Princess Doreen

Thoroughbred racehorse infobox
horsename = Princess Doreen


caption =
sire = Spanish Prince
grandsire = Ugly
dam = Lady Doreen
damsire = Ogden
sex = Filly
foaled = 1921
country = United States flagicon|USA
colour = Bay
breeder = John E. Madden
owner = Audley Farm Stable
B.B. and Montfort Jones
trainer = Kay Spence
record = 94 Starts: 34-15-17
earnings= $174,745
race = Kentucky Oaks (1924)
Falls City Handicap (1924)
Labor Day Handicap (1924)
Covington Handicap (1924 & 1925)
Coaching Club American Oaks (1924)
Independence Handicap (1925 & 1926)
Bowie Handicap (1925)
Cincinnati Enquirer Handicap (1925)
Western Hills Handicap (1925)
Autumn Handicap (1925)
Cincinnati Times-Star Handicap (1925)
Commercial Tribune Handicap (1925)
Inaugural Handicap (1926)
Saratoga Handicap (1926)
awards= American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly (1924)
American Champion Older Female Horse (1925 & 1926)
honours = U.S. Racing Hall of Fame (1982)
Princess Doreen Drive in Lexington, Kentucky
updated= December 15, 2007

Princess Doreen (born 1921) was a Thoroughbred race horse bred by the famous horseman, John E. Madden at his stud farm in Kentucky called “Hamburg Place.” The farm was named in honor of Hamburg, the stallion he credited with his rise in the world of racing and breeding Thoroughbred horses. Over the course of his life many said that Madden bred more winners than any other man in the history of the American turf. It’s certainly provable that his horses earned more money and won more races for at least ten years after such records were kept. Madden bred Old Rosebud, Paul Jones, Zev and Flying Ebony. Each of these won the Kentucky Derby. He also bred Sir Barton, the first winner of America’s Triple Crown of Racing. He also bred the great Grey Lag.

Madden matched Spanish Prince, the English sprinter who had won the five furlong King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot before being shipped to the United States to stand at stud, to Lady Doreen, a half sister to Sir Barton. (During his American career, Spanish Prince once reached as high as number two on the general sire list.) The result was “the Princess.’’

She was trained by the former jockey Kay Spence who said that Princess Doreen represented the pinnacle of his success. From the beginning of her racing career at two, “the Princess” was as tough as they come. She raced males and won; she carried high weight (often up to 133 pounds) and won. And she did it for four years.

Racing career

* At two, she placed in the Ft. Thomas Handicap, and came third in the Matron Stakes.

* At three she won the Kentucky Oaks, the Falls City Handicap, the Labor Day Handicap, the Covington Handicap, and the Coaching Club American Oaks, and placed in the Chicago Special, the Alabama Stakes, the Gadsden D. Bryan Memorial Handicap, the Latonia Oaks, and the Prince George Handicap.

* At four she won the Independence Handicap, the Bowie Handicap, the Cincinnati Enquirer Handicap (under 129 pounds), the Western Hills Handicap (under 126 pounds), the Autumn Handicap (under 133 pounds), the Cincinnati Times-Star Handicap, the Commercial-Tribune Handicap, the Covington Handicap (for the second time, carrying 130 pounds). She placed in the Thanksgiving Handicap and showed in the Chicago Special, the Gadsden D. Bryan Memorial Handicap, the Grainger Memorial Handicap, the Flint Stone Memorial Handicap, the Pimlico Cup, the Hartford Handicap, the Enquirer Handicap, and the Inaugural Handicap.

* At five she won the Inaugural Handicap and the Saratoga Handicap. In the Saratoga Handicap she beat two-time Horse of the Year, Sarazen. She placed in the Grainger Memorial Handicap, the Independence Handicap, the Bowie Handicap, the Pimlico Serial and was third in the Pimlico Cup and the Saratoga Cup.

* At six she won the Independence Handicap, placed in the Hotel Statler Handicap, and was third in the Lincoln Handicap and the Oak Park Handicap.

Of interest

In 1924, "The Princess" participated in what was called the International Special. This time there would be three races. The third took place at the old Latonia Race Track in Covington, Kentucky for a purse of $50,000 added at ten furlongs. Those racing included Chilhowee, Epinard, Mad Play, Sarazen, and a filly: Princess Doreen. The results were first, Sarazen, second Epinard, and third Mad Play.

In a poll among members of the American Trainers Association, conducted in 1955 by Delaware Park, Princess Doreen was voted the eighth greatest filly in American racing history. Gallorette was voted first.

Broodmare

When she retired, Princess Doreen was America’s leading female money winner, supplanting Miss Woodford’s record in racing history. As a broodmare Princess Doreen produced eight foals but only one won races: her daughter Miss Doreen by Pilate. Her other seven foals won four races among them. It must be noted that the sires of these foals were not top rank.

The Princess died in 1952 at the age of 31.

External links

* [http://www.pedigreequery.com/princess+Doreen Princess Doreen’s pedigree plus photo]
* [http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=119 Princess Doreen in the Hall of Fame]