Royal Glint (1970–1976) 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 ...

Background

Royal Glint was a bay gelding bred by

Claiborne Farm Claiborne Farm is a thoroughbred horse breeding operation near Paris, Kentucky. It was established in 1910 by Arthur B. Hancock, owner of Ellerslie Stud in Albemarle County, Virginia, and has been operated by members of his family ever since. ...

Paris, Kentucky Paris is a home rule-class city in Bourbon County, Kentucky, and the county seat. It lies northeast of Lexington on the Stoner Fork of the Licking River. It is part of the Lexington–Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2020, it ha ...

. He was sired by U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee

Round Table The Round Table (; ; ; ) is King Arthur's famed table (furniture), table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that everyone who sits there has equal status, unlike co ...

and was out of the mare Regal Gleam, the 1966

American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly The American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually to a female horse in Thoroughbred flat racing Horse racing is an equestrianism, equestrian performance activity, typically involving ...

. Damsire

Hail To Reason Hail to Reason (April 18, 1958 – February 24, 1976) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse and an influential sire. In a racing career cut short by injury, he was named the American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt of 1960 after winning seven stake ...

was the 1960

American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt The American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually in Thoroughbred flat racing. It became part of the Eclipse Awards program in 1971. The award originated in 1936 when the ''Daily Racing F ...

and the

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 ...

in 1970. Royal Glint was purchased by

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

businessman Dan Lasater, who entrusted his race conditioning to Jere Smith, Sr.

Racing career

A winner at age three and four, at age five in 1975 he was transferred to Lasater's East Coast trainer Gordon Potter. He won five important

graded stakes race A graded stakes race is a thoroughbred horse race in the United States that meets the criteria of the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA). A specific grade level (I, II, III or listed) is th ...

s on both dirt and grass including the 1975

San Bernardino Handicap The Tokyo City Cup Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at the beginning of April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. A Graded stakes race, Grade III event raced on dirt at a distance of miles (12 furlongs), it is ope ...

, in which he equaled the track record for a mile and an eight on grass. In 1976, Royal Glint added another five stakes races to his credit, including California's richest race and most prestigious event for older horses, the

Santa Anita Handicap The Santa Anita Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early March at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is a Grade I race for horses four years old and up and was once considered the most important race for old ...

Final race and death

While leading in the August 21, 1976, Michigan Mile Handicap at

Detroit Race Course The Detroit Race Course was a complex in Livonia, Michigan, a suburb northwest of Detroit and part of the metropolitan area. It consisted of a regulation racing track and associated stables for horses, and facilities for trainers, exercise worker ...

, Royal Glint suffered a career-ending leg injury that, despite efforts by

veterinarian A veterinarian (vet) or veterinary surgeon is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, veterinarians also play a role in animal r ...

s, eventually led to him being

euthanized Animal euthanasia (euthanasia from ; "good death") is the act of killing an animal humanely, most commonly with injectable drugs. Reasons for euthanasia include incurable (and especially painful) conditions or diseases, lack of resources to con ...

. He was buried at Longfield Farm near

Goshen, Kentucky Goshen is a home rule-class city in Oldham County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 892 at the 2020 census. Geography Nestled along the banks of the Ohio River northeast of Louisville. According to the United States Census ...

. Royal Glint was the 19th Thoroughbred in racing history to earn more than $1 million.New York Times, August 22, 1976
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Pedigree

References

{{reflist
Royal Glint's pedigree and partial racing stats
1970 racehorse births 1976 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Thoroughbred family 1-x