Bee Bee Bee (USA)
April 3, 1969 – After May 1992
Better Bee (USA) x Paula (USA), by Nizami II (FR)
Family 9-h
April 3, 1969 – After May 1992
Better Bee (USA) x Paula (USA), by Nizami II (FR)
Family 9-h
While Kentucky Derby winner and eventual Belmont Stakes winner Riva Ridge floundered in the slop, Bee Bee Bee took advantage of his liking for off going on his favorite track and an unchallenged front-running trip to win the 1972 Preakness Stakes easily. It was much the biggest win of his career, and he was not a success as a stallion.
Race record
31 starts, 11 wins, 8 seconds, 2 thirds, US$281,098
1971:
1972:
1973:
Honors
Assessments
Rated at 112 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1971, 14 pounds below champion Riva Ridge.
Rated at 123 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1972, 3 pounds below co-highweights Key to the Mint (the official divisional champion) and Riva Ridge.
As an individual
A dark bay or brown horse standing close to 16.1 hands, Bee Bee Bee was on the narrow and lightly made side. Although he was willing and determined as a racehorse, he did not travel well and needed things to go his way to be competitive with top horses. He relished off going but did not handle turf well when tried there. He was a hard puller at exercise.
As a stallion
According to an article by Ken Murray in the Baltimore Sun of May 12, 1992, Bee Bee Bee (then still living) had at that time sired 223 winners and eight group stakes winners from 404 foals.
Connections
Foaled at Carey Rogers' Goodwill Farm in Monkton, Maryland, Bee Bee Bee was bred and owned by former Illinois racing commissioner William H. Miller. Miller dispersed his racing stable during the winter of 1971-1972 due to his part in a bribery scandal involving Chicago mayor Richard Daley, and Bee Bee Bee (along with 20 other Miller horses) was purchased by William S. Farish III. The colt was trained by Del Carroll throughout his racing career. Following his retirement from racing, Bee Bee Bee was exported to Japan. He was pensioned there in 1992.
Pedigree notes
Sired by the good Midwestern stakes winner Better Bee (a paternal grandson of Reigh Count (via that sire's second-best son, 1946 Hollywood Gold Cup winner Triplicate), Bee Bee Bee is outcrossed through five generations. He is a full brother to 1966 Blue Grass Stakes winner Abe's Hope and to stakes winner Tusi Bella, dam of Grade 2 winner Forlana (by Forli), multiple Grade 3 winner McCann (by Forli), and Grade 1-placed restricted stakes winner Blade of the Ball (by Highland Blade). Tusi Bella is also the third dam of Grade 3 winner Flashy Lassie. In addition, Bee Bee Bee is a half brother to Grade 3 winner Winter Fox (by Maribeau).
Paula, the dam of Bee Bee Bee and his siblings, won four of her 57 starts and is a half sister to Keep Out (by Challedon), dam of the minor stakes winner Gay Stevie (by Tiger Wander). The next dam in the tail-female line, Withdrawn (by Haltal), is a half sister to stakes winner Golden Bull (by Bull Dog) and is out of Golden Rose (by Sickle), whose half sister Minnewaska (by Blandford) is the dam of 1947 Grand Prix de Paris winner Avenger II (by Victrix) and the important broodmare The Squaw II (by Sickle).
Books and media
Fun facts
Last updated: August 17, 2022
Race record
31 starts, 11 wins, 8 seconds, 2 thirds, US$281,098
1971:
- Won Hawthorne Juvenile Stakes (first division) (USA, 8.5FD, Hawthorne)
1972:
- Won Preakness Stakes (USA, 9.5FD, Pimlico)
- Won Survivor Stakes (USA, 9FD, Pimlico)
- Won Patriot Stakes (USA, 8f+70yD, Liberty Bell)
- 2nd Minuteman Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Liberty Bell)
- 3rd Challedon Stakes (USA, 8.5D, Pimlico)
1973:
- 2nd Pennsylvania Governor's Cup Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Penn National)
Honors
- Maryland-bred Horse of the Year (1972)
- Maryland-bred champion 2-year-old male (1971)
- Maryland-bred champion 3-year-old male (1972)
Assessments
Rated at 112 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1971, 14 pounds below champion Riva Ridge.
Rated at 123 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1972, 3 pounds below co-highweights Key to the Mint (the official divisional champion) and Riva Ridge.
As an individual
A dark bay or brown horse standing close to 16.1 hands, Bee Bee Bee was on the narrow and lightly made side. Although he was willing and determined as a racehorse, he did not travel well and needed things to go his way to be competitive with top horses. He relished off going but did not handle turf well when tried there. He was a hard puller at exercise.
As a stallion
According to an article by Ken Murray in the Baltimore Sun of May 12, 1992, Bee Bee Bee (then still living) had at that time sired 223 winners and eight group stakes winners from 404 foals.
Connections
Foaled at Carey Rogers' Goodwill Farm in Monkton, Maryland, Bee Bee Bee was bred and owned by former Illinois racing commissioner William H. Miller. Miller dispersed his racing stable during the winter of 1971-1972 due to his part in a bribery scandal involving Chicago mayor Richard Daley, and Bee Bee Bee (along with 20 other Miller horses) was purchased by William S. Farish III. The colt was trained by Del Carroll throughout his racing career. Following his retirement from racing, Bee Bee Bee was exported to Japan. He was pensioned there in 1992.
Pedigree notes
Sired by the good Midwestern stakes winner Better Bee (a paternal grandson of Reigh Count (via that sire's second-best son, 1946 Hollywood Gold Cup winner Triplicate), Bee Bee Bee is outcrossed through five generations. He is a full brother to 1966 Blue Grass Stakes winner Abe's Hope and to stakes winner Tusi Bella, dam of Grade 2 winner Forlana (by Forli), multiple Grade 3 winner McCann (by Forli), and Grade 1-placed restricted stakes winner Blade of the Ball (by Highland Blade). Tusi Bella is also the third dam of Grade 3 winner Flashy Lassie. In addition, Bee Bee Bee is a half brother to Grade 3 winner Winter Fox (by Maribeau).
Paula, the dam of Bee Bee Bee and his siblings, won four of her 57 starts and is a half sister to Keep Out (by Challedon), dam of the minor stakes winner Gay Stevie (by Tiger Wander). The next dam in the tail-female line, Withdrawn (by Haltal), is a half sister to stakes winner Golden Bull (by Bull Dog) and is out of Golden Rose (by Sickle), whose half sister Minnewaska (by Blandford) is the dam of 1947 Grand Prix de Paris winner Avenger II (by Victrix) and the important broodmare The Squaw II (by Sickle).
Books and media
- Bee Bee Bee is profiled in Chapter 10 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
- An excellent article by Joe Clancy on Bee Bee Bee and trainer Del Carroll was published by Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred in May 2022 (https://www.midatlantictb.com/index.php/midatlantic-tb/featured-articles/1394-historic-achievement-bee-bee-bee-trainer-carroll-shook-up-1972-preakness).
Fun facts
- Both Bee Bee Bee's owner, William Farish, and his trainer, Del Carroll, were high-class polo players. The former had a four-goal handicap, while Carroll was one of the world's top 25 players at his peak and had an eight-goal handicap. When he died at age 62, he still had a four-goal handicap.
- Del Carroll trained Bee Bee Bee's sire, his dam, and his full brother Abe's Hope prior to training the Preakness winner.
- Bee Bee Bee is one of eight Maryland-bred horses to have won the Preakness Stakes.
Last updated: August 17, 2022