Kentucky 2007: Swale and Round Table's graves

The Claiborne Family Cemetary is truly amazing and a wonderful place to visit. Here are two graves right across from Secretariat's in which Swale and Round Table rest. Round Table was born on April 6, 1954, the exact same day as Bold Ruler. Both horses were truly amazing, both on the track and then in the shed -- so it is truly a miraculous event that they were born on the same farm on the same day!

Anyway, Round Table's record was 66: 43-8-5 and $1,749,869. He earned Horse of the Year, a Handicap Champion award, was grass champion for 3 consecutive years, and an all-time leading money winner when he retired. He was consistent, sound, game, travelled a lot, and very productive for his family. When he was a colt, the Hancock's sold a majority interest in him and managed to save their farm after the death of A.B. Hancock, Sr. What a good boy Round Table was! Anyway, he sired 401 foals and had a 21% stakes winner percentage, just shy of Bold Ruler's 23% rating! He was so famous and so loved that even 5 years after being pensioned from breeding, at a ripe old age, the Queen of England changed her travel plans in 1984 in order to visit him. She wanted to see her relative, since her father had sold Knight's Daughter who was Round Table's dam! He passed away in 1987 at the very nicely old age of 33!

Now, Swale is a sad story. He is Seattle Slew's son and in his short life from 1981-1984, he earned the Champion 3 year-old award, and won both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, among others. His final abbreviated record was 14: 9-2-2. He won the Belmont on June 9th, 1984 and passed away of a heart attack on June 17th, 1984 while having a bath! He rests with the greatest!

Kentucky 2007: Claiborne's Pulpit!

Here is a photo of Pulpit, a 1994 stallion standing at stud at Claiborne Farms and right in this photo showing off in Secretariat's old pasture!! Can you believe it? He was so fun to watch. He was standing way far up on a hill under a tree, but when we ladies stepped out of the stallion barn, he cantered playfully down to his water trough and splashed around like the stallion he is! He walked along the fence line to greet us. What was funny is that he seemed so friendly, but when a lady in our group was charmed by him and stepped forward to pet him, he stepped forward so aggressively that everyone could just *tell* that he was waiting to get his licks in! Such a stud! Such a nasty old sexy stud!!!

Anyway, to look at this pot-bellied sex kitten, you would never know that he is truly a living tapestry of good breeding. His relatives are truly the stars in the firmament of the equine world. Here are some of his A-List relatives: his own dad, A.P. Indy by Seattle Slew. He also has Secretariat, Blenheim, Buckpasser, Hail to Reason, Mr. Prospector, Honest Pleasure, Nijinsky, Knight's Daughter (bred by His Royal Majesty and the mom of Round Table, yet another horse in Pulpit's background). And he even has a dash of Busher, lucky ole sexy bastard! So, of course, my own girls are related to this specially bred Claiborne Farms fella. Some of their shared relatives include Princequillo, Count Fleet, Nasrullah, War Admiral, Baby League, Equipoise, Blue Larkspur, and Discovery. His total record was 6: 4-1-0 and $712,200. But his career ended early.

Queen Elizabeth II Visits Kentucky (Again!)

Her Royal Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, is too cool! When she came to the states this spring, she stayed in the Lexington area to visit friends and to watch the Kentucky Derby. She had a private box overlooking the finish line, so she could watch Street Sense win. Then, because she's so hip, she invited the winning jockey, Calvin Borel, to a white tie state dinner at the White House on the Monday following the Derby. How cool is that? Mr. Bush thinks of that white tie dinner as the most important of his presidency! But that's not all. HRH Queen Elizabeth visited family back in 1984. Her father, King George VI, bred Knight's Daughter, but sold her to Claiborne Farms. She had been a speedy sprinter, but he sold her. She was bred to Violet's relative, Princequillo, and the result was Round Table. Round Table raced 66: 43 - 8 -5 and earned $1,749,869. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972, was voted #17 on the Blood Horse Top 100 of the 20th century list, was voted U.S. Horse of the Year in 1958, and Leading Sire in North America in 1972. He was U.S. Champion Turf Horse in 1957, 1958, and 1959. And he was U.S. Champion Male Handicap Horse in 1958 and 1959. He was a leading broodmare sire for a loooong time. He was amazing because he got the best traits from both his mom, the sprinter, and his dad, the distance runner. Speaking of magic, he was born on the same farm and the same day as Bold Ruler, another very important race horse and stud! Some of Round Table's important matings were with Moccasin, a very important racing filly! Anyway, back to the Queen. When she visited the States in 1984, she asked to be taken especially to visit and pay her respects to the elder statesman, Round Table. She asked to visit her family! She must have been wanting to see Knight's Daughter's baby! He died at the age of 33, a few years later in 1987 and is buried at Claiborne Farm. Anyway, you know I think the Queen is cool! When she comes to the states, she goes to visit her friends in Lexington, including her horsey friends. What a lady!

You can read more about Round Table at the following links:
http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=127
or
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Round_Table_(horse)
or
http://www.spiletta.com/UTHOF/roundtable.html
or
http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/editorial/article.cgi?id=3729