Biography

The 1920s are considered a golden age for sports heroes in America. Babe Ruth emerged as a cultural icon on the baseball diamond, swatting prodigious home runs and making World Series victories a rite of passage for the New York Yankees. In the prize ring, Jack Dempsey was pulverizing opponents as heavyweight champion of the world while gaining the adoration of countless fans. The gridiron could boast of Red Grange, the “Galloping Ghost” who established himself as the National Football League’s first superstar and was the key figure in the pro game realizing acceptance in mainstream America. However, at the dawn of the 1920s, no athlete in the land was more revered than horse racing’s greatest marvel, the mighty Man o’ War. Ruth had charisma. Dempsey had power. Grange had speed. Man o’ War had all of those attributes. But instead of being a galloping ghost, Man o’ War was an equine freight train.

 In 1920, Man o’ War won all 11 of his starts to conclude a two-year run in which he won 20 of 21 starts and compiled an all-time earnings record of $249,465. When all was said and done, Man o’ War had established three world records, two American records, seven track records, and equaled another track standard. 

Man o’ War was a star everywhere he went, especially at Saratoga, where he thrived in the summers of 1919 and 1920. The Spa was the stage on which Man o’ War delivered some of his most breathtaking performances. It was also the place he suffered his lone defeat, an event that is still regarded as one of the most controversial in the sport’s history.

Bred by August Belmont II, Man o’ War was foaled on March 29, 1917, at Nursery Stud near Lexington, Kentucky. He was blessed with quality bloodlines, as his sire, Fair Play, was a Hall of Famer. His dam, Mahubah, was well thought of in breeding circles even though she was never a star on the track. Man o’ War’s paternal grandfather was the ill-tempered 1896 Belmont Stakes winner Hastings, a violent competitor known to bite and ram other horses during races. His maternal grandfather was English Triple Crown winner Rock Sand.

Belmont’s military involvement in World War I prompted him to sell his entire 1917 yearling crop. Avid sportsman Samuel Riddle, a Pennsylvania textile manufacturer, purchased Man o’ War for $5,000 on the advice of Hall of Fame trainer Louis Feustel at Saratoga’s 1918 yearling sales in what turned out to be one of the greatest bargains in racing history.

Like his grandfather, Man o’ War had a violent disposition, forcing Feustel to bring him along slowly in training. Man o’ War routinely dumped his exercise riders and was usually belligerent when his handlers attempted to saddle him.

“He fought like a tiger,” Riddle once said in describing his stable’s early experiences with Man o’ War. “He screamed with rage and fought us so hard that it took several days before he could be handled with safety.”

One Saratoga story describes Man o’ War enjoying “more than 15 minutes of freedom after launching his rider more than 40 feet” during a morning workout.

After cooling his temper to a manageable level and settling into training, Man o’ War made a stunning debut in a maiden race against six other 2-year-olds at Belmont Park on June 6, 1919. Despite having jockey Johnny Loftus using much restraint throughout the race, Man o’ War won by an easy six lengths and made quite an impression in the papers.

“He made half-a-dozen high-class youngsters look like $200 horses,” wrote the turf editor of the New York Morning Telegraph.

With his power, blazing speed, and incredible 28-foot stride (believed to be the longest ever), Man o’ War captivated the imagination of racing fans and drew record crowds everywhere he appeared. He was the favorite in every one of his races and three times he was recorded to have odds of 1-100

Man o’ War became such a sensation that police officers and Pinkerton guards had to protect him at the tracks from souvenir hunters who routinely attempted to snatch the hairs from his mane and tail. His notoriety also attracted more significant danger, as Riddle became aware of multiple assassination plots against his great runner. Riddle went to great lengths to protect Man o’ War. Armed guards were always around his stall and even Feustel had personal security.

The infusion of popularity Man o’ War brought to thoroughbred racing could not have come at a more opportune time for the sport. Racing had been banned in New York in 1911 and 1912 because of anti-gambling legislation led by Gov. Charles Hughes. Several other states took up the crusade and most of the prominent stables either folded or moved to Europe.

New York racing regained its legal status in 1913, but soon the nation’s focus shifted to World War I. Track attendance and racing purses had plummeted significantly before Man o’ War rejuvenated the sport.

Man o’ War’s presence made the turnstiles swing at dizzying rates for his Saratoga appearances. He romped in his Spa debut in the United States Hotel Stakes on Aug. 2, 1919, and decimated the competition in the Grand Union Hotel Stakes and the Hopeful that summer. In his official Daily Racing Form past performances, the descriptions of Man o’ War’s victories in those races are “Eased in final 16th” in both the U.S. Hotel and Grand Union Hotel and “Easily” in the Hopeful, a testament to the superiority he displayed.

The summer of 1919 was not without controversy for Man o’ War. What transpired on Aug. 13 that year at Saratoga in the Sanford Memorial turned out to be the one blemish on an otherwise flawless record. For the first and only time, Man o’ War was defeated. The loss, however, did little to tarnish Man o’ War’s reputation. If anything, it enhanced his legend, as he almost pulled off a miracle victory. The circumstances of the race remain shrouded in mystery and controversy. The horse that handed Man o’ War his only defeat was the aptly named Upset.

The blame has often been assigned to the man who was filling in that day for Mars Cassidy, the regular race starter. The substitute, Charles H. Pettingill, was in his late 70s and reportedly had problems with his vision. Years earlier, Pettingill almost incited a riot in Chicago when he kept the horses at the start of the American Derby for an hour and a half, forcing the race to be restarted almost 40 times. Horses in Man o' War's era broke from a piece of webbing that was strung across the track, as the starting gate had not yet been introduced. Man o’ War, always eager to get on with the race, was infamous for breaking prematurely through the barrier. On the day of the Sanford, he broke through five times, each time having to be pulled up.

Loftus was backing up Man o’ War, trying to line him up again after his fifth lunge through the tape. Without warning, Pettingill sprang the webbing, apparently catching Loftus by surprise. Various reports said Man o’ War was facing the wrong way, sideways, or simply caught off guard and unprepared for the start. Whatever position he was in, Man o’ War was left at the start and at a clear disadvantage. 

