Victoria Park (CAN)
May 10, 1957 – 1985
Chop Chop (USA) x Victoriana (CAN), by Windfields (CAN)
Family 10-c
May 10, 1957 – 1985
Chop Chop (USA) x Victoriana (CAN), by Windfields (CAN)
Family 10-c
Canadian multimillionaire E. P. Taylor was determined to do what no Canadian breeder had done before: breed horses in Canada that could compete successfully in the United States and on the international stage. Victoria Park was one of his early successes. Good enough to be an American stakes winner in the equivalent of a modern graded stakes at both 2 and 3 and to place in two of the three American Triple Crown races, Victoria Park was a Horse of the Year in his native country before going on to be a good sire for Taylor. Among his other accomplishments, he was the last important stallion from the male line of Sir Gallahad III.
Race record
19 starts, 10 wins, 4 seconds, 2 thirds, US$250,076 (includes Canadian earnings)
1959:
1960:
Honors
Assessments
Highweighted at 125 pounds on the Canadian Experimental Handicap for 2-year-olds of 1959, 6 pounds above second-rated Hidden Treasure.
Weighted at 120 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1959, 6 pounds below divisional champion and highweight Warfare.
Highweighted at 130 pounds atop the Canadian Free Handicap for runners of 1960, 9 pounds above the second-rated 3-year-old, Hidden Treasure, and 4 pounds above leading older male Anita's Son.
Rated at 124 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American-raced 3-year-old males of 1960, 4 pounds below divisional champion and highweight Kelso.
As an individual
A scopy bay horse of medium size (16 hands), Victoria Park was well-balanced with excellent bone but had questionable knees and pigeon toes; he was also somewhat sickle-hocked. A headstrong front-runner during the early part of his career, he was able to relax and come from off the pace by the latter part of his 2-year-old season. He was a game and determined competitor when racing but did not seem to take hard races close together well. He was shipped to California with the intent of racing him there after his victory in the Leonard Richards Stakes but was found to have a bowed tendon on arrival after a turbulent flight and was retired to stud.
As a stallion
According to statistics compiled by The Jockey Club, Victoria Park sired 259 winners (73.8%) and 25 SWs (7.1%) from 351 named foals.
Sire rankings
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
Per Thoroughbred Heritage (www.tbheritage.com):
Notable progeny
Almoner (CAN), Kennedy Road (CAN), Victoria Song (CAN), Victorian Era (CAN)
Notable progeny of daughters
Bold Executive (CAN), Giboulee (CAN), Greek Answer (CAN), Judge Angelucci (USA), Northern Taste (CAN), Peace (USA), Randy (VEN), Shake Shake Shake (CAN), The Minstrel (CAN), War (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Ontario, Victoria Park was bred by E. P. Taylor, who retained ownership of the horse after offering him at Windfields' annual private yearling sale for CAN$12,500 with no takers. He was trained by Gordon J. "Pete" McCann at 2 and by Horatio Luro at 3. He was ridden to his triumph in the Queen’s Plate by Avelino Gomez. Victoria Park entered stud at Taylor’s Windfields Farm in Ontario in 1961 and stood there through out his stallion career. He was pensioned in 1983 and died in 1985. He is buried in the main horse cemetery on the grounds of the Windfields Estate, Ontario, Canada.
Pedigree notes
Victoria Park’s pedigree is outcrossed through five generations. He is a half brother to multiple Canadian juvenile stakes winner Bull Vic (by Bull Page) and to multiple Canadian stakes winner Victoria Regina (by Ménétrier), dam of 1968 Canadian Horse of the Year Viceregal and 13-time Canadian champion sire Vice Regent (both by Northern Dancer). He is also a half brother to 1965 Canadian Oaks winner Northern Queen (by Nearctic), dam of Irish stakes winner Buckstopper (by Buckpasser) and Canadian restricted stakes winner Against All Flags (by Hoist the Flag) and third dam of 1997 Brazilian Mare of the Year Bandeira Nativa, Grade 2 winner Recoup the Cash, and Grade 3 winner Jodi’s Sweetie. In addition, Victoria Park is a half brother to Victorian Dancer (by Northern Dancer), dam of English Group 3 winner Imperial March (by Forli), and to Victorian Heiress (by Northern Dancer), dam of 1983 Canadian champion 3-year-old filly Northern Blossom (by Snow Knight); second dam of Grade 2 winner Explicit, Italian Group 2 winner Jape, and Grade 3 winner Flying Victor; and third dam of Grade 2 winner Desert Digger and English Group 2 winner High Accolade.
