Successor (March 27, 1964 – August 1, 1971) was an American Champion

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

Background

He was bred and raced by Gladys Phipps and her brother Ogden L. Mills under their Wheatley Stable banner. A full brother to

Bold Lad Bold Lad (1962–1986) was an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. Background Bold Lad bred and raced by Gladys Phipps and her brother Ogden L. Mills under their Wheatley Stable banner. His sire was eight-time leading sire in North Amer ...

, his sire was eight-time

Leading sire in North America The list below shows the leading Father, sire of Thoroughbred Horse racing, racehorses in North America for each year since 1830. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the year. It is restricted to Stallio ...

Bold Ruler Bold Ruler (April 6, 1954 – July 12, 1971) was an American Thoroughbred National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame racehorse who was the 1957 American Horse of the Year, Horse of the Year. This following a three-year-old campaign t ...

and his dam was the Champion racing mare,

Misty Morn {{Infobox racehorse , horsename = Misty Morn , image = , caption = , sire = Princequillo , grandsire = Prince Rose , dam = Grey Flight , damsire = Mahmoud , sex = Filly , foaled = 1952 , country = United States , colour = Bay , bre ...

Racing career

Successor was the

American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt The American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually in Thoroughbred flat racing. It became part of the Eclipse Awards program in 1971. The award originated in 1936 when the ''Daily Racing F ...

of 1966. Among his wins, Successor defeated the previously unbeaten Dr. Fager by a length to earn a victory in the Champagne Stakes, recording the second fastest time in the race's history. On his final start of the year he won the Garden State Stakes on a sloppy track in November to confirm his position as the year's leading two-year-old. Successor did not race again until March 13, 1967 when he ran out of the money in the Swift Stakes at

Aqueduct Racetrack Aqueduct Racetrack is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and casino in the South Ozone Park, Queens, South Ozone Park and Jamaica, Queens, Jamaica neighborhoods of Queens, New York City, United States. Aqueduct is the only racetrack within ...

. Unplaced in the

Blue Grass Stakes The Blue Grass Stakes, currently the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes due to sponsorship by the Toyota Motor Corporation, is a horse race for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds held annually in April at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Kentucky. The race is ru ...

, Successor finished sixth to winner Proud Clarion in the

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby () is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of . Colt (horse), Colts and geldin ...

. The colt went on to earn two seconds and two third-place finishes in major races that year and scored a popular win on October 18 in the 1 5/8 mile

Lawrence Realization Stakes The Lawrence Realization Stakes was an American horse race first run on the turf in 1889. The race, for three-year-old Thoroughbred colts, geldings and fillies, was last run in 2005. History Inaugurated at the Sheepshead Bay Race Track at Grave ...

Stud record

On February 17, 1968 Successor was sold for $1,050,000 to Hastings Harcourt's Flag Is Up Farms in

Solvang, California Solvang (; Danish for "sunny field") is a city in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Located in the Santa Ynez Valley, Solvang was founded in 1911 and incorporated as a city on May 1, 1985. The population was 6,126 at the 2020 ...

. Retired to

stud Stud may refer to: Animals * Stud (animal), an animal retained for breeding ** Stud farm, a property where livestock are bred Arts and entertainment * Stud (band), a British progressive rock group * The Stud (bar), a gay bar in San Francisco * ...

duty, Successor died prematurely after only a few years at age seven. Among his limited progeny, Right Honorable won the

Del Mar Derby The Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby is an American thoroughbred horse race run annually during the first week of September at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. A Grade II race open to three-year-old horses, it is contested on turf over a ...

Pedigree

References

{{reflist
Successor's pedigree and partial racing stats
1964 racehorse births 1971 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States American Champion racehorses Thoroughbred family 5-f