Biography

In a 1955 poll of thoroughbred trainers, Gallorette was voted the greatest filly in American racing history, beating the likes of Regret, Twilight Tear, Top Flight, Miss Woodford, Beldame, and Bewitch.

Bred by Preston Burch and owned by William L. Brann, Gallorette was trained by Edward A. Christmas. Gallorette was a big, rangy chestnut daughter of Challenger II out of the Sir Gallahad III mare Gallette. Arriving at the races as a 2-year-old in September 1944, Gallorette made eight starts as a juvenile with record of 3-3-2.

At 3, Gallorette won the Acorn Stakes, Pimlico Oaks, and Delaware Oaks in succession before finishing second in the Dwyer. She then defeated Pavot in the Empire City Handicap.

Gallorette enjoyed her best season as a 4-year-old, defeating colts in the Metropolitan Handicap, edging Stymie in the Brooklyn Handicap, beating Polynesian and King Dorsett in the Bay Shore Handicap, and carrying top weight in winning the Beldame. With a record of 6-5-1 from 18 starts and earnings of $159,160, Gallorette was recognized as the Champion Older Female of 1946.

In 1947, Gallorette defeated Stymie in the Queens County Handicap and scored the first of her back-to-back wins in the Wilson Stakes.

Along with her second win in the Wilson, Gallorette won the Carter Handicap and Whitney Handicap in 1948 before Brann sold her to Marie A. Moore for $125,000.

Gallorette was retired with a record of 21-20-13 from 72 starts and earnings of $445,535, a record at the time for a female racehorse. As a broodmare, Gallorette produced two stakes-winning fillies. She died at Moore’s farm in Virginia in 1959 at the age of 17.

Achievements

Champion Older Female — 1946

Biography

America’s sixth Triple Crown winner, Count Fleet was a son of 1928 Kentucky Derby winner Reigh Count out of the Haste mare Quickly.

Count Fleet was bred and owned by Fannie Hertz, wife of John D. Hertz, best known for the rental car company that bears his name. John Hertz initially wanted to sell Count Fleet, but Hall of Fame jockey Johnny Longden convinced him to keep the colt.

Ridden by Longden and trained by Don Cameron, Count Fleet set a track record in his six-length victory as a 2-year-old in the 1942 Champagne Stakes and followed that effort by equaling a track record in the Pimlico Futurity. He also won the Walden Stakes that year by 30 lengths and was given the highest impost ever, 132 pounds, on the Experimental Free Handicap. Count Fleet finished his juvenile season with a record of 10-4-1 in 15 starts and earnings of $76,245.

As a 3-year-old in 1943, Count Fleet won an allowance race and the Wood Memorial before taking the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont. He won the Derby by three lengths, the Preakness by eight, and added a five-length victory in the Withers before crushing the Belmont field by 25 lengths. He won all six of his races that year and compiled seasonal earnings of $174,055 to be an overwhelming choice for Horse of the Year.

Count Fleet was retired to stud with a record of 16-4-1 from 21 starts and earnings of $250,300. He was America’s leading sire in 1951 and produced a total of 38 stakes winners, including Kentucky Derby winner Count Turf and Belmont winners Counterpoint and One Count. Count Fleet died Dec. 3, 1973, at the age of 27 at Stoner Creek Farm in Kentucky. 

Achievements

Champion 2-Year-Old Colt — 1942
Horse of the Year — 1943
Champion 3-Year-Old Colt — 1943

Triple Crown Highlights

Won the Kentucky Derby — 1943
Won the Preakness Stakes — 1943
Won the Belmont Stakes — 1943

Biography

Bred in Kentucky by Duval A. Headley, Tom Fool was campaigned by Greentree Stable and made an immediate impact as a champion juvenile before dominating the sport two years later en route to Horse of the Year honors.

Trained by Hall of Famer John M. Gaver, Sr., and ridden exclusively by Hall of Famer Ted Atkinson, Tom Fool broke his maiden at Saratoga on Aug. 13, 1951. He then won two of the Spa’s juvenile fixtures — the Sanford Stakes and Grand Union Hotel Stakes — before finishing second to Cousin in the Hopeful. As the racing season shifted to Belmont, Tom Fool finished second to Hill Gale in a six-furlong race before closing out his campaign with victories in the Futurity at Belmont and the East View Stakes at Jamaica.

Tom Fool won his first start as a 3-year-old in 1952 then finished second in the Wood Memorial. A fever sidelined Tom Fool for two months, forcing him to miss the Triple Crown races. After two losses upon his return, Tom Fool won the Wilson Stakes at Saratoga and finished third to One Count in the Travers. He returned to top form in the fall with wins in the Jerome, Sysonby, Grey Lag, and Empire City handicaps.