Man o’ War made a furious rally to get in contention. Loftus attempted to get through on the rail approaching the stretch, but he found traffic trouble and became locked in a pocket. Past the eighth pole, Loftus swung his mount outside and Man o’ War lost valuable ground.

"Man o’ War was abominably ridden," The Thoroughbred Record reported.

Although he was left at the start, buried in traffic for part of the journey, and forced wide, Man o’ War still nearly won the race. The result was Upset winning by a diminishing half length. Man o’ War blew past Upset right after the finish line. 

The shocking result became even more mysterious the next year when The Jockey Club refused licenses to both Loftus and Upset’s rider, Willie Knapp. No explanation was provided, but both jockeys were never allowed to ride again. Was there a conspiracy between the riders? If so, it has never been uncovered. Based on his dominant past performances, Man o’ War was also forced to carry 15 more pounds than Upset in the Sanford.

“Given an equal chance Man o’ War would undoubtedly have won the race,” The Saratogian stated.

The Sanford Memorial, however, proved to be a fluke. Man o’ War raced against Upset six other times and won each meeting. Man o’ War had no trouble bouncing back from the Sanford. He followed his lone defeat with the victories in the Grand Union Hotel and Hopeful at Saratoga before closing out his juvenile campaign with an easy score in the Futurity at Belmont.

With Loftus exiled by The Jockey Club, Riddle and Feustel chose Clarence Kummer as Man o’ War’s new rider and the combination proved to be a winning one. Riddle decided to pass on the Kentucky Derby in favor of having Man o’ War make his 3-year-old debut in the Preakness. Man o’ War won easily, as he did in the Withers, Belmont (a 20-length victory), Stuyvesant, and Dwyer.

Man o’ War returned to Saratoga in August 1920 and romped in the Miller Stakes. He followed with a remarkable performance in the Travers. Andy Schuttinger substituted for the injured Kummer in the Midsummer Derby and Man o’ War did not skip a beat. Even though he was restrained in the stretch, Man o’ War covered the 1¼-mile distance in 2:01⅘, setting a stakes and track record that stood for 42 years.  

After winning the Travers, Man o’ War returned to Belmont for the Lawrence Realization. By this time few owners had any interest in racing against Riddle’s powerhouse. Only Hoodwink, at 100-1 odds, came forward to meet Man o’ War. Knowing Hoodwink provided no legitimate threat, Kummer set Man o’ War against the clock. The mighty colt responded by shattering the previous world record for 1⅝ miles (2:45 flat) by more than four seconds (2:40⅘). Poor Hoodwink was left in the dust by an approximate 100 lengths even though the official race chart said Man o’ War was restrained at the end and never fully extended. Man o’ War’s performance that day stood as the Belmont record for the distance for 98 years until surpassed by Rocketry in 2018. 

Following the Lawrence Realization, Man o’ War pushed his win streak to 13 with impressive victories in the Jockey Club Gold Cup and Potomac Handicap. At this point, there appeared to be no competition for Man o’ War — with one possible exception, Sir Barton, the sport’s first Triple Crown winner in 1919.

Riddle sent Man o’ War to Kenilworth Park in Canada in October of 1920 for a match race against Sir Barton. There was tremendous excitement for the showdown, but the result was familiar and predictable. Sir Barton broke well and owned an early lead, but Man o’ War quickly reeled him in and cruised to a seven-length victory and smashed the track record for 1¼ miles. Again, Kummer restrained his mount throughout the contest.

There was nothing left to prove. Man o’ War was a perfect 11-for-11 as a 3-year-old and had won 14 in a row. He had carried as much as 138 pounds as a sophomore and as much as 130 pounds six times as a juvenile. What could be next? There was talk of sending Man o’ War to England for the Ascot Gold Cup. Matt Winn telegraphed an offer from Churchill Downs for a match race with the great gelding Exterminator. The Chicago World’s Fair wanted Man o’ War as a drawing card. There were even offers to make him a movie star. 

Riddle’s decision was made easy by the handicapper for The Jockey Club, Walter S. Vosburgh, who assigned the weights horses carried in New York. Riddle asked Vosburgh what weight he would put on Man o’ War if he were to race at age 4. Vosburgh told him it would be the highest weight ever carried, as much as 150 pounds.

Man o’ War’s days of dazzling on the track were through. Rather than run under the extreme weight, Riddle opted to retire Big Red after his 3-year-old campaign. At the time of Man o’ War’s retirement, Riddle was offered $1 million for the horse. He turned it down. It wasn’t until 35 years later that any thoroughbred was sold for that amount.

Although Man o’ War never raced in Kentucky, he spent most his life in the Bluegrass State. There are estimates that as many as three million visitors traveled to Riddle’s Faraway Farm between 1921 and 1947 to see the legendary horse in retirement and hear his groom, Will Harbut, tell glorious tales of his exploits on the track. Harbut became famous for the way he crafted the stories of Man o’ War, and he always introduced his charge to visitors as “the mostest horse that ever was.”

Harbut’s descriptions of Man o’ War thrilled visitors from all walks of life. He would begin by escorting guests around the barns, introducing them to Riddle’s other distinguished horses. He would show them the antique fire bell that was rung whenever a horse raised on the farm won a stakes race. But all these were mere preliminaries. Everyone knew what was coming. Finally, Harbut would arrive at Man o’ War’s stall and the visitors became entranced as the great horse was led out. Great Britain’s ambassador to the United States, Lord Halifax, once visited the farm to see Man o' War and was captivated by Harbut’s storytelling.

“That was worth coming halfway around the world to hear,” Lord Halifax said admiringly.

