Sweep (foaled 1907 in

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

) was an American

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

Sweep was bred by James R. Keene. He was sired by

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 ...

winner

Ben Brush Ben Brush (1893–1918) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1896 Kentucky Derby. Background Ben Brush was a bay stallion sired by Bramble (the 1879 champion handicap horse) out of Roseville (a sister to Azra, the 1892 ...

out of the

Domino Dominoes is a family of tile-based games played with gaming pieces. Each domino is a rectangular tile, usually with a line dividing its face into two square ''ends''. Each end is marked with a number of spots (also called '' pips'' or ''dots'' ...

mare Pink Domino. he was trained by James Rowe. Sweep was a Champion two-year-old with a long stride. He placed second in the

Hopeful Stakes The Hopeful Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Open to two-year-old horses, the Hopeful is the first Grade I stakes for two-year-olds each season and historically has ...

and the

Saratoga Special Stakes The Saratoga Special Stakes is an American grade II thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid-August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The race is for two-year-olds willing to race six furlongs on the dirt. With its first ru ...

before he won the Futurity Stakes by over half a dozen lengths under a tight hold.

Career

Racing at three, with jockey

James Butwell James H. "Jimmy" Butwell (c. 1892–1956) was an American National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Racing Hall of Fame jockey. His birth year placed at the Latter Day Saint, Family Search.org website is stated as 1896. However, although the ...

aboard, Sweep won the 1910

Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over the worldwide classic distance of . Colt (horseracing), Colt ...

in a time of 2:22 when the race was contested at 1 3/8 miles. He was the favorite at 1 to 10 odds and won by six lengths over the only other starter, Duke of Ormonde. It was one of only five times in the history of the

stakes race The following is a glossary of North American horse racing. Additional glossaries at: *Glossary of Australian and New Zealand punting *Glossary of equestrian terms This is a basic glossary of equestrian terms that includes both technical term ...

that just two horses have been entered.

Retirement

Retired to Keene's

Castleton Farm Castleton Lyons near Lexington, Kentucky, is an American horse-racing stable and breeding business best known by the name Castleton Farm. History The farm was established in 1793 when Virginian John Breckinridge, a future U.S. senator and attor ...

, in 1917 Sweep was the leading sire of two-year-olds. He was the leading sire by earnings of all horses in 1918 and again in 1925. He was a great sire and broodmare sire, with three daughters that produced

winners. They were Beaming Beauty, dam of Bubbling Over; Brushup, dam of

War Admiral War Admiral (May 2, 1934 – October 30, 1959) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse and the fourth winner of the American Triple Crown. He was also the 1937 Horse of the Year and well known as the rival of Seabiscuit in the "Match Ra ...

; and Dust Whirl, dam of

Whirlaway Whirlaway (April 2, 1938 – April 6, 1953) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who is the fifth winner of the American Triple Crown. He also won the Travers Stakes after his Triple Crown sweep to become the first and only horse to ...

. Both War Admiral and Whirlaway became Triple Crown champions. His daughter Washoe Belle became the foundation mare to whom trace

Forward Pass In several forms of football, a forward pass is the throwing of the ball in the direction in which the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line. The legal and widespread use of the forward pass distinguishes grid ...

Alydar Alydar (March 23, 1975 – November 15, 1990) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing, race horse and sire. A chestnut colt, he was most famous for finishing a close second to Affirmed in all three races of the 1978 Triple Crown of Thoro ...

, Princess Turia, T.V. Lark., etc. Another daughter, La Chica, became the foundation mare to whom trace

Grey Flight Grey (more frequent in British English) or gray (more frequent in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning that it has no chroma. It is the color of a cloud-covered s ...

and

Native Dancer Native Dancer (March 27, 1950 – November 16, 1967), nicknamed the ''Gray Ghost'', was one of the most celebrated and accomplished Thoroughbred racehorses in American history and was the first horse made famous through the medium of television ...

, which bring the

Northern Dancer Northern Dancer (May 27, 1961 – November 16, 1990) was a Thoroughbred that, in 1964, became the first Canadian-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby. After being retired from racing, he became one of the most successful Stallion, sires of the 2 ...

and Mr. Prospector lines. Other successful progeny include Eternal, General Thatcher, The Porter, Leonardo, Bon Homme, and Pen Rose. Sweep died in 1936.

Pedigree

References

Matriarchs of the Turf
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sweep (Horse) 1907 racehorse births 1936 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Belmont Stakes winners American Champion racehorses United States Champion Thoroughbred Sires Thoroughbred family 8-c Chefs-de-Race