Celtic Ash
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Celtic Ash (1957–1978) was an English-bred
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 ...
raised in
Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
who is best known for winning the 1960
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 ...
.


Background

Celtic Ash was a bay horse bred by Lord Harrington. He was out of the mare Ash Plant and sired by
Sicambre Sicambre (1948–1975) was a French Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse and Leading sire in France, Champion sire. Background Sicambre was bred by Jean Stern at his Haras de Saint Pair du Mont in Le Cadran, Calvados, Le Cadran, Calvados (depa ...
, the
Leading sire in France The list below shows the leading Thoroughbred sire of racehorses in France for each year since 1887. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the season. Due to the huge prize money of the Prix de l'Arc de Tr ...
in 1966. On the advice of Irish-born trainer Tom Barry, Celtic Ash was purchased by
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,
Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
banker Joseph E. O'Connell, who imported him to the United States to race for his Green Dunes Farm.


Racing career

At age two, Celtic Ash made three starts without winning, then at three made a total of six starts. He was not entered 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 ...
but won two minor races at
Laurel Park Racecourse Laurel Park, formerly Laurel Race Course, is an American thoroughbred racetrack located just outside Laurel, Maryland which opened in 1911. The track is miles in circumference. Its name was changed to "Laurel Race Course" for several decades un ...
, in one of which he set a new track record time for one mile

He was then entered in the May 14, 1960,
Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually on Armed Forces Day, the third Saturday in May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland (except in 2026 when it will move to Laurel Park (race track), Laurel Park dur ...
, the second leg of the U.S. Triple Crown series. Under jockey Sam Boulmetis, longshot Celtic Ash finished third behind runner-up Victoria Park and winner
Bally Ache Bally Ache (February 3, 1957 – October 28, 1960) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who won the Preakness Stakes in 1960 but died later only five months later from an intestinal ailment. In her book ''American Classic Pedigree ...
. Unlike today, the $100,000 added
Jersey Derby The Jersey Derby is a $100,000 American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually in late July/early August at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. Since 1993, it has been raced on grass at a distance of miles. A Jer ...
at
Monmouth Park Racetrack Monmouth Park Racetrack is an American race track for thoroughbred horse racing in Oceanport, New Jersey, United States. It is owned by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and is operated under a five-year lease as a partnership with ...
was run between the Preakness and the third leg of the U.S. Triple Crown. The
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race regularly drew the top three-year-olds and more than 50,000 fans attended on
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1960 to see Celtic Ash, under future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame jockey
Bill Hartack William John Hartack Jr. (December 9, 1932 – November 26, 2007) was an American jockey. Early life and career Referred to by the media as both "Bill" and "Willie" (Hartack detested being called "Willie") during his racing career, Hartack gr ...
, finish third behind Bally Ache and
Tompion {{Infobox racehorse , horsename = Tompion , image = , caption = , sire = Tom Fool , grandsire = Menow , dam = Sunlight , damsire = Count Fleet , sex = Stallion , foaled = 1957 , country = United States , colour = Brown , breeder = ...
. Hartack had ridden
Venetian Way Venetian Way (March 23, 1957 – October 17, 1964) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 1960 Kentucky Derby. Background Venetian Way was a chestnut horse bred in Kentucky by John W. Greathouse. He was purchased by ...
to victory in the Kentucky Derby but had been criticized for his ride on the colt after he finished fifth in the Preakness Stakes. After the Jersey Derby, Hartack accepted trainer Tom Barry's offer to ride Celtic Ash again in the upcoming Belmont Stakes.


1960 Belmont stakes

The day prior to the Belmont Stakes,
betting Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of value ("the stakes") on a random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy are discounted. Gambling thus requires three ele ...
favorite Bally Ache came up lame and was withdrawn from the 1½ mile third leg of the Triple Crown. His absence left Venetian Way ridden by
Eddie Arcaro George Edward Arcaro (February 19, 1916 – November 14, 1997) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who won more American classic races than any other jockey in history and is the only rider to have won the U.S. Triple ...
, as the favorite. However, winning the Belmont Stakes with an underdog was nothing new for Celtic Ash's owner, Joseph O'Connell. Two years earlier in 1958, he and trainer Tom Barry won the Classic with the lightly raced Irish-bred colt
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. On June 11, 1960, O'Connell was in a
Brighton, Massachusetts Brighton is a former town and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States, located in the northwestern corner of the city. It is named after the English city of Brighton. Initially Brighton was part of Cambridge, and known as " ...
, hospital and watched on television as Hartack brought his colt from last place to overtake Venetian Way in the stretch, then pull away to win easily by five and a half lengths. O'Connell did not recover from his illness and died less than a month later.


Stud record

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, Celtic Ash stood in the United States from 1962 through 1964. He was then sent to Great Britain, where he stood until 1971. There, he notably sired Athens Wood, who won the 1971
St. Leger Stakes The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over ...
, and Hoche, winner of the 1972 Premio Presidente della Repubblica. He was also the grandsire of 1998
Grand National The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Aintree, Merseyside, England. First run in 1839, it ...
winner
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. Sold in 1971 to a
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
ese breeding operation, Celtic Ash died in Japan at age twenty-one in 1978.


References


Celtic Ash's pedigree and partial racing stats

May 9, 1960 ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Sun-Telegraph'' article on the 1960 Preakness Stakes
* Hunter, Avalyn ''American Classic Pedigrees'' (2003)
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June 20, 1960 ''Sports Illustrated'' article titled ''Tom Barry's Waiting Game''
{{Belmont Stakes Winners 1957 racehorse births 1978 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom Racehorses trained in the United States Belmont Stakes winners Thoroughbred family 1-w