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Very Subtle (foaled 1984 in Kentucky) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won three Grade I stakes including the 1987 Breeders' Cup Sprint against male opponents in which she defeated the heavily favored Groovy by four lengths.

Very Subtle was trained by Mel Stute and initially raced by the California-based partnership of Carl Grinstead and Ben Rochelle who had owned a number of other top runners including the 1986 American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse and Preakness Stakes winner Snow Chief who was also trained by Stute. Following the March 1987 passing of Carl Grinstead, the partnership horses were auctioned at an October sale at which Ben Rochelle bought Very Subtle for $1.2 million.

Subsequent to her Breeders' Cup win, Very Subtle raced for two more years before retiring to broodmare duty after her 1989 campaign.

Breeding record

Bred to Snow Chief as well as other notable sires such as Alydar and Caerleon, Very Subtle's most successful earner among her foals was the mare Dianehill, a winner of $426,551 sired by the outstanding Champion sire Danehill.

Pedigree

References

1. "1987 Breeders' Cup Sprint charts". Archived from the original on 2012-03-29. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
2. Very Subtle's progeny

• Very Subtle's pedigree and partial racing stats

• 1984 racehorse births
• Racehorses bred in Kentucky
• Racehorses trained in the United States
• Breeders' Cup Sprint winners
• American Grade 1 Stakes winners
• Thoroughbred family 18