Old Rosebud (March 13, 1911 – May 23, 1922) 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 ...

whose pedigree traced to the influential sire

Eclipse An eclipse is an astronomical event which occurs when an astronomical object or spacecraft is temporarily obscured, by passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it and the viewer. This alignment of three ...

, and through Eclipse to the founding stallion, the

Darley Arabian The Darley Arabian (–1730) was one of three dominant foundation sires of modern Thoroughbred horse racing bloodstock. The other two founders were the Godolphin Arabian and the Byerley Turk. This bay Arabian horse was bought in Aleppo, Syria ...

. In the list of the top 100 U.S. thoroughbred champions of the 20th Century by ''

Blood-Horse magazine ''The Blood-Horse'' (also referred to simply as ''Blood-Horse'' and displayed on its nameplate in upright all-capital letters without hyphenation as BLOODHORSE) is a news magazine that originated in 1916 as a monthly bulletin of the Thoroughbred ...

'', Old Rosebud ranks 88th. Despite a successful racing career, Old Rosebud was plagued by ailments throughout his life, culminating in a fatal injury at a

claiming race In Thoroughbred racing, a claiming race is a type of horse race in which the horses are all for sale at a specified claiming price until shortly before the race. They were known as selling races until 1924 after which they were relabeled claiming ...

when he was 11 years old.

Pedigree and 2-year-old racing career

Bred by

John E. Madden John Edward Madden (December 28, 1856 – November 3, 1929) was a prominent United States, American Thoroughbred and Standardbred owner, breeder and trainer in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. He owned Hamburg Place Stud in Lexin ...

, the bay colt (soon to be gelded) was from the stallion Uncle's first crop of foals. Born 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 ...

, he was purchased as a yearling for $500 by the trainer Frank D. Weir. Weir sold a majority interest in the gelding to Hamilton C. Applegate, the treasurer of

Churchill Downs Churchill Downs is a horse racing complex in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States that hosts the annual Kentucky Derby. It opened in 1875 and was named for Samuel Churchill, whose family was prominent in Kentucky for many years. The first ...

. Frank Weir said of the gelding, "Old Rosebud was the kind of horse one sees once in a lifetime. He certainly was the fastest horse I ever trained or saw. If he had been sound, there's no telling how fast he would have run." Old Rosebud was determined to be the historical two-year-old champion of 1913 and was the top earner for the year. At two, Old Rosebud's most important victories included the

Flash Stakes The Flash Stakes was a race for two-year-old Thoroughbred horses and one of the longest running horse racing events in America. Run before races were graded, the Flash was won by a host of starry names. Begun before the United States Hotel Stake ...

and the

United States Hotel Stakes The United States Hotel Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in the late summer or early autumn until 1955 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. It was run on dirt over a distance of six furlongs. Raced in th ...

. Before his first injury took him out of training, he set four track records.

Kentucky Derby and later career

Old Rosebud came back in his third year to take the 1914 Kentucky Derby by eight lengths in a time of 2:03 2/5, setting a time record that would not be broken for 16 years and a margin record that has been tied but never broken. In the Derby, he had begun the race as the favorite because of his previous record. Three weeks after the Derby, Old Rosebud sustained a

bowed tendon Tendinitis/tendonitis is inflammation of a tendon, often involving torn collagen fibers. A bowed tendon is a horseman's term for a tendon after a horse has sustained an injury that causes swelling in one or more tendons creating a "bowed" appearan ...

during the May 1914 running of the

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 ...

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 ...

. The race was run clockwise around the track instead of the more customary, in the U.S., counter-clockwise direction. Running the wrong way confused Old Rosebud, who did not change leads coming into the stretch. He was taken out of competition for two seasons as a result of the injury. At age 6, after nearly three years on the prairies of Texas, Old Rosebud won the Queen's County, the

Carter Handicap The Carter Handicap is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-years-old and older run over a distance of seven furlongs run annually in early April at Aqueduct Racetrack. Race history First run in 1895, the race was named fo ...

, the Red Cross, and the

Delaware Handicap The Delaware Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Delaware Park Racetrack in Wilmington, Delaware. The Grade III race is open to fillies and mares, age three and up, willing to race one mile and one eighth on the dirt. ...

. These victories also led to his being named historical Champion Handicap Male of 1917. An injury took him out of competition for another year and a half. Old Rosebud returned to racing at the age of 8. Overall, he won the Yucatán Stakes, the Spring Trial Stakes, the Harold Stakes, the Cincinnati Trophy Stakes, the

, the

, and the Kentucky Derby. He went on to win 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 ...

, the Latonia Inaugural Handicap, the

Queens County Handicap The Queens County Handicap is an American Ungraded Thoroughbred horse race run annually during the second week of December at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. Open to horses age three years and older, it is contested on dirt at a distance o ...

, the Carter Handicap (again), the Frontier Handicap, the Delaware Handicap, the Bayview Handicap, the Mt. Vernon Cap, the Sir Archy Highweight Cap, and the Latonia Grand Hotel Purse. He came in second in the Idle Hour Stakes, the

Bashford Manor Stakes The Bashford Manor Stakes is a six furlong sprint for two-year-old thoroughbred horses run each year toward the end of the Spring meet at Churchill Downs. It is a Listed race on the dirt and currently offers a purse of $100,000, (plus $7,500 added ...

, the Paumonok Handicap, the Mount Vernon Handicap (losing to the four-years-younger August Belmont Jr.'s Lucullite, but beating Sun Briar, Exterminator's stablemate), and the Burnett Woods Cap (to the five-years-younger stakes-winning Sennings Park). He was third in the

Brooklyn Handicap The Brooklyn Stakes (formerly known as the Brooklyn Handicap) is an American Thoroughbred horse race run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, on Long Island. It currently is a Grade II event open to four-year-olds and up willing to race one and ...

, the Thanksgiving Handicap, and the Eden Park Cap. Old Rosebud competed for a total of 10 years before suffering his final injury in a claiming race at

Jamaica Racetrack Jamaica Race Course, also called the Jamaica Racetrack, was an American Thoroughbred horse race, thoroughbred horse racing facility operated by the Metropolitan Jockey Club in Jamaica, Queens, New York City. History The track opened on April 27 ...

. He had to be euthanized. Out of 80 starts, Old Rosebud won 40, placed in 13, and showed in 8. His career earnings were $74,729.

Honors

In 1968, Old Rosebud was elected to the

National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred horse racing, Thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and Horse trainer, trainers. In 1955, the museum ...

Pedigree

References

Old Rosebud's pedigree, with photo

Old Rosebud's page in the Hall of Fame

{{American Horse of the Year winners 1911 racehorse births 1922 racehorse deaths Horses who died from racing injuries Racehorses trained in the United States Racehorses bred in Kentucky Kentucky Derby winners American Champion racehorses United States Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame inductees Thoroughbred family 6-a