South Ocean (horse)

South Ocean (1967–1989) was a Canadian Thoroughbred Hall of Fame mare raced by Charles Taylor. She was bred by Charles's father E. P. Taylor, Canada's preeminent name in Thoroughbred racing and in world breeding history.

Breeding

South Ocean was bred at E. P. Taylor's

Shining Sun's dam was Solar Display whose sire line traces to Teddy, the very influential sire whose progeny included La Troienne, an important broodmare, Bull Dog, the Champion foundation sire responsible for making Calumet Farm one of the most successful racing stables in American history, and Sir Gallahad who was the Leading sire in North America four times, and Leading broodmare sire in North America a record twelve times.^[2]

Racing career

Ridden by Canadian National Champion jockey Richard Grubb, at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto South Ocean won the Simcoe Stakes for two-year-olds. At three she captured a division of the top race in Canada for three-year-old fillies, the Canadian Oaks. In the Oaks she was ridden by Sandy Hawley, a Canadian and U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee.^[3] South Ocean beat rival Fanfreluche in the Canadian Oakes but ran second to her in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes and the Bison City Stakes.^[4]

Broodmare success

South Ocean was the dam of Canadian Hall of Fame inductees

Storm Bird was South Ocean's next important foal was born in 1978. Racing in England as two-year-old racing in 1980, Storm Bird went undefeated would be named the two-year-old English Champion. At stud in Kentucky, he would sire 63 stakes race winners, including 1990 Preakness Stakes winner Summer Squall who in turn sired Charismatic, the 1999 American Horse of the Year and that year's winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. In addition, among other successful progeny sired by Summer Squall was Storm Song who won the 1996 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and was voted American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly. Storm Bird's lasting impact of Thoroughbred racing was through his son, Storm Cat who was the leading juvenile sire in North America seven times, and the overall Leading sire in North America in 1999 and 2000. As well, he would become the Leading broodmare sire three times from 2012 through 2014. Through those daughters, Storm Cat was the broodmare sire of more than 100 stakes race winners. Storm Cat's success saw his stud fee rise to $500,000. His career as a stallion produced eight National Champions and winners of 108 graded stakes races. A few among these were Life Is Sweet, Storm Flag Flying, Black Minnaloushe, Tabasco Cat and Giant's Causeway, the latter was the 2000 European Horse of the Year and a three-time Leading sire in North America.

Honours

In 1997, Woodbine Racetrack created the South Ocean Stakes in her honour and following the success of her progeny, in 2017 she was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.^[4][1]

External links

• CHRHF video profile of South Ocean

Pedigree

References