Ta Wee (horse)

Won Vosburgh Handicap (USA, 7FD, Aqueduct)
Won Comely Stakes (USA, 7FD, Aqueduct)
Won Interborough Handicap (USA, 6FD, Belmont)
Won Fall Highweight Handicap (USA, 6FD, Belmont)
Won Prioress Stakes (USA, 6FD, Aqueduct)
Won Test Stakes (USA, 7FD, Saratoga)
Won Miss Woodford Stakes (USA, 6FD, Monmouth)
Won Jasmine Stakes (second division) (USA, 6FD, Hialeah)
3rd Mimosa Stakes (USA, 7FD, Hialeah)

1970:

Won Correction Handicap (USA, 6FD, Aqueduct)
Won Fall Highweight Handicap (USA, 6FD, Belmont)
Won Regret Handicap (USA, 6FD, Monmouth)
Won Hempstead Handicap (USA, 6FD, Belmont)
Won Interborough Handicap (USA, 6FD, Belmont)
2nd Gravesend Handicap (USA, 6FD, Aqueduct)
2nd Distaff Handicap (USA, 7FD, Aqueduct)

Honors

National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (inducted in 1994)
Monmouth Park Hall of Champions
American champion sprinter (1969, 1970)

Assessments

Ta Wee was rated #80 among the greatest American racehorse of the 20th century by an expert panel convened by The Blood-Horse (Thoroughbred Champions, Eclipse Press, 7th printing, 2005). She ranked 17th among the 26 fillies and mares on the list.

Rated at 112 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1968, 6 pounds below co-champions Gallant Bloom and Process Shot as well as co-highweight Shuvee.

Highweighted at 134 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American sprinters of 1969, 4 pounds above second-rated King Emperor.

Highweighted at 136 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American sprinters of 1970, 8 pounds above second-rated Ack Ack.

As an individual

Ta Wee stood 15.3 hands. She was described by Daily Racing Form writer Charles Hatton as low-slung, muscular and broad with a deep girth, rather low withers and powerful hindquarters. In temperament, she was placid off the track and thoroughly genuine and determined when on it. Liker her dam, she would become upset if struck or shouted at.

As a producer

Ta Wee produced five named foals. All five were winners and four were stakes winners; the fifth was a stakes producer. They are:

Great Above (1972, by Minnesota Mac) won the 1978 Paumonok Handicap (USA-G3). A good regional sire in Florida, he sired 39 stakes winners but is best remembered as the sire of 1994 American Horse of the Year Holy Bull.
Thill (1974, by Iron Ruler) won three of her eight starts and is the dam of stakes winner Cintula (by Ramsinga). She is the second dam of multiple stakes winner Mordekai Jones.
Tweak (1976, by Secretariat) won the 1979 Fair Lawn Stakes. She is the second dam of three stakes winners including Canadian Grade 3 winner Zanetti and the third dam of 2011 Saudi Arabian champion 3-year-old male Alnajim Almodeea and Grade 3 winner Miss Macy Sue. The last-named mare, in turn, is the dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Liam's Map and Grade 2 winner Not This Time.
Tax Holiday (1977, by What a Pleasure) was a stakes winner at 2 and 4. She is the second dam of three stakes winners and is the third dam of Grade 3 winner Class Included.
Entropy (1980, by What a Pleasure) won three sprint stakes at 4 and 5 and placed in three graded events. He sired six stakes winners from 182 named foals.

Connections

Ta Wee was bred and owned by William L. McKnight in the name of his Tartan Farms. She was trained by John Nerud, who turned her over to his former assistant F. S. “Scotty” Schulhofer when he retired. Following her death from a twisted intestine in 1980, she was buried at Tartan alongside Dr. Fager on land that now belongs to Winding Oaks Farm, overlooking Lake Ta Wee.

Pedigree notes

Ta Wee is inbred 4x5 to Man o' War. She is a half sister to 1968 American Horse of the Year Dr. Fager (by Rough'n Tumble) and stakes winners A. Deck (by First Cabin) and Chinatowner (by Needles). She is also a half sister to Magic (by Buckpasser), dam of the stakes winner Magnificence (by Graustark); second dam of the useful sprinter and sire Pentelicus, 1995 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) winner Tayasu Tsuyoshi and 1996 Santa Anita Derby (USA-G1) winner Cavonnier; and third dam of 1990 American champion 3-year-old male Unbridled and 1991 Wood Memorial Invitational Stakes (USA-G1) winner Cahill Road.

Ta Wee's dam Aspidistra (by Better Self) was the only foal produced by 1951 Prioress Stakes winner Tilly Rose (by Bull Brier). Tilly Rose, in turn, was out of the stakes-winning Draymont mare Tilly Kate, whose dam Teak (by Tea Caddy) was also a minor stakes winner.

Fun facts

Ta Wee's name means “beautiful girl” in a dialect of the Dakota language.
Ta Wee's 7-furlong time of 1:21-3/5 in the 1969 Vosburgh Stakes was the fastest ever for that distance by a filly or mare up to that time.
Both Indiana Grand Racing and Gulfstream Park run stakes races in honor of Ta Wee. The former is for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on turf; the latter is for fillies and mares aged 3 and up over 8½ furlongs.

Last updated: May 28, 2020