With his victory in the Gran Premio Nacional, Saint Emilion made his sire Cyllene the second stallion to sire both a winner of the Derby Stakes (of which he had four) and its Argentine equivalent. He was a fairly good sire but was unable to continue Cyllene's male line. His chief contribution to modern bloodlines is as the sire of Doña Inez, ancestress of champions Dorine, Forty Doriana, and Personal Ensign.
Race record
Complete record unavailable.
1916:
1917:
1918:
1919:
Also won:
As an individual
A bay horse, Saint Emilion was described as well built and an excellent mover. He was known for his nasty temperament on the racecourse but became mellower after his retirement to stud.
As a stallion
While Saint Emilion was a fairly good sire of winners, none of his runners approached his own class. His best runners were better known for speed than stamina.
Sire rankings
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
Notable progeny
Bacacay (ARG), Giantillo (ARG)
Notable progeny of daughters
Ned (ARG)
Connections
Saint Emilion was bred by Raúl Chevalier's Haras Ojo de Agua and raced in the colors of Ernesto Bouquet's Caballeriza Don Gonzalo. He stood at Haras Ojo de Agua prior to his export to Chile in 1929.
Pedigree notes
Saint Emilion is inbred 4x3 to 1867 Derby Stakes winner and seven-time English/Irish champion sire Hermit. He is also inbred 5x5x5 to 1852 English dual Classic winner and seven-time English champion sire Stockwell. He is a half brother to multiple Argentine stakes winner Barsac (by Kendal), a two-time champion sire in Chile. He is a half brother to Bourgogne (by Your Majesty), dam of the unbeaten Argentine champion Macon and of 1931 Gran Premio Selección (Argentine Oaks) winner Cote d'Or (both by Sandal) as well as Uruguayan stakes winner Romanee (by Cyllene). Bourgogne is also the second dam of 1941 Argentine Horse of the Year Bon Vin. In addition, she is the third dam of 1957 Gran Premio Polla de Potrancas (Uruguayan One Thousand Guineas) winner Cote Royale and of Aurreko, who won the 1953 Gran Premio Polla de Potrillos (Uruguayan Two Thousand Guineas) and the 1954 Gran Premio José P. Ramírez (Uruguay's top race for horses 3 and older).
Returning to Saint Emilion, he is also a half brother to Iquem (by Pulgarin), whose daughter La Mission (by Congreve) won the Argentine Quadruple Crown of 1940 and is still regarded as one of the greatest race mares in Argentine history. Another daughter of Iquem, La Mission's full sister Fond de Cave, is the third dam of multiple Brazilian Group 1 winner Grimaldi, whose victories include the 1986 Grande Prêmio Cruizero do Sul (Brazilian Derby, BRZ-G1). In addition to La Mission and Fond du Cave, Iquem produced Haut Brion (by Congreve), winner of the Premio Vicente L. Casares and disqualified after being first past the post in the 1935 Polla de Potrillos (Argentine Two Thousand Guineas).
Albilla, the dam of Saint Emilion, was produced from the English import Nesta, whose stakes-winning son Charcot (by Gay Hermit) is believed to have been the first horse to have won races on three different continents (Africa, Europe, and South America). A daughter of Galopin and the Chevron mare Crediton, Nesta is also the dam of Nelesena (by Gay Hermit), whose son Naranjal won the Gran Premio Jockey Club and several other good races in Uruguay, and of Celso (by Gay Hermit), the Chilean champion sire of 1915.
Fun facts
Last updated: April 10, 2023
Race record
Complete record unavailable.
1916:
- Won Gran Premio Nacional (Argentine Derby) (ARG, 2500m, Palermo)
- 3rd Gran Premio Jockey Club (ARG, 2000m, Palermo)
1917:
- Won Premio Otoño (ARG)
1918:
- 2nd Premio Chacabuco (ARG)
- 2nd Premio General Belgrano (ARG)
1919:
- Won Premio America (ARG)
Also won:
- Premio Invierno (ARG)
- Premio Estados Unidos del Brasil (ARG) (twice)
- Premio General Francisco B. Bosch (twice)
- Premio Libertade (ARG)
- Premio Juan Shaw (ARG)
As an individual
A bay horse, Saint Emilion was described as well built and an excellent mover. He was known for his nasty temperament on the racecourse but became mellower after his retirement to stud.
As a stallion
While Saint Emilion was a fairly good sire of winners, none of his runners approached his own class. His best runners were better known for speed than stamina.
Sire rankings
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
- 2nd on the Argentine general sire list in 1927; 8th in 1929; 9th in 1924.
Notable progeny
Bacacay (ARG), Giantillo (ARG)
Notable progeny of daughters
Ned (ARG)
Connections
Saint Emilion was bred by Raúl Chevalier's Haras Ojo de Agua and raced in the colors of Ernesto Bouquet's Caballeriza Don Gonzalo. He stood at Haras Ojo de Agua prior to his export to Chile in 1929.
Pedigree notes
Saint Emilion is inbred 4x3 to 1867 Derby Stakes winner and seven-time English/Irish champion sire Hermit. He is also inbred 5x5x5 to 1852 English dual Classic winner and seven-time English champion sire Stockwell. He is a half brother to multiple Argentine stakes winner Barsac (by Kendal), a two-time champion sire in Chile. He is a half brother to Bourgogne (by Your Majesty), dam of the unbeaten Argentine champion Macon and of 1931 Gran Premio Selección (Argentine Oaks) winner Cote d'Or (both by Sandal) as well as Uruguayan stakes winner Romanee (by Cyllene). Bourgogne is also the second dam of 1941 Argentine Horse of the Year Bon Vin. In addition, she is the third dam of 1957 Gran Premio Polla de Potrancas (Uruguayan One Thousand Guineas) winner Cote Royale and of Aurreko, who won the 1953 Gran Premio Polla de Potrillos (Uruguayan Two Thousand Guineas) and the 1954 Gran Premio José P. Ramírez (Uruguay's top race for horses 3 and older).
Returning to Saint Emilion, he is also a half brother to Iquem (by Pulgarin), whose daughter La Mission (by Congreve) won the Argentine Quadruple Crown of 1940 and is still regarded as one of the greatest race mares in Argentine history. Another daughter of Iquem, La Mission's full sister Fond de Cave, is the third dam of multiple Brazilian Group 1 winner Grimaldi, whose victories include the 1986 Grande Prêmio Cruizero do Sul (Brazilian Derby, BRZ-G1). In addition to La Mission and Fond du Cave, Iquem produced Haut Brion (by Congreve), winner of the Premio Vicente L. Casares and disqualified after being first past the post in the 1935 Polla de Potrillos (Argentine Two Thousand Guineas).
Albilla, the dam of Saint Emilion, was produced from the English import Nesta, whose stakes-winning son Charcot (by Gay Hermit) is believed to have been the first horse to have won races on three different continents (Africa, Europe, and South America). A daughter of Galopin and the Chevron mare Crediton, Nesta is also the dam of Nelesena (by Gay Hermit), whose son Naranjal won the Gran Premio Jockey Club and several other good races in Uruguay, and of Celso (by Gay Hermit), the Chilean champion sire of 1915.
Fun facts
- Saint-Émilion is a French commune in the wine country of the Nouvelle-Aquitane region in France's southeast. It was named for an eighth-century monk, Émilion, who became a hermit nearby and whose successors began commercial wine production in the area. Known for its Romanesque churches and medieval heritage, Saint-Émilion is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Saint Emilion's name is sometimes seen as “St. Emilion,” but his name is usually seen in the unabbreviated form in Argentine pedigrees.
Last updated: April 10, 2023