| Gen. Duke | |
|---|---|
| Sire | Bull Lea |
| Grandsire | Bull Dog |
| Dam | Wistful |
| Damsire | Sun Again |
| Sex | Stallion |
| Foaled | 1954 |
| Country | United States |
| Colour | Brown |
| Breeder | Calumet Farm |
| Owner | Calumet Farm |
| Trainer | Horace A. Jones[1] |
| Jockey | W. Hartack[1] |
| Major wins | |
| Florida Derby | |
| Horse (Equus ferus caballus) | |
Gen. Duke (1954–1958) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1957 Florida Derby.
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Gen. Duke was sired by Bull Lea, who was by the imported stallion Bull Dog and out of Rose Leaves by Ballot. Gen. Duke's dam was Wistful, a daughter of Sun Again by Sun Teddy.[1] Wistful earned the 1949 Filly Triple Crown by winning the Kentucky Oaks, the Pimlico Oaks, and the Coaching Club American Oaks.[2] Gen. Duke's second dam, or maternal grandmother, was Easy Lass by the imported stallion Blenheim II.[1] Easy Lass was the 1949 Broodmare of the Year.[2] Gen. Duke was foaled on April 15, 1954, and bred by Calumet Farm, in Lexington, Kentucky. He was named for General Duke, the 1868 Belmont Stakes winner as well as Basil Duke, a Confederate general in the American Civil War.[1]
Gen. Duke raced twice as a two-year-old, winning once and coming in third once. As a three-year-old, he came in second in the Bahamas Stakes at Tropical Park, won the Everglades Stakes and then came in second to Bold Ruler in the Flamingo Stakes, and then won the Florida Derby on March 30.[1] His winning time equaled the world record for one and an eighth mile, finishing the race in 1 minute and 46 4⁄5 seconds.[3] Before the Kentucky Derby, he came in second in the Derby Trial, but became lame, and did not run again the rest of the year. It was determined finally in July that he had a slight fracture in his hoof, and would need a long rest to recover.[1] His earnings in 1957 were $139,385 ($1,088,000 currently), with $133,010 ($1,038,000 currently) coming from stakes race earnings.[4]
Gen. Duke's career ended with a total of 12 starts, with 5 wins, 5 seconds, and 2 thirds and a total earnings of $142,020 ($1,148,000 currently).[5] As a four-year-old he developed wobbler syndrome, which is a neurological condition affecting balance.[2] He was never able to sire any offspring.[6] He died in 1958 and is buried at Calumet Farm.[7]