Levee (horse)
{{Short description|American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse}}
{{Infobox racehorse
| horsename = Levee
| image =
| sire = Hill Prince
| grandsire = Princequillo
| dam = Bourtai
| damsire = Stimulus
| sex = Mare
| foaled = 1953
| country = United States
| colour = Chestnut
| breeder = Claiborne Farm
| owner = Vernon G. Cardy
| trainer = Norman R. McLeod
| record = 40: 8-6-7
| earnings= $223,305
| race = Selima Stakes (1955)
Monmouth Oaks (1956)
Coaching Club American Oaks (1956)
Beldame Stakes (1956)
| awards= Kentucky Broodmare of the Year (1970)
| honours =
| updated= July 4, 2021
}}
Levee was a Kentucky thoroughbred foaled in 1953. She was an accomplished stakes winner and the dam of the champion race mare Shuvee.[http://pedigreequery.com/levee Levee] Retrieved: November 13, 2011
Race career
Levee raced in a time before the current US stakes race grading system, so while she is technically not a graded stakes winner, many of the races she won are now graded. Her first stakes win came in the 1955 Selima Stakes during her two-year-old season. At three, she won the Monmouth Oaks after placing third several times in the Alabama Stakes, Acorn Stakes, Test Stakes and Prioress Stakes. Levee then won the Coaching Club American Oaks, described as "America's toughest stakes for 3-year-old fillies"{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2HotAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6pgFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5326,2132685&dq=levee+oaks&hl=en |title=Mrs Vernon Cardy's Levee wins by a neck |publisher=Montreal Gazette |date=June 11, 1956 |accessdate=2012-03-18}} by a neck from Princess Turia, and the Beldame Stakes both of which are now grade 1 stakes.[http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorseInfo.cfm?refno=272780®istry=T Equibase.com] Retrieved: March 18, 2012 In the latter race, she "outbattled" the Calumet Farm-owned Amoret in the stretch to win by half a length.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QyFUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OjoNAAAAIBAJ&pg=5031,3230650&dq=levee+beldame&hl=en |title=Big Victory for Levee |publisher=The Leader-Post |date=September 24, 1956 |accessdate=2012-03-18}}
Breeding career
Levee was a very successful broodmare. She produced 11 foals, 7 of which were winners with 4 being stakes winners. The most notable was the mare Shuvee who was a Filly Triple Crown (now called Triple Tiara) winner, a two-time Older Mare Champion and the only female to win the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Levee also produced, Nalee, a 1960 filly by Nashua who won several stakes including the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes and Santa Ynez Stakes. She also produced Royal Gunner a 1962 colt by Royal Charger, who won the Cornhusker Handicap, and A TS Olie, a 1967 filly by Mongo who won the Nassau Stakes. Levee was named Kentucky Broodmare of the Year in 1970.{{cite web|url=http://www.tbheritage.com/HistoricDams/AmBroodmareofYear.html |title=Kentucky Broodmare of the Year |publisher=Tbheritage.com |date= |accessdate=2012-03-18}} She produced her last foal, a filly by Arts and Letters named Artful Levee, in 1973.[http://www.pedigreequery.com/index.php?query_type=progeny&search_bar=progeny&h=LEVEE&sort=Year&done=y&filter=All Horses&cf= Levee Progeny] Retrieved: March 18, 2012