Man o’ War began experiencing heart trouble in 1943, forcing his retirement from breeding. He died of a heart attack on Nov. 1, 1947, at Faraway, less than a month after Harbut’s death. It required 13 men to lift Man o’ War’s 1,300-pound body from his stall. Three days later, more than 2,000 people attended Man o’ War’s funeral, which was broadcast on NBC Radio and featured nine eulogies. A scroll from the U.S. Army’s First Cavalry Division was placed with a black ribbon on Man o’ War’s barn. The First Cavalry Division had dubbed Man o’ War an honorary colonel. In Japan, an estimated 3,000 members of the country’s cavalry division paid their respects to Man o’ War with military honors as well. American racetracks held a moment of silence at 3 p.m., coinciding with the funeral. At 3:24 p.m. on Nov. 4, 1947, buglers from the Man o’ War Post of the American Legion, dressed in the famous black and yellow Riddle silks, signaled farewell to the legend with the playing of Taps.

Man o’ War was buried at Faraway Farm and a massive bronze statue by Herbert Hazeltine was eventually mounted on a marble base with only the words “MAN O’ WAR” as the inscription. No other words were needed. Three decades later, Man o’ War’s remains were exhumed and moved along with the 3,000-pound statue to the Kentucky Horse Park. Thousands of visitors pay their respects at his resting place each year.

Man o’ War enjoyed tremendous success as a stallion. Among his 386 registered foals, 64 became stakes winners, including his greatest son, 1937 Triple Crown winner and Hall of Fame member War Admiral. He also sired Kentucky Derby winner Clyde Van Dusen, as well as Belmont Stakes winners American Flag and Crusader, a Hall of Famer. Man o’ War also produced Hall of Fame steeplechaser Battleship, winner of the famed British Grand National.

“He was as near to a living flame as horses ever get, and horses get closer to this than anything else. It was that even when he was standing motionless in his stall, with his ears pricked forward, and his eyes focused on something above the horizon which mere people never see, energy still poured from him,” racing writer Joe Palmer said. “He could get in no position which suggested actual repose, and his very stillness was that of a coiled spring, of the crouched tiger.”

Achievements

Champion 2-Year-Old Male — 1919
Horse of the Year — 1920
Champion 3-Year-Old Male — 1920

Triple Crown Highlights

Won the Preakness Stakes — 1920
Won the Belmont Stakes — 1920

Biography

The legendary John Madden, one of the top breeders and trainers in American racing history, described Grey Lag as the best of the 182 stakes winners he bred. That’s an impressive statement considering Madden bred five Kentucky Derby winners, five Belmont Stakes winners, and the first American Triple Crown champion.

Bred at Madden’s famed Hamburg Place near Lexington, Kentucky, Grey Lag was a blaze-faced chestnut with three white feet by Star Shoot out of the Meddler mare Miss Minnie. As a yearling, Grey Lag was sold by Madden along with a filly for $10,000 to a young trainer on the rise named Max Hirsch.

Grey Lag did not break his maiden until his fifth start as a 2-year-old in 1920, but he developed quickly after that and caught the eye of esteemed trainer Sam Hildreth, who was putting together a powerful stable for oilman Harry F. Sinclair. After winning the Champagne Stakes, Grey Lag was sold to Sinclair’s Rancocas Stable for $60,000 and transferred to Hildreth. Grey Lag ran six more times as a 2-year-old, winning the Remsen Handicap and Autumn Day Stakes and finishing second in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes.

After missing the 1921 Kentucky Derby because of a stone bruise, Grey Lag made his 3-year-old debut a winning one in the Freeport Handicap. He then finished third in the Withers before embarking on an eight-race win streak beginning with a three-length victory in the Belmont Stakes. He then defeated the likes of Mad Hatter, Exterminator, Eternal, John P. Grier, and Paul Jones in winning the Brooklyn Handicap. Next came the Dwyer Stakes, in which Grey Lag broke the Aqueduct track record and equaled the American mark for nine furlongs of 1:49. Victories in an overnight, the Empire City Derby, Knickerbocker Handicap, Mount Kisco Stakes, and Devonshire International followed.

With six wins in 23 days following the Dwyer, Grey Lag was a tired horse and proceeded to finish second in the Lawrence Realization and Jockey Club Gold Cup and fourth in the Latonia Championship. He was finally put away for the season to rest with an impressive sophomore record of 9-2-1 from 13 starts and earnings of $62,596.

Grey Lag won his first start as a 4-year-old in the Centerport Handicap before being caught at the finish by 7-year-old Exterminator in the Brooklyn Handicap. It was Grey Lag’s only loss of the year. Grey Lag went on to win the Queens County Handicap, Empire City Handicap, Mount Kisco Stakes, and Saratoga Handicap.

At 5, Grey Lag won the Kings County Handicap, Excelsior Handicap, Metropolitan Handicap, and Suburban Handicap. He carried 133 pounds in winning the Metropolitan and 135 in the Suburban, which was his final major victory.

Plagued by bad feet, Grey Lag was retired. He sired 19 foals before becoming sterile. After three years in retirement, Hildreth brought Grey Lag back to the races in 1927 at the age of 9. The old warrior won both of his starts that year in overnight races. The following year, he raced four times with one win and was retired again.

Following his second retirement, Grey Lag was given to a veterinarian as a riding horse, but the vet died shortly after and Grey Lag was sold as part of his estate. He passed through many hands and wound up back on the track at age 13, running against platers in Canada. In four starts, he finished no better than third.

Newspaper coverage of Grey Lag’s plight in Canada caused Sinclair to send a representative to Canada and repurchase Grey Lag. With a career record of 25-9-6 from 47 starts and earnings of $136,715, Grey Lag was retired for good and sent to Sinclair’s Rancocas Farm to live out his days as a pensioner. He died in 1942 at the age 24. 

Achievements

Horse of the Year — 1921
Champion 3-Year-Old Male — 1921
Champion Older Male — 1922
Champion Older Male — 1923

Triple Crown Highlights

Won the Belmont Stakes — 1921

Biography

America’s second Triple Crown winner, Gallant Fox set a single-season earnings record in 1930 that stood for 16 years and had the highest career purse earnings at the time of his retirement.