As a 4-year-old, Tom Fool was the dominant horse in American racing. He started his season with a handicap victory at Jamaica and went on to win the Joe Palmer, Metropolitan, Suburban, Carter, Brooklyn Wilson, Whitney, Sysonby, and Pimlico Special, concluding his year undefeated in 10 starts. He became only the second horse — joining Whisk Broom II (1913) — to win the New York Handicap Triple Crown of the Metropolitan, Suburban, and Brooklyn. Tom Fool won at distances of 5½ furlongs to 1¼ miles, allowing him to add the title of Champion Sprint Horse to his honors of  Horse of the Year and Champion Older Male. He carried 130 or more pounds four times during 1953, including 136 in the Brooklyn.

Tom Fool was retired after his perfect 4-year-old campaign with a career record of 21-7-2 from 30 starts and earnings of $570,165. Tom Fool sired more than 30 stakes winners, including Hall of Famers Buckpasser and Tim Tam, as well as Santa Anita Derby and Travers winner Tompion. Tom Fool was pensioned from stud duty in 1972 and died on Aug. 20, 1976, at the age of 16.

Achievements

Champion 2-Year-Old Male — 1951
Horse of the Year — 1953
Champion Older Male — 1953
Champion Sprint Horse — 1953

Biography

The mighty Man o’ War sired several tremendous racehorses during his distinguished stallion career, but one son stood out from all others — Triple Crown winner War Admiral.

Foaled at Faraway Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1934, War Admiral was out of the Sweep mare Brushup. Standing a smallish 15.3 hands when he was fully grown, the brown War Admiral was anything but a physical replica of the strapping chestnut Man o’ War. However, what he lacked in size he more than made up for in talent and temperament. In those respects, The Admiral was his sire’s most accomplished creation.

Like his sire, War Admiral was owned by Samuel D. Riddle. He was trained by George Conway and ridden for most of his career by Hall of Fame jockey Charles “The Flying Dutchman” Kurtsinger. Even with his outstanding pedigree and famous connections, War Admiral’s early career was anything but special.

As a 2-year-old, War Admiral compiled a record of 3-2-1 from six starts in 1936. It was a respectable campaign that showed promise, but certainly nothing remarkable. War Admiral won his first two career starts before finishing third to Pompoon in the National Stallion Stakes at Belmont Park. Pompoon was considered to be the star of the 1936 crop of 2-year-olds, while War Admiral had much to prove.

However, when the calendar turned to 1937, War Admiral developed into a spectacular racehorse. After winning his first two starts of the year, The Admiral did the one thing Man o’ War did not — he won the Kentucky Derby.

Back in 1920, Riddle decided there was no need to enter Man o’ War in the Run for the Roses. He believed that running 1¼ miles in early May was too demanding for 3-year-olds that were still not fully developed physically. Man o’ War went on to win the Preakness and Belmont — and all but one of his 21 career starts — but he never had the opportunity to win the Triple Crown because of his owner’s philosophy on the Derby.

It was never known why Riddle changed his mind and allowed War Admiral to run in the Kentucky Derby and get a shot at the Triple Crown. Although it is now known as racing’s Holy Grail, winning the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont in War Admiral’s era wasn’t the major goal it is today. Entering the spring races of 1937 only three horses — Sir Barton (1919), Gallant Fox (1930), and Omaha (1935) — had won the Triple Crown.

Although Pompoon was the best of the 2-year-old crop of 1936, War Admiral was sent off as the favorite in the 1937 Kentucky Derby thanks to his impressive wins in his two prep races. The Derby was a walk in the park for War Admiral. Kurtsinger quickly put his mount on the lead and never looked back. The Flying Dutchman kept The Admiral under stern restraint throughout the race and earned a 1¾-length victory over the game but overmatched Pompoon. Thoroughbred racing had a new star.

The Preakness was only a week later at Baltimore’s Pimlico Race Course. Kurtsinger again put War Admiral on the lead, but this time Pompoon dug deep and put up quite a fight. Pimlico is known for its sharp turns, and War Admiral had trouble negotiating them, going wide each time. Jockey Wayne Wright steered Pompoon inside of War Admiral and the two colts dueled in a marvelous stretch run. Kurtsinger, however, sat chilly and never went to the whip. The Admiral won by a head. Pompoon was a quality adversary and had given his all, but once again it was not enough.

War Admiral was always a bit quirky on the track. He acted up in the starting gate at the Preakness and his antics before the Belmont Stakes were legendary. The Admiral delayed the 1937 Belmont for eight minutes, dragging a bewildered assistant starter through the starting gate several times before he was eventually contained. War Admiral stumbled when the gate finally opened for the race and he grabbed a quarter when his hind foot cut an inch-square chunk out of his right forefoot.

