Sea Hero (USA)
March 4, 1990 – July 12, 2019
Polish Navy (USA) x Glowing Tribute (USA), by Graustark (USA)
Family 1-x
March 4, 1990 – July 12, 2019
Polish Navy (USA) x Glowing Tribute (USA), by Graustark (USA)
Family 1-x
Sea Hero was inconsistent, but he had a knack for timing his biggest efforts to coincide with major races; of the colt's six wins, half were in Grade 1 races with purses of US$500,000 or more. A frustrating horse to train in spite of his obvious ability, he was a disappointment as a sire and was exported to Turkey.
Race record
24 starts, 6 wins, 3 seconds, 4 thirds, US$2,929,869
1992:
1993:
1994:
Assessments
Rated at 120 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American male juveniles of 1992, 6 pounds below champion Gilded Time.
Rated at 122 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1993, 2 pounds below champion Prairie Bayou but second overall.
Rated at 112 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1994, 11 pounds below highweighted Colonial Affair.
As an individual
An athletic, well-conformed bay horse standing 16.1-1/2 hands, Sea Hero was tall and leggy. He had a reputation for being temperamental and according to trainer Mack Miller was more like a filly than a colt to train as he was somewhat delicate of constitution. He normally won his races coming from off the pace. As a stallion he was high-spirited and playful.
As a stallion
According to records kept by The Jockey Club, Sea Hero has sired 208 winners (29.8%) and 15 stakes winners (2.2%) from 697 named foals as of May 28, 2020.
Sire rankings
Per the Jockey Club of Turkey (https://www.tjk.org/EN/YarisSever/YarisSever/Index):
Notable progeny
Cindy's Hero (USA), Confidence (TUR)
Connections
Foaled in Virginia, Sea Hero was bred and owned by Paul Mellon, who raced him in the name of his Rokeby Stables. He was trained by Mack Miller. He entered stud in 1995 at Lane's End Farm in Kentucky. Following the 1999 Northern Hemisphere breeding season, Sea Hero was exported to stand at Karacabey Pension Stud near Izmit, Turkey. He died in Turkey in 2019.
Pedigree notes
Sea Hero is inbred 4x4 to War Admiral and 5x5 to La Troienne through the closely related mares Busanda and Searching, both by War Admiral and out of daughters of La Troienne sired by Black Toney or his grandson Blue Larkspur. He is a half brother to multiple Grade 1 winner Hero's Honor and 1984 Diana Handicap (USA-G2) winner Wild Applause, both by Northern Dancer; to Grade 3 winners Coronation Cup (by Chief's Crown) and Mackie (by Summer Squall); and to two-time Diana Handicap (USA-G2) winner Glowing Honor and stakes winner Seattle Glow, both by Seattle Slew. Wild Applause and Mackie were both multiple graded stakes-producing broodmares, and Sea Hero is also a half brother to Victoria Cross (by Spectacular Bid), dam of 2001 European champion sprinter Mozart (by Danehill) and Grade 3 winner England Expects (by Topsider).
Sea Hero and his siblings were produced from multiple Grade 2 winner Glowing Tribute, the 1993 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year. Glowing Tribute is a half sister to Courting Days (by Bold Lad), dam of Irish Group 2 winner and useful sire Magesterial (by Northern Dancer), and to Wealth of Nations (by Key to the Mint), second dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Lite Light.
Glowing Tribute and her sisters are out of 1964 Arlington-Washington Stakes winner Admiring (by Hail to Reason), a full sister to Priceless Gem. The winner of the 1965 Futurity Stakes and Frizette Stakes, Priceless Gem is the dam of the great French race mare Allez France (by Sea-Bird), multiple Grade 1 producer Lady Winborne (by Secretariat), and four-time New Zealand champion sire Noble Bijou (by Vaguely Noble). Admiring is also a half sister to three-time American champion Affectionately (by Swaps), dam of 1970 American Horse of the Year Personality (by Hail to Reason), and to Searching Around (by Round Table), dam of stakes winner Stashed (by Key to the Mint). The next dam in Sea Hero's tail-female line is National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame member Searching, a foundation mare for the Bieber-Jacobs Stable's breeding program.
Books and media
Fun facts
Last updated: May 28, 2022
Race record
24 starts, 6 wins, 3 seconds, 4 thirds, US$2,929,869
1992:
- Won Champagne Stakes (USA-G1, 8FD, Belmont)
1993:
- Won Kentucky Derby (USA-G1, 10FD, Churchill Downs)
- Won Travers Stakes (USA-G1, 10FD, Saratoga)
- 3rd Molson Export Million Stakes (CAN-G2, 9FD, Woodbine)
1994:
- 2nd Bowling Green Handicap (USA-G2, 11FT, Belmont)
- 3rd Brooklyn Handicap (USA-G2, 9FD, Belmont)
- 3rd Calcutta Cup Handicap (USA-L, 9FT, Saratoga)
Assessments
Rated at 120 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American male juveniles of 1992, 6 pounds below champion Gilded Time.
Rated at 122 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1993, 2 pounds below champion Prairie Bayou but second overall.
Rated at 112 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1994, 11 pounds below highweighted Colonial Affair.
As an individual
An athletic, well-conformed bay horse standing 16.1-1/2 hands, Sea Hero was tall and leggy. He had a reputation for being temperamental and according to trainer Mack Miller was more like a filly than a colt to train as he was somewhat delicate of constitution. He normally won his races coming from off the pace. As a stallion he was high-spirited and playful.
