull Strength and third dam of 1952 San Luis Rey Stakes winner Dark Count and 1963 Michigan Derby winner Sonny Fleet. Princess Palatine is also the dam of Breathless Moment (by Black Toney), second dam of 1937 Arlington Futurity winner Tiger and third dam of 1944 Walden Stakes winner Rick's Raft, and of Chara, third dam of 1955 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud winner Chingacgook and 1958 Grand Prix de Deauville winner Chippendale.
Books and media
Fun facts
Photo credit
Photographer unknown. From the private collection of Dale Wyatt; used by permission.
Last updated: July 13, 2020
Race record
42 starts, 15 wins, 8 seconds, 8 thirds, US$102,480
1941:
- 3rd Selima Stakes (USA, 8.5FD, Laurel)
1942:
- Won Ladies Handicap (USA, 12FD, Aqueduct)
- Won Beldame Handicap (second division) (USA, 9FD, Belmont)
- Won Coaching Club American Oaks (USA, 12FD, Belmont)
- Won Delaware Oaks (USA, 9FD, Delaware)
- Won Pimlico Oaks (USA, 8.5FD, Pimlico)
- Won Gazelle Stakes (USA, 8.5FD, Belmont)
- Won Queen Isabella Handicap (USA, 9FD, Laurel)
- Won Alabama Stakes (USA, 10FD, Saratoga)
- Won Test Stakes (USA, 7FD, Saratoga)
- 2nd New England Oaks (USA, 8.5FD, Narragansett Park)
- 2nd Lawrence Realization (USA, 13FD, Belmont)
- 2nd Acorn Stakes (USA, 8FD, Belmont)
1943:
- 2nd Ladies Handicap (USA, 12FD, Aqueduct)
- 2nd Diana Handicap (USA, 9FD, Saratoga)
- 3rd Beldame Handicap (USA, 9FD, Belmont)
- 3rd New York Handicap (USA, 18FD, Belmont)
Honors
- American champion 3-year-old filly (1942)
- American champion handicap female (1942)
Assessments
Weighted at 108 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap at 2.
As an individual
A dark bay mare, Vagrancy was a good-sized, lengthy, rather angular mare with plenty of bone. She was rather coarse with prominent withers, but the 21 races she ran as a 3-year-old (including six starts against colts) are testimony to her rugged constitution.
As a producer
Designated as a Reine-de-Course by pedigree analyst Ellen Parker, Vagrancy produced eight named foals, of which six started and won. Her important foals were as follow:
- Black Tarquin (1945, by Rhodes Scholar) won the 1948 St. Leger Stakes and was the English champion 3-year-old male of that year. He sired only 14 stakes winners from 357 named foals.
- Hyvania (1947, by Hypnotist II) won five stakes races over jumps.
- Vulcania (1948, by Some Chance) won the 1951 Test Stakes and Diana Handicap. She produced multiple stakes winner Nascania and stakes winner Firerullah, both by Nasrullah. Through Nascania, she is the second dam of the high-class turf horse Fiddle Isle. Through another daughter, Legato (by Dark Star), she is the second dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Tallahto, Grade 2 winner Le Cle, and 1987 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Banja Luka and the third dam of 1987 Horse of the Year Ferdinand and multiple Grade I winners Prince True and Hidden Light.
- Natasha (1952, by Nasrullah), produced 1966 Alabama Stakes winner Natashka (by Dedicate), the 1981 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year. The dam of five stakes winners including 1972 Irish co-champion 3-year-old filly Arkadina (1969, by Ribot) and 1980 Joe McGrath Memorial Stakes (IRE-G1) winner Gregorian (by Graustark), Natashka is the ancestress of numerous good runners including 1984 German and Italian champion 3-year-old male Gold and Ivory, 1999 American champion 2-year-old male Anees, 2012 American champion 3-year-old filly Questing, 1988 Jefferson Smurfit Memorial Irish St. Leger Stakes (IRE-G1) winner Dark Lomond and 2002 Darley Irish Oaks (IRE-G1) winner Margarula. Natasha also produced Mazaca (by Pappa Fourway), dam of stakes winners Itsamaza (by Limit to Reason) and Trove (by Key to the Mint) and the second dam of Sabrehill, the English highweight over 9.5 to 11 furlongs among 3-year-old males of 1993. In addition, Natasha produced Ribasha (by Ribot), whose daughter Royal Sister II (by Claude) is the dam of 1989 Irish champion miler Distant Relative (by Habitat) and of English highweight Ezzoud (by Last Tycoon), best among older males of 1994 over 9.5 to 11 furlongs.