The Belmont was shaping up to be a disaster for War Admiral. He had expended a great amount of energy before the race and now his legs and belly were saturated with blood from his misstep out of the gate. War Admiral had every excuse to run a clunker. Instead, he demonstrated why he is considered to be among the greatest racehorses in American history. In a virtuoso performance, War Admiral rocketed to a three-length victory. He covered the 1½-mile distance in 2:28⅗, breaking the track record set by Man o’ War in the Belmont 17 years earlier and equaling the American record for the distance.

America had its fourth Triple Crown winner.

War Admiral sat out the summer races in order to heal up. He returned to the track in October and cruised to victories in three more races, including the Washington Handicap and Pimlico Special. War Admiral was the easy choice for Horse of the Year as he concluded his perfect season undefeated in eight starts.

At 4, War Admiral stretched his win streak to 11 with a victory in the Queens County Handicap. He then was a disappointing fourth in the Massachusetts Handicap. Although the defeat was shocking, it was only a minor hiccup. War Admiral returned to his previous form and romped to successive victories in the Wilson Stakes, Saratoga Handicap, Whitney Stakes, and Jockey Club Gold Cup.

There was tremendous public demand throughout 1938 for a match race between War Admiral and Seabiscuit, the hero of the West Coast. Racing’s two biggest drawing cards finally met in the Pimlico Special on Nov. 1, 1938. The 4-year-old War Admiral was a heavy favorite over the 5-year-old Seabiscuit, the champion handicapper of 1937. A grandson of Man o’ War, Seabiscuit had risen from the claiming ranks to win the hearts of racing fans everywhere. Entering the Pimlico Special, Seabiscuit had won 31 times in 83 career starts. His story was a true fairy tale. The Biscuit lost the first 17 races of his career and raced an astounding 35 times in non-descript events as a 2-year-old. He was never taken seriously until his emergence as a 4-year-old in 1937 when he won 11 of 15 starts.

War Admiral, meanwhile, had won 18 of 22 career starts and had only the setback in the Massachusetts Handicap as a blemish on his record in his 16 starts since the beginning of his 3-year-old season. An estimated 40,000 fans flooded Pimlico Race Course for the event and some 40 million more listened to the national radio broadcast.

It was Seabiscuit’s day. The Biscuit broke alertly from the walkup start and settled nicely under Hall of Fame rider George “The Iceman” Woolf. Kurtsinger eventually brought War Admiral alongside Seabiscuit at the half-mile pole and even briefly took the lead, but Seabiscuit pulled away to win by four lengths in track-record time.

War Admiral bounced back to win the Rhode Island Handicap only 11 days after his loss to Seabiscuit. The Admiral returned to win his only race at age 5 in 1939 before he was retired to Riddle’s farm in Kentucky because of an ankle injury. War Admiral concluded his career with a record of 21-3-1 from 26 starts and earnings of $273,240.

As a stallion, War Admiral sired 40 stakes winners, including Hall of Fame member Busher, the 1945 Horse of the Year. The Admiral was the leading sire of 1945 and ranked among the top 20 sires 11 times. He died in 1959 at age 25. War Admiral was buried next to Man o’ War and Brushup at Faraway Farm. The graves were eventually moved to the Kentucky Horse Park, where they remain today.

Achievements

Horse of the Year — 1937
Champion 3-Year-Old Colt — 1937

Triple Crown Highlights

Won the Kentucky Derby — 1937
Won the Preakness Stakes — 1937
Won the Belmont Stakes — 1937

Biography

In a true rags-to-riches story, Seabiscuit began his career with 17 consecutive losses before becoming one of the most successful and beloved horses in racing history, as well as a symbol of hope to many downtrodden Americans during the Great Depression.

A son of Hard Tack out of the Whisk Broom II mare Swing On, Seabiscuit was raised at historic Claiborne Farm in Kentucky and little was thought of him early in his career. Bred and owned initially by the Wheatley Stable of Gladys Mills Phipps and her brother, Ogden Phipps, Seabiscuit had three different trainers in his 2-year-old season, including Hall of Famer James “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons.

Seabiscuit won his first race on June 26, 1935, at Narragansett in a $5,000 claiming event. He raced 35 times as a juvenile, including several weeks in which he competed multiple times. Seabiscuit continued to struggle against nondescript competition well into his 3-year-old season in 1936. That summer, trainer Tom Smith saw something he liked in Seabiscuit and convinced owner Charles S. Howard, a California-based automobile magnate, to purchase the colt after he won consecutive races at Saratoga.

With Smith, Howard, and new regular rider Johnny “Red” Pollard, things began to fall into place. Seabiscuit began to improve, winning the Governor’s Handicap, Hendrie Handicap, Scarsdale Handicap, Bay Bridge Handicap (setting a track record), and World’s Fair Handicap (another track record) by the end of 1936. They weren’t considered major victories, but it was clear the horse was improving, which convinced Smith to target bigger prizes.

