Dam Three Roses Foaled 1976 Colour Bay Species Equus caballus Trainer Criquette Head-Maarek Sex Filly | Damsire Dual Country France Breeder Artur Pfaff Owner Haras du Quesnay Parents Lyphard Grandsire Northern Dancer | |
1979 arc de triomphe three troikas
Three Troikas (born 1976) was a French Thoroughbred champion racehorse who was owned, trained, and raced by the three members of the famous Head family.
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A daughter of Lyphard and the Irish mare Three Roses, the filly was purchased by Alec Head's Haras du Quesnay from South African construction magnate Artur Pfaff. The mating was planned based on the physical compatibility of sire and dam with the diminutive Lyphard mated to the big mare Three Roses. Three Troikas raced in the colours of Head's wife Ghislaine, was trained by their daughter Criquette at Chantilly, and ridden by their son Freddy.
Racing as a three-year-old, Three Troikas won several important races including the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, Prix Saint-Alary and Prix Vermeille and was narrowly beaten by Dunette in the Prix de Diane. She capped off her season with a win against older horses in France's most prestigious race, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe defeating Le Marmot, with the English-trained colt, Troy back in third. The victory made Criquette Head the first, and still only, woman in history to train an Arc winner. Three Troikas' 1979 performance made her the highest-rated three-year-old in Europe in the International Classification.
At age four, during an injury-interrupted campaign Three Troikas enjoyed some success, winning the Prix d'Harcourt at Longchamp in April and running a creditable fourth behind Detroit in the Arc. This lightly-raced campaign was nonetheless enough for her to be crowned Champion Older Mare in Europe in 1980. Retired to broodmare service, she was the dam of seven foals, of which six raced and four were winners, her best produce being the Group 1 performer, Three Angels.
Stud Record
The following is a list of the foals of Three Troikas (FR):
1982 Primitive Troikas (USA) : chesnut filly, foaled 19 January by Exclusive Native (USA) - Unplaced all three starts in U.S.A.
1983 Barren
1984 Aborted foal
1985 Barren
1986 Three Terns (USA) : bay filly, foaled 18 March, by Arctic Tern (USA) - Won once from 2 starts in France. Died in 2006
1987 Three Secrets (USA) : bay filly, foaled 22 March, by Secretariat (USA) - Unplaced all four starts in the U.S.A.
1988 Oregon (USA) : brown colt, foaled 17 March, by Halo (USA) - Won 2 races and placed twice including 2nd G3 Nashua S from 7 starts in the U.S.A. Retired to stud in New Zealand.
1989 Madame Troika (USA) : bay filly, foaled 30 March, by Mr. Prospector (USA) - unraced. Died in 1994
1990 Barren
1991 Three Angels (USA) : brown filly, foaled 9 February, by Halo (USA) - won 1 race, G3 Prix des Reservoirs at Longchamp and placed 3 times including 2nd G1 Prix Saint-Alary and G3 Prix de Conde at Longchamp from 6 starts in France.
1992 Hudson (USA) : brown colt (gelded), foaled 29 February, by Halo (USA) - won 3 races and placed fourteen times winning $44,980 from 45 starts in the U.S.A.
1993 Barren to Blushing John (USA)
1994 Barren to Carson City (USA)
1995 Barren to Deposit Ticket (USA)