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Vagrancy was bred and owned by William Woodward's Belair Stud. She was trained by Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons.
Pedigree notes
Vagrancy is inbred 4x5x5 to nine-time English champion sire St. Simon and 5x5 to 1880 Derby Stakes winner Bend Or. She is one of four stakes winners produced by the Man o' War mare Valkyr. The others are 1946 Alabama Stakes and Coaching Club American Oaks winner Hypnotic (by Hypnotist II), 1935 Saratoga Handicap winner Vicar (by Flying Ebony) and 1934 Spinaway Stakes winner Vicaress (by Flying Ebony), second dam of four stakes winners including 1964 Gazelle Handicap winner Face the Facts. In addition, Vagrancy is a full sister to stakes-placed Valse, dam of 1944 Alabama Stakes winner Vienna (by Menow) and second dam of Ambler, winner of the 1954 Craven Stakes in England; 1952 Saranac Handicap winner Golden Gloves; and 1958 Cleopatra Handicap winner Milly K. Vagrancy is also a half sister to War Vixen (by Gallant Fox), dam of multiple Canadian stakes winner Warrigan (by Osiris II); to Valkara (by Gallant Fox), dam of 1944 Starlet Stakes winner Post Graduate (by Rhodes Scholar) and second dam of 1962 Governor's Gold Cup winner Daddy R.; and to stakes-placed Bellicose (by Boswell), dam of multiple stakes winner Torch of War (by Bimelech) and second dam of the good stakes filly Sarcastic.
Stakes-placed on the track, Valkyr is out of the Prince Palatine mare Princess Palatine, a daughter of the great matriarch Frizette (by Hamburg). In addition to Valkyr, Princess Palatine produced stakes winner Count Palatine (by Under Fire) and Epitine (by Épinard), dam of stakes winner Zacatine (by Zacaweista), second dam of 1958 Fall Highweight Handicap winner Bull Strength and third dam of 1952 San Luis Rey Stakes winner Dark Count and 1963 Michigan Derby winner Sonny Fleet. Princess Palatine is also the dam of Breathless Moment (by Black Toney), second dam of 1937 Arlington Futurity winner Tiger and third dam of 1944 Walden Stakes winner Rick's Raft, and of Chara, third dam of 1955 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud winner Chingacgook and 1958 Grand Prix de Deauville winner Chippendale.
Books and media
- Vagrancy is one of 24 mares profiled in Edward Bowen's Matriarchs: Great Mares of the 20th Century (1999, 2000, The Blood-Horse, Inc.).
- Vagrancy is profiled in Chapter 7 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
- Following Vagrancy's dead heat with Barrancosa in the 1942 Beldame Stakes, the winning owners flipped a coin to determine possession of the Beldame Trophy for the following year. William Woodward lost the coin flip to Barrancosa's owners, Bing Crosby and Lin Howard, who raced Barrancosa in the name of their Binglin Stable.
- Vagrancy was the only filly or mare bred or owned by William Woodward, Sr., to be voted an official championship, although his Happy Gal is generally regarded by racing historians as the American champion 2-year-old filly of 1932.
- The Vagrancy Handicap is a Grade 3 race for fillies and mares aged 4 and up at Belmont Park. First run in 1948, it is currently carded at 6.5 furlongs.
Photo credit
Photographer unknown. From the private collection of Dale Wyatt; used by permission.
Last updated: July 13, 2020