Roi Herode (FR)
1904 – June 8, 1931
Le Samaritain (FR) x Roxelane (FR), by War Dance (FR)
Family 1-k
1904 – June 8, 1931
Le Samaritain (FR) x Roxelane (FR), by War Dance (FR)
Family 1-k
By far the most common source of gray coloring in North American-bred Thoroughbreds, Roi Herode was an unlikely candidate to become an important stallion, as he was well below Classic standard as a racehorse. His success at stud is a tribute to Mr. Edward Kennedy, who imported the horse from France to Ireland in an attempt to re-establish the male line of Herod in the British Isles. While Roi Herode's male line petered out as a source of top runners after a few generations, he wielded lasting influence through his son The Tetrarch and through several of his daughters. His gray coat comes down to modern times primarily through The Tetrarch and through a daughter, La Grisette.
Race record:
24 starts, 3 wins
1907:
1908:
1909:
As an individual
A large, stoutly built gray who was coarse enough that he looked more like a coach horse than a Thoroughbred, Roi Herode stayed well but preferred to run on or near the pace and may have had more speed than a bare reading of his race record would indicate. He was said to have had low heels and flat feet and to have transmitted these defects.
As a stallion
Roi Herode was eighth on the English/Irish general sire list in 1918 and 10th on the same list in 1913.
Notable progeny
Cinq à Sept (IRE), Hari Janos (IRE), Judea (IRE), King John (IRE), La Grisette (IRE), Lady Comfey (IRE), St. Donagh (IRE), The Tetrarch (IRE)
Connections
Bred by Monsieur M. Caillaut and the Comte de Pourtales, Roi Herode was purchased at age 5 by Edward Kennedy, who paid £2,000 for him following the horse's second-place finish in the 1909 Doncaster Cup and sent him to the yard of trainer Atty Persse. After bowing a tendon during his preparation for the 1910 Chester Cup, Roi Herode was retired to Kennedy's Straffan Stud near Baronrath, County Kildare, Ireland. Roi Herode died in 1931 and was buried at Straffen Stud next to the grave of Vahren, dam of his best son, The Tetarch.
Pedigree notes
Roi Herode is inbred 4x4 to 1860 Derby Stakes winner Thormanby and 4x5 to 1852 English dual Classic winner and seven-time English champion sire Stockwell, His dam Roxelane won the 1897 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French One Thousand Guineas) and Prix de Diane (French Oaks) and is a full sister to 1898 Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French Two Thousand Guineas) winner Rodilard. She is also a half sister to Lady Isabel (by Master Kildare), third dam of 1923 Ceske (Czech) Derby winner winner Walada.
Roxelane was produced from Rose of York (by Speculum), who according to the officially accepted pedigree in the General Stud Book is a half sister to 1880 Derby Stakes winner Bend Or. (See The Mystery of Bend Or.) There is no dispute that she is a half sister to Red Flag (by Lord Lyon), second dam of 1892 Austrian Derby winner Gaga and 1896 Hungarian St. Leger winner Ganache. The next dam in Roi Herode's tail-female line is Rouge Rose (by Thormanby), whose half sister Paradigm (by Paragone) is the dam of 1866 English Triple Crown winner Lord Lyon (by Stockwell) and 1867 One Thousand Guineas and St. Leger Stakes winner Achievement (by Stockwell).
Fun facts
Race record:
24 starts, 3 wins
1907:
- Won Prix de la Neva (FR, 3000mT, Longchamp)
- 2nd Prix La Rochette (FR, 2200mT, Maisons-Laffitte)
- 2nd Prix du Presidente de la Republique (FR, 2500mT, Maisons-Laffitte)
- 2nd Prix de Rocquencourt (FR, 2400mT, Longchamp)
- 2nd Prix Royal Oak (FR, 3000mT, Longchamp)
1908:
- Won Grand Prix de la Ville de Vichy (FR, 2600mT, Vichy)
- 2nd Prix de Madrid (FR, Longchamp)
1909:
- Won Prix de la Table (FR, 3000mT, Chantilly)
- 2nd Doncaster Cup (ENG, 17FT, Doncaster)
- 3rd Prix Hocquart (FR, 3000mT, Deauville)
As an individual
A large, stoutly built gray who was coarse enough that he looked more like a coach horse than a Thoroughbred, Roi Herode stayed well but preferred to run on or near the pace and may have had more speed than a bare reading of his race record would indicate. He was said to have had low heels and flat feet and to have transmitted these defects.
As a stallion
Roi Herode was eighth on the English/Irish general sire list in 1918 and 10th on the same list in 1913.
Notable progeny
Cinq à Sept (IRE), Hari Janos (IRE), Judea (IRE), King John (IRE), La Grisette (IRE), Lady Comfey (IRE), St. Donagh (IRE), The Tetrarch (IRE)
Connections
Bred by Monsieur M. Caillaut and the Comte de Pourtales, Roi Herode was purchased at age 5 by Edward Kennedy, who paid £2,000 for him following the horse's second-place finish in the 1909 Doncaster Cup and sent him to the yard of trainer Atty Persse. After bowing a tendon during his preparation for the 1910 Chester Cup, Roi Herode was retired to Kennedy's Straffan Stud near Baronrath, County Kildare, Ireland. Roi Herode died in 1931 and was buried at Straffen Stud next to the grave of Vahren, dam of his best son, The Tetarch.
Pedigree notes
Roi Herode is inbred 4x4 to 1860 Derby Stakes winner Thormanby and 4x5 to 1852 English dual Classic winner and seven-time English champion sire Stockwell, His dam Roxelane won the 1897 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French One Thousand Guineas) and Prix de Diane (French Oaks) and is a full sister to 1898 Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French Two Thousand Guineas) winner Rodilard. She is also a half sister to Lady Isabel (by Master Kildare), third dam of 1923 Ceske (Czech) Derby winner winner Walada.
Roxelane was produced from Rose of York (by Speculum), who according to the officially accepted pedigree in the General Stud Book is a half sister to 1880 Derby Stakes winner Bend Or. (See The Mystery of Bend Or.) There is no dispute that she is a half sister to Red Flag (by Lord Lyon), second dam of 1892 Austrian Derby winner Gaga and 1896 Hungarian St. Leger winner Ganache. The next dam in Roi Herode's tail-female line is Rouge Rose (by Thormanby), whose half sister Paradigm (by Paragone) is the dam of 1866 English Triple Crown winner Lord Lyon (by Stockwell) and 1867 One Thousand Guineas and St. Leger Stakes winner Achievement (by Stockwell).
Fun facts
- Roi Herode begot his best son, The Tetrarch, under circumstances that owed much to chance. When he broke down in the spring of 1910, the breeding season was already too far advanced for him to get many mates. Edward Kennedy already owned the mare Vahren, however, and she had foaled relatively late and so was available to be mated with Roi Herode. The result was The Tetrarch, the English champion 2-year-old male of 1913 and a sire of great influence in spite of subnormal fertility.
- Roi Herode's name means “King Herod” in French, referring to the biblical ruler of Judea at the time of Jesus' birth.