Bred and owned by William Woodward, Sr., Gallant Fox was a son of French-bred stallion Sir Gallahad III and foaled at Claiborne Farm near Paris, Kentucky. Big and ungainly as a 2-year-old, Gallant Fox flashed some potential in winning the Flash Stakes and Cowdin Stakes, coaxing Hall of Fame jockey Earl Sande to come out of retirement to ride the “Fox of Belair” during his 3-year-old season of 1930.

Trained by Hall of Famer James E. “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons, Gallant Fox won the Wood Memorial by four lengths, took the Preakness Stakes and Kentucky Derby in that order, and then annexed the Triple Crown with a three-length victory in the Belmont Stakes. Gallant Fox went on to win the Dwyer Stakes and Arlington Classic before a shocking defeat in the Travers, as 100-1 shot Jim Dandy won on a muddy track at Saratoga.

Gallant Fox shrugged off the Travers loss and rebounded to win the Saratoga Cup at 1¾ miles, the Lawrence Realization at 1⅝ miles, and the Jockey Club Gold Cup at two miles. With a record of 9-1-0 from 10 starts, Gallant Fox became the first horse to surpass $300,000 in earnings in a year. He was retired after his Jockey Club Gold Cup victory with a career record of 11-3-2 from 17 starts and record lifetime earnings of $328,165.

As a stallion, Gallant Fox sired 1935 Triple Crown winner Omaha, 1936 Horse of the Year Granville, and Ascot Gold Cup winner Flares. Both Omaha and Granville later joined their sire in the Hall of Fame.

Gallant Fox died on Nov. 13, 1954, at Claiborne Farm at the age of 27.

Achievements

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

Triple Crown Highlights

Won the Preakness Stakes — 1930
Won the Kentucky Derby — 1930
Won the Belmont Stakes — 1930

Biography

Exterminator never won a beauty contest, and he certainly didn’t dazzle in any conformation photos, but on the racetrack he was a gritty hero during a golden age in racing and one of the most triumphant warriors in the history of the American turf.

Exterminator shocked the world in the Kentucky Derby. He developed into one of the greatest distance runners ever. He garnered a nation of loyal admirers. He found his way to the Hall of Fame. Not bad for a horse described as “Old Bones” because of his lanky and scrawny appearance.

Foaled May 30, 1915, on a farm near Nicholasville, Kentucky, Exterminator was sired by McGee, a successful stallion who topped the sire list for progeny earnings in 1922 and ranked in the top 20 in progeny earnings 11 times through 1940. He was also the sire of 1913 Kentucky Derby winner Donnerail. Exterminator’s dam was Fair Empress, a daughter of Jim Gore, a stakes-winning son of the mighty Hindoo, the 1881 Kentucky Derby winner and arguably the greatest thoroughbred of the 19th century. Appearing three times in the pedigree of Fair Empress was the immortal sire Lexington, helping make the mare’s lineage “one of the stoutest families in the world” according to the Thoroughbred Record.

Although his bloodlines were impressive, little was thought of Exterminator when he was consigned to the 1916 Saratoga yearling sales. Without fanfare or any attention from the press, Kentucky-based owner/trainer J. Calvin Milam purchased the McGee—Fair Empress chestnut colt, American Stud Book No. 84,588, for the tidy sum of $1,500. Although described as “too lean and growthy” at the Saratoga sales, Milam though he had something special.

Exterminator made his debut in a six-furlong maiden race at Latonia Race Course in Kentucky on June 30, 1917. Sent off at odds of 5-1, Exterminator carried 109 pounds and won by three lengths. He was then shipped to Canada, where he raced three more times as a juvenile. He added one more win before his season was cut short because of an injury in late July 1917.

The following spring, Exterminator was sold to Willis Sharpe Kilmer for a reported $9,000. Although Milam liked the colt, he believed the return he was getting on his initial investment of $1,500 was too good to pass up. Kilmer didn’t have any visions of greatness for Exterminator. The new owner viewed Exterminator strictly as a work horse to help with the training of his promising colt, Sun Briar, the early Kentucky Derby favorite. Sun Briar, trained by Henry McDaniel, was regarded as the top 2-year-old of 1917 thanks to wins in the Great American, Hopeful, Saratoga Special, Albany, and Grand Union.

Sun Briar, however, was training poorly leading up to the Derby and Kilmer decided not to enter him in the Run for the Roses. That left Exterminator to represent Kilmer in the race. At odds of 30-1, Exterminator was an afterthought in the Derby. After all, he hadn’t raced in almost 10 months and had never gone more than six furlongs.

On May 11, 1918, Exterminator secured his spot in history with a stunning one-length victory over Escoba in the 45th running of the Kentucky Derby under Hall of Fame jockey Willie Knapp (who briefly became Exterminator’s trainer later in his career).

Exterminator made 15 starts as a 3-year-old, winning seven and finishing in the money 14 times. Still, he wasn’t receiving universal acclaim. Kilmer remained adamant that Exterminator wasn’t as good as Sun Briar and journalist Walter Vosburgh said “Exterminator is another of the angular, long-muscled type, and, like most of that type, a slow beginner — long striding horses usually are. Not attractive to the eye, in fact an unattractive gelding. After he has had a hard period of racing, he is as lean and hungry looking as Caesar described Cassius — high in bone and low in flesh.”

As he got older, Exterminator only got better. At age 5 in 1920, Exterminator set two world records. He won the 1¾-mile Saratoga Cup in 2:56⅘ and the two-mile Autumn Gold Cup in 3:21⅘, as well as eight other races. Exterminator was becoming a sensation on the track, but he was still being knocked in the press.

“ … the Abe Lincoln of race horses,” The New York Herald wrote. “He is 16.2 hands high, and he has the tall, ungainly, gangling form of an equine backwoodsman, with the amiable, affectionate disposition of a family buggy horse.

“Exterminator isn’t old … but he is hollow above the eyes like an old horse, and is such a homely, awkward, dejected looking figure when standing around without anything to do with those long legs of his that anybody would be excusable for guessing he was older.”

