Twilight Tear (USA)
April 2, 1941 – March 8, 1954
Bull Lea (USA) x Lady Lark (USA), by Blue Larkspur (USA)
Family 23-b
April 2, 1941 – March 8, 1954
Bull Lea (USA) x Lady Lark (USA), by Blue Larkspur (USA)
Family 23-b
If ever there was a filly capable of winning the American Triple Crown, it was probably Twilight Tear, who beat her dual Classic-winning stablemate Pensive every time they met. The colts of her year were a substandard group, but Twilight Tear marked herself as something out of the ordinary by trouncing handicap champion Devil Diver by six lengths at weight for age in the Pimlico Special. After experiencing respiratory bleeding in her only start at 4, she retired to the paddocks, becoming a fine broodmare before her untimely death at age 13.
Race record
24 starts, 18 wins, 2 seconds, 2 thirds, US$202,165
1943:
1944:
Honors
Assessments
Twilight Tear was rated #59 among the top 100 American racehorses of the 20th century by a panel of experts assembled by The Blood-Horse (Thoroughbred Champions, Eclipse Press, 7th printing, 2005). She was seventh among the 26 fillies and mares on the list.
As an individual
A sturdy bay with a deep girth, Twilight Tear stood 16 hands. She had a sweet nature. Like many of the progeny of Bull Lea, she had slightly sickled hocks. She had issues with respiratory bleeding during her career.
As a producer
Twilight Tear produced seven named foals, of which six started and four were winners. Her important foals are as follow:
Connections
Twilight Tear was bred and owned by Calumet Farm. She was trained by Ben A. Jones. She returned to the farm after her racing career and died during foaling in the same barn in which she had been born.
Pedigree notes
Twilight Tear is inbred 5x5 to 1899 English Triple Crown winner Flying Fox and Amie through the full brothers Ajax (unbeaten winner of the 1904 Prix du Jockey Club or French Derby and the Grand Prix de Paris) and Adam (winner of the 1904 Prix Eclipse). She is a full sister to stakes winner Perfection and a half sister to stakes winner Sun Lady (by Sun Teddy). Twilight Tear is also half sister to Alondra (by War Admiral), third dam of 1990 Japanese 2-year-old male Lindo Shaver, and to L'oiseau Bleu (by Hairan), third dam of Grade 2 winner Klepto. The dam of Twilight Tear, Lady Lark, is out of the stakes-winning mare Ladana (by Lucullite), a half sister to six stakes winners including the good juvenile and noted speed sire Ariel (by Eternal) and 1925 Gazelle Stakes winner Nedana (by Negofol). Another stakes-winning half sister of Ladana, Palestra (by Prince Palatine), produced 1939 American champion older female Lady Maryland (by Sir Greysteel) and is the second dam of 1934 King's Plate winner Horometer.
Adana, the dam of Ladana and her siblings, is by the imported French stallion Adam (a stakes-winning full brother to the unbeaten French champion Ajax) and is out of Mannie Himyar (by Himyar), a full sister to 1893 American Horse of the Year Domino and to the crack sprint mare Correction, dam of 1901 Futurity Stakes winner Yankee (by Hanover) and second dam of six stakes winners including 1926 Withers Stakes winner Haste and the top sprinter Naturalist. Mannie Himyar is also a half sister to 1884 Tennessee Derby winner Ten Strike (by Ten Broeck), to 1886 Ladies' Handicap winner Bandala (by King Ban) and to stakes winner Lady Reel (by Fellowcraft), dam of the great runner and sire Hamburg (by Hanover). In addition, Mannie Himyar is a half sister to stakes winner Freemason (by Fellowcraft).
Books and media
Fun facts
Photo credit
Twilight Tear, Conn McCreary up, following her victory in the Coaching Club American Oaks, May 27, 1944. Photo by Bert Morgan. From the Keeneland Library Morgan Collection; used by permission. Please contact the Keeneland Library with any questions regarding use or licensure of this photo.
Last updated: May 9, 2024
Race record
24 starts, 18 wins, 2 seconds, 2 thirds, US$202,165
1943:
- Won Arlington Lassie Stakes (USA, 6FD, Arlington Park)
- 2nd Selima Stakes (USA, 8.5FD, Laurel)
1944:
- Won Classic Stakes (USA, 10FD, Washington Park)
- Won Pimlico Special (USA, 9.5FD, Pimlico)
- Won Pimlico Oaks (USA, 8.5FD, Pimlico)
- Won Coaching Club American Oaks (USA, 11FD, Belmont)
- Won Princess Doreen Stakes (USA, 6FD, Washington Park)
- Won Queen Isabella Handicap (USA, 9FD, Laurel)
- Won Skokie Handicap (USA, 7FD, Washington Park; new track record 1:22-3/5)
- Won Acorn Stakes (USA, 8FD, Belmont)
- Won Rennert Handicap (USA, 6FD, Pimlico)
- 2nd Alabama Stakes (USA, 10FD, Belmont)
Honors
- National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (inducted in 1963)
- American Horse of the Year (1944)
- American co-champion 2-year-old filly (1943)
- American champion 3-year-old filly (1944)
Assessments
Twilight Tear was rated #59 among the top 100 American racehorses of the 20th century by a panel of experts assembled by The Blood-Horse (Thoroughbred Champions, Eclipse Press, 7th printing, 2005). She was seventh among the 26 fillies and mares on the list.