After winning his first start as a 4-year-old in 1937, Seabiscuit was off the board in the San Antonio Handicap before coming up a nose short to Rosemont in the Santa Anita Handicap. Seven consecutive victories followed for Seabiscuit and a star was born. In succession, he won the San Juan Capistrano (by seven lengths in track-record time), Marchbank, Bay Meadows, Brooklyn, Butler (track record), Yonkers, and Massachusetts (track record) handicaps. After the streak was snapped in the Narragansett Special, Seabiscuit won the Continental Handicap, finished in a dead heat for first with Heelfly in the Laurel Stakes, and won the Riggs Handicap (track record). He finished his 4-year-old season with a record of 11-2-1 from 15 starts and earnings of $168,580.

In 1938, Seabiscuit won the Agua Caliente Handicap, Bay Meadows Handicap (track record), Hollywood Gold Cup, a match race vs. Ligaroti, and the Havre de Grace Handicap through September. As he continued to make headlines and garner the adoration of the American public, discussion of a match race against 1937 Triple Crown winner War Admiral reached a fever pitch. After long negotiations between Howard and Samuel Riddle, the owner of War Admiral, a showdown was set for Nov. 1, 1938, at Pimlico Race Course.

With Pollard out with a broken leg, Hall of Famer George Woolf became Seabiscuit’s regular rider for 1938 and was in the irons for the Pimlico Special vs. War Admiral. An estimated 40,000 were in attendance at the track and more than 40 million listened to the call on radio. War Admiral was heavily favored, but Woolf and Smith prepared Seabiscuit to break quickly — a much different tactic from his usual stalking style — and it led to a surprising early lead.

War Admiral started to close the gap, gradually pulling level with Seabiscuit, then slightly ahead. Following advice he had received from Pollard, Woolf had eased up on Seabiscuit, allowing his horse to see his rival, then asked for more effort. About 200 yards from the finish, Seabiscuit pulled away again and continued to extend his lead, finally winning by four lengths in track-record time in one of the most significant races of the 20th century. Seabiscuit was named Horse of the Year.

Returning to the races as a 6-year-old in 1939, Seabiscuit was injured during his lone start of the year and it was assumed he would be retired. Howard even bred Seabiscuit to seven mares in the spring of 1939. The great Seabiscuit, however, again defied the odds.

After slowly working his way back to races — and being reunited with Pollard, who had recovered sufficiently from his shattered leg — Seabiscuit won the San Antonio Handicap in 1940 (in track-record time) and closed out his career with a sensational victory in the Santa Anita Handicap, the race he lost by a nose three years earlier. Before a crowd of 78,000, Seabiscuit overcame early trouble and rocketed along the rail in the stretch to defeat stablemate Kayak II by 1½ lengths, covering the 1¼ miles in 2:01⅕, his final track record. There was nothing more to prove and Seabiscuit was retired as a genuine American hero. His final career record was 33-15-13 from 89 starts with record earnings of $437,730.

Retired to Ridgewood Ranch in California, Seabiscuit sired 108 foals, but few had any success on the track. His best offspring included Sea Swallow, winner of the Yankee Handicap, Tijuana Derby, and Derby Trial, and Sea Swallow, winner of the Santa Catalina Handicap.

Seabiscuit died of a heart attack at the age of 14 on May 17, 1947.

Achievements

Champion Older Male — 1937
Horse of the Year — 1938  
Champion Older Male — 1938                                                      

Biography

Known as “The Chocolate Soldier,” the popular and gritty Equipoise was an outstanding 2-year-old and later became a top handicapper for three seasons during the 1930s even though he battled chronic foot ailments throughout his career.

Equipoise was bred by Harry Payne Whitney, who campaigned him through the majority of his 2-year-old season in 1930. Whitney, however, died late in the year and his son, C. V. Whitney, took over his father’s racing interests with Equipoise as the first horse to run in his name.

Equipoise was an immediate standout, winning the Keene Memorial, National Stallion, Juvenile, Great American, Pimlico Futurity, and Eastern Shore Handicap as a 2-year-old for trainer Freddy Hopkins. His best performance of juvenile season came in the Pimlico Futurity when he defeated Twenty Grand and Mate after being left at the post, grabbing a quarter, and running out of his shoes. A headline in a Baltimore paper called it the “Most Spectacular Race in a Decade.”

“When he was right, I don’t know of a horse that could handle him except maybe Exterminator,” Hopkins said years later. “He could sprint, go two miles. Wet or dry, it made no difference.”

Equipoise raced only three times as a sophomore as he battled a quarter crack. He had an easy win at Havre de Grace to start the year, was pulled up in the Chesapeake Stakes, and finished fourth in the Preakness.