Although Kilmer always favored Sun Briar over Exterminator, McDaniel became quite fond of Old Bones.

“Exterminator is the most honest, generous, and admirable horse I have ever trained,” McDaniel said. “Some of the best horsemen in the country have been a long time learning to take Exterminator seriously.”

Exterminator won half of his 16 races as a 6-year-old in 1921. He enjoyed his best season at age 7 in 1922 when he won 10 of 17 starts, while carrying an average of 133 pounds and a high weight of 140. Exterminator’s most memorable race of the year was the Brooklyn Handicap on June 16 at Aqueduct. Burdened with 135 pounds, Exterminator defeated future Hall of Famer Grey Lag, the 1921 Belmont Stakes winner, by a head in a thrilling contest. Grey Lag was carrying just 126 pounds.

Old Bones continued to race at ages 8 and 9, but he was no longer the same. He was retired after his 1924 season with 50 victories from 100 starts and earnings of $252,996. He eventually settled at Kilmer’s Sun Briar Court in Binghamton, New York, where he lived out his remaining days in peace with a succession of stable ponies, all of which were named Peanuts.

Exterminator died at the age of 30 on Sept. 26, 1945, and was buried in Binghamton next to his old stablemate, Sun Briar. Old Bones left behind a legacy that will never be forgotten in racing annals. He won 20 times while carrying 130 pounds or more and won 11 races at distances ranging from 1½ miles to 2¼ miles. Those who doubted Exterminator during his racing days and were critical of his unconventional appearance finally gave Old Bones the praise he had long been denied.

In September 1945, the Thoroughbred Record stated: “A heart attack suffered by Exterminator, faithful ‘Old Bones’ to the fans of a quarter-century ago, put the final footnote to the career of a horse that stirred more genuine affection in the hearts of man than any other Thoroughbred the American turf has ever known.”

Joe Palmer, in the 1945 volume of “American Race Horses,” said: “He lived a little over thirty years, a great age for a horse. Many horsemen thought him the greatest horse they had seen; many racing people who had never seen him knew of him as a sort of symbol of indestructibility, of stamina, and of thoroughbred courage.”

Achievements

Horse of the Year — 1922
Champion Older Male — 1920
Champion Older Male — 1921
Champion Older Male — 1922

Triple Crown Highlights

Won the Kentucky Derby — 1918

Biography

Regarded as the greatest of the 26 stakes winners bred by William Collins Whitney, Artful was a daughter of Hamburg out of the Dandie Dinmont mare Martha II. She concluded her career with a record of 6-2-0 from eight starts and earnings of $81,125.

Artful raced in the days when horses could be “declared” to win a race, which meant if a stable entered multiple horses it would be announced beforehand which runner the owner intended to win the event with. That Artful was not “declared” to win her first two career starts is likely the only reason the great filly did not go undefeated in her brief but spectacular career.

When Whitney died in 1904, Artful was leased to Herman Duryea and sent to train with John W. Rogers. Artful arrived at the races Aug. 10, 1904, at Saratoga in a 5½-furlong maiden race worth $600. Duryea also entered Dreamer, with whom he declared to win. The Daily Racing Form chart noted: “Artful, a genuine crackerjack, hard held and close up throughout, finished as easily and could probably have won.”

Six days later, Artful was sent out again at Saratoga with a stablemate and Duryea declared Princess Rupert to win, the entry closing at 1-7 odds. It was widely speculated later that Duryea and Rogers knew they had something special in Artful and were saving her maiden allowance for the upcoming Futurity. The chart said Artful “ … got away poorly, but went through like a flash into second place, where she stayed to the end under a pull and is evidently a crackerjack.”

Artful never lost again.

Eleven days after her second race, Artful was sent from Saratoga to Sheepshead Bay  to contest the $42,130 Futurity, which drew what was considered the strongest field of its 17 runnings to that point. James R. Keene’s undefeated Sysonby was favored at 3-2. Sysonby, a future Hall of Famer, had won a maiden race by 10 lengths, the Brighton Junior Stakes by four, the Flash Stakes by 10, and the Saratoga Special by 10.

Along with Artful, Duryea entered Tanya, winner of the Spinaway and Hopeful in her two starts (and the Belmont the following year). This race, however, was an “undeclared” event and therefore Duryea did not have to announce an intended winner. The Futurity field also included the undefeated Tradition; Oiseau, winner of eight stakes that season; and talented stakes winners Agile, Councilman, Woodsaw, Chrysitis, and Glorifier in the 16-horse field.

Artful, “superbly handled” by jockey Gene Hildebrand, settled into stride immediately in close pursuit of Sysonby and at the eighth pole went by him “as if he were anchored,” drawing off to win by five lengths. It was the only time Sysonby was defeated in his 15-race career.

There was no holding back Artful now.

Four days after the Futurity, Artful won the $10,245 Great Filly Stakes at odds of 1-15.

“Artful far outclassed the others, running lapped, hard held on the pacemaker Belle Strome, to the last furlong, where she drew to the front, winning with any amount,” according to the chart.

Six weeks later, on Oct. 15, Artful returned for the $3,230 White Plains Handicap at Morris Park. Assigned 130 pounds, Artful set a world record for six furlongs at 1:08, winning “all the way, never fully extended, and her’s was a magnificent performance,” said the chart.

Artful’s world record for six furlongs stood for exactly 50 years, finally surpassed Oct. 15, 1954, by Vestment (carrying 115 pounds) at Belmont Park.

The day after the White Plains, Artful, along with the other 14 horses in training that were leased to Duryea and nine yearlings also owned by Whitney, were auctioned at Morris Park. Whitney’s son, Harry Payne Whitney, bought Artful for $10,000 and Tanya for $7,000.

Artful didn’t begin her 3-year-old campaign until June 28, 1905, at Sheepshead Bay, winning a six-furlong allowance race by three lengths. Five days later, she won another six-furlong overnighter by two lengths to run her win streak to five.

