Sword Dancer
Sword Dancer | |
---|---|
Sire | Sunglow |
Grandsire | Sun Again |
Dam | Highland Fling |
Damsire | By Jimminy |
Sex | Stallion |
Foaled | 1956 |
Country | United States |
Colour | Chestnut |
Breeder | Brookmeade Stable |
Owner | Brookmeade Stable |
Trainer | J. Elliott Burch |
Record | 39: 15-7-4 |
Earnings | $829,610 |
Major wins | |
Mayflower Stakes (1958) Stepping Stone Purse (1959) Jockey Club Gold Cup (1959) Metropolitan Handicap (1959) Monmouth Handicap (1959) Travers Stakes (1959) Woodward Stakes (1959, 1960) Suburban Handicap (1960) Grey Lag Handicap (1960) American Classic Race wins: Kentucky Derby 2nd (1959) Preakness Stakes 2nd (1959) Belmont Stakes (1959) | |
Awards | |
U.S. Champion 3-Yr-Old Colt (1959) DRF U.S. Champion Male Handicap Horse (1959) United States Horse of the Year (1959) | |
Honours | |
United States Racing Hall of Fame (1977) #53 - Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century Sword Dancer Stakes at Saratoga Race Course | |
Last updated on June 23, 2010 |
Sword Dancer (April 24, 1956 – November 16, 1984) was an American Hall of Fame Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. He was the leading American colt of his generation and was voted United States Horse of the Year in 1959.
Background
Sword Dancer was a small chestnut horse bred and owned by Isabel Dodge Sloane's Brookmeade Stable. He was trained by J. Elliott Burch.
Racing career
Sword Dancer won three times in fourteen starts at age two. At age three, he began to develop and in the 1959 Kentucky Derby was beaten by a nose by Tomy Lee in a stretch duel. When Tomy Lee did not compete in the Preakness Stakes, his jockey Bill Shoemaker rode Sword Dancer to a second-place finish behind Royal Orbit. In the Belmont Stakes on June 13, Sword Dancer got the better of what was described as a "bitter stretch duel"[1] with Bagdad to win by three-quarters of a length on a muddy track. The colt also won a number of other major races, including a defeat of Hillsdale in the Woodward Stakes. He also defeated 1958 Horse Of The Year Round Table for a second time (he was third in the Woodward), beating him by seven lengths in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Aqueduct Racetrack.[2] His performance throughout 1959 earned him Horse of the Year honors from all three of the major awarding bodies.[3]
After a slow start at age four, Sword Dancer came on to win four important races out of his twelve starts. In one of his most notable performances, he won a second Woodward Stakes in track record time of 2:01.2 in September, beating a field that included Bald Eagle and T. V. Lark.[4]
Stud record
An ankle injury in the Man O' War Stakes ended his racing career and he was retired to stand at stud at Darby Dan Farm. Sword Dancer notably sired the Hall of Fame colt Damascus, and the filly Lady Pitt, the 1966 American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly. He was later sent to a breeding farm in France, and continued stud duties through 1976. Almost exactly 25 years from his Jockey Gold Cup win, which ended his Eclipse Award Year, he died in his sleep peacefully of natural causes at 28 years old.
Honors
In 1977, Sword Dancer was inducted into the United States' National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. His portrait by equine artist Richard Stone Reeves can be seen in the museum's collection.
Pedigree
Sire Sunglow (USA) b. 1947 | Sun Again (USA) b. 1939 | Sun Teddy | Teddy |
---|---|---|---|
Sunmelia | |||
Hug Again | Stimulus | ||
Affection | |||
Rosern (USA) b. 1927 | Mad Hatter | Fair Play | |
Madcap | |||
Rosedrop | St Frusquin | ||
Rosaline | |||
Dam Highland Fling (USA) b. 1950 | By Jimminy (USA) b. 1941 | Pharamond | Phalaris |
Selene | |||
Buginarug | Blue Larkspur | ||
Breakfast Bell | |||
Swing Time (USA) b. 1935 | Royal Minstrel | Tetratema | |
Harpsichord | |||
Speed Boat | Man o' War | ||
Friars Carse |
References
- ^ Sword Dancer Google Newspapers Archive [dead link]
- ^ Sword Dancer. Gold Cup Google Newspapers Archive [dead link]
- ^ "Sword Dancer Picked as Horse of the Year". Montreal Gazette. 1959-12-20. Retrieved 2012-02-27.
- ^ "Daytona Beach Morning Journal - Google News Archive Search".