As an individual
A sturdy bay with a deep girth, Twilight Tear stood 16 hands. She had a sweet nature. Like many of the progeny of Bull Lea, she had slightly sickled hocks. She had issues with respiratory bleeding during her career.
As a producer
Twilight Tear produced seven named foals, of which six started and four were winners. Her important foals are as follow:
- Coiner (1948, by Whirlaway) won two minor stakes during a long racing career that saw him make 109 starts over seven seasons.
- A Gleam (1949, by Blenheim II) was a major stakes winner at 2, 3 and 4 and was second only to her stablemate Real Delight at 3. She is the dam of 1958 Coaching Club American Oaks winner A Glitter (by Khaled), second dam of Grade 3 winner Bantan, and of Grade 2 winner Gleaming (by Herbager). A Gleam is the second dam of 1981 American champion 2-year-old filly Before Dawn.
- Bardstown (1952, by Alibhai; a gelding) was not very sound but was a top-flight handicapper whose victories included two editions of the Widener Handicap and the 1957 Gulfstream Park Handicap.
- Diamond Tear (1953, by Count Fleet), produced multiple stakes winner Sun Glint (by Sun Again), who in turn produced multiple stakes winner Sunny Tim (by Tim Tam) and is the second dam of multiple Grade 3 winner Highland Penny.
Connections
Twilight Tear was bred and owned by Calumet Farm. She was trained by Ben A. Jones. She returned to the farm after her racing career and died during foaling in the same barn in which she had been born.
Pedigree notes
Twilight Tear is inbred 5x5 to 1899 English Triple Crown winner Flying Fox and Amie through the full brothers Ajax (unbeaten winner of the 1904 Prix du Jockey Club or French Derby and the Grand Prix de Paris) and Adam (winner of the 1904 Prix Eclipse). She is a full sister to stakes winner Perfection and a half sister to stakes winner Sun Lady (by Sun Teddy). Twilight Tear is also half sister to Alondra (by War Admiral), third dam of 1990 Japanese 2-year-old male Lindo Shaver, and to L'oiseau Bleu (by Hairan), third dam of Grade 2 winner Klepto. The dam of Twilight Tear, Lady Lark, is out of the stakes-winning mare Ladana (by Lucullite), a half sister to six stakes winners including the good juvenile and noted speed sire Ariel (by Eternal) and 1925 Gazelle Stakes winner Nedana (by Negofol). Another stakes-winning half sister of Ladana, Palestra (by Prince Palatine), produced 1939 American champion older female Lady Maryland (by Sir Greysteel) and is the second dam of 1934 King's Plate winner Horometer.
Adana, the dam of Ladana and her siblings, is by the imported French stallion Adam (a stakes-winning full brother to the unbeaten French champion Ajax) and is out of Mannie Himyar (by Himyar), a full sister to 1893 American Horse of the Year Domino and to the crack sprint mare Correction, dam of 1901 Futurity Stakes winner Yankee (by Hanover) and second dam of six stakes winners including 1926 Withers Stakes winner Haste and the top sprinter Naturalist. Mannie Himyar is also a half sister to 1884 Tennessee Derby winner Ten Strike (by Ten Broeck), to 1886 Ladies' Handicap winner Bandala (by King Ban) and to stakes winner Lady Reel (by Fellowcraft), dam of the great runner and sire Hamburg (by Hanover). In addition, Mannie Himyar is a half sister to stakes winner Freemason (by Fellowcraft).
Books and media
- “Twilight Tear” is the fifth chapter in Women of the Year: Ten Fillies Who Achieved Horse Racing's Highest Honor, a Blood-Horse compilation published in 2004 by Eclipse Press. The book was later updated and re-issued in 2011 as Horse Racing Divas: From Azeri to Zenyatta, Twelve Fillies and Mares Who Achieved Horse Racing's Highest Honor.
- Twilight Tear is profiled in Chapter 7 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
- In a poll of the American Trainers Association conducted by Delaware Park in 1955, Twilight Tear ranked second only to Gallorette among the best fillies and mares to race in North America.
- Twilight Tear was the first stakes winner for her sire, five-time leading American sire Bull Lea.
- Twilight Tear's barn name was “Suzie.”
- Twilight Tear was the first of a record six winners of the Coaching Club American Oaks for Calumet Farm, which afterward won the filly Classic with Wistful (1949), Real Delight (1952), A Glitter (1958), Our Mims (1977) and Davona Dale (1979). All were Calumet homebreds, and all except A Glitter earned honors as American champion 3-year-old filly.
- According to Jimmy Jones (as quoted in the Los Angeles Times of May 3, 1984), Twilight Tear "could have beat Pensive pulling a plow behind her."
- Twilight Tear has been honored by stakes races named for her at The Meadowlands, Belmont Park and Turf Paradise.
- Lieutenant Hubert Davis of the 78th Fighter Group named his P-51 Mustang “Twilight Tear” in the champion's honor and made three confirmed kills with it in fighting over Europe. “Twilight Tear” later saw service with the Swedish and Israeli military air services. It was fully restored in 2007 and continues to be shown at air shows. In 2012, Perspective Films released a documentary on the restoration of this historic fighter plane.
Photo credit
Twilight Tear, Conn McCreary up, following her victory in the Coaching Club American Oaks, May 27, 1944. Photo by Bert Morgan. From the Keeneland Library Morgan Collection; used by permission. Please contact the Keeneland Library with any questions regarding use or licensure of this photo.
Last updated: May 9, 2024