Next up was the 1¼-mile Brighton Handicap, worth $21,750 to the winner. The field featured Hall of Famer Beldame, Lawrence Realization winner Ort Wells, and the top-weighted Delhi, winner of the 1904 Belmont. Artful was the lone 3-year-old of either sex in the field.

“Artful forged gradually to the front in the first furlong and established a small lead after being nearly forced out of her position next to the rail on the first turn by Ort Wells and it was at this critical moment only that the wonderful filly was fully extended to ward off danger. She came away, however, and only on sufferance was Ort Wells ever allowed to get near her afterwards, as she came on leisurely and won pulled up,” stated the chart.

Whitney retired Artful following the Brighton, her sixth consecutive victory. She concluded her career with a record of 6-2-0 from eight starts and earnings of $81,125. Sent to Brookdale Stud in New Jersey, and then briefly to England, Artful produced only four foals. Three of them were winners, but not in stakes races. Artful died in 1927 at the age of 25.

Achievements

Co-Champion 2-Year-Old Filly — 1904
Co-Champion 3-Year-Old Filly — 1905

Biography

Standing 17.3 hands at full maturity, Roseben was a giant on the racetrack and one of the most accomplished thoroughbreds of the early 1900s.

Nicknamed “The Big Train,” Roseben was assigned 130 or more pounds 59 times and gave weight to all his rivals in 86 races. He carried 140 pounds or more in 29 races (winning 14 of them). He won with 144 pounds, 146 pounds, and on four occasions won with 147 pounds. As a 4-year-old, Roseben won the 1905 Manhattan Handicap under 147 pounds, conceding 42 pounds to the horse that finished second, five lengths behind. In the process, he set an American record for six furlongs of 1:11⅗. At 5, he carried 147 and conceded 60 pounds when setting a six-furlong record of 1:12⅘ at Aqueduct.

Roseben was the classic sprinter. Of his 111 races, only eight were at a mile or more. He set or equaled six track records with burdens up to 147 pounds and established American records for six and seven furlongs.

Foaled in 1901 at Dixiana near Lexington, Kentucky, Roseben broke his maiden as a 3-year-old on Oct. 11, 1904, at Morris Park. He was then sold at auction to Davy Johnson, whose winning bid was $3,800. Within 10 days following the sale, Roseben won a pair of overnighters and finished second in another.

As a 4-year-old, Roseben won his first stakes in the Toboggan. After finishing second in the Coney Island Handicap on June 16, 1905, Johnson put Roseben in the care of trainer Frank D. Weir. The program listing of owner and trainer varied from time to time, depending on Johnson’s temporal solvency; there were times when Johnson was listed as trainer and Lucien O. Appleby was listed as owner. Appleby, partner with Johnson in New York City and Saratoga Springs gambling casinos and many racing ventures, owned Silver Brook Stud in New Jersey, where he bred Henry of Navarre. Be that as it may, Weir trained Roseben to his greatest victories and Johnson owned the horse.

Weir saddled Roseben to five consecutive overnight victories and a win in the Bronx Highweight Handicap that October in which he carried 147 pounds and won by five lengths while giving Ancestor 50 pounds. Two days later, Roseben again carried 147 pounds in the Manhattan Handicap, conceding 42-49 pounds to his rivals. He won by an easy five lengths in 1:11⅗, a new American record for six furlongs around a turn. Four days later, he won a seven-furlong allowance by 10 lengths and set a Belmont Park record at 1:25⅕. At one point as a 4-year-old, Roseben won four races in nine days by a total of 40 lengths.

As a 5-year-old in 1906, Roseben began with the richest victory of his career, earning $7,850 by winning the Carter Handicap. He won the Sterling Stakes the following week and on May 19 set another Belmont record of 1:32⅕ for 7½ furlongs. Roseben won eight of his final 10 races that year, including the Fall Handicap.

Roseben won the Flight Stakes as a 6-year-old, equaling Brighton Beach’s six-furlong record of 1:12. In 1908, he won nine of 26 starts, carrying top weight in every start. In November, he was shipped to California and won three overnight races at Oakland.

As an 8-year-old in 1909, Roseben won his 52nd and final race on May 29 at Belmont. He was injured in his final start on July 1 and retired with a record of 52-25-12 from 111 starts at 16 different tracks and earnings of $75,110.

Johnson gave Roseben to New York Congressman James Wadsworth, who, after Roseben had recovered from his bowed tendon, gave him light work in harness to a sleigh at his Geneseo farm, then turned him over to his daughter as a pleasure horse. In 1917, Roseben was turned out on the Wadsworth farm in the Genesee Valley of Western New York. He died there the following year at the age of 17.  

Biography

A small bay colt owned by James R. Keene, Sysonby demonstrated his tremendous class from the beginning with a 10-length victory in his career debut. The wins continued throughout 1904 and 1905 — 14 victories and only one defeat among 15 starts — earning the son of Melton a reputation as one of the finest racehorses of the early 20th century.

Sysonby was bred by Marcus Daly, who purchased his dam, Optime, in England and had her bred to Melton, winner of the 1885 English Derby and St. Leger. Upon Daly’s death in 1901, the horses at his Apperfield Stud in England were brought to the United States and auctioned at Sheepshead Bay on Oct. 1, 1901. Keene purchased Optime in foal to Melton for $6,000 and shipped her to his Castleton Farm near Lexington, Kentucky, where Sysonby was foaled on Feb. 7, 1902.

Trained by Hall of Famer James Rowe, Sr., Sysonby followed his maiden victory with a four-length score in the $15,000 Brighton Junior Stakes. He then won both the $6,000 Flash Stakes and $13,000 Saratoga Special by 10 lengths each. In his next start, the Futurity at Sheepshead Bay, Sysonby suffered his lone career defeat, finishing third to Hall of Fame filly Artful. Sysonby did not appear to be in top form for the Futurity and it was widely reported he was drugged by one of his grooms. Sysonby returned to his winning ways three weeks later with a three-length victory in the Junior Champion Stakes for his fifth and final win of the year.  

