History
The event is named after a filly foaled in 1853. She was initially known as Merveille, but was later renamed Vermeille. She did not have a remarkable racing career, but was highly successful as a broodmare.
The Prix Vermeille was established in 1897, and was originally restricted to fillies aged three. Due to World War I, it was abandoned from 1914 to 1918.
The event was cancelled twice during World War II, in 1939 and 1940. It was temporarily switched to Le Tremblay in 1943 and 1944.
The race was opened to four-year-old fillies in 2004, and to older mares in 2006.
Preceded by the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and the Prix de Diane, the Prix Vermeille is the final leg of France's fillies' Triple Crown. The feat of winning all three has been achieved by six horses, most recently Zarkava in 2008.
The Prix Vermeille is held three weeks before the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, and it sometimes serves as a trial for that event. Zarkava was the fifth horse to win both races in the same year. The most recent "Arc" winner to take part in the Prix Vermeille was Solemia, who placed third in 2012.
Read more about this topic: Prix Vermeille
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“What is most interesting and valuable in it, however, is not the materials for the history of Pontiac, or Braddock, or the Northwest, which it furnishes; not the annals of the country, but the natural facts, or perennials, which are ever without date. When out of history the truth shall be extracted, it will have shed its dates like withered leaves.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Well, for us, in history where goodness is a rare pearl, he who was good almost takes precedence over he who was great.”
—Victor Hugo (1802–1885)
“Racism is an ism to which everyone in the world today is exposed; for or against, we must take sides. And the history of the future will differ according to the decision which we make.”
—Ruth Benedict (1887–1948)