As a 4-year-old in 1932, Equipoise established himself as one of the greats. Regularly carrying top weight, Equipoise won the Hartford Handicap, Metropolitan Handicap, Toboggan Handicap, Stars and Stripes Handicap, Arlington Gold Cup, Wilson Stakes, Havre de Grace Handicap, and Whitney Handicap. He won seven in a row at one point and finished the year with a record of 10-2-1 from 14 starts and earnings of $107,375. In the Delavan Handicap at Arlington Park, a prep for the Stars and Stripes, Equipoise defeated Jamestown by three lengths and set a world record of 1:34⅖ for one mile.

Hall of Famer Tom Healey took over Equipoise’s training in 1933 and the horse continued to thrive. Although purse money was significantly diminished because of the depression, Equipoise still banked $55,760 by winning seven of nine starts, including repeats in the Metropolitan and Wilson, as well as victories in the Saratoga Cup, Arlington Handicap, Suburban Handicap, and Hawthorne Gold Cup. He carried 135 pounds in the Arlington, won the Suburban under 132 pounds, and carried 26 pounds more than the runner-up in the Metropolitan.

As a 6-year-old, Equipoise won the Philadelphia and Dixie handicaps and the Whitney Gold Trophy at the United Hunts meet. He raced three times in 1935 as a 7-year-old without a victory before being retired with a career record of 29-10-4 from 51 starts and earnings of $338,610.

Equipoise sired only four crops in a short stud career before his death. In 1942, he topped the sire list when his progeny earned $437,141. Equipoise died Aug. 4, 1938, at the age of 10. His greatest son, Shut Out, won the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes in 1942. 

Achievements

Champion 2-Year-Old Male — 1930
Horse of the Year — 1932
Champion Older Male — 1932
Horse of the Year — 1933
Champion Older Male — 1933
Champion Older Male — 1934

Biography

Regarded as the top racehorse in America in 1924 and 1925, Sarazen was a 15-hand gelded son of High Time out of the Box mare Rush Box. Bred by Dr. Marius E. Johnston, Sarazen was owned early in his career by Col. Phil T. Chinn before being sold to Mrs. W. K. Vanderbilt III and trained by Max Hirsch after three starts as a 2-year-old.

Named after golfer Gene Sarazen, the chestnut gelding was undefeated in 10 starts as a 2-year-old in 1923. His wins that year included the Champagne Stakes, Oakdale Handicap, National Stakes, Laurel Special, and Pimlico Serial Weight-for-Age Race No. 2.

After finishing second in his 3-year-old debut in 1924, Sarazen won the Carter Handicap, Fleetwing Handicap, Saranac Handicap, Huron Handicap, Manhattan Handicap (defeating Belmont winner Mad Play), Arverne Handicap (defeating Zev), International Special No. 3, and Maryland Handicap. His greatest race was the International Special No. 3 on Oct. 11, at Latonia. Before a crowd of 60,000, Sarazen defeated English standout Epinard by 1½ lengths, setting a record of 2:00⅘ for 1¼ miles (Whisk Broom II was credited with the world mark of two minutes flat in the 1913 Suburban at Belmont, but it was generally known that his clocking had been made from the wrong pole). Overall, Sarazen owned a record of 8-1-1 from 12 starts and earnings of 95,640 as a sophomore.

Sarazen won half of his 10 starts as a 4-year-old. He won the Dixie Handicap, Metropolitan Handicap, and Fleetwing Handicap — all under 130 pounds — and set a track record at Bowie in winning the G. D. Bryan Memorial Handicap under 126 pounds.

As a 5-year-old, Sarazen was again recognized as the top handicapper, winning the Dixie Handicap, Metropolitan Handicap, and Mount Vernon Handicap. After the Mount Vernon Handicap, however, Sarazen became a sulker and an incorrigible terror to his trainer and to the assistant starters at the track. Sarazen never won another race after July of his 5-year-old season.

Hirsch, one of the top trainers of his or any era, tried every trick in the book to coax Sarazen into giving his best efforts, but it was to no avail. The grumpy gelding failed to win any of his final 16 career starts and was retired with a career record of 26-2-6 from 55 starts earnings of $225,000, fifth all time.

In 1937, Sarazen made his final public appearance in a parade of great geldings at Keeneland. Suffering from infirmities of his 19 years, Sarazen was euthanized three years later..

“There was no better horse than Sarazen during his time,” said Chinn. “Of those he met, he beat them all, mud or dry, cyclone or volcano, beat them at the gate and beat them under the wire.”

Achievements

Champion 3-Year-Old Male — 1923
Horse of the Year — 1924
Horse of the Year — 1925
Champion Older Male — 1925
Champion Older Male — 1926

Biography

Blue Larkspur is considered the best of the 128 stakes winners bred by his owner, Col. E. R. Bradley, at Idle Hour Stock Farm.

