My Babu

My Babu (1945–1970) was a French-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who became one of the most influential sires in American breeding of show jumpers, eventers and hunters. His descendants include Bruce Davidson's former eventing mount JJ Babu, Anky van Grunsven's dressage horse Bonfire, and puissance and grand prix jumper Sympatico. Also, the grand prix jumper Napur is related to him through his sire Damascus dam Kerala. My Babu was the sire of Kerala, and therefore one of Napur's grandsires.

My Babu
SireDjebel
GrandsireTourbillon
DamPerfume II
DamsireBadruddin
SexStallion
Foaled1945
CountryFrance
ColourBay
BreederPeter Beatty[1]
OwnerHH Maharaja of Baroda
TrainerSam Armstrong
Record16: 11-2-0
Earnings£29,830
Major wins
Champagne Stakes (1947)
New Stakes (1947)
Woodcote Stakes (1947)
Craven Stakes (1948)
Sussex Stakes (1948)
Victoria Cup Handicap Stakes (1949) British Classic Race wins:
2000 Guineas Stakes (1948)
Awards
Timeform top-rated two-year-old colt (1947)[2]
Last updated on January 23, 2010

Racing career

During My Babu's racing career in England, the bay colt had 16 starts, 11 wins, 2 places, and 0 shows, with career earnings of £29,830. His most important win came in the 1948 Classic, the 2000 Guineas Stakes in which he set a new stakes record time.[3] He was later sold in 1955 to Americans Leslie W. Combs II and John W. Hanes for over $600,000,[4][5] the highest price ever paid for a Thoroughbred imported to the United States. The stallion stood at Spendthrift Farm in Kentucky during his breeding career.

Stud record

My Babu was a sire of 47 stakes winners and was a broodmare sire of 95 winners. He earned the title of Leading Juvenile Sire in 1960. His son, Better Boy, was the Leading sire in Australia four times.[6] By 1965, his racing descendants had won over $3,000,000. My Babu was the grandsire of National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame inductee Precisionist, and the damsire of Hall of Fame inductees Damascus and Gamely as well as the damsire of Little Current, the 1974 American Champion Three-Year-old Colt and winner of the Preakness and Belmont Stakes.

Pedigree
Pedigree of My Babu
Sire
Djebel
b. 1937		 Tourbillon
b. 1928		 Ksar
ch. 1918		 Bruleur
Kizil Kourgan
Durban
b. 1918		 Durbar
Banshee
Loika
ch. 1926		 Gay Crusader
b. 1914		 Bayardo
Gay Laura
Coeur A Coeur
ch. 1921		 Teddy
Ballantrae
Dam
Perfume
gr. 1938		 Badruddin
gr. 1931		 Blandford
br. 1919		 Swynford
Blanche
Mumtaz Mahal
gr. 1921		 The Tetrarch
Lady Josephine
Lavendula
br. 1930		 Pharos
br. 1920		 Phalaris
Scapa Flow
Sweet Lavender
ch. 1923		 Swynford
Marchetta (Family 1-w)

References
  1. http://www.americanclassicpedigrees.com/my-babu-fr.html
  2. Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1990). Horse Racing: Records, Facts, Champions (Third Edition). Guinness Publishing. p. 46. ISBN 0-85112-902-1.
  3. My Babu Wins 2,000 Guineas, The Miami News, April 28, 1948, accessed April 13, 2010.
  4. French Bred Stallion Sold For $600,000, Kentucky New Era, September 16, 1955, accessed April 13, 2010.
  5. $600,000 Paid for Sire; My Babu, British Stallion Sold to Combs and Hanes, New York Times, June 22, 1956, accessed April 13, 2010.
  6. Nearly 50 Years On, Djebel blood to fore in Australian classic, The Sydney Morning Herald, November 21, 1988, accessed April 13, 2010.
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