Belair Stud (eBook)

Founded in 1747 by Maryland governor Samuel Ogle, Belair Stud Farm created a long line of champions whose bloodlines live on in the great Thoroughbreds of today. Author Kimberly Gatto recounts the lives and races of some of Belair's most celebrated horses, including the only father-son Triple Crown winners, Gallant Fox and Omaha, and the legendary champion Nashua. The story goes beyond the stakes to tell the history of a Maryland racing institution and the people who made it a landmark in the sport—from the winning partnership between owner William Woodward and trainer 'Sunny' Jim Fitzsimmons to the glamour and promise of young Billy Woodward, whose tragic death marked the end of a racing dynasty. Join Gatto as she recalls readers to the glory of Belair Stud, whose tradition of champions defined both an era and a sport.

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From their opening in 1740 through the 1955 closing, Belair Stud Farm became known as one of the most important stables in American racing. Although the high-profile murder of the farms final owner, Billy Woodward, eventually forced the farm to close, it did produce an extraordinary number of winning horses throughout its expansive history. The farm claims three Kentucky Derbies, three Preakness Stakes, and six Belmont Stakes, winning titles in several prestigious English races. It remains one of two stables to have produced more than one Triple Crown winner, and it is also the only stable to have produced father-son Triple Crown winners. Its list of legendary thoroughbreds includes Gallant Fox, Omaha, Johnstown, Granville, and Nashua. However in addition to the history of champion thoroughbreds, there is a second history devoted to the many interesting people whose own stories are part of the Belair Stud farm, including Samuel and Benjamin Ogle, "e;Sunny"e; Jim Fitzsimmons, former slave Andrew Jackson, and even George Washington.