Cicada (horse)

Cicada
Sire	Bryan G
Grandsire	Blenheim II
Dam	Satsuma
Damsire	Bossuet
Sex	Filly
Foaled	1959
Country	United States
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Meadow Stud, Inc.
Owner	Meadow Stable
Trainer	Casey Hayes
Record	42 Starts: 23 - 8 - 6
Earnings	$783,674
Major wins
Blue Hen Stakes (1961) Schuylerville Stakes (1961) Spinaway Stakes (1961) Matron Stakes (1961) Astarita Stakes (1961) Frizette Stakes (1961) Gardenia Stakes (1961) Kentucky Oaks (1962) Acorn Stakes (1962) La Troienne Stakes (1962) Mother Goose Stakes (1962) Beldame Stakes (1962) Jersey Belle Stakes (1962) Columbiana Handicap (1963) Distaff Handicap (1963) Vagrancy Handicap (1963) Sheepshead Bay Handicap (1963)
Awards
American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly (1961) American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly (1962) American Champion Older Female Horse (1963)
Honours
U.S. Racing Hall of Fame (1967) #62 - Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century Cicada Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack
Horse (Equus ferus caballus)

Cicada (May 9, 1959 – 1981) was an American Thoroughbred champion racehorse bred by Christopher Chenery's Meadow Stud. A bay filly by Bryan G, she was out of Satsuma; Satsuma's dam was Hildene^[1], a "blue hen" mare (a prolific producer of quality offspring)^[2] and the first horse owned by Chenery (who later bred and owned Secretariat). Sired by the 1926 Kentucky Derby winner Bubbling Over, Hildene cost $600.

Cicada was trained by Casey Hayes, who also trained Hill Prince, First Landing, and Sir Gaylord. Hayes believed in starting his horses young, so Cicada first raced in February 1961 at Hialeah Park Race Track and won easily by 4½ lengths. She won one allowance race and lost one before being entered in her first stakes race. She lost the Fashion Stakes, but then won her third allowance easily. She won the Blue Hen Stakes wire-to-wire, winning by 5½ lengths. Cicada was never out of the money in her sixteen starts as a two-year-old. She won eleven of those races (six in a row) and set a new record for earnings by a filly.

In her first race as a three-year-old, she raced older males and won. Racing officials began to require her to carry more weight, but she continued to win or place. After she easily won the Oaks Prep she was considered for the Kentucky Derby; ironically, her stablemate Sir Gaylord (who had been entered instead) went lame and was unable to race. Cicada entered the Kentucky Oaks instead, and won by three lengths. By now she had replaced Bewitch as the world’s leading money-winning filly or mare, and set new records every time she raced.

During a workout, Cicada suffered a minor injury and it was decided to retire her rather than risk serious hurt. As a broodmare, Cicada was not a great success. In her first season, she proved barren and was returned to the races.^[3] Retired a second time, she produced Cicada's Pride (by Sir Gaylord) who won the 1968 Juvenile Stakes at Belmont Park.

Cicada lived until the age of 22, dying in 1981.

See also

• Bewitch
• Christopher Chenery
• Sir Gaylord

References

1. ^ [1] Cicada's five-generation pedigree. Accessed February 3, 2011.
2. ^ [2] Breeding and pedigree terms. Accessed February 3, 2011.
3. ^ [3] National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame. Accessed February 3, 2011.

Further reading

• Robertson, William H. P., The History of Thoroughbred Racing in America