Hula Dancer

Hula Dancer (foaled 1960 in Kentucky) was an American-bred French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. She was sired by Native Dancer, the 1952 and 1954 United States Horse of the Year and a U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee. Owner Gertrude Widener raced Ambrose Light in France and brought him to the United States to stand at stud where he sired Hula Dancer's dam, Flash On.

Gertrude Widener sent Hula Dancer to trainer Etienne Pollet at his stables at Chantilly Racecourse in France. Racing as a two-year-old in 1962, she defeated colts while winning the Prix de la Salamandre and the Grand Critérium, two of France's most important races for her age group.

At age three, Hula Dancer raced both in France and in England where she again defeated colts on a regular basis as well as older horses in the Champion Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse. The highlight of her 1963 racing campaign was a victory in the British Classic, the 1,000 Guineas.

Hula Dancer was the first racehorse of her sex to win over 100,000 pounds in Europe. The quality of horses she beat is evidenced by the fact that every one of her six conditions race wins are now Group 1 events.

Hula Dancer was retired to broodmare duty in France. In 1968, Raymond Guest paid a European auction record price of 1.02 million French francs for her. She was shipped to the United States in 1970. Hula Dancer met with limited success as a broodmare.

References

• Hula Dancer's pedigree and partial racing stats