Week of August 30th Through September 5th

August 31st, 1955 - Thoroughbred racehorse Swaps faced Nashua in a match race. The race was held at Washington Park. The race was held before a crowd of 35,262 racing fans. Swaps, suffering from a sore foot, lost to Nashua by six and a half lengths. Nashua would go on to be nominated as the 1955 Horse of the…

Week of August 23rd Through August 29th

August 22nd, 1974 - Famous Thoroughbred racehorse Ruffian won the Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga Racecourse. It is said that when a reporter asked Ruffian's groom, Minnor Massey, by what margin she would win the Spinaway Stakes, Massey replied…

Week of August 16th Through August 22nd

August 16th - The Palio horse race is held annually on August 16th and July 2nd in Siena, Italy. Before the race the horses are blessed and there is a parade through the

center. The horses line up behind a rope and the race begins, with the horses

circling through the city three times. The whole race lasts for about a minute

and a half, and…

This Week in Horse History - August 9th Through August 15th

August 11th, 1962 - Rebecca Tyler Lockhart, founder of the American Paint Stock Horse Association, recorded the pedigree of the first American Paint Horse. Rebecca acted as secretary for the association, published a newsletter and was responsible for the correspondence of the Association. The first horse registered was the tobiano…

This Week in Horse History - August 2nd Through August 8th

August 3rd, 1863 - Saratoga Racecourse opened in Saratoga Springs, New York. The opening meet was organized by John Morrisey, John Hunter, William Travers, and Leonard Jerome. Because it was so successful, it was repeated the following year, and was moved across a street so that the track could be…

This Week in Horse History - July 26th Through August 1st

July 26th, 1968 – The palomino Quarter Horse gelding, Kaweah Bar, won his first stakes race today. Kaweah Bar won the Leo Handicap, held at Los Alamitos. He earned the title of the "Palomino Express" and would become Quarter Horse racing’s world champion at the young age of two years old. During his…

This Week in Horse History - July 19th Through July 25th

July 20th, 1946 - Misty of Chincoteague, the mare after which Marguerite Henry wrote her famous book, was born. Misty was born on Assateague Island and was a palomino pinto with a marking in the shape of the United States on her side. Marguerite Henry traveled to Chincoteague in search of inspiration for a children’s book and…

This Week in Horse History - July 12th Through July 18th

July 14th, 1959 - Thoroughbred trainer Rodney Rash was born in Frederick, Maryland. Rash worked under Charlie Wittingham until 1991, when he applied for a training license. He trained horses such as Blues Traveler and Celtic Arms, and he won the Santa Anita Handicap with Urgent Request. During his career, Rash…

This Week in Horse History - July 5th Through July 11th

July 6th, 1975 - The filly Ruffian ran in the famous match race against Kentucky Derby winner Foolish Pleasure. Held at Belmont Park, the match race was a battle of the sexes of the racing world. Ruffian led for most of the race and was pulling away when she shattered her front right leg. Although…

Horse History - June 29th Through July 4th

June 30th, 1917 - The Thoroughbred racehorse Exterminator ran in his first race. The race was six furlongs, held at the Old Latonia Racecourse located in Covington, Kentucky, and Exterminator won it by three lengths. Exterminator was a gelding and during his career he would race 100 times, winning 50 of them. Perhaps most impressive of all is the fact that Exterminator would…

This Week in Horse History - June 21st Through June 28th

June 21, 1998 - Tulip, the Morab gelding who holds the title of endurance riding's most enduring equine, was born. Tulip is the first horse recorded by the American Endurance Ride Conference to ever travel more than 20,000 miles in endurance competition. He is owned by Dr. Les Carr of…

This Week in Horse History - June 14th Through June 20th

June 16th, 2009 - Thoroughbred racehorse Strike The Tiger became the first American-trained and bred horse to ever win the Windsor Castle Stakes held at Royal Ascot. The horse won the five-furlong race with jockey John Velazquez aboard. Wesley Ward, Strike The Tiger's trainer, hoped that the win would prove that it is possible to train a horse in…

This Week in Horse History - June 7th Through June 13th

June 9th, 1973 – Thoroughbred racehorse Secretariat became the Triple Crown winner in twenty five years when he won the Belmont Stakes. He only faced four horses for the race - Sham, Twice a Prince, Private Smiles, and My Gallant. Secretariat crossed the wire thirty one lengths ahead of the next horse and…

This Week in Horse History - May 31st Through June 6th

June 1st, 1946 - The Thoroughbred racehorse Assault won the Belmont Stakes, completing his sweep of the Triple Crown and making him the seventh horse in history to do so. Assault had been born on a Texas ranch known for its Quarter Horses, where he pierced his right front hoof with a…

This Week in Horse History - May 24th Through May 30th

May 27, 1823 - A match race was held pitting the racehorse American Eclipse against any horse owned by Colonel William R. Johnson. American Eclipse, being from North America, would race against a Southern horse in the match race of four heats. It was attended by more than 60,000 people and offered a purse of $20,000 to the winner.…

This Week in Horse History - May 17th Through May 23rd

May 17, 1875 - The Kentucky Derby was first run. The Derby is held on the first Saturday each May, and is the first race of the Triple Crown. The Derby is run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The winner is traditionally awarded with a blanket of red roses.

Information courtesy of…

This Week in Horse History - May 10th Through May 16th

May 12, 1909 - The Preakness Stakes was held at Pimlico Racecourse in Maryland after being run in New York sixteen times. The Preakness Stakes is the second leg of the Triple Crown, a prestigious series of three races for three-year old Thoroughbreds. In celebration of the return of the Preakness Stakes to Pimlico…

This Week in Horse History - May 3rd Through May 9th

May 3, 1952 - The Kentucky Derby first received nation-wide television coverage. The Derby is held annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The first Kentucky Derby was held on May 17, 1875. The field for that race consisted of fifteen horses, though today the field has been increased…

This Week in Horse History - April 26th Through May 2nd

April 29, 2003 – Barbaro, the famous Thoroughbred racehorse, was born at Springmint Farm in Nicholasville, Kentucky. His sire was Dynaformer and his dam was La Ville Rouge. He was owned by Roy and Gretchen Jackson. Barbaro was foaled and raised by Bill Sanborn. In 2006 Barbaro would go on to win the Kentucky Derby before breaking his leg in…