Roberto (horse)

Roberto
Sire	Hail To Reason
Grandsire	Turn-To
Dam	Bramalea
Damsire	Nashua
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1969
Country	United States
Colour	Bay
Breeder	John W. Galbreath
Owner	John W. Galbreath
Trainer	Vincent O'Brien
Record	14: 7-3-0
Earnings	$339,902
Major wins
National Stakes (1971) Anglesey Stakes (1971) Epsom Derby (1972) Benson & Hedges Gold Cup (1972) Vauxhall Trial Stakes (1972) Coronation Cup (1973)
Awards
Champion 2-Year-Old Colt in Ireland (1971) Champion 3-year-old colt in Ireland (1972) Champion 3-year-old colt in England (1972)

Roberto (March 16, 1969 – August 2, 1988) was an American-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred Champion racehorse. In a career that lasted from 1971 until July 1973 he ran fourteen times and won seven races. He was the best Irish two-year-old of 1971, when his victories included the National Stakes. As a three-year-old, he won the Epsom Derby before recording his most famous victory when beating Brigadier Gerard in the inaugural running of the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup. He won the Coronation Cup as a four-year-old before being retired to stud. Roberto also proved to be a highly successful and influential stallion.

Background

Roberto was a bay horse with a white blaze bred by John W. Galbreath at his Darby Dan Farm near Galloway, Ohio He was a son of the successful sire Hail To Reason out of the mare Bramalea, winner of the CCA Oaks in 1962. Roberto's grandsire was Turn-To, a descendant of Nearco, and his damsire was U.S. Hall of Famer Nashua.^[1] He was named for Major League Baseball star Roberto Clemente^[2] by his owner John Galbreath who also owned the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team.

Galbreath sent the colt to be trained in Ireland by Vincent O'Brien.

Racing career

1971:two-year-old season

Roberto made his debut in the Lagan Stakes in July 1971 at the Curragh Racecourse. He won impressively and then contested the Anglesey Stakes also at the Curragh which he won easily. He returned to win the National Stakes over the same course, drawing comparisons to Nijinsky. He was then sent to France to contest the Grand Criterium at Longchamp Racecourse and finished fourth behind Hard To Beat.^[3]

1972:three-year-old season

At age three, Roberto began his season by winning the Vauxhall Trial Stakes at Phoenix Park Racecourse and was then sent to England to contest the Classic 2000 Guineas at Newmarket. He was held up in the early stages but stayed on strongly to finish second to High Top, with the pair finishing six lengths clear of the other runners. Roberto had been ridden in the 2000 Guineas by the Australian jockey Bill Williamson. Williamson sustained a shoulder injury in a fall at Kempton Park Racecourse ten days before the Epsom Derby and after a slow recovery such that he was not able to ride before Derby Day, he was replaced by Lester Piggott.^[4]

Roberto started the 3/1 favourite for the Derby in a field of twenty-two runners. He was sent to the front by Piggott inside the two furlong pole but was strongly challenged all the way to the finishing line by the outsider Rheingold. In a closely contested finish, Roberto won by a short head. This victory, which was only confirmed after a stewards' enquiry,^[5] was poorly received by the crowd, many of whom felt that Williamson had been unfairly deprived of the ride. The victory made John Galbreath the first person to own winners of both the English and American Derbys, since he had also won the 1963 Kentucky Derby with Chateaugay and the 1967 Kentucky Derby with Proud Clarion. Roberto was then returned to Ireland for the Irish Derby but produced a dismal^[3] performance and finished twelfth of the fourteen runners behind Steel Pulse.^[6]

In the inaugural edition of the Benson & Hedges Gold Cup in 1972, many racing observers believed that Derby runner up, Rheingold, would prove to be a better horse than Roberto - he had subsequently won the Grand Prix de St Cloud while Roberto had run poorly in the Irish Derby. Leading jockey Lester Piggott abandoned Roberto to ride Rheingold. However, it was the entry of the formidable four-year-old Brigadier Gerard that generated enormous publicity for the race. Undefeated in fifteen career starts, Brigadier Gerard was seen as invincible.^[7] Having lost jockey Piggott, trainer Vincent O' Brien, on the advice of Roberto's owner John Galbreath, flew in the Panamanian-born American jockey Braulio Baeza. Riding for the first time on an English racetrack, according to Raceform, a leading publisher of U.K. horseracing information, "Braulio Baeza aboard Roberto was out of the stalls like a bat out of hell." Shocked racing fans watched as the colt never looked back, handing Brigadier Gerard his only defeat while setting a new York Racecourse record in beating the champion by three lengths.^[8]

