Shenanigans: Top Thoroughbred Dams from Racing Heritage

Of the most impressive progeny any mare has produced in her lifetime, Shenanigans by far ranks amongst the best ever dams in racing history. Foaled in 1963, followed by a limited success in racing career, Shenanigans went on to become one of the most known and remembered dams bred to a handful of racing legends leading to a progeny that would earn her massive success and the title of Kentucky Broodmare of the Year (1975).
Born in Kentucky, Shenanigans was sired by Native Dancer. Her dam was Fighting Fox mare, Bold Irish. She performed satisfactory on the racing track winning only 3 of her 22 starts, finishing runner up in one and placing six. Owners and breeders Stuart and Barbara Janney had witnessed Shenanigans limited response in racing so moved her to broodmare duties soon after her 22nd start of her sophomore. After a failed pregnancy with Knightly Manner, Shenanigans was bred to Nearctic and foaling in 1969 she produced Icecapade.
Icecapede faired considerably well on the racing front winning multiple stakes such as the Grade 3 Nassau County Handicap and the Grade 2 William Du Pont, Jr Handicap. He also won the Kelso Handicap and the Saranac Stakes.
In 1970, Shenanigans produced a grey filly, Laughter by Bold Ruler. Despite such an impressive sire to inherit pedigree from, Laughter brought little success though she faired fine on the broodmare front.
Come 1971 and Shenanigans again gave birth to another colt, On To Glory, though each of them failed to make a solid reputation in the racing arena as an established racing contender. Laughter retired from racing with not more than a mere $17,000 in career earnings. Though Shenanigans suffered from calcium deposits in her knees that became an impediment to her career but the issue compounded when Shenanigans was bred to Reviewer and the great Ruffian foaled in 1972.
Ruffian was by far the greatest among Shenanigans foals and went on to obliterate records one after the other during her racing career. Ruffian’s racing aura won her the number one rank amongst the top 100 female horses but the inherited bone disorder similar to that of her sire Reviewer and his sire Native Dancer. The inherited bone weakness was so critical that not only Ruffian but her dam Shenanigans and sire Reviewer were met with a similar death caused by aftermaths of bone fracture.
After Ruffian, Shenanigans also produced stakes winners Buckfinder by Buckpasser and Near East by Damascus. Eerily Shenanigans death was exceptionally reminiscent of her daughter Ruffian’s death and occurred with a few years of Ruffian’s death. However, the limited racing calibre never impeded Shenanigans from excelling at her progeny. She still is ranked amongst the top few mares American thoroughbred racing has seen till date.
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