Bayardo (horse)

Bayardo was a Thoroughbred stallion with an impressive career both on the track and in the breeding shed.

*Lived: 1906-1917
*Color: Bay
*Breed: English Thoroughbred
*Breeding: by Bay Ronald, out of Galicia, by Galopin
*Breeder: Alfred W. Cox
*Timeform rating: 141

Breeding

Bayardo was by the stallion Bay Ronald, who was a fairly good racehorse, winning the Hardwicke Stakes and the City and Suburban Handicap. He produced the daughter Rondeau, who won nine stakes races, and was the dam of the influential stallion Teddy. He also sired Macdonald II, winner of the Prix Royal-Oak in France, and Dark Ronald, sire of Son-in-Law and Vaucluse, winner of the 1,000 Guineas.

Bayardo's dam, Galicia, came from good stock, including Blink Bonnie in her pedigree. Galicia was out of the Isonomy mare, Isoletta, and by the stallion Galopin. She did well on the track, winning the Biennial Stakes as a two-year-old, before injuring her pastern. She raced as a three-year-old, but broke down in the Derby Cup and was retired for breeding. She produced several good horses, including Lemberg, who won the Dewhurst Stakes, Middle Park Stakes, the Epsom Derby, Eclipse Stakes, St. James's Palace Stakes, Jockey Club Stakes, and the Coronation Cup, finished second in the 2,000 Guineas, and third in the St. Leger Stakes.

Pedigree for Bayardo
1906 Brown colt

Pedigree
name = Bayardo
inf =
f = Bay Ronald
b. 1893
m = Galicia
br. 1898
ff = Hampton
b. 1872
fm = Black Duchess
br. 1886
mf = Galopin
br. 1872
mm = Isoletta
b. 1891
fff = Lord Clifden
b. 1860
ffm = Lady Langden
br. 1868
fmf = Galliard
br. 1880
fmm = Black Corrie
blk. 1879
mff = Vedette
br. 1854
mfm = Flying Duchess
br. 1853
mmf = Isonomy
br. 1875
mmm = Lady Muncaster
ch. 1884
ffff = Newminster
fffm = The Slave
ffmf = Kettledrum
ffmm = Haricot
fmff = Galopin
fmfm = Mavis
fmmf = Sterling
fmmm = Mare by Wild Dayrell
mfff = Voltigeur
mffm = Mrs. Ridgeway
mfmf = The Flying Dutchman
mfmm = Merope
mmff = Sterling
mmfm = Isola Bella
mmmf = Muncaster
mmmm = Blue Light|

Racing career

As a two-year-old, Cox sent Bayardo to trainer Alec Taylor's stud farm and training center in Manton, Wiltshire. Run in a trial, Bayardo showed his talent early by beating several other two-year-olds and a three-year-old. He was then sent to his first race, the New Stakes at the Royal Ascot, which he won easily under jockey Bernard Dillon. He continued his winning streak throughout his two-year-old season, usually ridden by Danny Maher, including the National Breeders Produce Stakes, the Richmond Stakes, the Buckenham Stakes, the Rous Memorial Stakes, the Middle Park Plate, and the Dewhurst Plate (beating the filly Perola, who won the Epsom Oaks the following year).

However, Bayardo faced setbacks the following season, due to a harsh winter that decreased training time, and an accident on frosty ground which left him temporarily lame. Cox went against the wishes of his trainer and decided to run his colt in the 2,000 Guineas. Bayardo finished fourth, losing to the colt Minoru. Following this race, Bayardo steadily improved, and was entered in the Epsom Derby. But problems arose again, this time when the favorite, Sir Martin, fell and hampered part of the field, causing enough of a setback that Bayardo finished fifth, again losing to Minoru.

Bayardo continued his three-year-old season in great style, winning every race in which he was run, resulting in 11 straight victories. This included the Prince of Wales's Stakes, the Sandringham Foal Stakes, and the Eclipse Stakes. In the latter race, he easily won by two lengths, beating several talented animals including Royal Realm (winner of the Dullingham Plate), Santo Strato (winner of the Chester Cup), and Your Majesty (winner of the Eclipse Stakes and the St. Leger the year before). He then won the 1.25 mile York Plate, before entering in the St. Leger Stakes.

