Impressive (USA)
February 21, 1963 – 1988
Court Martial (GB) x High Voltage (USA), by Ambiorix (FR)
Family 8-c
February 21, 1963 – 1988
Court Martial (GB) x High Voltage (USA), by Ambiorix (FR)
Family 8-c
Whether Impressive was actually the superior of either Bold Lad or Gallant Romeo in raw speed is open to question, but he was certainly sounder and more durable, winning eight of his 18 1966 starts including a score under 132 pounds in the Fall Highweight Handicap. That was good enough to earn him a championship in the sprint division, but the long season may have taken something out of him as he was unable to display the same form as a 4-year-old. His stud career failed to live up to his name.
Race record
41 starts, 13 wins, 6 seconds, 5 thirds, US$266,346
1965:
1966:
1967:
Honors
American champion sprinter (1966)
Assessments
Rated at 115 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1965, 11 pounds below champion Buckpasser.
Rated at 128 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American sprinters of 1966, 4 pounds below Bold Lad (a 4-year-old) and 2 pounds below Gallant Romeo (a 5-year-old).
Rated at 118 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American sprinters of 1967, 10 pounds below highweighted Indulto. (The official champion sprinter, Dr. Fager, was rated at 130 pounds on the Free Handicap for 3-year-old males.)
As an individual
An attractive dark bay or brown horse standing 16 hands, Impressive was well-balanced with powerful hindquarters and excellent bone but was somewhat over at the knee. He was a confirmed front runner. He had an excellent disposition while racing.
As a stallion
According to records kept by The Jockey Club, Impressive sired 273 winners (54,6%) and 23 stakes winners (4.6%) from 500 named foals. None of his progeny achieved any particular note.
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Impressive was bred by Ogden Phipps and Wheatley Stable and raced in the colors of Ogden Phipps. He was trained by Bill Winfrey at 2 and by Eddie Neloy at 3. During his 3-year-old season, he was sold to Little M Farm (a syndicate headed by John Murrell) and was thereafter trained by W. A. Kelley. He entered stud in 1968 at the Maryland Stallion Station. He later moved to Windfields Farm's Maryland division and then to Longview Stud Farm in California.
Pedigree notes
Impressive is inbred 4x5 to Phalaris and Scapa Flow through the full brothers Fairway and Pharos. He has a further cross of Phalaris at the fifth remove through Pharamond II, whose dam Selene, like Scapa Flow, is a daughter of Chaucer. Impressive is a half brother to 1963 Chesapeake Stakes winner Bold Commander (by Bold Ruler), to 1966 Sapling Stakes winner Great Power (by Bold Ruler), and to Irradiate (by Ribot), dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Majestic Light (by Majestic Prince), multiple Grade 2 winner Fluorescent Light (by Herbager) and Grade 3 winner Celestial Lights (by Bold Ruler). In addition, Impressive is a half brother to Grade 3 producer Overpowering (by Bold Ruler) and stakes producers Charged (by Princequillo) and Flood Light (by Bold Lad).
Impressive is out of High Voltage, the American champion 2-year-old filly of 1954. She is out of the winning Menow mare Dynamo, making her a full sister to stakes-placed Magneto, dam of 1967 Whitney Stakes winner Stupendous (by Bold Ruler) and third dam of English Group 2 winner Imperial Bailiwick, and a half sister to Coastal Trade (by Coastal Traffic), dam of 1968 Flamingo Stakes winner Wise Exchange (by Promised Land). High Voltage is also a half sister to Beguiling (by Nasrullah), dam of 1964 Vagrancy Handicap winner No Resisting (by Ambiorix), second dam of Grade 2 winner Rhoman Rule (by Stop the Music), and third dam of multiple Australian Group 1 winner Tempest Morn.
Dynamo, in turn, is a half sister to multiple stakes winner Stronghold (by Hard Tack) and is out of stakes-placed Bransome (by Royal Minstrel), a half sister to 1940 Pimlico Futurity winner Bold Irishman (by Sir Gallahad III), 1942 Interborough Handicap winner Eire (by Hard Tack), and 1935 Fashion Stakes winner Mag Mell (by Pompey). Produced from 1930 Gazelle Stakes winner Erin (by Transmute), Bransome is also a half sister to Bold Irish (by Fighting Fox), whose branch of the family includes champions Ruffian, Castle Forbes, Green Forest, and Epitome as well as Classic winners Fusaichi Pegasus and Pine Bluff and the fine sire Icecapade.
