Peter Pan (1904–1933) 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 ...

and sire, bred and raced by prominent horseman, James R. Keene. As winner of 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 Brooklyn Derby and the Brighton Handicap, he was later inducted into 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 ...

. His progeny included many famous American racehorses, including several winners of 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 ...

and 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 ...

Background

Bred and raced by prominent horseman, James R. Keene, Peter Pan 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 ...

Cinderella whose sire was

Hermit A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions. Description In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Chr ...

, the 1867 winner of England's most important race, The Derby. Peter Pan was sired by

Commando A commando is a combatant, or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations force, specially trained for carrying out raids and operating in small teams behind enemy lines. Originally, "a commando" was a type of combat unit, as oppo ...

, a 1901 American Classic Race winner who in turn was a son of

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'' ...

, the

American Horse of the Year The American Award for Horse of the Year, or simply Horse of the Year, one of the Eclipse Awards, is the highest honor given in American thoroughbred horse racing. Because Thoroughbred horse racing in the United States has no governing body to san ...

of 1893. Peter Pan was conditioned by future Hall of Fame trainer James G. Rowe Sr.

Racing career

At age 2, Peter Pan won four of his eight starts including the prestigious 1906 Hopeful Stakes. In 1907, Peter Pan won six of his nine starts with two seconds, one of which was in the spring in 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 ...

. As the prestigious U.S. Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing had not at that time been established, the 3-year-old Peter Pan was not entered in the

or the

. However, he won the then

, a race that is now the third leg of the Triple Crown series. In winning the Belmont, he defeated Frank Gill who had beaten him in the Withers Stakes. In 1907, Peter Pan also won the important Brooklyn Derby, the Standard Stakes at Gravesend Race Track, as well as the Advance and the Tidal Stakes at Sheepshead Bay Race Track. Shortly after winning the Brighton Handicap he suffered a

tendon A tendon or sinew is a tough band of fibrous connective tissue, dense fibrous connective tissue that connects skeletal muscle, muscle to bone. It sends the mechanical forces of muscle contraction to the skeletal system, while withstanding tensi ...

injury and was retired to

stallion A stallion is an adult male horse that has not been gelded ( castrated). Stallions follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cre ...

duty at his owner's Castelton Stud. In a review of Peter Pan's win in the 1907 Brighton Handicap in front of 40,000 fans, the '' New York Telegraph'' was quoted as saying the horse "accomplished a task that completely overshadowed any previous 3-year-old performance in turf history."

Honors

Following its creation, Peter Pan was inducted in the

in 1956, as were his sire Commando and grandsire Domino, as well as his granddaughter Top Flight.Peter Pan's profile at the United States' National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
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Stud record

Peter Pan stood at his owner's Castleton Stud in

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 ...

then was sold for US$100,000 in 1912 to a breeding 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 ...

. Brought back to the United States, he was sold to

Harry Payne Whitney Harry Payne Whitney (April 29, 1872 – October 26, 1930) was an American businessman, thoroughbred horse breeding, horse breeder, and member of the prominent Whitney family. Early years Whitney was born in New York City on April 29, 1872, as ...

and stood at Brookdale Farm in

Lincroft, New Jersey Lincroft is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States.Whitney Farm in

. Peter Pan died in December 1933 at the age of twenty-nine and was buried at the Whitney Farm in Lexington (now part of the Gainesway Farm).

Progeny

Peter Pan's progeny includes: * Black Toney (1911) - Foundation sire for Idle Hour Stock Farm, among the U.S. top twenty sires on ten occasions * Pennant - sire of Hall of Fame inductees Equipoise &

Jolly Roger Jolly Roger was the England, ensign flown by a piracy, pirate ship preceding or during an attack, during the early 18th century (the latter part of the Golden Age of Piracy). The vast majority of such flags flew the motif of a human skull, or � ...

/ 1924 U.S. Co-Champion Two Year Old Filly Maud Muller / 1938

winner Dauber * Puss In Boots (1913) - 1915 U.S. Champion Two Year Old Filly * Vexatious (1916) - 1919 Champion Three Year Old Filly * Prudery (1918) - 1920 U.S. Champion Two Year Old Filly & 1921 Champion Three Year Old Filly * Tryster (1918) - U.S. Champion Two Year Old Colt Damsire of notable horses such as: * Bostonian (1924) - won 1927

* Whiskery (1924) - won 1927

, Champion Three Year Old Colt * Victorian (1925) - won 1928 Preakness Stakes * Top Flight (1929) - U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee, 1931 U.S. Champion Two Year Old Filly & 1932 Champion Three Year Old Filly Grandsire of notable horses such as: * Black Gold (1921) - Hall of Fame inductee, 1924 Kentucky Derby winner * Equipose (1928-1938) - National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame inductee, Two Time Horse of the Year (1932,1933) * Brokers Tip (1930) - 1933 Kentucky Derby winner * Bimelech (1937) - Hall of Fame inductee, 1940 Preakness and Belmont Stakes winner

Pedigree

References

Peter Pan's pedigree and partial racing stats
{{Belmont Stakes Winners 1904 racehorse births 1933 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States American Champion racehorses Belmont Stakes winners United States Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame inductees United States Champion Thoroughbred Sires Thoroughbred family 2-o Chefs-de-Race