Victoria Park and his siblings are out of of Victoriana (by the good Canadian stakes winner Windfields), a half sister to 1952 Canadian Horse of the Year Canadiana (by Chop Chop), dam of multiple Canadian stakes winner All Canadian (by Windfields) and second dam of French Group 2 winner Glenorum. Victoriana is also a half sister to multiple Canadian stakes winners Bennington (by Boswell) and Britannia (by Windfield's sire Bunty Lawless); the latter is the dam of Canadian stakes winner Myanna, by Chop Chop).
Victoriana, in turn, is out of Iribelle (by four-time Canadian champion sire Osiris II), a full sister to 1938 Canadian champion 3-year-old filly Mona Bell. Produced from the King James mare Belmona, Iribelle is also a full sister to Lady Mona, dam of multiple Canadian stakes winner Acadian (by Teddy Wrack).
Fun facts
Last updated: January 23, 2024
Race record
19 starts, 10 wins, 4 seconds, 2 thirds, US$250,076 (includes Canadian earnings)
1959:
- Won Remsen Stakes (USA, 8FD, Aqueduct)
- Won Coronation Futurity (CAN-R, 8.5FD, Woodbine)
- Won Cup and Saucer Handicap (CAN-R, 8.5FT, Woodbine)
- Won Clarendon Stakes (CAN-R, 5FD, Woodbine)
- Set a new track record of :53 for 4.5FD at Old Woodbine
- Equaled the track record of :58-4/5 for 5FD at Woodbine
1960:
- Won Queen's Plate (CAN-R, 10FD, Woodbine)
- Won Leonard Richards Stakes (USA, 9FD, Delaware; new track record 1:47-2/5)
- 2nd Preakness Stakes (USA, 9.5FD, Pimlico)
- 2nd Flamingo Stakes (USA, 9FD, Hialeah)
- 2nd Blue Grass Stakes (USA, 9FD, Keeneland)
- 3rd Kentucky Derby (USA, 10FD, Churchill Downs)
- 3rd Florida Derby (USA, 9FD, Gulfstream Park)
- Set a new track record of 1:40-3/5 for 8.5FD at Hialeah
Honors
- Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame (inducted in the inaugural class of 1976)
- Canadian Horse of the Year (1960)
- Canadian champion 2-year-old male (1959)
- Canadian champion 3-year-old male (1960)
Assessments
Highweighted at 125 pounds on the Canadian Experimental Handicap for 2-year-olds of 1959, 6 pounds above second-rated Hidden Treasure.
Weighted at 120 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1959, 6 pounds below divisional champion and highweight Warfare.
Highweighted at 130 pounds atop the Canadian Free Handicap for runners of 1960, 9 pounds above the second-rated 3-year-old, Hidden Treasure, and 4 pounds above leading older male Anita's Son.
Rated at 124 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American-raced 3-year-old males of 1960, 4 pounds below divisional champion and highweight Kelso.
As an individual
A scopy bay horse of medium size (16 hands), Victoria Park was well-balanced with excellent bone but had questionable knees and pigeon toes; he was also somewhat sickle-hocked. A headstrong front-runner during the early part of his career, he was able to relax and come from off the pace by the latter part of his 2-year-old season. He was a game and determined competitor when racing but did not seem to take hard races close together well. He was shipped to California with the intent of racing him there after his victory in the Leonard Richards Stakes but was found to have a bowed tendon on arrival after a turbulent flight and was retired to stud.
As a stallion
According to statistics compiled by The Jockey Club, Victoria Park sired 259 winners (73.8%) and 25 SWs (7.1%) from 351 named foals.
Sire rankings
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
- Led the combined English/Irish broodmare sire list in 1977.
Per Thoroughbred Heritage (www.tbheritage.com):
- Led the combined English/Irish broodmare sire list in 1977.