Trained by Hall of Famer Herbert J. Thompson, Blue Larkspur was a son of Black Servant out of the North Star III mare Blossom Time. Blue Larkspur’s sire finished second in the 1921 Kentucky Derby and his dam won the Pimlico Futurity.

As a 2-year-old in 1928, Blue Larkspur won the Juvenile Stakes, National Stallion Stakes, and Saratoga Special Stakes. He started seven times as a juvenile with a record of 4-1-1 and earnings of $66,970.

After finishing fourth in the Kentucky Derby in May 1929, Blue Larkspur won the Withers Stakes and then the Belmont Stakes by two lengths. He added a five-length victory in the Arlington Classic before in an injury in August ended his season with a ledger of 4-1-0 and earnings of $153,450 in six starts. Blue Larkspur was recognized as Horse of the Year and Champion 3-Year-Old Male. 

 As a 4-year-old, Blue Larkspur won the Stars and Stripes Handicap, clipping a full second off the track record with a time of 1:49⅖ for 1⅛ miles at Arlington Park. Blue Larkspur stayed at Arlington to win the Arlington Cup in July.

Following the Arlington Cup, Blue Larkspur developed another injury and was retired to Idle Hour, concluding his career with a record of 10-3-1 from 16 starts with earnings of $272,070. At the time of his retirement, Blue Larkspur was the third-highest money earner in American racing history.

At stud, Blue Larkspur produced 44 stakes winners, including Hall of Fame filly Myrtlewood and Hall of Fame steeplechaser Oedipus. Blue Larkspur ranked among the top 10 broodmare sires from 1944 through 1960.

After Bradley died in 1946, Blue Larkspur was acquired by King Ranch and sent to stand temporarily at Greentree Farm near Lexington, Kentucky. He was bred to 13 mares the following spring before dying of a heart attack May 6, 1947.

Racing historian John Hervey termed Blue Larkspur “the most beautifully gaited runner we have seen in 40 years or more.”

Achievements

Horse of the Year — 1929
Champion 3-Year-Old Male — 1929
Champion Older Male — 1930

Triple Crown Highlights

Won the Belmont Stakes — 1929

Biography

Although he was America’s first Triple Crown winner, little was expected of Sir Barton during the early stages of his career.

Bred by John E. Madden at Hamburg Place near Lexington, Kentucky., Sir Barton was a son of Star Shoot out of the Hanover mare Lady Sterling. Madden, who bred five Kentucky Derby winners and was America’s leading breeder for 11 consecutive years in races won, had a nominal partner in breeding Sir Barton, Vivian Gooch, whose name was also affixed to the record. Gooch trained in England for Louis Winans, who had purchased Sir Barton’s half-brother, Sir Martin, from Madden for $75,000 after the colt was the leading American 2-year-old in 1908.

Sir Martin was sent to England but fell during the 1909 Epsom Derby. Years later, when visiting Madden in Kentucky,Gooch was promised half-interest in the next foal of Sir Martin’s dam, Lady Sterling. The foal was a chestnut son of Star Shoot, named Sir Barton. Madden later repurchased Gooch’s share.

Sir Barton started slowly as a 2-year-old in 1918. He finished fifth in the Tremont Stakes in his career debut and then ninth in both the Flash Stakes and United States Hotel Stakes and seventh in the Sanford Memorial. Madden then sold Sir Barton to J. K. L. Ross for $10,000.

Ross, who was building one of the premier racing stables in North America, turned Sir Barton over to Hall of Fame trainer H. Guy Bedwell. In his first try for Ross and Bedwell, Sir Barton finished 15th. In his final start as a juvemile, Sir Barton showed a bit of promise by finishing a strong second in the Futurity.

Sir Barton made his 3-year-old debut in the 1919 Kentucky Derby. The top two Derby contenders were supposed to be Eternal and Billy Kelly, a stablemate of Sir Barton. With Hall of Famer John Loftus up and in a driving rain, Sir Barton led all the way, winning by five lengths over Billy Kelly to break his maiden in the Derby.

Shipped to Baltimore for the Preakness, which was only four days after the Derby, Sir Barton defeated Eternal by four lengths. He then romped in the Belmont by five and set a new American record for the 11-furlong distance. Thus, he became the fist horse to win the three of races which would later be popularized as the Triple Crown.

After a loss in the Dwyer Stakes, Sir Barton was given time off until the fall. He finished second to Billy Kelly in an allowance upon his return then defeated Billy Kelly in the Potomac Handicap. Sir Barton added a victory in the Maryland Handicap and a pair of wins in the Pimlico Fall Serial Weight-for-Age races to finish his sophomore campaign with a record of 8-3-2 from 13 starts and earnings of $88,249.

