Coaltown -- What a good boy!

I don't have a photo that I can use for this gentleman, though I encourage you to check out the Thoroughbred Gallery and look for Barbara Livingston's copyrighted photos. Coaltown was a half-brother to Citation and came second to his brother in the 1948 Kentucky Derby. But he was talented, fast, wonderful. He ended up being inducted into the National Museum Racing Hall of Fame in 1983 and was voted the #47 of the Top 100 racehorses of the 20th century. He raced from ages 3-6, but didn't race as a 2 year-0ld because he'd suffered a life-threatening throat hemmoraghe and was nursed by his trainer, Calumet Farm's Jimmy Jones. His final record was 39: 23(16), 6(6), 3(3), earning $415,678.

His parents were Bull Lea and Easy Lass by Blenheim. He ultimately won the Champion Sprinter for 1948 and Champion Handicap Horse in 1949 and shared Eclipse Horse of the Year with Capot in that same year.

He set track records, won great races, raced effectively. And he was just a small little guy. His two trainers, the famous father-son combo of Ben and Jimmy Jones, said "He's the fastest horse I've ever handled" and "He had class right from the start."

He sired some kids in the United States before being sold to France. And he passed when he was 20 years old. Much of the information for this entry comes from the Bloodhorse Thoroughbred Champions Top 100 Racehorses of the 20th Century.

You can read more about him at the following links. Also, you can read the obituary of his trainer, Jimmy Jones, who passed away on September 2, 2001, at the age of 94. It's a really interesting obituary because he trained 8 Kentucky Derby winners, for goodness sakes, including Triple Crown winners Citation and Whirlaway, among others. He had strong opinions about everything, including his opinion that "A Bull Lea foal is worth $10,000 the minute it hits the ground."

My girls have Bull Lea in their family tree!
http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=48
or
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coaltown
or
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE4D71F30F930A3575AC0A9679C8B63

Kentucky 2007: Sir Gallahad's Grave

Here is a photograph of the beautiful Sir Gallahad's grave. His record in France was 23: 10-3-3 and in England 1: 1-0-0. He was a "big, robust colt of regal mien" and when A.B. Hancock, Sr. saw him in a photograph, he knew he had to bring him to America. Here's what a British reporter said of him, "When he gets into action he bids us look at him a second and yet a third time for he strides along in effortless style."


He was brought to the United States as part of the first stallion syndication ever, as Hancock and his friends, Wililam Woodward, R.A. Fairbairn and Marshall Field pulled together the $125,000 necessary. It was worth it! He was brought over in 1926 and in his first foal crop, he produced the 1930 Triple Crown winner, Gallant Fox. He was at the top of the leading sires list 4 times, and the lead broodmare sire 12 times, 10 times consecutively! He produced 567 foals in his lifetime. He was so successful as a sire that it inspired Hancock to go back to Europe and bring back Blenheim for syndication. And bingo, zappo, yazza! Blenheim produced the 1937 Triple Crown winner, Whirlaway, in his first crop. Yowza!

Here's the sweet thing. He was so sweet, affectionate, and goofy about flirting with his tongue. So gentle, that Hancock, Sr. once said, "Gallahad has given me more pleasure than any horse I ever was connected with." How nice is that!?


Anyway, his mama, through Teddy, is the superstar Plucky Liege. This filly produced 12 foals (5 fillies, 7 colts) and among her colts she produced 6 stakes winners, 3 of which were classic winners, and 4 who became leading sires. Violet has 3 of these great colts in her pedigree -- Sir Gallahad himself, Bull Dog, and Admiral Drake -- all hugely significant sires in the U.S. and Europe!


My cites for this blog entry are Hewitt's Sire Lines and Horse Racing's Top 100 Moments. Thanks to those sources!

Kentucky 2007: Blenheim's Grave

Here's is Blenheim's gravestone. He is among the many important stallions who lived at Claiborne Farms. He was purchased by the Aga Khan even though he only topped out at 15.3 and was straight in his front pasterns! As a 2 year-old for the Aga Khan, he raced 7: 4-3-0. And then ended his race career with a 10: 5-3-0 record.

As a sire, he was fabulous. He produced Mumtaz Begum the dam of Nasrullah. In 1936, the Aga Khan sold him for $250,000 to the American syndicate headed by A.B. Hancock, Sr. of the wonderful institution, Claiborne Farms. Among his greats, Blenheim sired Whirlaway (1941 Triple Crown Winner), and Jet Pilot (1947 Kentucky Derby winner). In the United States, Blenheim lives through his Nasrullah and Mahmoud lines. And in Europe, he lives through Crepello and Alycidon!

A lovely video of our Triple Crown Winners

We have had 11 Triple Crown winners in our American history:
Sir Barton (1919), Gallant Fox (1930), Omaha (1935), War Admiral (1937), Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946), Citation (1948), Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew(1977), and Affirmed (1978). These Youtube Videos are truly lovely, sweet, sentimental, goofy documentaries about these 11 champions!