Notable progeny
Almoner (CAN), Kennedy Road (CAN), Victoria Song (CAN), Victorian Era (CAN)
Notable progeny of daughters
Bold Executive (CAN), Giboulee (CAN), Greek Answer (CAN), Judge Angelucci (USA), Northern Taste (CAN), Peace (USA), Randy (VEN), Shake Shake Shake (CAN), The Minstrel (CAN), War (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Ontario, Victoria Park was bred by E. P. Taylor, who retained ownership of the horse after offering him at Windfields' annual private yearling sale for CAN$12,500 with no takers. He was trained by Gordon J. "Pete" McCann at 2 and by Horatio Luro at 3. He was ridden to his triumph in the Queen’s Plate by Avelino Gomez. Victoria Park entered stud at Taylor’s Windfields Farm in Ontario in 1961 and stood there through out his stallion career. He was pensioned in 1983 and died in 1985. He is buried in the main horse cemetery on the grounds of the Windfields Estate, Ontario, Canada.
Pedigree notes
Victoria Park’s pedigree is outcrossed through five generations. He is a half brother to multiple Canadian juvenile stakes winner Bull Vic (by Bull Page) and to multiple Canadian stakes winner Victoria Regina (by Ménétrier), dam of 1968 Canadian Horse of the Year Viceregal and 13-time Canadian champion sire Vice Regent (both by Northern Dancer). He is also a half brother to 1965 Canadian Oaks winner Northern Queen (by Nearctic), dam of Irish stakes winner Buckstopper (by Buckpasser) and Canadian restricted stakes winner Against All Flags (by Hoist the Flag) and third dam of 1997 Brazilian Mare of the Year Bandeira Nativa, Grade 2 winner Recoup the Cash, and Grade 3 winner Jodi’s Sweetie. In addition, Victoria Park is a half brother to Victorian Dancer (by Northern Dancer), dam of English Group 3 winner Imperial March (by Forli), and to Victorian Heiress (by Northern Dancer), dam of 1983 Canadian champion 3-year-old filly Northern Blossom (by Snow Knight); second dam of Grade 2 winner Explicit, Italian Group 2 winner Jape, and Grade 3 winner Flying Victor; and third dam of Grade 2 winner Desert Digger and English Group 2 winner High Accolade.
Victoria Park and his siblings are out of of Victoriana (by the good Canadian stakes winner Windfields), a half sister to 1952 Canadian Horse of the Year Canadiana (by Chop Chop), dam of multiple Canadian stakes winner All Canadian (by Windfields) and second dam of French Group 2 winner Glenorum. Victoriana is also a half sister to multiple Canadian stakes winners Bennington (by Boswell) and Britannia (by Windfield's sire Bunty Lawless); the latter is the dam of Canadian stakes winner Myanna, by Chop Chop).
Victoriana, in turn, is out of Iribelle (by four-time Canadian champion sire Osiris II), a full sister to 1938 Canadian champion 3-year-old filly Mona Bell. Produced from the King James mare Belmona, Iribelle is also a full sister to Lady Mona, dam of multiple Canadian stakes winner Acadian (by Teddy Wrack).
Fun facts
- Victoria Park had outfinished 1960 Belmont Stakes winner Celtic Ash in the Preakness and would have been among the favorites for the Belmont, but in 1960, the Belmont Stakes and the Queen’s Plate fell on the same day and Taylor opted to send his colt after his own country’s most prestigious event. New York Daily News sportswriter Russ Harris wrote in a column of July 24, 1980, that Taylor’s decision was influenced by the receipt of a telegram advising him that the Queen Mother of England was planning to attend the Queen’s Plate.
- Following the Queen's Plate, winning jockey Avelino Gomez revealed that he had received a death threat telling him that he would be shot off his mount in the Plate unless he deposited a substantial sum of money in a certain bank account. No actual attack was made and the perpetrator of the threat was never identified.
- Victoria Park was the first Canadian-bred to earn over US$100,000 in a single racing season and to top US$200,000 in career earnings.
- Because of his conformation, Victoria Park carried the nickname, “Ol’ Pigeon Toes.”
- Victoria Park was the namesake for a stakes race for 3-year-olds at Woodbine.
Last updated: January 23, 2024