During the first half of Sir Barton’s 4-year-old season, he resumed his previous year’s form. Following three unsuccessful efforts in four starts, Sir Barton reeled off four straight stakes wins — the Rennert, Saratoga, Dominion, and Merchants’ and Citizens’ handicaps — setting new track records in two of the handicaps and carrying top weight each time.

Sir Barton then met up with the 3-year-old wonder horse, Man o’ War, in a match race on Oct. 12, 1920, at Kenilworth Park in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. On the line was a record $75,000 purse money and a $5,000 gold cup. The anticipation of the event proved to be greater than the race. Man o’ War led throughout and was hardly pressed, defeating Sir Barton by seven lengths and shaving six seconds off the track record for 1¼ miles. Sir Barton raced three more times that year without a win before being retired to stud with a career record of 13-6-5 from 31 starts and earnings of $116,857.

Ross sold Sir Barton following his racing career and the horse stood first in Virginia and later in Kentucky. Although not a standout as a stallion, Sir Barton did sire six stakes winners, including 1928 Kentucky Oaks winner Easter Stockings. In 1933, Sir Barton was sent to the U.S. Army Remount. He was transported to Wyoming, where he died at the age of 21 in 1937.

Achievements

Horse of the Year — 1919
Champion 3-Year-Old Male — 1919

Triple Crown Highlights

Won the Kentucky Derby — 1919
Won the Preakness Stakes — 1919
Won the Belmont Stakes — 1919

Biography

Regret was the first filly to win the Kentucky Derby. In fact, she won all her races at ages 2 and 3 — and beat colts each time. In her first season, Regret won the Saratoga Special, Sanford, and Hopeful Stakes.

Beating the boys, however, was only part of Regret’s fascinating story. Along with leaving the best colts of her generation in the dust, Regret’s landmark victory in the 1915 Kentucky Derby entrenched the race as an American institution.

Although she only raced 11 times, Regret’s ground-breaking achievements earned her acclaim as one of the greatest female racehorses of all time. On Aug. 8, 1914, the 2-year-old New Jersey-bred chestnut filly by Broomstick out of the Hamburg mare Jersey Lightning made her career debut at Saratoga Race Course. Regret, who was foaled at Harry Payne Whitney’s Brookdale Farm near Red Bank, New Jersey, was highly regarded because of the class in her pedigree. Broomstick won the Travers in 1904 and was America’s leading sire in 1913, 1914, and 1915. Jersey Lightning’s sire, Hamburg, won the Congress Hall Stakes at Saratoga as a 2-year-old in 1897 under 134 pounds and concluded his stellar career with a 100-length victory in the Brighton Cup at 2¼ miles. Both Broomstick and Hamburg are members of the Hall of Fame.

Bred and owned by Whitney and trained by the Hall of Famer James G. Rowe, Regret didn’t waste any time announcing her presence with authority when she broke her maiden at first asking in the Saratoga Special. With jockey Joe Notter in the irons, Regret, the only filly in the field, led the entire way and won by a length over Pebbles with “speed in reserve” according to Daily Racing Form.  

Assigned an impost of 127 pounds, Regret returned to the historic Spa oval a week later for the Sanford Memorial Stakes. Regret had no problem carrying the weight or navigating a sloppy track en route to a 1½-length victory under heavy restraint by Notter.

The Hopeful was contested a week after the Sanford and once again Regret was assigned 127 pounds. She broke slowly in a field of 12 (for the third consecutive race she was the only filly competing) and was forced into some tight quarters during the race. Churning her way through the Saratoga mud, Regret finally found some daylight and gamely secured a half-length victory over Andrew M., who carried only 114 pounds.

With her sweep of the Saratoga Special, Sanford and Hopeful in a 14-day span, Regret became the first horse of either sex to win that trio of signature Saratoga events for juvenile males. Only three others — Campfire (1916), Dehere (1993) and City Zip (2000) — have since accomplished the feat. Regret is the only filly of the four.

Although no injury was officially disclosed, Rowe took Regret out of training following the Hopeful. Her reputation grew as she sat on the sidelines. Pebbles, who was second in the Saratoga Special and third in the Hopeful, went on to win five stakes races in 1914 and was considered the best 2-year-old colt of the season.

Col. Matt Winn, the impresario of Churchill Downs, was always looking for ways to expand the prominence of the Kentucky Derby. Although it was considered a marquee race and had 40 years of tradition by 1915, the Derby had yet to reach iconic cultural status.

Regret changed all of that.

Whatever ailment had sent Regret to the bench after her Hopeful victory the summer before was still somewhat of a concern as the 1915 Kentucky Derby approached. Years later, Notter recalled Rowe being hesitant to run Regret at Churchill.

