Pebbles (horse)

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Pebbles
Sire Sharpen Up
Grandsire Atan
Dam La Dolce
Damsire Connaught
Sex Filly
Foaled 1981
Country Great Britain Flag of the United Kingdom
Colour Chestnut
Breeder Warren Hill Stud & Mimika Financiera
Owner Marcos Lemos
Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum
Trainer Clive Brittain
Record 15: 8-5-0
Earnings ₤1,182,140
Major Racing Wins, Awards and Honours
Major Racing Wins
Nell Gwyn Stakes (1984)
1,000 Guineas (1984)
Sandown Mile (1985)
Eclipse Stakes (1985)
Champion Stakes (1985)
Breeders' Cup Turf (1985)
Racing Awards
U.S. Champion Female Turf Horse (1985)
Infobox last updated on: November 22, 2006.

Pebbles (1981-2005) was a champion British-bred Thoroughbred race horse, the first British-trained racehorse to win a Breeders' Cup race.

She was foaled in 1981 and was initially owned by her breeder, Marcos Lemos. Lemos sold her to Sheikh Mohammed after her 1,000 Guineas win.

Contents

[edit] Racing career

As a two-year-old in 1983 Pebbles won two races and finished fourth in the Lowther Stakes at York Racecourse and a close second in the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse.

Pebbles began her three-year-old season in 1984 by returning to Newmarket to win the Nell Gwyn Stakes. In her next race she won the 1,000 Guineas, beating the favourite Mahogany by three lengths with Desirable, who had won the 1983 Cheveley Park Stakes a neck further back in third. Pebbles raced twice more in 1984; she was beaten one and half lengths by Katies, winner of the Irish 1,000 Guineas in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot, and then finishing second by a neck to Palace Music in the Champion Stakes at Newmarket. In the official International Classification for 1984 she was rated 82, 16 pounds behind the top-rated El Gran Senor.

At four years old in 1985 Pebbles won the Eclipse Stakes, the first filly ever to win that race, beating subsequent Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Rainbow Quest. Later that season she won the Champion Stakes, beating the Derby winner Slip Anchor, before culminating her career with her Breeders' Cup win at Aqueduct.

[edit] 1985 Breeders' Cup

In the Breeders' Cup Turf, Pebbles went up against the males in a field of 13 starters. Among the starters was Lashkari, winner of the year's prior and inaugural running of the BC Turf. This was her first attempt at the distance of 1 1/2 miles. Ridden by Pat Eddery, she was his only mount of the day, they went off as the betting favorite. She was in 13th place (last) after the first 1/2 mile but worked her way up methodically to surge to the front in the final stretch.

Pebbles held off Strawberry Road II ridden by Steve Cauthen to win by a measured neck. Her winning time of 2:27 established a new Aqueduct course record, lowering the previous mark by 1 1/5 seconds.

On the strength of that single victory in the US, she was awarded the 1985 Eclipse Award for outstanding turf female.

The award was well deserved as her effort that year was spectacular. In 1985, Pebbles defeated the winners of the Epsom Derby, Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Juddmonte International, Irish Champion Stakes, English Champion Stakes, Epsom Oaks, Arlington Million, Hollywood Gold Cup, and Breeders' Cup Turf.

[edit] Personality

Pebbles in addition to her success as a racer, made for an interesting media story because of her assorted unqiue quirks. She was frequently accompanied by a gelding partner: Come On The Blues whom escorted her to America for the first running of the Breeders' Cup. She also was known for consuming a pint of Guinness beer a day.

[edit] Retirement

Pebbles died at the Fukumitsu Stud in Japan in September 2005.

[edit] External Videos

[edit] References

Pedigree of Pebbles
Sire
Sharpen Up		 Atan Native Dancer Polynesian
Geisha
Mixed Marriage Tudor Minstrel
Persian Maid
Rocchetta Rockefella Hyperion
Rockfel
Chambiges Majano
Chanterelle
Dam
La Dolce		 Connaught St. Paddy Aureole
Edie Kelly
Nagaika Goyama
Naim
Guiding Light Crepello Donatello
Crepuscule
Arbitrate Arbar
Above Board