The important broodmare Blue Delight (1938 by Blue Larkspur x Chicleight, by Chicle) won the Arlington Lassie from Misty Isle exactly 70 years ago today.
The daughter of Blue Larkspur sprinted away from the gate and set a torrid quarter in :22 4/5, which “settled the hash” of her pursuers, according to Salvator, who wrote a race commentary for The Thoroughbred Record of 20 July 1940.
Blue Delight never gave up her advantage, winning by two and a half lengths from the odds-on Misty Isle (by Sickle) and 1 1/2 lengths farther back to Valdina Myth. The marvelous broodmare Traffic Court (by Discovery) broke poorly and was unplaced.
Salvator described Blue Delight as a “brown filly with three white feet and is one of the larger Blue Larkspurs — that noted young sire seeming to send out two sorts of foals: one neat, trim, compact and not overly big; the other tall, rangy and powerful. Blue Delight is of the latter type and, in addition to her superior size, has unusual length of body. She is long behind the saddle, rather slack over the loin and her rump is rather sloping. Her head and neck carry a game look. In action, she is long-striding and moves as if she had a big motor installed.”
I had never read such an interesting description of Blue Delight, who had a distinguished racing career, and later was sold as a broodmare to Warren Wright. For Calumet Farm, Blue Delight became a great producer. Her 10 foals included five stakes winners: All Blue (San Antonio), Real Delight (CCA Oaks, Kentucky Oaks), Bubbley (Kentucky Oaks), Princess Turia (Kentucky Oaks, Delaware Handicap), and Kentucky Pride (Royal Poinciana). All except Princess Turia (Heliopolis) were by Bull Lea, and the three fillies all won the Kentucky Oaks, which is an exceptional bit of trivia.
Of the other five foals, two were by Triple Crown winner Whirlaway, a third by Triple Crown winner Citation, a fourth by Commodore M. (can you hear me growling!), and they won a grand total of zero races … didn’t even hit the board. Not once.
Those four sires were pretty bad stallions and clearly did not fit Blue Delight. The mare’s only other foal who was not a stakes winner was the Alibhai horse Turk’s Delight, who ran second in the Santa Anita Handicap. So he wasn’t a bum, by quite a margin.
And Blue Delight was quite a mare.
bloodstock in the bluegrass 