- ^ "Sword Dancer". Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- Sword Dancer's pedigree and racing stats
- Sword Dancer at the United States' National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
- v
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- 1867 Ruthless ♥
- 1868 General Duke
- 1869 Fenian
- 1870 Kingfisher
- 1871 Harry Bassett
- 1872 Joe Daniels
- 1873 Springbok
- 1874 Saxon
- 1875 Calvin
- 1876 Algerine
- 1877 Cloverbrook
- 1878 Duke Of Magenta
- 1879 Spendthrift
- 1880 Grenada
- 1881 Saunterer
- 1882 Forester
- 1883 George Kinney
- 1884 Panique
- 1885 Tyrant
- 1886 Inspector B
- 1887 Hanover
- 1888 Sir Dixon
- 1889 Eric
- 1890 Burlington
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- 1892 Patron
- 1893 Commanche
- 1894 Henry of Navarre
- 1895 Belmar
- 1896 Hastings
- 1897 Scottish Chieftain
- 1898 Bowling Brook
- 1899 Jean Bereaud
- 1900 Ildrim
- 1901 Commando
- 1902 Masterman
- 1903 Africander
- 1904 Delhi
- 1905 Tanya ♥
- 1906 Burgomaster
- 1907 Peter Pan
- 1908 Colin
- 1909 Joe Madden
- 1910 Sweep
- 1913 Prince Eugene
- 1914 Luke McLuke
- 1915 The Finn
- 1916 Friar Rock
- 1917 Hourless
- 1918 Johren
- 1919 Sir Barton ₩
- 1920 Man o' War
- 1921 Grey Lag
- 1922 Pillory
- 1923 Zev
- 1924 Mad Play
- 1925 American Flag
- 1926 Crusader
- 1927 Chance Shot
- 1928 Vito
- 1929 Blue Larkspur
- 1930 Gallant Fox ₩
- 1931 Twenty Grand
- 1932 Faireno
- 1933 Hurryoff
- 1934 Peace Chance
- 1935 Omaha ₩
- 1936 Granville
- 1937 War Admiral ₩
- 1938 Pasteurized
- 1939 Johnstown
- 1940 Bimelech
- 1941 Whirlaway ₩
- 1942 Shut Out
- 1943 Count Fleet ₩
- 1944 Bounding Home
- 1945 Pavot
- 1946 Assault ₩
- 1947 Phalanx
- 1948 Citation ₩
- 1949 Capot
- 1950 Middleground
- 1951 Counterpoint
- 1952 One Count
- 1953 Native Dancer
- 1954 High Gun
- 1955 Nashua
- 1956 Needles
- 1957 Gallant Man
- 1958 Cavan
- 1959 Sword Dancer
- 1960 Celtic Ash
- 1961 Sherluck
- 1962 Jaipur
- 1963 Chateaugay
- 1964 Quadrangle
- 1965 Hail To All
- 1966 Amberoid
- 1967 Damascus
- 1968 Stage Door Johnny
- 1969 Arts and Letters
- 1970 High Echelon
- 1971 Pass Catcher
- 1972 Riva Ridge
- 1973 Secretariat ₩
- 1974 Little Current
- 1975 Avatar
- 1976 Bold Forbes
- 1977 Seattle Slew ₩
- 1978 Affirmed ₩
- 1979 Coastal
- 1980 Temperence Hill
- 1981 Summing
- 1982 Conquistador Cielo
- 1983 Caveat
- 1984 Swale
- 1985 Creme Fraiche
- 1986 Danzig Connection
- 1987 Bet Twice
- 1988 Risen Star
- 1989 Easy Goer
- 1990 Go and Go
- 1991 Hansel
- 1992 A.P. Indy
- 1993 Colonial Affair
- 1994 Tabasco Cat
- 1995 Thunder Gulch
- 1996 Editor's Note
- 1997 Touch Gold
- 1998 Victory Gallop
- 1999 Lemon Drop Kid
- 2000 Commendable
- 2001 Point Given
- 2002 Sarava
- 2003 Empire Maker
- 2004 Birdstone
- 2005 Afleet Alex
- 2006 Jazil
- 2007 Rags to Riches ♥
- 2008 Da' Tara
- 2009 Summer Bird
- 2010 Drosselmeyer
- 2011 Ruler on Ice
- 2012 Union Rags
- 2013 Palace Malice
- 2014 Tonalist
- 2015 American Pharoah ₩
- 2016 Creator
- 2017 Tapwrit
- 2018 Justify ₩
- 2019 Sir Winston
- 2020 Tiz the Law
- 2021 Essential Quality
- 2022 Mo Donegal
- 2023 Arcangelo
Legend – ₩ = Triple Crown Winners, ♥ = Filly