Fun facts
Last updated: August 4, 2022
Race record
41 starts, 13 wins, 6 seconds, 5 thirds, US$266,346
1965:
- Won Saratoga Special Stakes (USA, 6FD, Saratoga)
- 2nd Hopeful Stakes (USA, 6.5FD, Saratoga)
- 3rd Sanford Stakes (USA, 5.5FD, Saratoga)
- 3rd Flash Stakes (USA, 5.5FD, Saratoga)
1966:
- Won Fall Highweight Handicap (USA, 6FD, Aqueduct)
- Won Quaker City Handicap (USA, 6FD, Garden State)
- Won Hibiscus Stakes (USA, 7FD, Hialeah)
- Won Pimlico Handicap (USA, 6FD, Pimlico)
- Won Sport Page Handicap (USA, 6FD, Aqueduct)
- Won Swift Stakes (USA, 6FD, Aqueduct)
- 2nd Gotham Stakes (USA, 8FD, Aqueduct)
- 2nd Choice Stakes (USA, 8.5FD, Monmouth)
- 2nd Bahamas Stakes (USA, 7FD, Hialeah)
- 2nd Bay Shore Stakes (USA, 7FD, Aqueduct)
- Set a new track record of 1:21-4/5 for 7 furlongs at Hialeah in an exhibition race
1967:
- 3rd Metropolitan Handicap (USA, 8FD, Aqueduct)
- 3rd Roseben Handicap (USA, 7FD, Aqueduct)
Honors
American champion sprinter (1966)
Assessments
Rated at 115 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1965, 11 pounds below champion Buckpasser.
Rated at 128 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American sprinters of 1966, 4 pounds below Bold Lad (a 4-year-old) and 2 pounds below Gallant Romeo (a 5-year-old).
Rated at 118 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American sprinters of 1967, 10 pounds below highweighted Indulto. (The official champion sprinter, Dr. Fager, was rated at 130 pounds on the Free Handicap for 3-year-old males.)
As an individual
An attractive dark bay or brown horse standing 16 hands, Impressive was well-balanced with powerful hindquarters and excellent bone but was somewhat over at the knee. He was a confirmed front runner. He had an excellent disposition while racing.
As a stallion
According to records kept by The Jockey Club, Impressive sired 273 winners (54,6%) and 23 stakes winners (4.6%) from 500 named foals. None of his progeny achieved any particular note.
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Impressive was bred by Ogden Phipps and Wheatley Stable and raced in the colors of Ogden Phipps. He was trained by Bill Winfrey at 2 and by Eddie Neloy at 3. During his 3-year-old season, he was sold to Little M Farm (a syndicate headed by John Murrell) and was thereafter trained by W. A. Kelley. He entered stud in 1968 at the Maryland Stallion Station. He later moved to Windfields Farm's Maryland division and then to Longview Stud Farm in California.
Pedigree notes
Impressive is inbred 4x5 to Phalaris and Scapa Flow through the full brothers Fairway and Pharos. He has a further cross of Phalaris at the fifth remove through Pharamond II, whose dam Selene, like Scapa Flow, is a daughter of Chaucer. Impressive is a half brother to 1963 Chesapeake Stakes winner Bold Commander (by Bold Ruler), to 1966 Sapling Stakes winner Great Power (by Bold Ruler), and to Irradiate (by Ribot), dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Majestic Light (by Majestic Prince), multiple Grade 2 winner Fluorescent Light (by Herbager) and Grade 3 winner Celestial Lights (by Bold Ruler). In addition, Impressive is a half brother to Grade 3 producer Overpowering (by Bold Ruler) and stakes producers Charged (by Princequillo) and Flood Light (by Bold Lad).
Impressive is out of High Voltage, the American champion 2-year-old filly of 1954. She is out of the winning Menow mare Dynamo, making her a full sister to stakes-placed Magneto, dam of 1967 Whitney Stakes winner Stupendous (by Bold Ruler) and third dam of English Group 2 winner Imperial Bailiwick, and a half sister to Coastal Trade (by Coastal Traffic), dam of 1968 Flamingo Stakes winner Wise Exchange (by Promised Land). High Voltage is also a half sister to Beguiling (by Nasrullah), dam of 1964 Vagrancy Handicap winner No Resisting (by Ambiorix), second dam of Grade 2 winner Rhoman Rule (by Stop the Music), and third dam of multiple Australian Group 1 winner Tempest Morn.
Dynamo, in turn, is a half sister to multiple stakes winner Stronghold (by Hard Tack) and is out of stakes-placed Bransome (by Royal Minstrel), a half sister to 1940 Pimlico Futurity winner Bold Irishman (by Sir Gallahad III), 1942 Interborough Handicap winner Eire (by Hard Tack), and 1935 Fashion Stakes winner Mag Mell (by Pompey). Produced from 1930 Gazelle Stakes winner Erin (by Transmute), Bransome is also a half sister to Bold Irish (by Fighting Fox), whose branch of the family includes champions Ruffian, Castle Forbes, Green Forest, and Epitome as well as Classic winners Fusaichi Pegasus and Pine Bluff and the fine sire Icecapade.
Fun facts
- Impressive was the only horse to defeat Buckpasser during the latter's Horse of the Year season, beating the champion in a 7-furlong exhibition race at Hialeah. He later served as Buckpasser's rabbit when Buckpasser set a new world record of 1:32-3/5 for the mile in the Arlington Classic; in that race, Impressive hung up a 6-furlong split of 1:06-4/5, a full second faster than the then-extant world record for 6 furlongs on dirt.
Last updated: August 4, 2022