El Gran Senor

El Gran Senor
Sire	Northern Dancer
Grandsire	Nearctic
Dam	Sex Appeal
Damsire	Buckpasser
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	21 April 1981^[1]
Country	United States
Colour	Bay
Breeder	E. P. Taylor, Vincent O'Brien, John Magnier, Robert Sangster
Owner	Robert Sangster
Trainer	Vincent O'Brien
Record	8: 7-1-0
Earnings	$502,969
Major wins
Railway Stakes (1983) National Stakes (1983) Dewhurst Stakes (1983) Gladness Stakes (1984) 2,000 Guineas (1984) Irish Derby Stakes (1984)
Awards
Timeform top-rated two-year-old colt (1983) Top-rated European two-year-old colt (1983) Timeform top-rated three-year-old colt (1984) Top-rated European three-year-old colt (1984) Timeform rating 136 (1984)
Last updated on December 31, 2009

El Gran Senor (21 April 1981 – October 2006) was an American-bred Thoroughbred race horse, foaled at Windfields Farm in Maryland. He was the best horse of his generation in Europe at both two and three years of age, ahead of an outstanding group of contemporaries which included Chief Singer, Darshaan, Rainbow Quest, Sadler's Wells, Lashkari, Pebbles, Commanche Run and Northern Trick. His only defeat in eight races came when he was beaten a short head by Secreto in the 1984 Epsom Derby. El Gran Senor received a Timeform rated 136. He also enjoyed notable success at stud, had been pensioned at Ashford Stud in Kentucky since 2000, and was 25 years old when he died on October 18, 2006.

Background

He was born in 1981 and was bred at Windfields Farm in Maryland by Windfields' owner E. P. Taylor in partnership with Vincent O'Brien, John Magnier, and Robert Sangster. His name comes from the nickname of Horatio Luro, Northern Dancer's trainer. El Gran Senor went to Ireland to be trained by Dr Vincent O'Brien, who had trained numerous major winners for Sangster.

Racing career

The colt was unbeaten as a two-year-old. He won the Railway Stakes (Gr3) and National Stakes (Gr2) at The Curragh in Ireland. For his final race that year, he was sent to Newmarket in England for the Dewhurst Stakes (Gr1), the most prestigious two-year-old race in that country. His easy defeat of Rainbow Quest earned him an unusually high two-year-old rating of 131 from Timeform.

As a three-year-old, El Gran Senor again raced four times. Injury ended his season mid-summer. He easily won the Gladness Stakes (L) at The Curragh and then returned to Newmarket in England, where he competed in the 2,000 Guineas Stakes (Gr1), the first Classic of the year. El Gran Senor beat Chief Singer, Lear Fan and Rainbow Quest in that race. In the months that followed El Gran Senor's win at Newmarket, Chief Singer took the St. James's Palace Stakes (Gr2) and Sussex Stakes (Gr1) over a mile and the July Cup (Gr1) over six furlongs. Lear Fan, who later became a very successful stallion, won the Prix Jacques le Marois (Gr1) over a mile at Deauville in France. Rainbow Quest, who became one of the best stallions in England, won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Gr1) at Longchamp in France and the Coronation Cup (Gr1) at Epsom in England.

Despite doubts over his stamina, stemming from the amount of speed in the distaff side of his pedigree and the speed he had shown at Newmarket, El Gran Senor was an odds-on favourite for the Derby (Gr1) over 12 furlongs at Epsom. In the stretch, he engaged in a battle with another Irish-trained colt in Secreto and lost narrowly. Secreto had finished third in the Irish 2,000 Guineas (Gr1) over a mile at The Curragh in his previous race. Both colts, trained by father and son, were sired by the same stallion, were bred at the same stud farm and, it has been reported, had shared a paddock as yearlings.

Secreto was subsequently injured and never raced again. He became a reasonably successful stallion. El Gran Senor went on to beat Rainbow Quest in the Irish Derby (Gr1) over 12 furlongs at The Curragh.^[2] He then sustained an injury and was retired to stud in America.