As a 3-year-old in 1905, Sysonby won all nine of his races. His only true challenge was his first race when he finished in a dead heat with 5-year-old Race King in the Metropolitan Handicap on the opening day of the new Belmont Park. Sysonby gave the older horse 10 pounds in the race.

Following his season debut, Sysonby reeled off victories in the Tidal Stakes, Commonwealth Handicap, Lawrence Realization, Iroquois Stakes, Brighton Derby, Great Republic Stakes, Century Stakes, and Annual Champion Stakes.

While training for a 4-year-old campaign, Sysonby developed bleeding sores, which were thought to be caused by a liver infection. He failed to respond to treatment and died on June 17, 1906, in his stall at Sheepshead Bay. It was reported that 4,000 people attended his burial the next day in front of the Keene stables. Sysonby’s body was later exhumed and put on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

Achievements

Champion 2-Year-Old Male — 1904
Horse of the Year — 1905
Champion 3-Year-Old Male — 1905

Biography

Hall of Fame jockey James McLaughin piloted several of the best racehorses of the 19th century, including Hindoo, Hanover, Kingston, Salvator, Miss Woodford, and Firenze. McLaughlin, however, always considered Luke Blackburn to be the best of his many superstar mounts.

Bred at Kennesaw Stud near Gallatin, Tennessee, by Capt. James Franklin and A. C. Franklin, Luke Blackburn was a bay son of Bonnie Scotland out of the Lexington mare Nevada. Named after Luke P. Blackburn, the governor of Kentucky at the time, the equine Luke Blackburn was purchased as a yearling by Capt. Jim Williams for $510. Williams, who initially served as Luke Blackburn’s trainer, had little success with him as a 2-year-old.  

Luke Blackburn did not break his maiden until his 12th start as a juvenile, finally winning a $500 purse by two lengths at Prospect Park. Two weeks later, at Brighton Beach, Luke Blackburn won the Ocean Stakes by eight lengths and was put away for the year with a record of 2-6-1 from 13 starts and modest earnings of $1,985.

The momentum Luke Blackburn built late in 1879 carried into his 3-year-old campaign, which is regarded as one of the finest in the history of American racing. Now racing for Mike and Phil Dwyer, who purchased the colt for $2,500, Luke Blackburn was transferred to trainer James Rowe, Sr. After finishing second in the Phoenix Hotel Stakes to open the 1880 season, Luke Blackburn was given a bit of a breather before embarking on an ambitious schedule.

Beginning on June 3, Luke Blackburn raced seven times in 19 days, winning each time. In the 1⅜-mile Coney Island Handicap, Luke Blackburn won by four lengths in 2:24½, shaving more than a second off Spendthrift’s American record for the distance. The seven-race win streak was snapped when Luke Blackburn stumbled and fell in his next race at Gravesend.

Luke Blackburn dominated the remainder of the campaign, winning 15 consecutive races. His victories included the United States Hotel Stakes (by 10 lengths), the Grand Union Hotel Prize, Kenner Stakes, Champion Stakes (setting an American record for 1½ miles in 2:34), Great Challenge Stakes (defeating top older horses including Monitor, Uncas, and One Dime by 10 lengths), Long Island St. Leger (walkover), Kentucky St. Leger, and Great American Stallion Stakes (by 10 lengths).

An injury in the Great American Stallion Stakes brought Luke Blackburn’s remarkable sophomore season to an end with a record of 22-0-1 from 24 starts and earnings of $46,975. The Dwyers brought him back as a 4-year-old in 1880 and he stretched his win streak to 16 with an eight-length victory at Jerome Park, but two weeks later he was injured again while contesting the Coney Island Cup and limped home fourth. Luke Blackburn was retired with a career mark of 25-6-2 from 39 starts and earnings of $49,460.

The Dwyers sold Luke Blackburn to Gen. W. M. Jackson and he stood in Tennessee at Belle Meade Stud near Nashville. Luke Blackburn had little success as a stallion, siring only three stakes winners. He did sire one notable son in Proctor Knott, winner in the inaugural Futurity over Salvator.

Luke Blackburn died in 1904 at the age of 27.

In describing Luke Blackburn, racing historian Walter S. Vosburgh said: “In action he was like a wild horse, running with his head high in the air, his nostrils flaring, and his eyes ablaze, with McLaughlin sitting far back in the saddle trying to restrain him — indeed he leaned back so far that he often spurred the colt in the brisket, unintentionally. McLaughlin said he never rode a horse so hard to control, nor one whose physical power was so great. Once, McLaughlin said, he stepped on a stone, and, flinching from it, he gave such a bound ‘that he fairly lifted me out of the saddle.’ After beating Glenmore in the Grand Union Hotel Prize, McLaughlin said he was so tired from trying to hold Blackburn that, upon dismounting, he could not walk to the scale. Such a combination of muscular and nervous force has never been seen in any other American race horse.”

Achievements

Horse of the Year — 1880
Champion 3-Year-Old Male — 1880

Biography

One of the most accomplished fillies of the early 20th century, Beldame was a dark chestnut daughter of Octagon out of the Hermit mare Bella Donna. Bred and owned by August Belmont II, Beldame was leased Newton Bennington at ages 2 and 3.

When she arrived at the races in 1903, Beldame won the Great Filly Stakes and Vernal Stakes. She posted a record of 3-1-1 from seven starts during her juvenile season with earnings of $21,185.

As a 3-year-old, Beldame delivered one of the greatest seasons by a filly in the history of the sport, posting a record of 12-1-1 from 14 starts and earnings of $54,100. She won the Alabama Stakes, Gazelle Stakes, Carter Handicap, Ladies’ Stakes, Saratoga Cup, First Special, Second Special, Dolphin Stakes, Mermaid Stakes, and September Stakes.

Beldame won the Gazelle by 10 lengths, the Alabama by six, and defeated older males in the Carter, First Special, Second Special, and Saratoga Cup, including 1903 Belmont Stakes winner Africander in the latter.