Roberto ran in two more races in the autumn of 1972 but failed to reproduce his York form. At Longchamp in September, he finished a length second to Hard To Beat in the Prix Niel. A month later over the same course and distance, he finished seventh behind San San in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.^[3]

1973:four-year-old season

As a four-year-old, Roberto was sent to Frace to contest the Prix Ganay but was withdrawn from the race owing to injury. He then returned to Ireland, where he finished second to Ballymore in the Nijinsky Stakes. In June, he recorded his only success of the season when beating Attica Meli by five lengths in the Coronation Cup.^[9] He was a late withdrawal from the Eclipse Stakes due to heavy ground and then finished eleventh of the twelve runners behind Dahlia in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.^[3]

Roberto was a hugely talented racehorse, but had weak knees and needed a left-handed track and fast ground to perform to his best. His performances in winning the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup at aged 3 and the Coronation Cup at 4 were those of a champion on his day.

Stud career

Retired to stand at stud at Darby Dan Farm in Kentucky, Roberto became a successful sire of international influence, with several of his sons going on to be successful sires themselves. Among his notable offspring were 1988 Eclipse Award turf champion Sunshine Forever; Real Shadai, the leading sire in Japan in 1993; Australia Melbourne Cup winner At Talaq; British Classic winner Touching Wood; outstanding sire Kris S., who produced five Breeders' Cup winners; and Dynaformer who sired 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro.

Roberto died on August 2, 1988, at Darby Dan Farm and is buried in their equine cemetery.^[10]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Roberto, Bay stallion^[11]
Sire Hail To Reason	Turn-to	Royal Charger	Nearco
		Royal Charger	Sun Princess
		Source Sucree	Admiral Drake
		Source Sucree	Lavendula
	Nothirdchance	Blue Swords	Blue Larkspur
		Blue Swords	Flaming Swords
		Galla Colors	Sir Gallahad III
		Galla Colors	Rouge et Noir
Dam Bramalea	Nashua	Nasrullah	Nearco
		Nasrullah	Mumtaz Begum
		Segula	Johnstown
		Segula	Sekhmet
	Rarelea	Bull Lea	Bull Dog
		Bull Lea	Rose Leaves
		Bleebok	Blue Larkspur
		Bleebok	Forteresse (Family 12-c^[12])

References

↑ "Roberto's pedigree and racing stats". Pedigreequery.com. Retrieved 2012-06-04.
↑ "Favored Roberto takes Epsom Derby by a Nose". Morning Record. 8 June 1972. Retrieved 2012-06-04.
1 2 3 4 Mortimer, Roger; Onslow, Richard; Willett, Peter (1978). Biographical Encyclopedia of British Flat Racing. Macdonald and Jane’s. ISBN 0-354-08536-0.
↑ "Piggott Chasing Sixth Derby". The Age. 8 June 1972. Retrieved 2012-06-04.
↑ "Roberto wins Derby". The Phoenix. 7 July 1972. Retrieved 2012-06-04.
↑ "Steel Pulse Draws Away For Victory". Spokesman-Review. 2 July 1972. Retrieved 2012-06-04.
↑ Richard Edmondson (1997-08-18). "COMMENTARY: Expect a shock in graveyard". The Independent. Retrieved 2012-06-04.
↑ "Article 22". Braulio Baeza. 1972-08-26. Retrieved 2012-06-04.
↑ "oberto to Mark Piggott Victory". Glasgow Herald. 7 June 1973. Retrieved 2012-06-04.
↑ "Grave Matters Thoroughbreds". Tbheritage.com. Retrieved 2012-06-04.
↑ "English Derby Winner: Roberto". Chef-de-race.com. Retrieved 2012-06-04.
↑ "Meynell – Family 12-c". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2012-06-04.