Stud career

Throughout his stud career, El Gran Senor had low fertility and typically sired no more than 40 foals in any year - these days, most top sires and champions sire between 60 and 180 foals in a year. Over the course of his career, he fathered fewer than 400 foals. There were only 14 in his first foal-crop, but they included Al Hareb, who won the Racing Post Trophy (Gr1) over a mile in England. Al Hareb is at stud in Australia, and while his overall record is unremarkable, he did sire the top class sprinter Hareeba, a multiple Group 1 winning sprinter. El Gran Senor sired a total of 12 horses who won at the highest level - Group/Grade 1. These included South African classic winner Kundalini, top American fillies Corrazona, Spanish Fern and Toussaud, Breeders' Cup Sprint hero Lit de Justice, and multiple European Group 1 winner Rodrigo de Triano.^[3]

He was pensioned from stallion duty at the age of 19, but his tally of 55 stakes winners represented a rate of more than 14% stakes winners to named foals - 10%+ is the usually accepted sign of a very good stallion. His record as a sire of successful stallions has been disappointing. As a broodmare sire, however, he has done very well. His top-class daughter Toussaud ranks among a tiny handful of mares who have produced as many as four Group/Grade 1 winners. Her son Chester House (by Mr Prospector) won the Arlington Million (Gr1). Her daughter Honest Lady (by Seattle Slew) won the Santa Monica Handicap (Gr1). Another son, Chiselling (by Woodman), won the Secretariat Stakes (Gr1) before taking up stallion duties in South Africa. Her fourth Grade 1 winner is Belmont Stakes (Gr1) winner Empire Maker (by Unbridled). Empire Maker stood at his owner-breeder Prince Khalid Abdullah's Juddmonte Farm in Kentucky until November, 2010, when he was sold to Japanese breeders, leaving seven crops including foals of 2011. Eleven days earlier, his two-year-old daughter Royal Delta won her first start by 12 lengths. Champion Royal Delta sold for $8.5 million in 2011 in mid-career, leading an upsurge in Empire Maker's ranking as a sire.

El Gran Senor was euthanized in October 2006 at Ashford Stud in Kentucky. ^[4]

Major winners

c = colt, f = filly, g = gelding

Foaled	Name	Sex	Major Wins
1986	Al Hareb	c	William Hill Futurity
1986	Gran Alba	c	Christmas Hurdle
1987	Belmez	c	King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes
1988	Rodrigo de Triano	c	Middle Park Stakes, 2000 Guineas, Irish 2000 Guineas, International Stakes, Champion Stakes
1990	Corrazona	f	Beverly Hills Handicap
1990	Lit de Justice	c	Breeders' Cup Sprint
1993	Le Triton	c	Prix Jean Prat
1995	Saratoga Springs	c	Racing Post Trophy
1995	Spanish Fern	f	Yellow Ribbon Stakes

Pedigree

Pedigree of El Gran Senor (USA), bay stallion, 1981^[1]
Sire Northern Dancer (CAN) 1961	Nearctic (CAN) 1954	Nearco	Pharos
		Nearco	Nogara
		Lady Angela	Hyperion
		Lady Angela	Sister Sarah
	Natalma (USA) 1957	Native Dancer	Polynesian
		Native Dancer	Geisha
		Almahmoud	Mahmoud
		Almahmoud	Arbitrator
Dam Sex Appeal (USA) 1970	Buckpasser (USA) 1963	Tom Fool	Menow
		Tom Fool	Gaga
		Busanda	War Admiral
		Busanda	Businesslike
	Best In Show (USA) 1965	Traffic Judge	Alibhai
		Traffic Judge	Traffic Court
		Stolen Hour	Mr Busher
		Stolen Hour	Late Date (Family: 8f)

References

1 2 "El Gran Senor pedigree". equineline.com. Retrieved 2015-01-30.
↑ "Irish Derby to El Gran Senor". New Straits Times.
↑ Blood-Horse Staff (7 July 2000). "El Gran Senor Pensioned". BloodHorse.com.
↑ "Death of leading sire Senor". RTÉ Sport. 19 October 2006.

