Strawberry Road (AUS)
September 28, 1979 – June 1, 1995
Whiskey Road (USA) x Giftisa (NZ), by Rich Gift (GB)
Family 18
September 28, 1979 – June 1, 1995
Whiskey Road (USA) x Giftisa (NZ), by Rich Gift (GB)
Family 18
A Horse of the Year in his native Australia as a 3-year-old, the globetrotting Strawberry Road became one of the few horses to become champions in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres when he earned a title in Germany as an older male. In addition, he was a Group 1 winner in France and a Grade 2 winner in the United States. Retired to stud in Kentucky, he proved a solid source of stamina and was particularly effective as a sire of fillies. He is also the broodmare sire of 2002 American champion 2-year-old male Vindication and of four-time Grade 1 winner Quality Road, a fine stallion.
Race record
45 starts, 17 wins, 7 seconds, 7 thirds, US$1,713,958 (includes converted earnings from Australia, France, and Germany)
1983:
1984:
1985:
1986:
1987:
Honors
Assessments
Rated at 122 pounds on the Daily Racing Form’s Free Handicap for American turf males of 1986, 2 pounds below co-highweights Manila (the official divisional champion; a 3-year-old) and Dahar.
As an individual
A long-bodied bay horse standing 15.3½ hands, Strawberry Road had a good shoulder and clean forelegs, though he was slightly sickle-hocked. His hindquarters were powerful with good muscling extending well down into his gaskins. He had a tough constitution and was a determined competitor. He was a good doer, shipped well, and could act over any sort of going.
As a stallion
According to statistics compiled by The Jockey Club, Strawberry Road sired 256 winners (69.2%) and 37 stakes winners (10.0%) from 370 named foals. The Blood-Horse credits Strawberry Road with 38 stakes winners, while the reference work Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World credits him with 39.
Sire rankings
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
Notable progeny
Ajina (USA), Dinard (USA), Escena (USA), Fowda (USA), Fraise (USA), Royal Chariot (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Affluent (USA), Honey Rose (ARG), Quality Road (USA), Potri Road (ARG)
Connections
Strawberry Road was bred by Mr. J. Pantos & Mr. G. Georgopoulos. During his Australian racing career, he was owned by his breeders plus A. Pantos, M. Menegazzo, Ray Stehr, and John Singleton. In 1984, Stehr and Singleton acquired a controlling interest in the horse (though the other partners remained involved) and sent him to Europe. Strawberry Road passed to the ownership of Daniel Wildenstein in 1985. Following that year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf, he was sold again, this time to the partnership of Allen Paulsen and Summa Stable (Bruce McNall). He was trained by Doug Bougoure in Australia, by John Nicholls in Australia and Germany, by Patrick Biancone in France, and by Charlie Whittingham in the USA. He entered stud in Kentucky in 1987 at Brookfield Farm. He was euthanized in 1995 after breaking a femur while trying to recover from pneumonia and peritonitis.
Pedigree notes
Sired by the winning Nijinsky II horse Whiskey Road, Strawberry Road is inbred 5x5 to the undefeated Italian champion Nearco, a two-time leader of the English/Irish sire list. He is also inbred 5x5 to Hyperion, winner of the 1933 Derby Stakes and St, Leger Stakes and a six-time champion sire on the English/Irish list. He is a full brother to Strawbrette, second dam of Australian Group 2 winner Mr Martini. He is also a full brother to Whiskey’s Gift, dam of stakes winners Jarf (by Mt. Livermore), Angel Gift (by Allen’s Prospect; dam of Grade 3 winner Easter Gift, by Hard Spun), and Easy Million (by Jade Hunter).
Giftisa, the dam of Strawberry Road, is by Rich Gift, a winning son of the fast Nasrullah horse Princely Gift (a good speed sire). She is a half sister to Yukiko (by Bucentaur), dam of New Zealand Group 2 winner Danjiki (by Markella) and New Zealand Group 3 winner Silver Samurai (by Rapier), second dam of New Zealand Group 3 winner Classic Babe, and third dam of New Zealand Group 2 winner Passchendaele. The sisters, in turn, are out of the winner Wahkeena, whose sire Red Jester (by the Hyperion horse Red Mars) won the 1953 AJC All-Aged Stakes in Australia (now a Group 1 event) and the important Canterbury Cup in New Zealand in 1951.