“Trainer Rowe and I slept in the stables all week. I won’t forget that experience. The roof leaked and when it rained during the six days we spent there I got soaked. Regret went off her feed down in Louisville,” Notter said. “She worked well enough in New Jersey, but the train ride upset her. At Churchill Downs, she worked the Derby distance first in 2:14⅗, and then three days before the race repeated her work going the distance in 2:08⅗. Mr. Rowe wondered if he should run her.”

Whatever trepidation Rowe had wasn’t enough to keep Regret out of the Derby. With an estimated 49,000 in attendance, Regret went off as the moderate favorite in the field of 16 and the lone filly in the field quickly made the lead. Pebbles, her old rival from Saratoga, sat just off the pace and tracked Regret throughout. Pebbles made a bid for the lead in the final quarter, but Regret, who had not raced in 259 days, once again displayed her superiority and won by two lengths in 2:05⅖. It was the second Derby victory for Rowe, who had previously won the race 34 years earlier with Hindoo in 1881. Prior to Regret, 29 fillies had run in the Kentucky Derby without a victory.

“She did not fail us,” Winn said. “Regret has made the Kentucky Derby!”

Winn was right. In becoming the first filly to win the Derby, Regret brought enormous newspaper coverage to Churchill’s signature race and helped transform a regional event into a national spectacle.

The Louisville Courier-Journal offered the following: “ … never shall we forget her gorgeous appearance on that memorable afternoon in May at Churchill Downs as she was led around the paddock before the race and later, when, with colors up, she stepped out on the course looking every inch a queen … receiving an ovation of which even royalty might well have been proud. Peerless Regret she was hailed and peerless she undoubtedly was, and from this day, she must be thought of with this descriptive adjective affixed.”

Whitney, one of the leading men of racing, was overjoyed with his filly’s performance and lauded the importance of the Kentucky Derby.

“Isn’t she the prettiest filly you ever saw? You know, this is the greatest race in America at the present time and I don’t care if she ever starts again,” Whitney said. “The glory of winning this event is big enough. Regret can retire to the New Jersey farm any time now.”

Regret made one more start as a 3-year-old. She returned to Saratoga in August for the Saranac Stakes in what was billed as her greatest challenge to date. Regret was set to meet The Finn, winner of the Belmont, Withers and Manhattan Handicap. The race was never in doubt. Regret defeated Trial by Jury by 1½ lengths, while The Finn was never a factor. Lady Rotha, who won the Travers that summer, finished third.

Regret did not race again until July 1916. She returned in the Saratoga Handicap and suffered her first career defeat, finishing off the board. Regret bounced back with an easy allowance score at the Spa a couple weeks later before being put away for the year after only the two starts.

As a 5-year-old in 1917, Regret began her campaign with an easy allowance score at Belmont Park in May. She was then entered in a star-studded edition of the Brooklyn Handicap at Aqueduct. Regret was one of three Kentucky Derby winners in the field along with Hall of Famer Old Rosebud and Oman Khayyam. The cast also included Hall of Famer Roamer, Stromboli (who defeated Regret in the Saratoga Handicap in 1916), and Borrow, a stablemate of Regret.

Regret was taken to the lead in the Brooklyn by jockey Frank Robinson and staved off several challenges, but according to contemporary reports Robinson became overconfident on the lead and began to ease Regret in the stretch. Borrow and Old Rosebud made late moves and Borrow got up for a nose victory over Regret, setting an American record of 1:49⅖ for 1⅛ miles.

Regret raced two more times following the Brooklyn. She met Coaching Club American Oaks winner Wistful in the Gazelle Handicap at Aqueduct, defeating her by three lengths while conceding 24 pounds. Regret concluded her career Sept. 25, 1917, at Aqueduct by setting a seven-furlong track record of 1:24⅕ while carrying 127 pounds. She was retired with a record of 9-1-0 from 11 starts and earnings of $35,093.

Upon her retirement, Regret was sent back to Brookdale Farm. She produced eight fillies and three colts that made their way to the races, but none of them were able to replicate the brilliance of their dam. Whitney later moved his breeding operation to Lexington, Kentucky, where Regret spent her final years. She died on April 11, 1934, and was buried on the Whitney property, which is today part of Gainesway Farm.

Regret’s grave sits on a tranquil hillside along with the final resting markers of racing legends such as Hall of Famers Broomstick, Whisk Broom II, and Peter Pan. Only two fillies — Genuine Risk (1980) and Winning Colors (1988) — have won the Kentucky Derby since Regret.

Achievements

Champion 2-Year-Old Filly — 1914
Horse of the Year — 1915
Champion 3-Year-Old Filly — 1915

Triple Crown Highlights 

Won the Kentucky Derby — 1915