Empery (USA)
March 23, 1973 – c. 1994
Vaguely Noble (IRE) x Pamplona II (PER), by Postín (ARG)
Family 2-s
March 23, 1973 – c. 1994
Vaguely Noble (IRE) x Pamplona II (PER), by Postín (ARG)
Family 2-s
1976 was the Bicentennial of the United States of America, and American-breds celebrated the milestone by sweeping Europe’s most important Classic races: Youth won the Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby, FR-G1), Malacate won the Irish Sweeps Derby (IRE-G1), and Empery won the oldest and most prestigious of all Europe’s “Derby” races, the Derby Stakes (ENG-G1) at Epsom Downs. A maiden winner going into the great race, Empery turned in an excellent performance to take the “Blue Riband of the Turf” by three lengths but failed to win afterward. He was a failure at stud in both the United States and in Japan after being exported to that country.
Race record
8 starts, 2 wins, 1 seconds, 2 thirds
1975:
1976:
Assessments
Rated at 128 pounds by Timeform as a 3-year-old, 7 pounds below highweighted Youth.
Tied for third on the Handicap Optional for French 3-year-olds of 1976, below Youth (the French champion 3-year-old male) and Crow (winner of the St. Leger Stakes, ENG-G1, and the English champion 3-year-old male) but tied with Exceller (winner of the Prix Royal-Oak/French St. Leger and Grand Prix de Paris, both FR-G1), Malacate (winner of the Irish Sweeps Derby), and Pawnese (winner of the Oaks Stakes, ENG-G1, and the English Horse of the Year).
In their book A Century of Champions (1999, Portway Press), British experts John Randall and Tony Morris rated Empery as a “poor” winner of the Derby Stakes.
As an individual
A deep-bodied bay colt standing 16 hands, Empery was a fluent mover who was at his best over heavy going.
As a stallion
According to records compiled by The Jockey Club, Empery sired 165 winners (40.6%) and 13 stakes winners (3.2%) from 406 named foals of racing age. His most notable runner was 1986 Canadian champion 2-year-old male Blue Finn.
Notable progeny
Blue Finn (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Empery was bred and owned by Nelson Bunker Hunt. He was trained by Maurice Zilber and ridden to his Derby Stakes win by Lester Piggott. Offered in a package syndication deal with Youth (a share in both horses cost US$300,000), he was valued at US$6 million shortly after his Derby triumph, with Hunt retaining half the shares. Empery entered stud in Kentucky in 1977 at Hunt’s Bluegrass Farm. He was exported to Japan in 1984, and his last foals in that country were registered in 1995.
Pedigree notes
Empery is inbred 5x4 to the great matriarch Selene, a two-time champion filly in England. He is also inbred 5x5 to two-time English champion sire Phalaris and the important broodmare Scapa Flow through the full brothers Fairway (a three-time champion on the English race course) and Pharos (winner of the Champion Stakes), both champion sires in England (with Fairway winning four titles and Pharos adding a French sire championship to his English title). He is a half brother to 1970 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (French One Thousand Guineas) winner Pampered Miss (by Sadair), third dam of 1994 Hungarian champion 2-year-old filly Delia’s Flower and 2004 Premio Ricardo Ortiz de Zevallos (PER-G1) winner Sinjon. Empery is also a half brother to stakes winner Sports Event (by T. V. Lark), dam of multiple Grade 3 winner Vagabonda (by Noholme II), French Group 3 winner Proud Event (by Proud Clarion), and stakes winner Anono (by Noholme II). In addition, Empery is a half brother to stakes winner Anglo Peruvian (by My Babu), dam of multiple stakes winners Air Peruvian (by Sadair) and Miss Arellano (by Sadair).
Pamplona II, the dam of Empery, won the Quadruple Crown in her native Peru. A full sister to Peruvian stakes winner and three-time Peruvian champion sire Parrot, she was produced from the useful handicapper Society’s Way (by Kingsway). Sociey’s Way, in turn, was produced from unraced Society’s Vote (by the good English juvenile Wyndham, by Blenheim II), whose dam Conversation Piece (by 1933 Yorkshire Gold Cup winner Orpen) won the 1938 Irish Oaks.
Books and media
Empery is profiled in Chapter 29 of Sir Charles Leicester's Bloodstock Breeding (1957, J. A. Allen & Co, Ltd.; updated by Howard Wright and re-released by the same firm in 1983).
