Top Ten Turf Females Twentieth Century
#10
April Run
(1981 - 1982)
Ireland’s April Run was a two-time winner of the Turf Classic and also defeated Majesty’s Prince by six lengths in the 1982 Washington D.C. International. In her final career race, she finished third by a half-length to Hal Iced and All Along in the 1982 Japan Cup.
Photo: Uncredited
PEDIGREE
Bay F
OWNER
Mrs. R. Firestone
TRAINER
Francois Boutin
BREEDER
F. Feeney
Some Facts
- April Run was an Irish-bred filly with American connections. She was bred by F. Feeney at Bertram and Diana Firestone’s Gilltown Stud in Kilcullen, County Kildare, Ireland, on April 21, 1978. She was then purchased by the Firestones and would race in their colors and be trained by Francois Boutin.
- April Run was sired by the Tom Rolfe stallion Chef de Race Run the Gantlet, the American Champion Turf Horse in 1971, a year in which he won the Kelly-Olympic Handicap, Tidal Handicap, the United Nations Handicap, the Man o’ War Stakes, and the Washington D.C, International.
- Run the Gantlet also sired multiple group one winner Comanche Run, Providential, which defeated April Run in the 1981 Washington D.C. International, and multiple group one winner Ardoss.
- April Run was foaled by April Fancy, who was an Irish-bred daughter of No Argument. April Fancy won two of her five starts in non-stakes company but proved to be a valuable mare at stud as she also produced April Run’s full sister, Becky Branch, who produced two-time grade one winner Honor Slide (1994 by Honor Glide).
- Unraced at two, April Run made her first eight starts at three in France, winning the group three Prix Cleopatre and the group three Prix de Pomone. She was also a group one winner, having triumphed in the twelve-furlong Prix Foy against older horses while finishing third in the Prix Diane (French Oaks). By far her most impressive performance came in the Arc de la Triomphe, when she finished a fast closing third, beaten just a half-length by Gold River and Bikala in the large twenty-four-horse field. Encouraged by her performance, she was shipped to Belmont Park where she won the G1 Turf Classic over Galaxy Libre, then gave up the lead late and finished second to Providential by a length in the Washington D.C. International.
- April Run made eight starts in 1982, her final year of racing. Her first five were in France. Winless in her first three, she won the group three Prix Foy, then once again made her presence felt in the Arc, this time leading in the stretch before fading back to finish fourth, beaten three-quarters of a length by Akiyda, who was followed by Adross and Awaasif.
- A much more mature filly at four than she was at three, April Run once again shipped across the Atlantic, this time sweeping both the Turf Classic and the D.C. International, winning both by six and one-half lengths, the Turf Classic over Naskra’s Breeze, and the International over Majesty’s Prince. Her final start was a third-place finish in the Japan Cup, losing by two necks to Half Iced and All Along.
- At stud, April Run produced five foals, and she is the grand dam of stakes winners Sir Cat through her daughter Desert Run, and Weekend Madness through her daughter Spring Break.
- April Run was voted champion turf filly in 1982. She died on April 28, 1994.
Past Performances:
