Youth was no beauty contest winner, but he proved a first-rate racehorse on both sides of the Atlantic, winning the classic Prix du Jockey-Club (French Derby, FR-G1) in France and scoring in the Washington, D. C., International (USA-G1) by 10 lengths. He was arguably Ack Ack’s best son on the race course. Unfortunately, his success as a racehorse did not translate to great success as a sire, although he did beget the 1983 Derby Stakes (ENG-G1) winner Teenoso (who trained on to be the champion older male of both England and France in 1984) and several other runners of considerable merit.
Race record
11 starts, 8 wins, 1 second, 1 third, US$687,624 (including converted Canadian and French earnings)
1975:
1976:
Honors
Assessments
Rated at 135 pounds by Timeform as a 3-year-old.
Rated at 124 pounds on the Daily Racing Form’s Free Handicap for American turf males of 1976, 3 pounds below King Pellinore (a 4-year-old).
Rated at 135 pounds on the Canadian Free Handicap for turf males of 1976, 9 pounds above divisional champion Victorian Prince and Improviser.
As an individual
A bay horse standing 16.3 hands, Youth was long-bodied and rawboned and could be faulted for sickle hocks and a long back. He had a huge stride and an excellent turn of foot. He typically came from off the pace.
As a stallion
According to statistics compiled by The Jockey Club, Youth sired 124 winners (24.0%) and 18 stakes winners (3.5%) from 516 named foals. Records for his Brazilian-sired progeny may be incomplete.
Sire rankings
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
Notable progeny
Luzette (BRZ), Palemon (BRZ), Sharaya (USA), Teenoso (USA), Young Mother (FR)
Notable progeny of daughters
Buzz Lightyear (NZ), Favorite Funtime (USA), Passing Sale (FR), Victoire Bleue (GB)
Connections
Foaled in Maryland, Youth was bred and owned by Nelson Bunker Hunt. He was trained by Maurice Zilber. He was ridden to his triumph in the Prix du Jockey Club by Freddie Head and was ridden by Desmond “Sandy” Hawley in both his North American starts. After being syndicated as part of a package deal with 1976 Derby Stakes winner Empery that was valued at US$12 million, Youth entered stud in 1977 in Kentucky at Gainesway Farm; 10 years later, he was exported to Brazil.
Pedigree notes
Youth is inbred 5x4 to Admiral Drake and is line bred 6x6x5x5 to Admiral Drake’s dam, the great matron Plucky Liege. He is a half brother to 1973 French champion 2-year-old male Mississipian (by Vaguely Noble), to 1980 Irish St. Leger (IRE-G1) winner Gonzales (by Vaguely Noble), to 1981 Prix de Guiche (FR-G3) winner Silky Baby (by What a Pleasure), and to Grade 1-placed stakes winner Best of Both (by J. O. Tobin). He is also a half brother to Expediency (by Vaguely Noble), dam of Group 3 winners Bin Shaddad (by Riverman) and Oh So Risky (by Kris; also a stakes winner over jumps) and second dam of multiple Grade/Group 1 winner Hard Buck.
Youth and his siblings were produced from 1967 French champion 3-year-old filly Gazala II, the 1976 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year, whose half sister Kamakura II (by Faristan) is the dam of multiple minor stakes winner Kam Tam Kan (by Tentam). The sisters, in turn, are out of Belle Angevine (by the good French stakes winner L’Amiral), a winning half sister to 1956 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud winner Burgos (by Maurepas) and 1959 Bowling Green Handicap winner Bell Hop (by Sunny Boy). Belle Angevine is also a half sister to Bellicosa (by Buisson d’Or), dam of Italian stakes winner Belmino (by Mincio).
Belle Angevine and her siblings were produced from Bella II (by the good French stakes winner Canot). The next dam in Youth’s tail-female line, Bayan Kara (by the important French-based sire Dark Legend), is a half sister to 1931 Grand Prix de Paris winner Barneveldt (by The Winter King).
Fun facts
Last updated: January 25, 2022
Race record
11 starts, 8 wins, 1 second, 1 third, US$687,624 (including converted Canadian and French earnings)
1975:
- 2nd Prix Saint-Roman (FR-G3, 1800mT, Longchamp)
1976:
- Won Prix du Jockey Club (FR-G1, 2400mT, Longchamp)
- Won Prix Lupin (FR-G1, 2100mT, Longchamp)
- Won Washington D. C. International (USA-G1, 12FT, Laurel)
- Won Canadian International Championship (CAN-G1, 13FT, Woodbine)
- Won Prix Greffulhe (FR-G2, 2100mT, Longchamp)
- Won Prix Niel (FR-G2, 2200mT, Longchamp)
- Won Prix Daru (FR-G2, 2100mT, Longchamp)
- 3rd Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (FR-G1, 2400m, Longchamp)
Honors
- Maryland Thoroughbred Hall of Fame (1976)
- French champion 3-year-old male (1976)
- Eclipse Award, American champion turf horse (1976)
- Maryland-bred Horse of the Year (1976)
- Maryland-bred champion 3-year-old male (1976)
- Maryland-bred champion turf horse (1976)
Assessments
Rated at 135 pounds by Timeform as a 3-year-old.