Fun facts
Last updated: December 3, 2024
Race record
8 starts, 2 wins, 1 seconds, 2 thirds
1975:
- 3rd Prix Thomas Bryon (FR-G3, 1500mT, Saint-Cloud)
1976:
- Won Derby Stakes (ENG-G1, 12F+10yT, Epsom)
- 2nd Irish Sweeps Derby (IRE-G1, 12FT, The Curragh)
- 3rd Prix Lupin (FR-G1, 2100mT, Longchamp)
Assessments
Rated at 128 pounds by Timeform as a 3-year-old, 7 pounds below highweighted Youth.
Tied for third on the Handicap Optional for French 3-year-olds of 1976, below Youth (the French champion 3-year-old male) and Crow (winner of the St. Leger Stakes, ENG-G1, and the English champion 3-year-old male) but tied with Exceller (winner of the Prix Royal-Oak/French St. Leger and Grand Prix de Paris, both FR-G1), Malacate (winner of the Irish Sweeps Derby), and Pawnese (winner of the Oaks Stakes, ENG-G1, and the English Horse of the Year).
In their book A Century of Champions (1999, Portway Press), British experts John Randall and Tony Morris rated Empery as a “poor” winner of the Derby Stakes.
As an individual
A deep-bodied bay colt standing 16 hands, Empery was a fluent mover who was at his best over heavy going.
As a stallion
According to records compiled by The Jockey Club, Empery sired 165 winners (40.6%) and 13 stakes winners (3.2%) from 406 named foals of racing age. His most notable runner was 1986 Canadian champion 2-year-old male Blue Finn.
Notable progeny
Blue Finn (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Empery was bred and owned by Nelson Bunker Hunt. He was trained by Maurice Zilber and ridden to his Derby Stakes win by Lester Piggott. Offered in a package syndication deal with Youth (a share in both horses cost US$300,000), he was valued at US$6 million shortly after his Derby triumph, with Hunt retaining half the shares. Empery entered stud in Kentucky in 1977 at Hunt’s Bluegrass Farm. He was exported to Japan in 1984, and his last foals in that country were registered in 1995.
Pedigree notes
Empery is inbred 5x4 to the great matriarch Selene, a two-time champion filly in England. He is also inbred 5x5 to two-time English champion sire Phalaris and the important broodmare Scapa Flow through the full brothers Fairway (a three-time champion on the English race course) and Pharos (winner of the Champion Stakes), both champion sires in England (with Fairway winning four titles and Pharos adding a French sire championship to his English title). He is a half brother to 1970 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (French One Thousand Guineas) winner Pampered Miss (by Sadair), third dam of 1994 Hungarian champion 2-year-old filly Delia’s Flower and 2004 Premio Ricardo Ortiz de Zevallos (PER-G1) winner Sinjon. Empery is also a half brother to stakes winner Sports Event (by T. V. Lark), dam of multiple Grade 3 winner Vagabonda (by Noholme II), French Group 3 winner Proud Event (by Proud Clarion), and stakes winner Anono (by Noholme II). In addition, Empery is a half brother to stakes winner Anglo Peruvian (by My Babu), dam of multiple stakes winners Air Peruvian (by Sadair) and Miss Arellano (by Sadair).
Pamplona II, the dam of Empery, won the Quadruple Crown in her native Peru. A full sister to Peruvian stakes winner and three-time Peruvian champion sire Parrot, she was produced from the useful handicapper Society’s Way (by Kingsway). Sociey’s Way, in turn, was produced from unraced Society’s Vote (by the good English juvenile Wyndham, by Blenheim II), whose dam Conversation Piece (by 1933 Yorkshire Gold Cup winner Orpen) won the 1938 Irish Oaks.
Books and media
Empery is profiled in Chapter 29 of Sir Charles Leicester's Bloodstock Breeding (1957, J. A. Allen & Co, Ltd.; updated by Howard Wright and re-released by the same firm in 1983).
Fun facts
- Empery could be said to typify the American “melting pot” in his ancestry and connections. Bred in Kentucky, he was sired by a horse bred in Ireland and raced primarily in France, produced from a mare who was a Quadruple Crown-winning champion in her native Peru, owned by an American, trained by an Egyptian émigré to France, and ridden by a superstar English jockey.
- Empery was the seventh Derby Stakes winner for the great Lester Piggott, setting a new Derby record for victories by a jockey. Piggott had previously ridden Never Say Die (1954), Crepello (1957), St. Paddy (1960), Sir Ivor (1968), Nijinsky II (1970), and Roberto (1972). Following Empery, he also rode Derby victors The Minstrel (1977) and Teenoso (1983), giving Piggott a still-standing record for Derby Stakes wins.
- “Empery” is an archaic term for an empire, or by extension for absolute dominion over a wide realm.
Last updated: December 3, 2024