Icecapade (USA)
April 4, 1969 – November 12, 1988
Nearctic (CAN) x Shenanigans (USA), by Native Dancer (USA)
Family 8-c
April 4, 1969 – November 12, 1988
Nearctic (CAN) x Shenanigans (USA), by Native Dancer (USA)
Family 8-c
Bred on the same cross as Northern Dancer and a half brother to the legendary Ruffian, Icecapade had plenty of talent in his own right but also inherited his sire's high-strung, willful disposition in full measure, to the point that some observers considered him downright crazy. Fortunately, he managed to get through his racing career without seriously injuring himself or a jockey and gained the reputation of a fast sprinter-miler. He proved a very good sire whose male line persists through the sons and grandsons of Wild Again and Clever Trick.
Race record
32 starts, 13 wins, 6 seconds, 1 third, US$256,468
1972:
1973:
Assessments
Rated at 122 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American sprinters of 1972, 8 pounds below highweighted Duck Dance. (Champion sprinter Chou Croute, a 4-year-old filly, was rated at 126 pounds atop the Free Handicap for older females.)
Rated at 124 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American sprinters of 1973, 6 pounds below champion Shecky Greene.
As an individual
Standing 15.3 hands, Icecapade was a short-backed, strongly-made gray. His racing temperament was so erratic that Stuart Janney decided to get rid of him as a 4-year-old in spite of the colt's racetrack successes for fear that the horse would get someone hurt or killed.
As a stallion
According to The Jockey Club, Icecapade sired 383 winners (65.7%) and 69 stakes winners (11.8%) from 583 named foals. Thoroughbred Times credits him with 73 stakes winners (12.5%). Icecapade is a Brilliant/Classic chef-de-race in the Roman-Miller dosage system.
Sire rankings
Per the American Racing Manual (Daily Racing Form) series:
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers:
Notable progeny
Clever Trick (USA), Great Lady M. (USA), Hyperborean (USA), Ice Cool (USA), Iceca Noble (USA), Izvestia (CAN), Kingsbridge (CAN), Ski Champ (USA), Wild Again (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Brought to Mind (USA), Dantelah (NZ), Lady's Secret (USA), Markofdistinction (GB), Siberian Summer (USA), Sister Act (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Icecapade was bred and owned by Mr. and Mrs. Stuart S. Janney, who raced the colt in the name of their Locust Hill Farm. He was initially trained by Frank Whiteley, Jr. at 2 but was then turned over to Whiteley's son David. Following Icecapade's win in the 1973 Nassau County Handicap, he was sold privately to Mrs. D. S. McVarish for a price reportedly in excess of US$450,000. Icecapade entered stud at Gainesway Farm near Lexington, Kentucky, in 1974 and died in 1988.
Pedigree notes
Icecapade is outcrossed through five generations. He is a half brother to two-time American champion filly Ruffian (by Reviewer) and to 1978 William J. du Pont Handicap (USA-G2) winner Buckfinder (by Buckpasser). Icecapade is also a half brother to Laughter (by Bold Ruler), dam of five stakes winners including 1988 Wood Memorial Invitational Stakes (USA-G1) winner Private Terms (by Private Account) and Grade 3 winners Blue Ensign (by Hoist the Flag) and Light Spirits (by Majestic Light) and second dam of six stakes winners including 1998 Travers Stakes (USA-G1) winner Coronado's Quest, Grade 2 winner Mesabi Maiden and Grade 3 winner Warning Glance.
Icecapade was the first foal produced by Shenanigans, the 1975 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year. Produced from Bold Irish (by Fighting Fox), Shenanigans is a stakes-placed half sister to multiple stakes winners The Irishman (by Nasrullah) and Knocklofty (by Parnassus). She is also a half sister to Blarney Castle (by Nasrullah), third dam of two-time French champion Green Forest and third dam of French Group 3 winner Green Paradise; to Irish Trip (by Globemaster), dam of multiple stakes winner Dungarven (by Triple Bend); and to Longford (by Menow), dam of 1963 American champion 2-year-old filly Castle Forbes (by Tulyar). Through Castle Forbes, Longford is the second dam of 1969 Hopeful Stakes winner Irish Castle and 1974 Matron Stakes (USA-G1) winner Alpine Lass, both by Bold Ruler. Another half sister to Shenanigans, Leix (by Turn-to), produced stakes winners Irish County (by Swaps), Irish Chief (by Tulyar) and Ruff Mark (by Master Hand) and is the second dam of four stakes winners including Grade 2 winner Pok Ta Pok. In addition, Shenanigans is a half sister to Castle Hyde (by Tulyar), dam of stakes winner Ramhyde (by Rambunctious) and third dam of 1992 Preakness Stakes (USA-G1) winner Pine Bluff and 1987 Arkansas Derby (USA-G1) winner Demons Begone.
