Saxon (horse)

Saxon
Sire Beadsman
Grandsire Weatherbit[1]
Dam imported Girasol
Damsire Asteroid
Sex Stallion
Foaled 1871
Country England
United States
Colour Brown
Breeder Joseph Hawley
Owner Pierre Lorillard
Trainer W. Prior
Jockey G. Barbee
Record 8 starts, 2 wins
Earnings $5,150 (about $109,000 today)
Major wins
1874 Belmont Stakes

Saxon (1871–1895) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 1874 Belmont Stakes, the eighth running of that stakes race.

Background

Saxon was a brown stallion sired by Beadsman, and was bred in England,[2] by Joseph Hawley.[1][3][notes 1] He was imported into the United States by Pierre Lorillard,[3] along with his dam.[4] Saxon's dam was the imported mare Girasol, who was sired by Asteroid and out of the mare Gillyflower. Gillyflower was sired by Venison.[5]

Racing career

As a two-year-old, Saxon won the 1873 August Stakes.[5]

Saxon won the 1874 Belmont while owned by Pierre Lorillard. This was the eighth running of the stakes race.[6] The race was run on June 13, 1871 at a distance of  1 1⁄2 miles (i.e. 12 furlongs (2,400 meters)) on a fast track. He finished first by a neck over Grinstead, and third place went to Aaron Pennington. All the horses in the race carried 110 pounds (50 kg), and the value to the winner was $4,200 (about $89,000 today),[7][2] with the winning time being 2 minutes and  39 1⁄2 seconds.[2] The winning jockey was G. Barbee, and the winning trainer was W. Prior.[6]

In his racing career, Saxon won 2 times out of 8 starts, with total earnings of $5,150 (about $109,000 today).[7][1]

Stud record

As a breeding stallion, he sired three stakes winners: Gerald out of Girl of the Period by Virgil, Hiawasse out of Vandalite by Vandal, and Zamora out of Zoo Zoo by imported Australian.[8] Gerald, an 1879 brown stallion, won the 1881 Foam Stakes.[5] Hiawasse, an 1879 brown mare, won the 1882 Ladies Handicap, 1881 Monmouth Oakes, and the 1881 Mermaid Stakes.[9] Hiawasse was undefeated as a three-year-old racehorse.[10] Zamora, an 1881 gray mare, won the 1884 Tennessee Oaks.[11]

Saxon was used as a breeding stallion by his owner, Pierre Lorillard. Once, Lorillard's brother George, teased Pierre that Saxon's offspring were not as good as expected. Pierre then challenged George to a match race between one of Saxon's offspring against any racehorse that George owned. The result was that Hiawasse won the match race by four horselengths.[10]

Saxon died in February 1895 at the Cliff Lawn Stud, the farm of W.B. Cheatham, in Nashville.[12]

Notes

  1. ↑ The racing chart for the 1874 Belmont Stakes gives his breeder as Thomas Hawley, but this is contradicted by the American Stud Book and other sources writing after the race.[1][3]

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 Hewitt Great Breeders pp. 232-233
  2. 1 2 3 New York Racing Association "1874 Belmont" The Belmont Stakes
  3. 1 2 3 Bruce American Stud Book 1 p. 90
  4. ↑ Bruce American Stud Book 4 p. 28
  5. 1 2 3 Hogan Index to Stakes Winners p. 236
  6. 1 2 New York Racing Association "Belmont Stakes" The Belmont Stakes
  7. 1 2 Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Community Development Project. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  8. ↑ Hogan Index to Stakes Winners p. 663
  9. ↑ Hogan Index to Stakes Winners p. 504
  10. 1 2 Robertson History of Thoroughbred Racing in America p. 128
  11. ↑ Hogan Index to Stakes WInners p. 524
  12. ↑ Staff "Post and paddock" Spirit of the Times

References

  • Bruce, S. D. (1884). American Stud Book. 1 (Revised ed.). New York: Turf, Field, and Farm. OCLC 228769751. 
  • Bruce, S. D. (1884). American Stud Book. 4. New York: Turf, Field, and Farm. OCLC 246797991. 
  • Hewitt, Abram S. (1982). The Great Breeders and Their Methods. Lexington, KY: Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. OCLC 12739523. 
  • Hogan, Clio D. (n.d.). Index to Stakes Winners 1865–1967. Solvang, CA: Flag Is Up Farms. OCLC 29213840. 
  • New York Racing Association (2010). "1874 Belmont Stakes" (pdf). The Belmont Stakes. New York Racing Association. Retrieved May 25, 2011. 
  • New York Racing Association (2010). "Belmont Stakes". The Belmont Stakes. New York Racing Association. Retrieved May 25, 2011. 
  • Robertson, William H. P. (1964). The History of Thoroughbred Racing in America. New York: Bonanza Books. LCCN 64-17364. 
  • Staff (February 16, 1895). "Post and paddock" (PDF). The Spirit of the Times. Retrieved July 30, 2011. 

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