2000 Guineas winners

1809 Wizard 1810 Hephestion 1811 Trophonius 1812 Cwrw 1813 Smolensko 1814 Olive 1815 Tigris 1816 Nectar 1817 Manfred 1818 Interpreter 1819 Antar 1820 Pindarrie 1821 Reginald 1822 Pastille ♥ 1823 Nicolo 1824 Schahriar 1825 Enamel 1826 Dervise 1827 Turcoman 1828 Cadland 1829 Patron 1830 Augustus 1831 Riddlesworth 1832 Archibald 1833 Clearwell 1834 Glencoe 1835 Ibrahim 1836 Bay Middleton 1837 Achmet 1838 Grey Momus 1839 The Corsair 1840 Crucifix ♥ 1841 Ralph 1842 Meteor 1843 Cotherstone 1844 The Ugly Buck 1845 Idas 1846 Sir Tatton Sykes 1847 Conyngham 1848 Flatcatcher 1849 Nunnykirk 1850 Pitsford 1851 Hernandez 1852 Stockwell 1853 West Australian ₩ 1854 The Hermit 1855 Lord of the Isles 1856 Fazzoletto 1857 Vedette 1858 Fitz-Roland 1859 The Promised Land 1860 The Wizard 1861 Diophantus 1862 The Marquis 1863 Macaroni 1864 General Peel 1865 Gladiateur ₩ 1866 Lord Lyon ₩ 1867 Vauban 1868 Formosa ♥ Moslem 1869 Pretender 1870 Macgregor 1871 Bothwell 1872 Prince Charlie 1873 Gang Forward 1874 Atlantic 1875 Camballo 1876 Petrarch 1877 Chamant 1878 Pilgrimage ♥ 1879 Charibert 1880 Petronel 1881 Peregrine 1882 Shotover ♥ 1883 Galliard 1884 Scot Free 1885 Paradox 1886 Ormonde ₩ 1887 Enterprise 1888 Ayrshire 1889 Enthusiast 1890 Surefoot 1891 Common ₩ 1892 Bona Vista 1893 Isinglass ₩ 1894 Ladas 1895 Kirkconnel 1896 St. Frusquin 1897 Galtee More ₩ 1898 Disraeli 1899 Flying Fox ₩ 1900 Diamond Jubilee ₩ 1901 Handicapper 1902 Sceptre 1903 Rock Sand ₩ 1904 St. Amant 1905 Vedas 1906 Gorgos 1907 Slieve Gallion 1908 Norman 1909 Minoru 1910 Neil Gow 1911 Sunstar 1912 Sweeper 1913 Louvois 1914 Kennymore 1915 Pommern ₩ 1916 Clarissimus 1917 Gay Crusader ₩ 1918 Gainsborough ₩ 1919 The Panther 1920 Tetratema 1921 Craig an Eran 1922 St Louis 1923 Ellangowan 1924 Diophon 1925 Manna 1926 Colorado 1927 Adam's Apple 1928 Flamingo 1929 Mr Jinks 1930 Diolite 1931 Cameronian 1932 Orwell 1933 Rodosto 1934 Colombo 1935 Bahram ₩ 1936 Pay Up 1937 Le Ksar 1938 Pasch 1939 Blue Peter 1940 Djebel 1941 Lambert Simnel 1942 Big Game 1943 Kingsway 1944 Garden Path ♥ 1945 Court Martial 1946 Happy Knight 1947 Tudor Minstrel 1948 My Babu 1949 Nimbus 1950 Palestine 1951 Ki Ming 1952 Thunderhead 1953 Nearula 1954 Darius 1955 Our Babu 1956 Gilles de Retz 1957 Crepello 1958 Pall Mall 1959 Taboun 1960 Martial 1961 Rockavon 1962 Privy Councillor 1963 Only for Life 1964 Baldric 1965 Niksar 1966 Kashmir 1967 Royal Palace 1968 Sir Ivor 1969 Right Tack 1970 Nijinsky ₩ 1971 Brigadier Gerard 1972 High Top 1973 Mon Fils 1974 Nonoalco 1975 Bolkonski 1976 Wollow 1977 Nebbiolo 1978 Roland Gardens 1979 Tap On Wood 1980 Known Fact 1981 To-Agori-Mou 1982 Zino 1983 Lomond 1984 El Gran Senor 1985 Shadeed 1986 Dancing Brave 1987 Don't Forget Me 1988 Doyoun 1989 Nashwan 1990 Tirol 1991 Mystiko 1992 Rodrigo de Triano 1993 Zafonic 1994 Mister Baileys 1995 Pennekamp 1996 Mark of Esteem 1997 Entrepreneur 1998 King of Kings 1999 Island Sands 2000 King's Best 2001 Golan 2002 Rock of Gibraltar 2003 Refuse to Bend 2004 Haafhd 2005 Footstepsinthesand 2006 George Washington 2007 Cockney Rebel 2008 Henrythenavigator 2009 Sea the Stars 2010 Makfi 2011 Frankel 2012 Camelot 2013 Dawn Approach 2014 Night of Thunder 2015 Gleneagles

Legend - ₩ = Triple Crown Winners, ♥ = Filly

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