Hurryoff (foaled 1930 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 ...

best known for winning the third leg of the 1933 U.S. Triple Crown series. He was bred and raced by

Joseph Widener Joseph Early Widener (August 19, 1871 – October 26, 1943) was an American Thoroughbred horse race owner, breeder, and racetrack owner. He raised seventy-nine stakes race winners, was president of Belmont Park racetrack, and owned Hialeah P ...

, owner of the prestigious

Elmendorf Farm Elmendorf Farm is a Kentucky Thoroughbred horse farm in Fayette County, Kentucky, involved with horse racing since the 19th century. Once the North Elkhorn Farm, many owners and tenants have occupied the area, even during the American Civil War. M ...

Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city coterminous with and the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the city's population was 322,570, making it the List of ...

and president of

Belmont Park Belmont Park is a thoroughbred racing, thoroughbred horse racetrack in Elmont, New York, just east of New York City limits best known for hosting the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the American Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United Stat ...

and

Hialeah Park The Hialeah Park Race Track (also known as the Hialeah Race Track or Hialeah Park) is a historic racetrack in Hialeah, Florida. Its site covers 40 square blocks of central-east side Hialeah from Palm Avenue east to East 4th Avenue, and from East ...

racetracks. Hurryoff was sired by

Withers Stakes The Withers Stakes is a Listed American Thoroughbred horse race for three years old horses over the distance of miles on the dirt scheduled annually in February at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. The event currently carries a purse of $2 ...

winner, Haste. He was out of the mare Blue Glass, who was also the dam of

Unbreakable Unbreakable may refer to: Books * ''Unbreakable'' (book), the 2017 autobiography of Australian tennis player Jelena Dokic * '' Unbreakable: My Story, My Way'', the 2013 autobiography of singer Jenni Rivera Film and television * ''Unbreakable' ...

who sired Polynesian. Hurryoff's damsire was the outstanding British runner,

Prince Palatine Prince Palatine (1908–1924) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse. He was named for County Palatine of Lancaster near where his breeder William Hall Walker had been raised. Racing career Racing at age two, Prince Palatine won three of his s ...

who had stood at Edward F. Simms'

Xalapa Farm Xalapa Farm is an American thoroughbred horse breeding stable near Paris, Kentucky. History Xalapa was founded by William Thomas Buckner of Virginia in 1827 and passed on to a son Henry who in 1897 sold it to Confederate Col. William Erskine Simm ...

in Kentucky. Racing at age three, Hurryoff was entered in the

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 ...

, the third leg of the U.S. Triple Crown series. Lightly regarded, in his last race Hurryoff had gone unclaimed for $4,000. Although neither

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

Brokers Tip Brokers Tip (March 16, 1930 – July 14, 1953), by Black Toney out of the French mare Forteresse, was a Thoroughbred racehorse and the only horse in history whose sole win was in the Kentucky Derby. Kentucky Derby His Derby win went down in hist ...

, nor the

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 ...

victor,

Head Play Head Play (April 2, 1930 – December 11, 1954) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 1933 Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the U.S. Triple Crown series of races and as the horse on the losing end of the "Fighting F ...

, was entered in the mile and a half Belmont Stakes, Hurryoff was still a 12:1 longshot when he won the richest race of the year for three-year-olds. The Belmont would be Hurryoff's only significant race win of his limited career and his last start. For more than a decade owner Joseph Widener had been donating stallions to the Breeding Bureau of the Jockey Club including Hurryoff's grandsire, Maintenant. The

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

affected all aspects of horse racing and in 1933 yearling prices fell to record lows, and in August 1934 Widener gifted Hurryoff to the Remount Association and the Breeding Bureau.

References

{{Belmont Stakes Winners 1930 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Belmont Stakes winners Thoroughbred family 4-i