Cicada (KY)

A champion each year she raced, Cicada was known as America’s “Queen of the Turf” during her heyday from 1961 through 1963.

Inducted

1967

Foaled

1959

Sire

Bryan G.

Dam

Satsuma

Damsire

Bossuet

Breeder

Christopher Chenery

Owner

Christopher Chenery

Trainer

J. H. "Casey" Hayes

Career

1961-1964

Earnings

$783,674

Racing Record

42

Starts

Year	Starts	First	Second	Third	Earnings
Year	Sts	1	2	3	$
1961	16	11	2	3	$384676 $384,676
1962	17	8	4	2	$298167 $298,167
1963	8	4	2	1	$100481 $100,481
1964	1	0	0	0	$350 $350

Biography

A champion each year she raced, Cicada was known as America’s “Queen of the Turf” during her heyday from 1961 through 1963.

Bred and raced by Christopher T. Chenery and trained by Casey Hayes, Cicada, a light-boned bay of 15.3 hands, won the Gardenia, Frizette, Matron, Spinaway, Astarita, Schuylerville, Blue Hen, and National Stallion stakes as a 2-year-old in 1961, finishing her first championship campaign with a record of 11-2-3 and earnings of $384,676. She won her final six races that year and her season earnings set a new record for a filly.

As a 3-year-old, Cicada won the Kentucky Oaks, Acorn, Mother Goose, Jersey Belle, and Beldame. She broke Kelso’s track record for nine furlongs in the Beldame at Aqueduct. Her three-length win in the Kentucky Oaks gave her enough purse money to surpass Bewitch as the all-time leading earner among fillies and mares. Cicada concluded her 3-year-old season 8-4-2 with earnings of $298,167 from 17 starts.

Cicada was strong again as a 4-year-old in 1963, winning the Columbiana, Sheepshead Bay, Vagrancy, and Distaff handicaps before suffering an injury. Cicada finished fourth in her lone start as a 5-year-old and was retired, eventually settling at Chenery’s The Meadow in Virginia with a career ledger of 23-8-8 and earnings of $783,674 from 42 starts.

The BloodHorse ranked Cicada No. 62 in its "Top 100 Racehorses of the 20th Century" book.

Cicada died at the age of 22 in 1981.