1919 Kentucky Derby Winner
| Kentucky Derby | |
| Location | Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky |
|---|---|
| Date | May 10, 1919 |
| Winning horse | Sir Barton |
| Jockey | Johnny Loftus |
| Trainer | H.G. Bedwell |
| Owner | J.K.L. Ross |
| Conditions | Heavy |
| Surface | Dirt |
1920 → | |
- Entered in the 1919 Kentucky Derby to act as a rabbit for his stablemate, Sir Barton won the race instead, leading from start to finish en route to a five-length victory. The race marked his three-year-old debut. Just four days later, Sir Barton earned a four-length victory in the Preakness, once again racing out front from start to finish.
- The three races are The Kentucky Derby, The Preakness Stakes, and The Belmont Stakes. In 1919 Sir Barton became the first racehorse to win all three races. A this point the term Triple Crown was not yet being used. 1948 Sir Barton was officially recognized as the first U.S. Triple Crown winner.
The 1919 Kentucky Derby was the 45th running of the Kentucky Derby. The race took place on May 10, 1919.[1][2] Horses Corson and Clermont scratched before the race.[3] Winner Sir Barton went on to win in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes, becoming the first winner of the American Triple Crown.[4]
At 1 1/4 miles, the Kentucky Derby is the intermediate length race of the Triple Crown. The Preakness follows two weeks later and is the shortest race at 1 and 3/16 miles while the Belmont Stakes. Sir Barton was the first Triple Crown winner in 1919. Even though he was the grandson of 1893 English Triple Crown winner Isinglass, Sir Barton was a most unlikely thoroughbred to become the.
Pre-race coverage[edit]
A New York Times writer believed that the Preakness Stakes was competing for attention with the Derby, as it was held four days following the Derby and offered a purse of $30,000, larger than the Derby's $20,000.[5] The author felt that the three-year old racing horses during the 1919 season were a 'good crop' and that the course record of 2:032⁄5 set by Old Rosebud in 1914 could be broken.[5] Sennings Park, a horse who stayed through the winter at Churchill Downs, ran a mile at the track in 1:43 3/5, the best time of the season in late April.[6]
Result[edit]
| Finish | Post Position | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Final Odds[N 1] | Stake[N 2] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Sir Barton | Johnny Loftus | H. Guy Bedwell | J. K. L. Ross | $20,825 | |
| 2 | 13 | Billy Kelly | Earl Sande | H. Guy Bedwell | J. K. L. Ross | $2,500 | |
| 3 | 8 | Under Fire | Mack Garner | Patrick Dunne | Patrick Dunne | $1,000 | |
| 4 | 7 | Vulcanite | Cecil Howard | John Hogan | William F. Polson | $275 | |
| 5 | 9 | Sennings Park | Harry Lunsford | Oswald A. Bianchi | Oswald A. Bianchi | – | |
| 6 | 2 | Be Frank | James Butwell | Walter B. Jennings | Cornelius M. Garrison | – | |
| 7 | 11 | Sailor | J. McIntyre | Kimball Patterson | James W. McClelland | – | |
| 8 | 5 | St. Bernard | Earl Pool | B. J. Brannon | B. J. Brannon | – | |
| 9 | 10 | Regalo | Frank Murphy | John C. Gallaher | Gallaher Bros. | – | |
| 10 | 6 | Eternal | Andy Schuttinger | Kimball Patterson | James W. McClelland | – | |
| 11 | 14 | Frogtown | John Morys | Henry E. McDaniel | Willis Sharpe Kilmer | – | |
| 12 | 3 | Vindex | Willie Knapp | James G. Rowe, Sr. | Harry Payne Whitney | – |
- Winning Breeder: John E. Madden & Vivian A. Gooch; (KY)
| Post Position | Horse | Win | Place | Show |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sir Barton | $7.20 | $6.70 | $6.00 |
| 13 | Billy Kelly | – | $6.70 | $6.00 |
| 8 | Under Fire | – | – | $10.80 |
Aftermath[edit]
For the first time in race history two horses from the same owner finished in first and second place.[10] In addition, Ross became the first Canadian owner to have a horse win the Kentucky Derby.[10]
References[edit]
Endnotes[edit]
- ^The odds are all to $1; for example, Sir Barton's odds of winning were $ on a $1.00 wager.
