His Majesty (horse)

His Majesty (April 17, 1968 – 1995) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse and Champion sire.

Background

His Majesty was bred by John W. Galbreath and raced under the colors of his Darby Dan Farm. A full brother to Graustark, His Majesty was a son of the undefeated superstar European runner and three-time Leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland, Ribot. His dam was the excellent runner and outstanding broodmare, Flower Bowl who hemorrhaged to death the morning after his birth. His Majesty was trained by Lou Rondinello.

Racing career

1971: three-year-old season

At age three His Majesty started 1971 at Florida's Hialeah Park Race Track where he won two of his first three starts then recovered from being forced into the rail and stumbling badly to finish third in the Bahamas Stakes.^[2] He then won what would be the only significant stakes race of his career under jockey Braulio Baeza, taking the February 17 Everglades Stakes.^[3] Injured in the Flamingo Stakes in which he finished sixth, His Majesty underwent surgery for a broken bone in his right front ankle and was sidelined for nine months.^[4]

1972: four-year-old season

Racing at age four, His Majesty finished second by a nose to stablemate Good Counsel in the March 25, 1972 Widener Handicap at Hialeah Park.^[5] but was injured again while preparing for the May 30 Hawthorne Gold Cup and was out of racing for another five months. Returning to race at Hialeah Park in January 1973, His Majesty set a new track record of 1:46 2/5 for a mile and an eighth on dirt^[6] but in the ensuing March 10, 1973 Donn Handicap he suffered a tendon injury that ended his racing career.

Stud record

Retired to stud duty at Darby Dan Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, His Majesty became an influential sire of more than fifty stakes race winners as well as a prominent broodmare sire. Among his most notable progeny were:

• Asaltante (b. 1974) - won Handicap de las Américas;
• Mehmet (b. 1978) - multiple stakes winner including the G1 Monmouth Handicap;
• Pleasant Colony (b. 1978) - won Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, 1981 American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse ;
• Majesty's Prince (b. 1979) - won the Rothmans International, (1982, 1984), the Man o' War Handicap (1983, 1984), and the Sword Dancer Handicap (1983, 1984);
• Country Pine (b. 1980) - won Withers Stakes;
• Tight Spot (b. 1987) - 1991 American Champion Male Turf Horse whose wins included the Arlington Million, Eddie Read Handicap, and Del Mar Derby.

Through his daughter, Razyana, His Majesty is the damsire of the outstanding international sire, Danehill.

His Majesty was the grandsire of the 1993 Belmont Stakes winner Colonial Affair and of the 1994 Kentucky Derby winner, Go For Gin. He was also the damsire of:

• Risen Moon - winner in England of the 1990 Cambridgeshire Handicap
• Midway Lady - winner of three Group One races: the 1985 Prix Marcel Boussac in France, and in 1986 two British Classics, the 1,000 Guineas Stakes and Epsom Oaks
• Parade Ground - won the 1998 Lawrence Realization Stakes, National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Handicap, Belmont Lexington Stakes, Tampa Bay Derby

His Majesty died at age 27 in September 1995 from the infirmities of old age.^[7] He is buried in the Darby Dan Farm equine cemetery.^[8]

Pedigree

References