A full sister to 1952 American champion 3-year-old filly and handicap female Real Delight, Bubbley was rated close to the top of her division at 2 but proved less talented and consistent than Real Delight at 3 and 4. Nonetheless, she had enough ability to make her dam Blue Delight the first (and to date only) mare to produce back-to-back winners of the Kentucky Oaks. Unlike Real Delight, Bubbley was not a success as a producer and had little long-term impact on American breeding.
Race record
34 starts, 7 wins, 6 seconds, 3 thirds, US$91,480
1952:
1953:
1954:
Assessments
Co-highweighted with the official divisional champion, Sweet Patootie, among juvenile fillies at 116 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1952.
Rated at 117 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American fillies and mares of 1953, 5 pounds below champion 3-year-old filly Grecian Queen and 9 pounds below her highweighted full sister Real Delight (then 4).
Rated at 116 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American fillies and mares of 1954, 12 pounds below co-highweights Parlo (the official champion 3-year-old filly and co-champion in the handicap female division) and Miz Clementine.
As an individual
A dark bay mare, Bubbley was described as a “lovely” filly by Daily Racing Form writer Charles Hatton.
As a producer
Bubbley produced six foals, of which four started and won. Her important foals are as follow:
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Bubbley was bred and owned by Calumet Farm. Officially, she was trained by Ben Jones at 2 and 3 and by his son Horace “Jimmy” Jones at 4 and 5. She died in 1964 and was buried in the Calumet Farm horse cemetery.
Pedigree notes
Bubbley is inbred 4x4 to 1906 Derby Stakes winner Spearmint. She is a full sister to 1952 American champion 3-year-old filly and champion handicap female Real Delight, dam of stakes winners Plum Cake (by Ponder), No Fooling (by Tom Fool), and Spring Sunshine (by Nashua). Real Delight is the second dam of Grade 2 winners Sugar Plum Time and Dazzle Me Jolie, Grade 3 winners Raise a Cup and Lucky So 'n So, 1969 Sport Page Handicap winner Lonesome River, 1971 Juvenile Stakes winner and 1980/1981 South African champion sire Plum Bold, and 1977 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Sweet Tooth. Through Sweet Tooth, Real Delight is the third dam of 1977 American champion 3-year-old filly Our Mims, the great runner and sire Alydar, and 1980 Mother Goose Stakes (USA-G1) winner Sugar and Spice, and she is also the third dam of 1982 American champion 3-year-old filly Christmas Past, Grade 2 winner Eminency, and Grade 3 winners Katonka and Pruneplum.
In addition, Bubbley is a full sister to the stakes-winning colts All Blue and Kentucky Pride and a half sister to 1956 Kentucky Oaks winner Princess Turia (by Heliopolis), dam of 1968 American co-champion 3-year-old male Forward Pass (by On-and-On) and 1975 Sanford Stakes (USA-G2) winner Turn to Turia (by Best Turn). She is also a half sister to Whirling Lark (by Whirlaway), dam of 1955 Gotham Stakes winner Go Lightly (by Faultless) and third dam of multiple Grade 1 winner El Senor, Grade 2 winner Carry the Banner, and Grade 3 winners Jamila Kadir and Strawberry Wine.
Bubbley's dam Blue Delight won six stakes races including the 1940 Arlington Lassie Stakes and the 1942 Arlington Matron Handicap. She is a full sister to multiple stakes winner Lightspur and is out of juvenile stakes winner Chicleight (by Chicle). Chicleight, in turn, is a half sister to multiple stakes winners Siskin (by Épinard), Hygro (by Épinard) and Errard (by Challenger II) and is out of the Honeywood mare Ruddy Light, herself the winner of the 1923 Clipsetta Stakes.
Books and media
Bubbley is profiled in Chapter 8 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
Photo credit
Bubbley working out at Keeneland, Albert "Pinky" Brown up. Joel Clyde Meadors photo, April 21, 1953. From the Keeneland Library Meadors Collection; used by permission. Please contact the Keeneland Library with any questions regarding use or licensure of this photo,
Last updated: May 9, 2024
Race record
34 starts, 7 wins, 6 seconds, 3 thirds, US$91,480
1952:
- Won Pollyanna Stakes (USA, 5.5FD, Arlington Park)
- Won Debutante Stakes (USA, 5FD, Churchill Downs)
- 2nd Lafayette Stakes (USA, about 4FD, Keeneland)
1953:
- Won Kentucky Oaks (USA, 8.5FD, Churchill Downs)
- 2nd Ashland Stakes (USA, 6FD, Keeneland)
1954:
- Won Vanity Handicap (USA, 9FD, Hollywood)
- 2nd San Mateo Matron Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Bay Meadows)
- 2nd Milady Handicap (USA, 8FD, Hollywood)
Assessments
Co-highweighted with the official divisional champion, Sweet Patootie, among juvenile fillies at 116 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1952.
