Prince Leopold (horse)

Prince Leopold
Circa 1816 wax diorama of Prince Leopold by an unknown artist
Sire	Hedley
Grandsire	Gohanna
Dam	Gramarie
Damsire	Sorcerer
Sex	Stallion (Gelded in 1817)
Foaled	1813
Country	United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Colour	Bay
Breeder	The Duke of York
Owner	The Duke of York
Trainer	William Butler
Record	8:3-2-2 (includes one walk-over)
Major wins
Epsom Derby (1816) Port Stakes (1817)

Prince Leopold (1813–1817) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and winner of the 1816 Epsom Derby. Prince Leopold was bred by the Duke of York and raced as a three and four-year-old. The bay colt had an unruly temperament, and was castrated at the end of the 1817 racing season in an attempt to improve his behavior, but he died shortly after the procedure.

Prince Leopold was bred by the Duke of York and was foaled at the Duke's Oakland Park stud in 1813. His sire, Hedley (foaled in 1803), raced at age four and five, winning a few 100-guinea races before he retired to stud in Wingfield, Berkshire in 1809. Prince Leopold was Hedley's most notable son. Gramarie (foaled 1807), Prince Leopold's dam, was also bred by the Duke of York and produced a full-sister to Prince Leopold, Leopoldine, that became the tail-female ancestress of several French stakes winners, most notably Bois Roussel. Gramarie also produced Bella Donna, the granddam of Derby winner Amato.

Prince Leopold did not race as a two-year-old, and he started seven times in his three-year career with a total of two wins and one "walk over" (win by default). The colt's most important win was in The Derby, and the Duke of York won the Derby a second time in 1822 with the colt Moses. The Duke of York's racing establishment was managed by the Duke's groom, Warwick Lake, and Prince Leopold was registered under Lake's name for most of his racing engagements.

The 1,575-guinea Derby was held on 30 May with 11 horses lining up for the start. The race favorite was the colt Nectar who had won the 2,000 Guineas Stakes. In the final strides of the race, Nectar and Prince Leopold battled for the win, with Prince Leopold winning by half a length. The Duke of York reportedly won several thousand pounds by betting on Prince Leopold to win the Derby.