Ace of Aces

Ace of Aces (1970 – 26 March 1992) was an American-bred French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He showed modest ability as a three-year-old in 1973, winning one minor event from seven races. He began the following year as a pacemaker for his more highly regarded stable companions but soon developed into a high-class sprinter-miler, recording his first major win in the Prix du Chemin de Fer du Nord. He was then sent to England and scored the biggest win of his career when winning the Sussex Stakes. He went on to win the Oettingen-Rennen in Germany and was narrowly beaten in the Prix de l'Abbaye before being retired from racing at the end of the year. He stood as a breeding stallion in the United States and New Zealand but was not a success as a sire of winners. Background Ace of Aces was a "strong, heavy-shouldered" bay horse with a white star and three white socks bred in Kentucky by John R Gaines of Gainesway Farm. His sire, Vaguely Noble, won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in 1968 before becoming a successful breeding stallion whose best progeny included Dahlia, Exceller and Empery. Ace of Aces's dam Sofarsogood was a high-class racemare who won the Fashion Stakes in 1954. She was a granddaughter of the influential broodmare Summit whose other descendants included Nijinsky, The Minstrel and Lahan. The colt entered the ownership of the Texas oil company executive Nelson Bunker Hunt and was sent to race in France where he was trained by Maurice Zilber. Racing career