As a stallion
According to records kept by The Jockey Club, Sea Hero has sired 208 winners (29.8%) and 15 stakes winners (2.2%) from 697 named foals as of May 28, 2020.
Sire rankings
Per the Jockey Club of Turkey (https://www.tjk.org/EN/YarisSever/YarisSever/Index):
- 3rd on the Turkish general sire list in 2007; 5th in 2005 and 2006; 6th in 2010; 7th in 2009; 8th in 2004 and 2008.
- 5th on the Turkish broodmare sire list in 2013; 6th in 2015; 7th in 2014; 9th in 2017; 10th in 2018.
Notable progeny
Cindy's Hero (USA), Confidence (TUR)
Connections
Foaled in Virginia, Sea Hero was bred and owned by Paul Mellon, who raced him in the name of his Rokeby Stables. He was trained by Mack Miller. He entered stud in 1995 at Lane's End Farm in Kentucky. Following the 1999 Northern Hemisphere breeding season, Sea Hero was exported to stand at Karacabey Pension Stud near Izmit, Turkey. He died in Turkey in 2019.
Pedigree notes
Sea Hero is inbred 4x4 to War Admiral and 5x5 to La Troienne through the closely related mares Busanda and Searching, both by War Admiral and out of daughters of La Troienne sired by Black Toney or his grandson Blue Larkspur. He is a half brother to multiple Grade 1 winner Hero's Honor and 1984 Diana Handicap (USA-G2) winner Wild Applause, both by Northern Dancer; to Grade 3 winners Coronation Cup (by Chief's Crown) and Mackie (by Summer Squall); and to two-time Diana Handicap (USA-G2) winner Glowing Honor and stakes winner Seattle Glow, both by Seattle Slew. Wild Applause and Mackie were both multiple graded stakes-producing broodmares, and Sea Hero is also a half brother to Victoria Cross (by Spectacular Bid), dam of 2001 European champion sprinter Mozart (by Danehill) and Grade 3 winner England Expects (by Topsider).
Sea Hero and his siblings were produced from multiple Grade 2 winner Glowing Tribute, the 1993 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year. Glowing Tribute is a half sister to Courting Days (by Bold Lad), dam of Irish Group 2 winner and useful sire Magesterial (by Northern Dancer), and to Wealth of Nations (by Key to the Mint), second dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Lite Light.
Glowing Tribute and her sisters are out of 1964 Arlington-Washington Stakes winner Admiring (by Hail to Reason), a full sister to Priceless Gem. The winner of the 1965 Futurity Stakes and Frizette Stakes, Priceless Gem is the dam of the great French race mare Allez France (by Sea-Bird), multiple Grade 1 producer Lady Winborne (by Secretariat), and four-time New Zealand champion sire Noble Bijou (by Vaguely Noble). Admiring is also a half sister to three-time American champion Affectionately (by Swaps), dam of 1970 American Horse of the Year Personality (by Hail to Reason), and to Searching Around (by Round Table), dam of stakes winner Stashed (by Key to the Mint). The next dam in Sea Hero's tail-female line is National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame member Searching, a foundation mare for the Bieber-Jacobs Stable's breeding program.
Books and media
- The documentary Paul Mellon: In His Own Words includes footage of Sea Hero's races. Directed by J. J. Krakora, the film was released by Microcinema International in 2007.
- Sea Hero is profiled in Chapter 12 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
- Sea Hero was one of the few horses retained when Paul Mellon dispersed most of his bloodstock in 1992. He became the only Kentucky Derby winner for the aging sportsman, who was 85 when Sea Hero won the roses.
- In a nice touch, Sea Hero's Derby win came on his owner's 45th wedding anniversary.
- Sea Hero's victory in the 1993 Kentucky Derby, coupled with Mill Reef's win in the 1971 Derby Stakes (ENG-G1), made Paul Mellon the second man to breed and own winners of both races. The first was John Galbreath, who won the 1963 Kentucky Derby with Chateaugay and the 1972 Derby Stakes with Roberto. Thanks to Sea Hero and Mill Reef, Mellon is the only person to capture both North America's and Europe's most prestigious Classics along with Europe's premiere race for older horses, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (FR-G1), which Mill Reef won in 1971.
- Paul Mellon raked in close to US$26,000 in win bets when Sea Hero came home in the Derby at nearly 13-1. Following the race, he distributed his winnings to his employees.
- Sea Hero was the first Kentucky Derby winner for Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey and Hall of Fame trainer Mack Miller. After the race, Bailey asked that the Chrysler Motor Corporation, which had planned to give the Derby-winning jockey a new car, give the value of the car to the Jockeys' Disabled Riders' Fund.
- Sea Hero was the first Kentucky Derby winner to win the Travers Stakes since Shut Out accomplished the double in 1942.
- A statue of Sea Hero stands near the walking ring at Saratoga.
- Another statue of Sea Hero, a large-scale bronze standing nearly seven feet high, is part of the collection at the National Sporting Library & Museum in Middleburg, Virginia. Created by British artist Tessa Pullan, the statue was installed on May 30, 2015, as part of a ceremony honoring the late Paul Mellon, who had given the statue to the museum by a bequest in his will.
- Sea Hero Road in Frankfort, Kentucky, is named for the Derby winner, as is Sea Hero Court in Napa, California.
Last updated: May 28, 2022