And here are two photos of War Admiral and Count Fleet, the two triple crown winners coursing through Violet's veins!!! Aiyay!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nprhskem-is
or
http://youtube.com/watch?v=lA238PqUCco

Violet's Blenheim II

So, you know that my girl, Violet, is related to Nasrullah several different ways. So, let me tell you about Nasrullah's damsire, Blenheim. He won the Epsom Derby in 1930, and sired the 1936 Epsom Derby, Mahmoud. He was sold to the U.S. and joined a syndicate of Claiborne Farm, Calumet Farm, Greentree Farm, and Stoner Creek Farm. In his very first crop, he produced Whirlaway, a Triple Crown Winner (and, obviously, Violet's indirect relation!). Whirlaway is pictured in the photo! He died in 1958 and is buried at Claiborne Farms! You can read more about this sexy, productive stallion at the following links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blenheim_II

or

http://www.tbheritage.com/Portraits/Blenheim.html

or

http://www.barbaralivingston.com/gallery/jamessames/blenheim?full=0

Sir Gallahad and my girls!!

My girls are related to the handsome, sweet Sir Gallahad. A.B. Hancock fell in love with him and worked very hard to purchase him. Finally, his English owner stated an astronomical sum, so Hancock got three of his other friends, William Woodward, R.A. Fairbairn, and Marshall Field, to form a syndicate, probably the first stallion syndicate in America! And so the handsome stallion came to live at Claiborne Farm! It was a good idea because as the Blood Horse publication, Horse Racing's Top 100 Moments says of him, he "displayed the breed's most desirable traits: size and scope; a muscular, well-built body; intelligent eyes; a kind expression; and a quiet manner. He liked nothing better than to have his tongue pulled and to receive an affectionate pat." He was so loveable and sweet that Hancock said, "Gallahad has given me more pleasure than any horse I ever was connected with." His dad was Teddyand his mom was Plucky Liege. She was almost kidnapped by the Germans during WWII, but they passed her up because she looked downtrodden and starved...poor thing!! Anyway, in Sir Gallahad's very first foal crop, he produced the Triple Crown winning Gallant Fox. The gentlemen in the syndicate felt so lucky that they ordered another stud from England, Blenheim (also a relation of my girls), and right away in his first foal crop, he had theTriple Crown winning Whirlaway! Can you believe how lucky those guys were!!! Anyway, Sir Gallahad topped the leading sire list 4 times in his life, and was a North American broodmare sire leader 12 times, including 10 times consecutively!! You can read more about Sir Gallahad at the following links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Gallahad_III

or

http://www.tbheritage.com/Portraits/SirGallahad.html

Twilight Tear and My Girls!

My girls are closely related to a very famous racing filly, Twilight Tear. In fact, Violet is very closely related to her. Twilight Tear "Suzie" was born in 1941 and she was the daughter of Bull Lea and Lady Lark, Blue Larkspur's daughter. Suzie was Calumet Farm's first champion sired by Bull Lea and was 1 of 3 champions in his very first foal crop -- Durazna and Armed. It's important to note that Bull Lea was a leading American Sire 5 times, producing 58 stakes winners, 4 Horses of the Year, and 3 Kentucky Derby winners! His daughter Suzie was one of those Horses of the Year! Her trainer, Ben A. Jones, who had already trained Whirlaway, said of her that she was the best he had ever trained, though later he would train her daddy's Triple Crown son, Citation!. So, no faint praise for her! She beat Violet's Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner relative, Pensive. She even beat boys with a 2 length victory in the Arlington Classic! That was her 11th straight victory in her third year! She closed out that year when "she met two-time handicap champion Devil Diver in the Pimlico Special. The older colt was beaten in the first quarter, and Twilight Tear went on to win by 6 lengths, tying the track record set by Seabiscuit in his 1938 victory over War Admiral" (cited from the Unofficial thoroughbred hall of fame website). So, at the close of her third year, she claimed the Eclipse Horse of the Year award, the first filly to do that since 40 years earlier by Beldame. She also had taken the 2 year-old filly of the year, 3 year-old filly of the year, and Champion Handicap Mare! Her final track record was 24: 18-2-2, $202,165. She retired in her fourth year because of bleeding. She was inducted into the National Museum and Racing Hall of Fame in the year of my birth, 1963! And she was voted 59th out of the Top 100 race horses of the 20th century. And in a 1955 trainers' association poll, she was voted the second greatest filly in American racing history, behind the fabulous Gallorette. She is related to both my girls, but is closely, closely related to Violet. Among many, they share Ormonde, St. Simon, Bull Lea, Blue Larkspur, Durazna. You can read more about this super amazing filly at the following links:

http://www.spiletta.com/UTHOF/twilighttear.html

or

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twilight_Tear

or

http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=156

Sweep and My Girls!

Both my girls are related to Sweep, son of Ben Brush and Pink Domino. He was born in 1907 and won the 1910 Belmont Stakes. He is cross-listed with the AQHA. His final record was 13-9-2-2, and in 1909 he was Champion 2-year-old and 1910 Champion 3-year-old. He is noted as being a great broodmare sire. He had 3 daughters who produced Kentucky Derby winners. Beaming Beauty produced Hailee's Bubbling Over, Brushup produced Violet's War Admiral, and Dustwhirl produced Whirlaway. Sweep is recognized for passing the big heart gene to his daughters. His grandson, War Admiral, is one of the four largest heart lines in today's pedigrees, along with Princequillo, Blue Larkspur, and Mahmoud. Notice that Violet is related to all four of those big-heart lines! In the photos, you see Sweep and his son War Admiral winning the Preakness Stakes! Hailee also has Sweep through his son Eternal.