Fun facts
Last updated: August 2, 2022
Race record
32 starts, 13 wins, 6 seconds, 1 third, US$256,468
1972:
- Won Stuyvesant Handicap (USA, 8FD, Aqueduct)
- Won Saranac Stakes (USA, 8FD, Aqueduct)
- Won Kelso Handicap (USA, 6FD, Delaware)
- Won Longport Handicap (USA, 7FD, Atlantic)
- 2nd Withers Stakes (USA, 8FD, Aqueduct)
- 2nd Fall Highweight Handicap (first division) (USA, 6FD, Belmont)
- 3rd Delaware Valley Stakes (USA, 6FD, Delaware)
1973:
- Won William DuPont Jr. Handicap (USA-G2, 8.5FD, Delaware)
- Won Nassau County Handicap (USA-G3, 7FD, Aqueduct)
- Won Atlantic City Handicap (USA, 7FD, Atlantic City)
- Also set a track record of 1:08 for 6 furlongs on dirt at Monmouth
Assessments
Rated at 122 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American sprinters of 1972, 8 pounds below highweighted Duck Dance. (Champion sprinter Chou Croute, a 4-year-old filly, was rated at 126 pounds atop the Free Handicap for older females.)
Rated at 124 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American sprinters of 1973, 6 pounds below champion Shecky Greene.
As an individual
Standing 15.3 hands, Icecapade was a short-backed, strongly-made gray. His racing temperament was so erratic that Stuart Janney decided to get rid of him as a 4-year-old in spite of the colt's racetrack successes for fear that the horse would get someone hurt or killed.
As a stallion
According to The Jockey Club, Icecapade sired 383 winners (65.7%) and 69 stakes winners (11.8%) from 583 named foals. Thoroughbred Times credits him with 73 stakes winners (12.5%). Icecapade is a Brilliant/Classic chef-de-race in the Roman-Miller dosage system.
Sire rankings
Per the American Racing Manual (Daily Racing Form) series:
- 2nd on the American general sire list in 1984.
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers:
- 2nd on the American general sire list in 1984; 4th in 1990.
Notable progeny
Clever Trick (USA), Great Lady M. (USA), Hyperborean (USA), Ice Cool (USA), Iceca Noble (USA), Izvestia (CAN), Kingsbridge (CAN), Ski Champ (USA), Wild Again (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Brought to Mind (USA), Dantelah (NZ), Lady's Secret (USA), Markofdistinction (GB), Siberian Summer (USA), Sister Act (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Icecapade was bred and owned by Mr. and Mrs. Stuart S. Janney, who raced the colt in the name of their Locust Hill Farm. He was initially trained by Frank Whiteley, Jr. at 2 but was then turned over to Whiteley's son David. Following Icecapade's win in the 1973 Nassau County Handicap, he was sold privately to Mrs. D. S. McVarish for a price reportedly in excess of US$450,000. Icecapade entered stud at Gainesway Farm near Lexington, Kentucky, in 1974 and died in 1988.
Pedigree notes
Icecapade is outcrossed through five generations. He is a half brother to two-time American champion filly Ruffian (by Reviewer) and to 1978 William J. du Pont Handicap (USA-G2) winner Buckfinder (by Buckpasser). Icecapade is also a half brother to Laughter (by Bold Ruler), dam of five stakes winners including 1988 Wood Memorial Invitational Stakes (USA-G1) winner Private Terms (by Private Account) and Grade 3 winners Blue Ensign (by Hoist the Flag) and Light Spirits (by Majestic Light) and second dam of six stakes winners including 1998 Travers Stakes (USA-G1) winner Coronado's Quest, Grade 2 winner Mesabi Maiden and Grade 3 winner Warning Glance.
Icecapade was the first foal produced by Shenanigans, the 1975 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year. Produced from Bold Irish (by Fighting Fox), Shenanigans is a stakes-placed half sister to multiple stakes winners The Irishman (by Nasrullah) and Knocklofty (by Parnassus). She is also a half sister to Blarney Castle (by Nasrullah), third dam of two-time French champion Green Forest and third dam of French Group 3 winner Green Paradise; to Irish Trip (by Globemaster), dam of multiple stakes winner Dungarven (by Triple Bend); and to Longford (by Menow), dam of 1963 American champion 2-year-old filly Castle Forbes (by Tulyar). Through Castle Forbes, Longford is the second dam of 1969 Hopeful Stakes winner Irish Castle and 1974 Matron Stakes (USA-G1) winner Alpine Lass, both by Bold Ruler. Another half sister to Shenanigans, Leix (by Turn-to), produced stakes winners Irish County (by Swaps), Irish Chief (by Tulyar) and Ruff Mark (by Master Hand) and is the second dam of four stakes winners including Grade 2 winner Pok Ta Pok. In addition, Shenanigans is a half sister to Castle Hyde (by Tulyar), dam of stakes winner Ramhyde (by Rambunctious) and third dam of 1992 Preakness Stakes (USA-G1) winner Pine Bluff and 1987 Arkansas Derby (USA-G1) winner Demons Begone.
Fun facts
- The Icecapade Stakes was run at Monmouth Park through 2013 and was last carded for 3-year-olds and up at 6 furlongs on dirt.
- In show business, the Ice Capades was a long-running ice skating show that frequently featured former Olympic skaters. Its first performance took place in February 1940, and it continued as part of the American entertainment scene for over five decades.
Last updated: August 2, 2022