Epsom Derby winners

1780 Diomed 1781 Young Eclipse 1782 Assassin 1783 Saltram 1784 Serjeant 1785 Aimwell 1786 Noble 1787 Sir Peter Teazle 1788 Sir Thomas 1789 Skyscraper 1790 Rhadamanthus 1791 Eager 1792 John Bull 1793 Waxy 1794 Daedalus 1795 Spread Eagle 1796 Didelot 1797 colt by Fidget 1798 Sir Harry 1799 Archduke 1800 Champion 1801 Eleanor ♥ 1802 Tyrant 1803 Ditto 1804 Hannibal 1805 Cardinal Beaufort 1806 Paris 1807 Election 1808 Pan 1809 Pope 1810 Whalebone 1811 Phantom 1812 Octavius 1813 Smolensko 1814 Blucher 1815 Whisker 1816 Prince Leopold 1817 Azor 1818 Sam 1819 Tiresias 1820 Sailor 1821 Gustavus 1822 Moses 1823 Emilius 1824 Cedric 1825 Middleton 1826 Lap-dog 1827 Mameluke 1828 Cadland 1829 Frederick 1830 Priam 1831 Spaniel 1832 St. Giles 1833 Dangerous 1834 Plenipotentiary 1835 Mundig 1836 Bay Middleton 1837 Phosphorus 1838 Amato 1839 Bloomsbury 1840 Little Wonder 1841 Coronation 1842 Attila 1843 Cotherstone 1844 Orlando 1845 The Merry Monarch 1846 Pyrrhus The First 1847 Cossack 1848 Surplice 1849 The Flying Dutchman 1850 Voltigeur 1851 Teddington 1852 Daniel O'Rourke 1853 West Australian ₩ 1854 Andover 1855 Wild Dayrell 1856 Ellington 1857 Blink Bonny ♥ 1858 Beadsman 1859 Musjid 1860 Thormanby 1861 Kettledrum 1862 Caractacus 1863 Macaroni 1864 Blair Athol 1865 Gladiateur ₩ 1866 Lord Lyon ₩ 1867 Hermit 1868 Blue Gown 1869 Pretender 1870 Kingcraft 1871 Favonius 1872 Cremorne 1873 Doncaster 1874 George Frederick 1875 Galopin 1876 Kisber 1877 Silvio 1878 Sefton 1879 Sir Bevys 1880 Bend Or 1881 Iroquois 1882 Shotover ♥ 1883 St. Blaise 1884 St. Gatien Harvester 1885 Melton 1886 Ormonde ₩ 1887 Merry Hampton 1888 Ayrshire 1889 Donovan 1890 Sainfoin 1891 Common ₩ 1892 Sir Hugo 1893 Isinglass ₩ 1894 Ladas 1895 Sir Visto 1896 Persimmon 1897 Galtee More ₩ 1898 Jeddah 1899 Flying Fox ₩ 1900 Diamond Jubilee ₩ 1901 Volodyovski 1902 Ard Patrick 1903 Rock Sand ₩ 1904 St. Amant 1905 Cicero 1906 Spearmint 1907 Orby 1908 Signorinetta ♥ 1909 Minoru 1910 Lemberg 1911 Sunstar 1912 Tagalie ♥ 1913 Aboyeur 1914 Durbar 1915 Pommern ₩ 1916 Fifinella ♥ 1917 Gay Crusader ₩ 1918 Gainsborough ₩ 1919 Grand Parade 1920 Spion Kop 1921 Humorist 1922 Captain Cuttle 1923 Papyrus 1924 Sansovino 1925 Manna 1926 Coronach 1927 Call Boy 1928 Felstead 1929 Trigo 1930 Blenheim 1931 Cameronian 1932 April the Fifth 1933 Hyperion 1934 Windsor Lad 1935 Bahram ₩ 1936 Mahmoud 1937 Mid-day Sun 1938 Bois Roussel 1939 Blue Peter 1940 Pont l'Eveque 1941 Owen Tudor 1942 Watling Street 1943 Straight Deal 1944 Ocean Swell 1945 Dante 1946 Airborne 1947 Pearl Diver 1948 My Love 1949 Nimbus 1950 Galcador 1951 Arctic Prince 1952 Tulyar 1953 Pinza 1954 Never Say Die 1955 Phil Drake 1956 Lavandin 1957 Crepello 1958 Hard Ridden 1959 Parthia 1960 St. Paddy 1961 Psidium 1962 Larkspur 1963 Relko 1964 Santa Claus 1965 Sea Bird 1966 Charlottown 1967 Royal Palace 1968 Sir Ivor 1969 Blakeney 1970 Nijinsky ₩ 1971 Mill Reef 1972 Roberto 1973 Morston 1974 Snow Knight 1975 Grundy 1976 Empery 1977 The Minstrel 1978 Shirley Heights 1979 Troy 1980 Henbit 1981 Shergar 1982 Golden Fleece 1983 Teenoso 1984 Secreto 1985 Slip Anchor 1986 Shahrastani 1987 Reference Point 1988 Kahyasi 1989 Nashwan 1990 Quest for Fame 1991 Generous 1992 Dr Devious 1993 Commander in Chief 1994 Erhaab 1995 Lammtarra 1996 Shaamit 1997 Benny the Dip 1998 High-Rise 1999 Oath 2000 Sinndar 2001 Galileo 2002 High Chaparral 2003 Kris Kin 2004 North Light 2005 Motivator 2006 Sir Percy 2007 Authorized 2008 New Approach 2009 Sea the Stars 2010 Workforce 2011 Pour Moi 2012 Camelot 2013 Ruler of the World 2014 Australia 2015 Golden Horn

Legend - ₩ = Triple Crown Winners, ♥ = Filly

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