Bred in Maryland by Livestock Consultants, Au Printemps (Dancing Champ--Lorgnette, by High Hat) won seven of 30 races and earned $124,383. She took three stakes, including the 1982 B. C. Oaks at Exhibition Park. Au Printemps, who was based her entire career as a broodmare at Pennbrook, was buried at the farm.
Au Printemps, dam of Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) winner Success Express and Canadian champion Charlie Barley, was euthanized several days after foaling a Monarchos colt May 7 at Frank Penn Jr.'s Pennbrook Farm near Lexington. The 26-year-old Canadian stakes winner experienced difficulties with mobility in her hind legs following the delivery. Her newborn foal is on a nurse mare. Au Printemps, whose third dam was the great Gallorette, was owned by David Bowman and Carl Chan, who raced her in a partnership with others. French for "in the spring," Au Printemps started her broodmare career in stunning fashion: Success Express was her first foal, and Charlie Barley her second.Success Express, by Hold Your Peace, won the 1987 Juvenile and earned a career total of $835,359. He went on to become a successful sire in Australia.Charlie Barley, a son of Affirmed, was Canada's champion grass male in 1989. He set course records in two of his eight stakes wins and earned $922,943 in his career.Au Printemps, who produced eight winners from 14 named foals, also was the dam of grade I winner Greenwood Lake. A son of Meadowlake, Greenwood Lake scored his big win in the 1999 Champagne Stakes (gr. I).One of Au Printemps' daughters, Bittersweet Hour, is both the dam of a stakes winner and granddam of one. Bowman and Chan keep Greenwood Lake's 7-year-old full sister, Lac Du Printemps, at Pennbrook. Lac Du Printemps produced a Monarchos colt this year and was bred to More Than Ready.