PHOTO: Irish National Stud

Horse racing has existed for hundreds of years. Throughout that time we have seen stars like Man O’ War, Seabiscuit, Secretariat, Citation and Spectacular Bid come and go. Other lesser, but still incredibly good race horses have also set foot on tracks throughout the world. Even though I consider myself knowledgeable on the subject of thoroughbred racing, there is still a vast amount of things of which I haven’t a clue.

That is why I’m starting The Best Horses You Have Never Heard Of.  From now on I will post once a week about a lesser known stakes horse that had a big impact on racing either on the track or in the shed.

Let’s take a look at our star for this week.

Her name is Urban Sea (1989-2009). The daughter of Miswaki out of a Lombard mare was foaled in Kentucky all the way back in 1989. Her sire was a Group 1 winning son of Mr. Prospector.

Urban Sea didn’t accomplish great feats at the ages of two and three. She won a maiden race during her freshman campaign and took two listed races during her sophomore campaign. However, she did finish third in the Prix Vermeille which is the final leg of the French filly Triple Crown.

The filly really came around at the age of four. She started things off with a win in the Group 3 Prix Exbury. After off the board finishes in the Hong Kong Cup and the Prix Jean de Chaudenay she ran a strong second in the Prince of Wales Stakes. Later that year in October she scored a huge upset when she defeated 14 Group 1 winners in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Footage of her slipping up the rail to hold off the runner up is available below this paragraph.

Urban Sea won perhaps the most important race in the world when she made an improbable run up the rail to take the Arc, but she was far better in the shed. That is really saying something given her accolades on the track! Urban Sea’s first big time progeny was Galileo. The son of Sadler’s Wells won the Epsom and Irish Derby.

The next incredible horse produced by Urban Sea was Grade 1 Diana Handicap winner My Typhoon. She came from the sire Giant’s Causeway and was thought by many to be one of the best bred horses racing at that time. It is my opinion that Giant’s Causeway is the absolute best sire out there right now so I can only imagine the salivating that took place before this filly was bid up to $2.95 million.

As if producing a Grade 1 winner, Group 1 winner and other lesser stakes horses wasn’t enough, Urban Sea produced the horse that is definitely her best after Galileo and My Typhoon. That horse is 2009 European Horse of the Year winner Sea The Stars. The son of Cape Cross won 8 races from 9 starts and is  considered the best horse to have ever raced in Europe by some pundits.

Some of his best wins include two British classics, the 2,000 Guineas and Epsom Derby. He also took the Eclipse Stakes, International Stakes and Irish Champion Stakes all three of which are Group 1 events. His signature win came when he beat nine other Group 1 winners in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp. Throughout his short but stunning career Sea The Stars beat great horses like Dar Re Mi, Youmzain, Conduit, Vision d’Etat, Stacelita, Mastercraftsman and Rip Van Winkle. His Timeform Rating of 140 ties him for the 9th best rating ever and puts him 5 points behind all time leader Sea Bird II.

So there you have it! This weeks The Best Horse You Have Never Heard Of is the mare Urban Sea.  Urban Sea is the only mare to produce two Epsom Derby winners. Not only could she run with the best of ‘em, but she was one of the best blue hen mares to ever live.