Gallant Fox, Omaha, and the many champions of Belair Stud are products of both great training and great breeding. William Woodward spent a great deal of time working out the minutiae of breeding his mares to the sires of the day, often doing so in partnership with his good friend Arthur Hancock of Claiborne Farm. Woodward started small, but his investments during the upheaval of World War I yielded a number of his best horses.

One of this was Flambette.

From Gotham to Gaul

Herman Duryea, breeder and friend of Harry Payne Whitney, saw the Hart-Agnew laws as sounding the death knell for horse racing in New York and perhaps in the United States as a whole. Duryea, whose inherited wealth enabled him to spend his days at sport, had invested in properties in New York and Tennessee, but decided to move his operation to France, establishing Haras du Gazon. There, he bred two English classic winners, Durbar II, winner of the 1914 Epsom Derby, and Sweeper II, who won the Two Thousand Guineas in 1910. In addition, the mare Frizette, for whom the Frizette Stakes is named, was part of his broodmare band. When Duryea died in 1916, his widow attempted to maintain Haras du Gazon, but eventually sold much of the breeding operation and its stock to Marcel Boussac.

About the same time, Edmond Blanc’s concern about the Great War in Europe prompted him to sell a number of his broodmares, most by Ajax. William Woodward bought five of them, including La Flambee. Wartime conditions prevented the mares from coming to the United States until 1919, so, in the interim, Woodward had La Flambee covered by Durbar II. By the time those five mares arrived at Belair, they also had La Flambee’s filly La Rabelais and her yearling filly by Durbar II. Woodward named her Flambette.

A Queen on the Track and Off

Prior to 1923, Woodward’s horses were leased by his friend Philip A. Clark, his friend and fellow horseman who had also owned other good horses, like 1918 Belmont Futurity winner Dunboyne. In 1921, at age three, Flambette ran in Clark’s colors, winning the Latonia Oaks and the Coaching Club American Oaks, where she defeated stablemate and Kentucky Oaks winner Nancy Lee. An injury in the Wilton Handicap at Saratoga ended her career, which meant the start of her next career, broodmare for Belair Stud.

Though she flashed brilliance in her nine-race career, Flambette became one of Belair’s foundational broodmares, producing thirteen foals for William Woodward. Of those thirteen, seven were starters and four were winners. Her first foal was a filly by Wrack, the Claiborne stallion who had won both on the flat and over jumps. That filly was named Flambino. Flambino won the Gazelle Stakes and finished third in the 1927 Belmont Stakes and the Coaching Club American Oaks, but, as a broodmare, she gave Woodward another prize: Omaha.

Flambette also produced La France, an unraced filly by Sir Gallahad III. La France’s best foal was Johnstown, 1939 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner. Also by Sir Gallahad III was another filly, Gallette. Now, as a racehorse, Gallette was terrible both over jumps and on the flat. She started sixteen times and could not do better than second, finishing her career with a grand total of $225 in winnings. From Gallette came Gallorette, champion handicap mare in 1946.

Later, Flambette’s daughters would go on to produce more good horses. Other than Omaha, Flambino produced Fleam and Flares for Belair. Omaha also sired Flaming Top, third dam of Nijinsky II. La France is the fourth dam of Decidedly, 1962 Kentucky Derby winner, and the sixth dam of Danzig Connection, who won the 1986 Belmont Stakes. Another classic winner with Flambette in his pedigree was Sunday Silence, who has Flambette in his pedigree through his dam Wishing Well.

La Reine-de-Course de Belair

In French, une reine-de-course is a queen of the turf. Like the chefs-de-race, a reine-de-course is a foundational figure for a family of thoroughbreds, producing producers that often go on to foal champions and other important horses within the world of horse racing. Flambette is one of Belair’s, influencing generations of champions on multiple continents, her name tucked away in the pedigrees of many a great horse. She is just one of the names that made Belair Stud among the influential breeders of the 20th century and beyond.

Read more on Flambette and other reines-de-course at Ellen Parker’s site of the same name. Much gratitude to Ms. Parker and her work alongside that of Avalyn Hunter and her excellent American Classic Pedigrees.