Amberoid (USA)
April 8, 1963 – June 30, 1985
Count Amber (USA) x Spencerian (USA), by Destino (USA)
Family 8-c
April 8, 1963 – June 30, 1985
Count Amber (USA) x Spencerian (USA), by Destino (USA)
Family 8-c
In a year more remembered for the absence of Buckpasser (the eventual Horse of the Year) and Graustark from the Triple Crown series than for the horses that competed in the American Classics, Amberoid scored a Belmont victory on superior staying ability. The perception that he lacked tactical speed, combined with an offbeat pedigree and a weak female family, did not endear him to American breeders, and he was soon exported to Japan. He was not a stud success in either Japan or the United States.
Race record
33 starts, 7 wins, 10 seconds, 5 thirds, US$491,716
1965:
1966:
1967:
Assessments
Weighted at 117 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1965, 9 pounds below champion Buckpasser.
Weighted at 126 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1966, 10 pounds below divisional champion and Horse of the Year Buckpasser but tied for third overall.
Weighted at 119 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1967, 17 pounds below champion Buckpasser.
As an individual
A dark bay or brown horse, Amberoid was a classic one-run stayer and did his best racing coming from far back. He was said to have borne a close resemblance to his sire, the Ambiorix horse Count Amber.
As a stallion
According to Jockey Club records, Amberoid sired 54 winners (62.7%) and three stakes winners (3.5%) from 86 named foals; records from his service in Japan may be incomplete. Amberoid's best runner was Midnight Madrigal, Puerto Rico's champion imported 3-year-old filly of 1973.
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Amberoid was bred by Horace N. Davis, Jr., and was owned by Reginald N. Webster. He was trained by Lucien Laurin. He entered stud in 1969. He was exported to Japan following the 1973 breeding season and was pensioned in 1985, dying later that year.
Pedigree notes
Sired by 1961 Narragansett Special Handicap winner Count Amber, Amberoid is outcrossed through five generations. He is a full brother to juvenile stakes winner My Pal Houston.
Spencerian, the dam of Amberoid, is a full sister to the stakes-winning hurdler Pistol W. and is by the Beau Pere horse Destino, a half brother to 1944 Horse of the Year Twilight Tear who placed in five of his seven starts but failed to win. She was produced from Script (by Bimelech), a stakes-placed half sister to 1959 Man o' War Handicap winner Dotted Line (by Princequillo). Dotted Line, in turn, is the dam of stakes winners Draft Card and Gentleman's Word (both by Gallant Man) and is the third dam of Grade 3 winner Ruben's Art.
Script and Dotted Line were produced from the Brazado mare Inscribe, a half sister to multiple stakes winner Free Stride (by Depth Charge). A daughter of 1938 American champion 2-year-old filly Inscoelda (by Insco), Inscribe is also a half sister to stakes-placed Include (by Equestrian), dam of multiple stakes winners Ring of Kerry (by Destino) and Inclusive (by Curandero), and to Present Tense (by Depth Charge), dam of juvenile stakes winner Cassie Mac (by Poona II).
Books and media
Amberoid is profiled in Chapter 9 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
Last updated: November 1, 2020
Race record
33 starts, 7 wins, 10 seconds, 5 thirds, US$491,716
1965:
- 2nd Remsen Handicap (USA, 8FD, Aqueduct)
- 2nd Flash Stakes (USA, 5.5FD, Saratoga)
- 3rd Garden State Stakes (USA, 8.5FD, Garden State)
- 3rd Pimlico Futurity (USA, 8.5FD, Pimlico)
1966:
- Won Wood Memorial Stakes (USA, 9FD, Aqueduct)
- Won Belmont Stakes (USA, 12FD, Aqueduct)
- Won Queens County Handicap (USA, 9FD, Aqueduct)
- 2nd Fountain of Youth Stakes (USA, 8.5FD, Gulfstream Park)
- 2nd Travers Stakes (USA, 10FD, SAR)
- 2nd New Hampshire Sweepstakes (USA, 10FD, Rockingham Park)
- 3rd Preakness Stakes (USA, 9.5FD, Pimlico)
1967:
- Won Camden Handicap (USA, 9FD, Garden State; from second by disqualification)
- 2nd Grey Lag Handicap (USA, 9FD, Aqueduct; from third by disqualification)
- 2nd Gulfstream Park Handicap (USA, 10FD, Gulfstream Park)
- 2nd Amory L. Haskell Handicap (USA, 10FD, Monmouth)
Assessments
Weighted at 117 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1965, 9 pounds below champion Buckpasser.
Weighted at 126 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1966, 10 pounds below divisional champion and Horse of the Year Buckpasser but tied for third overall.
Weighted at 119 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1967, 17 pounds below champion Buckpasser.
As an individual
A dark bay or brown horse, Amberoid was a classic one-run stayer and did his best racing coming from far back. He was said to have borne a close resemblance to his sire, the Ambiorix horse Count Amber.
As a stallion
According to Jockey Club records, Amberoid sired 54 winners (62.7%) and three stakes winners (3.5%) from 86 named foals; records from his service in Japan may be incomplete. Amberoid's best runner was Midnight Madrigal, Puerto Rico's champion imported 3-year-old filly of 1973.
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Amberoid was bred by Horace N. Davis, Jr., and was owned by Reginald N. Webster. He was trained by Lucien Laurin. He entered stud in 1969. He was exported to Japan following the 1973 breeding season and was pensioned in 1985, dying later that year.
Pedigree notes
Sired by 1961 Narragansett Special Handicap winner Count Amber, Amberoid is outcrossed through five generations. He is a full brother to juvenile stakes winner My Pal Houston.
Spencerian, the dam of Amberoid, is a full sister to the stakes-winning hurdler Pistol W. and is by the Beau Pere horse Destino, a half brother to 1944 Horse of the Year Twilight Tear who placed in five of his seven starts but failed to win. She was produced from Script (by Bimelech), a stakes-placed half sister to 1959 Man o' War Handicap winner Dotted Line (by Princequillo). Dotted Line, in turn, is the dam of stakes winners Draft Card and Gentleman's Word (both by Gallant Man) and is the third dam of Grade 3 winner Ruben's Art.
Script and Dotted Line were produced from the Brazado mare Inscribe, a half sister to multiple stakes winner Free Stride (by Depth Charge). A daughter of 1938 American champion 2-year-old filly Inscoelda (by Insco), Inscribe is also a half sister to stakes-placed Include (by Equestrian), dam of multiple stakes winners Ring of Kerry (by Destino) and Inclusive (by Curandero), and to Present Tense (by Depth Charge), dam of juvenile stakes winner Cassie Mac (by Poona II).
Books and media
Amberoid is profiled in Chapter 9 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
- “Amberoid” is the name for a synthetic amber made by combining small pieces of amber and sometimes other resins under high heat. It is sometimes used to substitute for the more expensive natural amber in jewelry.
- Amberoid was the first of three Belmont Stakes starters for trainer Lucien Laurin, preceding Riva Ridge (1972) and Secretariat (1973). All three won.
Last updated: November 1, 2020