Rated at 117 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American fillies and mares of 1953, 5 pounds below champion 3-year-old filly Grecian Queen and 9 pounds below her highweighted full sister Real Delight (then 4).
Rated at 116 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American fillies and mares of 1954, 12 pounds below co-highweights Parlo (the official champion 3-year-old filly and co-champion in the handicap female division) and Miz Clementine.
As an individual
A dark bay mare, Bubbley was described as a “lovely” filly by Daily Racing Form writer Charles Hatton.
As a producer
Bubbley produced six foals, of which four started and won. Her important foals are as follow:
- Giggles (1959, by Helioscope), produced Grade 1-placed stakes winner Ferrous (by Iron Ruler). She is the second dam of three minor stakes winners and is the third dam of German Group 2 winner Tarib.
- Fizzy (1963, by Swoon's Son) produced multiple Grade 3 winner Who Duzzit (by Bold Lad).
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Bubbley was bred and owned by Calumet Farm. Officially, she was trained by Ben Jones at 2 and 3 and by his son Horace “Jimmy” Jones at 4 and 5. She died in 1964 and was buried in the Calumet Farm horse cemetery.
Pedigree notes
Bubbley is inbred 4x4 to 1906 Derby Stakes winner Spearmint. She is a full sister to 1952 American champion 3-year-old filly and champion handicap female Real Delight, dam of stakes winners Plum Cake (by Ponder), No Fooling (by Tom Fool), and Spring Sunshine (by Nashua). Real Delight is the second dam of Grade 2 winners Sugar Plum Time and Dazzle Me Jolie, Grade 3 winners Raise a Cup and Lucky So 'n So, 1969 Sport Page Handicap winner Lonesome River, 1971 Juvenile Stakes winner and 1980/1981 South African champion sire Plum Bold, and 1977 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Sweet Tooth. Through Sweet Tooth, Real Delight is the third dam of 1977 American champion 3-year-old filly Our Mims, the great runner and sire Alydar, and 1980 Mother Goose Stakes (USA-G1) winner Sugar and Spice, and she is also the third dam of 1982 American champion 3-year-old filly Christmas Past, Grade 2 winner Eminency, and Grade 3 winners Katonka and Pruneplum.
In addition, Bubbley is a full sister to the stakes-winning colts All Blue and Kentucky Pride and a half sister to 1956 Kentucky Oaks winner Princess Turia (by Heliopolis), dam of 1968 American co-champion 3-year-old male Forward Pass (by On-and-On) and 1975 Sanford Stakes (USA-G2) winner Turn to Turia (by Best Turn). She is also a half sister to Whirling Lark (by Whirlaway), dam of 1955 Gotham Stakes winner Go Lightly (by Faultless) and third dam of multiple Grade 1 winner El Senor, Grade 2 winner Carry the Banner, and Grade 3 winners Jamila Kadir and Strawberry Wine.
Bubbley's dam Blue Delight won six stakes races including the 1940 Arlington Lassie Stakes and the 1942 Arlington Matron Handicap. She is a full sister to multiple stakes winner Lightspur and is out of juvenile stakes winner Chicleight (by Chicle). Chicleight, in turn, is a half sister to multiple stakes winners Siskin (by Épinard), Hygro (by Épinard) and Errard (by Challenger II) and is out of the Honeywood mare Ruddy Light, herself the winner of the 1923 Clipsetta Stakes.
Books and media
Bubbley is profiled in Chapter 8 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
- Bubbley was the third of a record four Kentucky Oaks winners for champion jockey Eddie Arcaro, who also won with How (1951), Real Delight (1952) and Bug Brush (1958). Manuel Ycaza later tied Arcaro's overall record, but no jockey has equaled Arcaro's feat of winning the Oaks for three straight years.
- “Bubbley” (more commonly spelled “bubbly”) is usually an adjective meaning “lively; vivacious; showing good spirits.” As a noun, it is a slang term for champagne.
- Bubbley and Real Delight not only won their editions of the Kentucky Oaks in back-to-back years but posted identical times of 1:45-3/5.
Photo credit
Bubbley working out at Keeneland, Albert "Pinky" Brown up. Joel Clyde Meadors photo, April 21, 1953. From the Keeneland Library Meadors Collection; used by permission. Please contact the Keeneland Library with any questions regarding use or licensure of this photo,
Last updated: May 9, 2024