Swoon's Son (KY)

Biography

A winner of 22 stakes races, Swoon’s Son defeated Hall of Famers such as Round Table and Needles during his distinguished four-year career.

Bred in Kentucky by E. Gay Drake, Swoon’s Son was trained by Lex Wilson and ridden by Dave Erb in 21 of his 22 stakes wins. As a 2-year-old in 1955, he won or placed in 12 of 13 starts. His victories that year included the Bashford Manor Stakes, Arlington Futurity, George Woolf Memorial Stakes, Prairie State Stakes, and Washington Park Futurity.

As a sophomore, Swoon’s Son won 10 of 12, including the American Derby over Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Needles, and the Arlington Classic over Preakness winner Fabius and champion Doubledogdare. He also added wins in the Domino Stakes, Chicagoan Stakes, Warren Wright Memorial Stakes, and Clark Handicap.

At ages 4 and 5, Swoon’s Son regularly won with 130 or more pounds. He carried 132 in winning the first of his two victories in the Equipoise Mile. In winning the Equipoise Mile in 1958, he carried 129 pounds and defeated Horse of the Year Round Table, as well as standouts Bardstown and Clem.

Swoon’s Son set track records at sprint distances at Keeneland and Arlington Park, as well as at middle distances on both grass and dirt at Washington Park and Hawthorne Race Course. He was retired to stud in January 1959 with a career record of 30-10-3 from 51 starts and ranked fourth on the career earnings list with $970,605.

Of Swoon’s Son’s offspring, his most famous is Hall of Fame filly Chris Evert. Swoon’s Son died in 1977 at Mineola Stock Farm in Kentucky at the age of 24.