Fun facts
Last updated: September 30, 2023
Race record
45 starts, 17 wins, 7 seconds, 7 thirds, US$1,713,958 (includes converted earnings from Australia, France, and Germany)
1983:
- Won STC Daily Telegraph Rosehill Guineas (AUS-G1, 2000mT, Rosehill)
- Won AJC Derby (AUS-G1, 2400mT, Randwick)
- Won QTC Queensland Derby (AUS-G1, 2400mT, Eagle Farm)
- Won MRVC W. S. Cox Plate (AUS-G1, 2000mT, Moonee Valley)
- Won Starling Freeway Stakes (AUS-G2, 1200mT, Moonee Valley)
- Won Centennial Stakes (AUS-G2, 1600mT, Moonee Valley)
- 2nd Hobartville Stakes (AUS-G2, 1400mT, Rosehill)
- 2nd VATC Memsie Stakes (AUS-G2, 1400mT, Caulfield)
- 3rd STC Rawson Stakes (AUS-G1, 2000mT, Rosehill)
- 3rd QTC The XXXX Stakes (AUS-G3, Eagle Farm)
1984:
- Won Grosser Preis von Baden (GER-G1, 2400mT, Baden-Baden)
- 2nd Oettingen-Rennen (GER-G3, 1600mT, Baden-Baden)
- 3rd Washington, D.C. International (USA-G1, 12FT, Laurel)
- 3rd Emancipation Stakes (AUS-G2, 1400mT, Randwick)
1985:
- Won Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (FR-G1, 2500mT, Saint-Cloud),
- Won Prix d'Harcourt (FR-G2, 2000mT, Longchamp)
- 2nd Breeders' Cup Turf (USA-G1, 12FT, Aqueduct)
- 3rd Turf Classic Stakes (USA-G1, 12FT, Belmont)
1986:
- Won Arcadia Handicap (USA-G2, 10FT, Santa Anita)
- 2nd San Luis Rey Stakes (USA-G1, 12FT, Santa Anita)
- 2nd San Marcos Handicap (USA-G3, 10FT, Santa Anita)
- 3rd San Luis Obispo Handicap (USA-G2, 12FT, Santa Anita)
1987:
- 3rd San Marcos Handicap (USA-G3, 10FT, Santa Anita)
Honors
- Australian Racing Museum Hall of Fame (inducted in 2009)
- Royal Agricultural Society of Queensland Equine Hall of Fame
- Australian Horse of the Year (1982/1983)
- Australian champion 3-year-old male (1982/1983)
- German champion older male (1985)
Assessments
Rated at 122 pounds on the Daily Racing Form’s Free Handicap for American turf males of 1986, 2 pounds below co-highweights Manila (the official divisional champion; a 3-year-old) and Dahar.
As an individual
A long-bodied bay horse standing 15.3½ hands, Strawberry Road had a good shoulder and clean forelegs, though he was slightly sickle-hocked. His hindquarters were powerful with good muscling extending well down into his gaskins. He had a tough constitution and was a determined competitor. He was a good doer, shipped well, and could act over any sort of going.
As a stallion
According to statistics compiled by The Jockey Club, Strawberry Road sired 256 winners (69.2%) and 37 stakes winners (10.0%) from 370 named foals. The Blood-Horse credits Strawberry Road with 38 stakes winners, while the reference work Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World credits him with 39.
Sire rankings
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
- 4th on the American general sire list in 1998; 10th in 1997.
Notable progeny
Ajina (USA), Dinard (USA), Escena (USA), Fowda (USA), Fraise (USA), Royal Chariot (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Affluent (USA), Honey Rose (ARG), Quality Road (USA), Potri Road (ARG)
Connections
Strawberry Road was bred by Mr. J. Pantos & Mr. G. Georgopoulos. During his Australian racing career, he was owned by his breeders plus A. Pantos, M. Menegazzo, Ray Stehr, and John Singleton. In 1984, Stehr and Singleton acquired a controlling interest in the horse (though the other partners remained involved) and sent him to Europe. Strawberry Road passed to the ownership of Daniel Wildenstein in 1985. Following that year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf, he was sold again, this time to the partnership of Allen Paulsen and Summa Stable (Bruce McNall). He was trained by Doug Bougoure in Australia, by John Nicholls in Australia and Germany, by Patrick Biancone in France, and by Charlie Whittingham in the USA. He entered stud in Kentucky in 1987 at Brookfield Farm. He was euthanized in 1995 after breaking a femur while trying to recover from pneumonia and peritonitis.
Pedigree notes
Sired by the winning Nijinsky II horse Whiskey Road, Strawberry Road is inbred 5x5 to the undefeated Italian champion Nearco, a two-time leader of the English/Irish sire list. He is also inbred 5x5 to Hyperion, winner of the 1933 Derby Stakes and St, Leger Stakes and a six-time champion sire on the English/Irish list. He is a full brother to Strawbrette, second dam of Australian Group 2 winner Mr Martini. He is also a full brother to Whiskey’s Gift, dam of stakes winners Jarf (by Mt. Livermore), Angel Gift (by Allen’s Prospect; dam of Grade 3 winner Easter Gift, by Hard Spun), and Easy Million (by Jade Hunter).
Giftisa, the dam of Strawberry Road, is by Rich Gift, a winning son of the fast Nasrullah horse Princely Gift (a good speed sire). She is a half sister to Yukiko (by Bucentaur), dam of New Zealand Group 2 winner Danjiki (by Markella) and New Zealand Group 3 winner Silver Samurai (by Rapier), second dam of New Zealand Group 3 winner Classic Babe, and third dam of New Zealand Group 2 winner Passchendaele. The sisters, in turn, are out of the winner Wahkeena, whose sire Red Jester (by the Hyperion horse Red Mars) won the 1953 AJC All-Aged Stakes in Australia (now a Group 1 event) and the important Canterbury Cup in New Zealand in 1951.
Fun facts
- Strawberry Road was bred at a bargain price. His dam Giftisa had been a AUS$3,000 weanling at auction, and his sire Whiskey Road stood for AUS$1,500 in the year of his conception.
- According to the Australian Racing Museum, Strawberry Road was the first Australian-bred horse to win Group 1 races in three countries.
- According to the October 3, 1984, edition of the Sydney Morning Herald, Strawberry Road was the first Australian horse to race in either France or Germany.
- Strawberry Road is sometimes seen in American publications as “Strawberry Road II” to avoid confusion with a 1981 Florida-bred filly of the same name. The American-bred Strawberry Road won three minor stakes races.
Last updated: September 30, 2023