In the Alabama, Beldame burst out to an eight-length lead “so far outclassing her opponents that she was with great difficulty restrained back to them and her race was only an exercise gallop,” according to a contemporary report. A week later in the 1¾-mile Saratoga Cup, Beldame met 4-year-old Africander, who set a track record in that race the year before. It was an easy victory for Beldame who “made the running throughout, never fully extended, always leading by a half-dozen lengths, and was pulling up at the finish,” according to the race chart. Along with Africander, Beldame left American Derby winner The Picket and Lawrence Realization winner Major Dangerfield in her dust.

Beldame’s effort in the 1¼-mile First Special at Gravesend was considered by many to be her best performance. She defeated John Sanford’s 5-year-old Caughnawaga, arguably the best horse ever bred at Hurricana Stud. Beldame “won as if she outclassed the others, running into the lead at the start and making her own running throughout, easily stalling off Caughnawaga’s stiff challenge at the end,” said the chart. Caughnawaga, however, did get a measure of revenge when he prevented Beldame from repeating in the Saratoga Cup in 1905.

Racing in Belmont’s colors as a 4-year-old in 1905, Beldame won the Suburban Handicap and Standard Handicap and became only the third female racehorse — joining Miss Woodford and Firenze — to surpass $100,000 in career earnings. In the Suburban, she defeated Broomstick by five lengths while carrying top weight.

Beldame posted a record of 2-4-2 in 10 starts as a 4-year-old, regularly carrying top weight, and was retired with an overall mark of 17-6-4 from 31 starts and earnings of $102,135. She died in 1923 at the age of 22.

Achievements

Horse of the Year — 1904
Champion 3-Year-Old Filly — 1904

Biography

Of all the great horses trained by the legendary James Rowe, undefeated Colin was the one he admired the most, stating the only words he wanted written on his headstone were “He trained Colin.”

Foaled at James R. Keene’s Castleton Stud near Lexington, Kentucky, Colin was from the third crop of Commando out of the English stakes winner Pastorella. Colin was named after an old English poem concerning “Poor Colin.” It seemed appropriate considering Keene didn’t think much of the horse because of an enlarged hock.

Keene, however, had been wrong before. He was also unimpressed with Colin’s grandsire, Domino, a fiery competitor who exceeded expectations and proved to be one of the top racehorses of the 19th century en route to the Hall of Fame. Keene quickly changed his mind about Colin when none of his other horses could keep pace with him during speed trials.

Rowe brought Colin to the races for the first time May 29, 1907, at Belmont Park in a five-furlong cavalry charge down the old straight course against 23 maidens. Colin broke on top and won by two lengths without asking. Two days later, on the same course at the same distance, Colin set a track record of 58 seconds flat in winning the $5,000-added National Stallion Stakes by three lengths.

On June 5, Colin made his third start in a week and had his only serious challenge as a 2-year-old. Carrying 125 pounds in the $5,000-added Eclipse Stakes, Colin, according to a contemporary report, “ran a remarkable race, set the pace and was under pressure practically from the start, stood punishment with unflinching courage and outstayed (Harry Payne Whitney’s) Beaucoup in a rousing finish. Beaucoup is a good colt, challenged the winner early after going a furlong and ran stride for stride with him to the finish, but could not quite get up.”

Colin received a break of 24 days before returning in the $25,000-added Great Trial Stakes at Sheepshead Bay. Carrying 129 pounds, Colin won easily without being extended. He continued to roll, winning in succession the Brighton Junior Stakes, Saratoga Special, Grand Union Hotel Stakes, Futurity Stakes (setting a stakes record of 1:11⅕ for six furlongs), Flatbush Stakes (equaling the track record of 1:24⅘ for seven furlongs), Produce Stakes (defeating Fair Play by five lengths), Matron Stakes (again defeating Fair Play), and Champagne Stakes (establishing a new American record of 1:23 flat for seven furlongs).

After completing his 2-year-old season undefeated in 12 starts with earnings of $129,205, Colin was being hailed as “the best horse ever bred in America or raced here” by the Thoroughbred Record.  

Colin’s first start as a 3-year-old in 1908 was in the $10,000-added Withers Stakes at one mile, which he won easily. He came out of the race lame, however, and was declared out of the following week’s Belmont Stakes by various newspapers. There were various reports concerning the severity of Colin’s injury. They ranged from slight soreness to severely bowed tendons in both his forelimbs. Whatever his condition, it did not deter Keene and Rowe from entering the 1⅜-mile Belmont. In heavy rain and dense fog, Colin emerged with a five-length lead heading into the final quarter mile.

According to the race report, jockey Joe Notter “shook his whip at Colin and the colt came away quickly, but near the end he was eased up, Notter thinking the race was over, and this mistake almost cost him the race,” the chartcaller noted. “Fair Play ran a wonderfully game race and stood a long stretch drive in the most resolute fashion imaginable.”

Colin prevailed by a head. Although he was criticized for misjudging the finish line, Notter said he rode to Rowe’s instructions of using as little possible of Colin because of his suspicious tendons and the poor track conditions.

Later that June, Colin made his final career start, winning the 1¼-mile Tidal Stakes at Sheepshead Bay by two lengths for his 15th victory without a defeat.

Keene sent Colin to England to race in 1909 with trainer Sam Darling. Colin, however, suffered an injury and never raced again. He was retired to the Heath Stud at Newmarket. Colin sired 11 stakes winners, including On Watch and Jock, as well as Neddie, the grandsire of Hall of Famer Alsab.

Colin lived to the age of 27. He died in 1932 at Capt. Raymond Belmont’s Belray Farm near Middleburg, Virginia.

In “The Great Ones,” Kent Hollingsworth wrote, “Great horses have been beaten by mischance, racing luck, injury, and lesser horses running the race of their lives. None of these, however, took Colin. He was unbeatable.”

Achievements

Horse of the Year — 1907
Horse of the Year — 1908

Triple Crown Highlights

Won the Belmont Stakes — 1908