Halma (1892–1909) 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 ...

who won the 1895 Kentucky Derby. He is best known for being the first Kentucky Derby winner to sire a Kentucky Derby winner.

Background

Halma was bred 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 ...

by Eastin & Larabie, a racing and breeding partnership created in 1886 between

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

banker and financier Samuel E. Larabie and Augustus Eastin, a wealthy

businessman. He was sired by

Hanover Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...

, a three-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 ...

and a U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee. Grandsire

Hindoo Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also been u ...

, was a Champion runner who also was inducted in the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame. Halma was out of the

mare A mare is an adult female horse or other equidae, equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more th ...

Julia L., a daughter of Champion and Hall of Famer,

Longfellow Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator. His original works include the poems "Paul Revere's Ride", ''The Song of Hiawatha'', and ''Evangeline''. He was the first American to complet ...

. He was purchased as a yearling by Byron McClelland, who trained his own racing stable.

Racing career

Halma got his first win under

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

jockey

Alonzo Clayton Alonzo Clayton (January 4, 1876 – March 17, 1917) was an American jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing described by author Edward Hotaling, as "one of the great riders of the New York circuit all through the 1890s" and who holds the record as the ...

on August 26, 1894, at New York's

Sheepshead Bay Race Track The Sheepshead Bay Race Track was an American thoroughbred horse race, Thoroughbred horse racing facility built on the site of the Coney Island Jockey Club at Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn, New York. Early history The racetrack was built by a grou ...

. At age three, with 15-year-old African American James "Soup" Perkins up, Halma won the Phoenix Hotel Stakes, then on May 3, 1895, only three days later, again ridden by Perkins, he won the last

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 ...

to be held at the race's original 1½ mile distance. On May 14, under Perkins (who would be America's leading rider that year with 192 wins), he won the

Clark Handicap The Clark Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in late November at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Among the oldest races in the United States, it was first run in 1875, the year the racetrack opened for business. C ...

shortly after which McClelland sold him to wealthy businessman Charles Fleischmann for a reported $30,000. Two days after Fleischmann purchased Halma, the colt won the May 21, 1895

Latonia Derby The Latonia Derby was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually from 1883 through 1937 at Latonia Race Track in Latonia, Kentucky. Open to three-year-old horses, for its first 52 years the Latonia Derby was contested at a mile and a half ...

. An injury kept him out of racing in the summer and fall of 1895, and in 1896 he went lame and was 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 * ...

Stud career

Halma stood at

in the United States where he notably sired

Alan-a-Dale Alan-a-Dale (first recorded as Allen a Dale; variously spelled ''Allen-a-Dale'', ''Allan-a-Dale'', ''Allin-a-Dale'', ''Allan A'Dayle'' etc.) is a figure in the Robin Hood legend. According to the stories, he was a wandering minstrel who became ...

(b. 1899), winner of the 1902 Kentucky Derby. Halma was the first Derby winner to sire a Derby winner. In June 1901 Charles Fleischmann sold him to American sportsman,

William Kissam Vanderbilt William Kissam Vanderbilt I (December 12, 1849 – July 22, 1920) was an American heir, businessman, philanthropist, and horse breeder. Born into the Vanderbilt family, he managed his family's railroad investments. Early life William Kissam Vand ...

who shipped him to his

Haras du Quesnay Haras du Quesnay, known as "Le Quesnay", was a thoroughbred horse breeding farm in France about four miles (6 km) outside the city of Deauville on 3 km². Early years The stud was established in 1907 by wealthy American sportsman William Kissam V ...

stud farm in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. In France, Halma's best runner was

Oversight Oversight may refer to: Governance *Regulation – rulemaking *Separation of powers in state governance (checks and balances) - the concept of separate branches of government or agencies exercising authority over one another *Checks and contro ...

(b. 1906), a top colt at age competing at two to four whose wins included the

Prix de la Salamandre The Prix de la Salamandre was a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It was run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,400 metres (about 7 furlongs), and it was scheduled to take place each year in Se ...

, Prix du President de la Republique, and

Prix Lupin The Prix Lupin was a Conditions races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred Colt (horse), colts and Filly, fillies. It was run at Longchamp Racecourse, Longchamp over a distance of 2,100 m ...

. Halma died in 1909 at age seventeen.

Sire line tree

*HalmaByerley Turk Line
/ref>
/ref> **

American Classic Pedigree: Alan-A-Dale
/ref> ***Barnsdale **Smart Set **Acacia **

***Mirebeau ***Insight

Pedigree

* Halma is

inbred Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely related genetically. By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genetic disorders an ...

4S x 4S to the stallion

Vandal The Vandals were a Germanic people who were first reported in the written records as inhabitants of what is now Poland, during the period of the Roman Empire. Much later, in the fifth century, a group of Vandals led by kings established Vandal ...

, meaning that he appears fourth generation twice on the sire side of his pedigree. * Halma is inbred 4S x 4D to the stallion Lexington, meaning that he appears fourth generation on the sire side of his pedigree and fourth generation on the dam side of his pedigree.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Halma (Horse) 1892 racehorse births 1909 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Kentucky Derby winners Thoroughbred family 4-r Byerley Turk sire line