- ^The total purse for the race was $24,600.[8][7]
Citations[edit]
- ^'Record May Fall In Kentucky Derby'. Chicago Daily Tribune. May 4, 1919. p. 18. ProQuest174480956 – via ProQuest.
- ^Kentucky Derby History, 1919
- ^1919 Kentucky Derby Results TablesArchived 2012-03-06 at the Wayback Machine
- ^Stephanie Diaz (June 27, 1994). 'A Nearly Forgotten First'. Sports Illustrated. Time Inc. Archived from the original on May 29, 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
- ^ ab'Record May Fall In Kentucky Derby'. The New York Times. May 4, 1919. p. 6. ProQuest100535167 – via ProQuest.
- ^'Kentucky Derby To Be Run On May 10'. The Tuscaloosa News and Times–Gazette. May 1, 1919. p. 5. Retrieved October 27, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ abO'Connor 1921, p. 137.
- ^'Sir Barton Crosses Wire First in Rich Kentucky Derby'. Nashville Tennessean and the Nashville American. May 11, 1919. p. 18. ProQuest905601822 – via ProQuest.
- ^'Kentucky Derby is Won By Sir Barton'. The New York Times. May 11, 1919. p. 21. ProQuest100522630 – via ProQuest.
- ^ abO'Connor 1921, p. 134.
Bibliography[edit]
- O'Connor, John L. (1921). 'Forty-Fifth Derby 1919'. History of the Kentucky Derby, 1875-1921. New York: Rider Press. pp. 134–137.
Sir Barton was the first horse to win the American Triple Crown; he accomplished this feat in 1919, while he was three. He was sired by leading stud Star Shoot. His grandsire was the 1893 English Triple Crown champion Isinglass. Sir Barton was a thoroughbred chestnut colt. He was bred in Kentucky by John E. Madden and Vivian A. Gooch at Hamburg Place Farm, Madden raced him in his two year old season. But he lost all six races he was entered in.
Then in 1918 Madden sold him to Canadian Naval Commander John Kenneth Levinson Ross for $10,000. Ross handed him over to trainer Harvey Guy Bedwell and jockey Johnny Loftus. Bedwell says Sir Barton was a nightmare to train because he would only extend himself against other horses. So, every morning he would bring a relay of horses to train Sir Barton. He was also had an unpleasant disposition, disliking people, horses, and other animals.
At three he made his season debut in 1919 as a maiden in the Kentucky Derby. He was supposed to act as a rabbit for favored stable mate Billy Kelly. A rabbit is a speed horse that sets the pace in the beginning to tire out the opponents so another horse can come from behind and win. But Billy Kelly could not catch up as Sir Barton led the field of 12 horses from start to finish, and won by five lengths. Only four days later he won the Preakness Stakes and again led all the way. Shortly after he easily won the Belmont Stakes and set the American record for the fastest mile and 3/8ths race, which he did in 2:17 2/5. That win set him as the first horse to win the American Triple Crown.
In 1920 during his four year old season he only won five out of the twelve races he was entered in. But he set the world record for the 1 3/16 miles on dirt, winning the August 18, 1920 edition of the Merchants and Citizens Handicap. But one race many people remember is the October 12th race at Kenilworth Park in Windsor, Ontario. He lost by seven lengths because he was bothered by sore hooves on Kenilworths hard track. After that year he retired to stud.
Then in 1922 Ross sold Sir Barton to B. B. Jones who stood him at his Audley Farm in Berryville, Virginia until 1933. On October 30, 1937 he died of colic and was buried on a ranch in the foothills of the Laramie Mountains with a simple sandstone headstone. But later his remains were moved to Washington Park in Douglas, Wyoming where a memorial was erected in his honor.
1929 Kentucky Derby Winner
Sir Barton was named 1919 Horse of the Year among many other honors. He was also inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1957. The Blood-Horse magazine ranked him number 49 in their top 100 USA thoroughbred champions of the 20 th century. In December 2006 a sculpture of Sir Barton was unveiled in front of Audley Farms Stallion Barn. And in Lexington, Kentucky he has a street named in his honor.