Going into the St. Leger, the Bay Ronald son was favored over Minoru, the colt who had beat him in both the Derby and the Two Thousand Guineas. Bayardo went on to win the third classic race without trouble, and then ran only two days later in the Doncaster Stakes, again for a win. The rest of his three-year-old season continued with victories, including the Champion Stakes, the Lowther Stakes, and the Limekiln Stakes, then the Sandown Park Foal Stakes the Liverpool St. Leger.

Bayardo's four-year-old season was aimed at the Ascot Gold Cup. His two preparatory races, the Biennial Stakes at Newmarket and The Chester Vase at Chester, were both victories (although just barely in latter, as he won by a head). In the Gold Cup, Bayardo faced the Prix du Jockey Club winner Sea Sick II. Sea Sick II was in the lead for some time, while Bayardo was held back in the field according to the race tactic of jockey Maher. With six furlongs to go, Bayardo decided he would rather take the lead and ran off with his jockey, past his French opponent, to win by four lengths. This race is often regarded as the greatest of his career.

Bayardo continued his four-year-old season with a win in the Dullingham Plate, his fifteenth in succession since losing the Derby the year before. In his final race of the season, the Goodwood Cup Bayardo was still thought to be the favorite despite the fact that he carried 36 pounds more than the three-year-old colt Magic. But a poor ride from his jockey resulted in defeat. Maher allowed Magic to set the pace, holding Bayardo back. But he allowed too much distance to grow between his horse and the other colt, so that when he finally gave Bayardo his head, the Bay Ronald son was unable to make it up before the finish, losing his sixteenth straight victory by only a neck. Magic never went on to win any other major race.

Race Record

* 1908 (Age 2): 7 wins out of 7 starts, £13,040 won
* 1909 (Age 3): 11 wins out of 13 starts, unplaced in two races, won £24,797
* 1910 (Age 4): 4 wins out of 5 starts, second in one race, won £ 6,698

In his career, Bayardo ran 25 races, in which he won 22, came 2nd in another, and was only unplaced in two. His career earnings came to £44,535. Bayardo's races ranged enormously in distance, from five furlongs to two and a half miles, showing not only his great speed, but also his stamina.

Breeding career

With his very impressive record on the turf, Bayardo was instantly popular as a sire. Standing at his trainer's Manton Stud, his stud fee soon rose to 300 guineas. Bayardo was Champion Sire in 1917 and 1918, and leading broodmare sire in 1925. He produced three classic winners, two of which went on to win the English Triple Crown. However, his excellent breeding career was cut short after he contracted thrombosis at the age of eleven, paralyzed his hind legs and resulting in his death. His sons and daughters include:

*Gay Crusader: winner of the 1917 English Triple Crown
*Gainsborough: winner of the 1918 English Triple Crown, sire of four classic winners. His progeny included Hyperion, winner of the Epsom Derby and the St. Leger and champion sire six years in succession, and Solario, winner of the St. Leger and Ascot Gold Cup.
*Bayuda: Bayardo filly, winner of the Oaks
*Manilardo: winner of the Coronation Cup;
*Manton: third in the St. Leger, later one of the top three leading sires in Poland during the 1920s and champion sire in 1930.
*Mapledurham: third (both to Bayuda) in the Cheveley Park Stakes and in the Oaks
*Allenby: second in the Two Thousand Guineas
*Pompadour: third in the One Thousand Guineas.

Other Progeny include:
*Saucy Sue: granddaughter of Bayardo, and put him on the top of the "sire of broodmares" list. She won the One Thousand Guineas, the Oaks, and the Coronation Stakes; third in the Park Hill Stakes.
*Hyperion: was the main carrier of Bayardo blood to future generations. His progeny included Aureole, Heliopolis, Alibhai, Khaled, Swaps, Star Kingdom, Noholme II, Nodouble, Helios, Ruthless, Deimos, Aristophanes, Forli, Gulf Stream, and Aldis Lamp.