Dactylographer (horse)
Dactylographer was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. From the first crop of the foals sired by Secretariat, he showed great promise as a two-year-old when he won two of his three races including the Group One William Hill Futurity. In the following year he finished third in the Derby Trial Stakes but finished unplaced in his three subsequent races. He later stood as a breeding stallion in Florida with limited success.
Background
Dactylographer was a bay horse with a white star and white markings on his hind feet, bred in Kentucky by the Greek shipping magnate Stavros Niarchos. He was from the first crop of foals sired by the 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat. His dam, Artists Proof was a high class racemare who won the Pocahontas Stakes and finished third in the Kentucky Oaks. She was descended from the broodmare Lalun who won the Kentucky Oaks and produced both Never Bend and Bold Reason. Artists Proof was in foal to Secretariat when she was offered at the Keeneland Fall Breeding Stock Sale in November 1974 and was bought for $385,000 by Niarchos: Dactylographer was born the following April. The colt was sent to race in Europe and was trained throughout his racing career by Peter Walwyn at Lambourn.Racing career
1977: two-year-old season
Dactylographer never contested a maiden race and began his racing career in the Philips Electrical Stakes over seven furlongs at Ascot Racecourse in late September. He started slowly but finished well to take second place behind the Jeremy Tree-trained Home Run, with the future Irish St. Leger winner M-Lolshan in third. Fifteen days later he started favourite in a thirteen-runner field for the Sandwich Stakes over the same course and distance. After taking the lead a furlong and a half from the finish he drew away in the closing stages to win by four lengths from Valour, a colt who went on to win the Grosser Preis von Baden. His win was the first for Secretariat in Europe.At the end of October, Dactylographer was moved up in class for the Group One William Hill Futurity over one mile at Doncaster Racecourse. Ridden by Pat Eddery, he started 100/30 second favourite behind Home Run in a twelve-runner field which also included Ile de Bourbon, Hawaiian Sound, Julio Mariner, Orange Marmelade and Whitstead. Dactylographer took the lead three furlongs out, got the better of a sustained struggle with Home Run and held off the late challenge of Julio Mariner to win by a neck.