Photo of Cruise and Guiny courtesy of Ridge Farm
By Maribeth Kalinich
There are four registered Thoroughbreds with the name Happy Easter noted on Pedigree Query. One additional with the name on Equibase and, also a Quarter Horse by the same name.
The first aptly named for today’s holiday greeting, Happy Easter number one was a chestnut gelding foaled in 1932 and bred by Mrs. K Smart.
He was the son of Happy Argo (IRE), whose lineage goes straight back through classic Irish and British breeding.
Imported to the USA in 1925, Happy Argo was trained by Max Hirsch and owned by Bernard Baruch’s Kershaw Stables.
With a hefty 34 starts, the bay horse won 16 including the Carter Handicap, Fall Highweight H., the Speed H. and the Fleetwing H.
He also placed third in the Fleetwing and Carter as well as the Toboggan, Interborough and Hopedale Handicaps.
Adding six seconds and six third place finishes to his record, Happy Argo accumulate $36,969 during his career.
Happy Easter’s dam, Phenomenon, was an all-American daughter of Scotch Broom out of Escoba mare Dictation. This half of his pedigree is heavy on the Ben Brush through stallion Broomstick twice crossed and double of Domino in Scotch Broom’s sire line.
This version of Happy Easter has no performance or breeding information listed.
It wasn’t until 1989 that another by that moniker popped up. Happy Easter number two was a bay filly actually bred in India. By British stallion Pink Tank out of Indian mare Hot Spot who was by Heir Apparent (IND).
Although her pedigree shows Great Britain top and India bottom, this mare had tases of French and Irish, and German blood through her sire line.
With a cross of French stallion Bois Roussel in her dam line, the pinnacle of her sire line is the great British stallion, Nasrullah.
No records were noted as to racing or breeding.
Happy Easter number three isn’t in the pedigree info but noted on Equibase. This version was a gray gelding bred in Italy by Cattaneo Luigi.
The son of British sire Brook out of Italian mare Andora by Nabirpour, a Kentucky stallion from the Blushing Groom line.
No stats are listed for this “Happy” edition.
In 2011 Germania Farm in Kentucky bred Happy Easter number four, another bay mare with a notable sire—1999 Belmont champion Lemon Drop Kid. This stallion’s pedigree is brain candy with Native Dancer, Northern Dancer, Nashua, Tom Fool plus Busanda and Raise You.
Through her dam, Senza Paura (by Fly Till Dawn), this mare has some spice of France running extra spicy through French stallion Herbanger, a Chef-de-race in a pedigree chock full of Chefs and Reines de course mares.
Senza Paura was foaled April 13, 1997, in Kentucky and purchased by Germania Farms at the1998 Fasig-Tipton July Sale for $30,000.
The gray mare won five of her 16 starts including the Denise Rhudy Memorial. As a 3-year-old she finished second in the Martha Washington at Laurel Park and the Southhampton.
Last raced at Charles Town on Nov. 17, 2001, Senza Paura earned $150,141 in her career before going to broodmare service in Kentucky.
In her first start Happy Easter finished mid pack of 12 in a close finish at Pimlico Race Course May 31, 2014, under Xavier Perez.
She broke her maiden three starts later at Monmouth Park July 18 by a head after rallying under Abel Castellano, Jr.
The 3-year-old filly would run once again the following month at Monmouth and then swing by Laurel Park for two allowance starts in September and a class drop to claiming ranks in late October with a disappointing finish of second to last.
Two weeks later she was up at Aqueduct when she grabbed the lead in a one-miler on turf only to settle for a third-place finish to wrap up her campaign and career.
Running in the Germania silks, the mare’s last trainer of note was Tim Tullock and last jockey to be aboard Luis Saez.
With eight starts noted, Happy Easter number four won once and hit the board third with earnings of $17,640.
Auction info reflects she was at auction as Hip 16 at the Wannamaker March 2021 for $13,000 with an RNA result. (We’ll be looking for you, Happy Easter)
The last of the Happy Easters I discovered also has an intriguing pedigree.
Foaled sometime in 2017, this filly was by Malossol out of an Italian mare Sopran Hida who was by the American stallion Dancing Dissident. The latter is from the Northern Dancer line through the great stallion Nureyev who also appears in the fifth generation of Malossol’s line as well.
Foaled April 18, 2009 in Kentucky, Malossol brings France, including Herbager, and Canada, including Northern Dancer, through his pedigree.
Campaigned by Selim Blanga Moghrabi and Set B&B Botti, the bay horse raced in France, Italy and the UAE. As a 3-year-old the bay horse won the Grade 3 Premio Parioli and the Premio Gardone. With 12 career starts he also garnered three seconds and a third place finish earning £71,645.
Happy Easter number five’s grand dam is the British bred mare Histoire D’Amour with a good mix from the French Blushing Groom line also a major factor in her top half.
There were no records of any starts so we’re hoping this 7-year-old mare went on to be a broodmare somewhere.
Wishing you all a … Happy Easter!