Rated at 124 pounds on the Daily Racing Form’s Free Handicap for American turf males of 1976, 3 pounds below King Pellinore (a 4-year-old).
Rated at 135 pounds on the Canadian Free Handicap for turf males of 1976, 9 pounds above divisional champion Victorian Prince and Improviser.
As an individual
A bay horse standing 16.3 hands, Youth was long-bodied and rawboned and could be faulted for sickle hocks and a long back. He had a huge stride and an excellent turn of foot. He typically came from off the pace.
As a stallion
According to statistics compiled by The Jockey Club, Youth sired 124 winners (24.0%) and 18 stakes winners (3.5%) from 516 named foals. Records for his Brazilian-sired progeny may be incomplete.
Sire rankings
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
- 10th on the combined English/Irish general sire list in 1983.
- 10th on the French broodmare sire list in 1990.
Notable progeny
Luzette (BRZ), Palemon (BRZ), Sharaya (USA), Teenoso (USA), Young Mother (FR)
Notable progeny of daughters
Buzz Lightyear (NZ), Favorite Funtime (USA), Passing Sale (FR), Victoire Bleue (GB)
Connections
Foaled in Maryland, Youth was bred and owned by Nelson Bunker Hunt. He was trained by Maurice Zilber. He was ridden to his triumph in the Prix du Jockey Club by Freddie Head and was ridden by Desmond “Sandy” Hawley in both his North American starts. After being syndicated as part of a package deal with 1976 Derby Stakes winner Empery that was valued at US$12 million, Youth entered stud in 1977 in Kentucky at Gainesway Farm; 10 years later, he was exported to Brazil.
Pedigree notes
Youth is inbred 5x4 to Admiral Drake and is line bred 6x6x5x5 to Admiral Drake’s dam, the great matron Plucky Liege. He is a half brother to 1973 French champion 2-year-old male Mississipian (by Vaguely Noble), to 1980 Irish St. Leger (IRE-G1) winner Gonzales (by Vaguely Noble), to 1981 Prix de Guiche (FR-G3) winner Silky Baby (by What a Pleasure), and to Grade 1-placed stakes winner Best of Both (by J. O. Tobin). He is also a half brother to Expediency (by Vaguely Noble), dam of Group 3 winners Bin Shaddad (by Riverman) and Oh So Risky (by Kris; also a stakes winner over jumps) and second dam of multiple Grade/Group 1 winner Hard Buck.
Youth and his siblings were produced from 1967 French champion 3-year-old filly Gazala II, the 1976 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year, whose half sister Kamakura II (by Faristan) is the dam of multiple minor stakes winner Kam Tam Kan (by Tentam). The sisters, in turn, are out of Belle Angevine (by the good French stakes winner L’Amiral), a winning half sister to 1956 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud winner Burgos (by Maurepas) and 1959 Bowling Green Handicap winner Bell Hop (by Sunny Boy). Belle Angevine is also a half sister to Bellicosa (by Buisson d’Or), dam of Italian stakes winner Belmino (by Mincio).
Belle Angevine and her siblings were produced from Bella II (by the good French stakes winner Canot). The next dam in Youth’s tail-female line, Bayan Kara (by the important French-based sire Dark Legend), is a half sister to 1931 Grand Prix de Paris winner Barneveldt (by The Winter King).
Fun facts
- Youth helped complete a remarkable double in 1976 for Nelson Bunker Hunt, who won the Derby Stakes with Empery in the same year that Youth won the Prix du Jockey Club. It was the first time that the same owner had swept England’s and France’s top prizes for 3-year-olds since Marcel Boussac did so in 1950 with Galcador (Derby Stakes) and Scratch II (Prix du Jockey Club) and the first time ever that the feat had been accomplished with American-bred runners. Ironically, Hunt was unable to attend either race.
- Youth was rated a full 9 pounds better than any other turf runner in Canada off his victory in the Canadian International Championship, but he was not eligible for consideration for a Sovereign Award because he had not made the required three starts in Canada.
- Youth won the Washington, D, C., International in spite of a bad heel cut on his right hind foot which was suffered while in training a week before the race. Although Your received veterinary care for the cut, Maurice Zilber elected to forgo any pain medication for the injury so that Youth’s behavior could tell him whether the colt wanted to race or not.
Last updated: January 25, 2022