When we think of breeding great thoroughbreds, often sires will come to mind. What stallion gave us this particular horse? History’s greatest horses give us a litany of names that we cite to this day, names like Eclipse and Lexington, Northern Dancer and Galileo. Those names are only half of the equation: one cannot have a foal without a sire and a dam, two halves brought together to make a whole. When you look at your favorite horse’s pedigree, you need to look at that bottom half too.
Continue reading “A History of Belair: Selima”Month: January 2020
Welcome to the Foxes of Belair!
In 1930, Gallant Fox duplicated Sir Barton’s 1919 victories in the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. In doing so, he became America’s second Triple Crown winner. In 1935, his son Omaha followed in his hoofprints, becoming our third Triple Crown winner and the only father-son duo to win one of American horse racing’s most treasured prizes. Behind them were the team of breeder/owner William Woodward and James “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons.
No one book has ever told the story of Gallant Fox and Omaha. No one book has ever discussed the influence of William Woodward on the sport of horse racing in America. Sure, you can read a number of books on the Triple Crown and each will have a chapter devoted to the Fox and to his best son, but they only give you a sliver of the story. That is about to change.
To follow up my first book, Sir Barton and the Making of the Triple Crown, I will be bringing you the full story of how William Woodward helped to change the landscape of American racing. The 1930s were a time of great change in America; the Great Depression spurred the expansion of horse racing across the country as governments sought outlets to generate money. In addition, technologies like radio and later television, the starting gate, and more mark this era as the beginning of modern horse racing as we know it. The goal of Foxes of Belair: Gallant Fox, Omaha, and the Quest for the Triple Crown is to capture the exploits of these two Hall of Fame horses, their breeder/owner, and the forces that brought the Triple Crown to the forefront of American horse racing.
This blog will accompany the research and writing of this amazing story. I hope you will join me on this journey into the 1930s, a fascinating time for the sport of kings.