Two Bob (1933–1953) 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. Although she was successful on the racetrack, winning the

Kentucky Oaks The Kentucky Oaks is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The race currently covers at Churchill Downs; the horses carry . The Kentucky Oaks is held on the Frida ...

as a three-year-old and finishing second or third in several other stakes races, Two Bob's primary legacy was as a

broodmare A mare is an adult female horse or other 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 than four ...

, producing three stakes winners and becoming an important foundation mare.

Racing career

Two Bob began her racing career racing for owner

Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney Cornelius "Sonny" Vanderbilt Whitney (February 20, 1899 – December 13, 1992) was an American businessman, film producer, government official, writer and philanthropist. He was also a polo player and the owner of a significant stable of Thorough ...

and was trained by James W. Healy. She started 23 times at age two and raced predominantly in claiming races. At age three, she finished third in the Christmas Handicap at Tropical Park and won the Kentucky Oaks. In the Kentucky Oaks, she was sent off as the 2.20-1 favorite against 11 other rivals. Two Bob broke well at the start and stalked the pace set by Marica and Dora May, taking the lead in the stretch and drawing away to win the race by four lengths over Threadneedle in a final time of 1:52 over a fast track. Her connections earned $4,625 for the win. Two Bob continued to race after her Oaks win, but did not win any more races for Whitney. She was claimed in 1939 for $4,500 and finished her racing career for Mrs. Emil Denemark, including a win in the 1939 Royal Palm Handicap. Following her racing career, she was sold to Warren Wright of

Calumet Farm Calumet Farm is a Thoroughbred breeding and training farm established in 1924 in Lexington, Kentucky, United States by William Monroe Wright, founding owner of the Calumet Baking Powder Company. Calumet is located in the heart of the Bluegrass ...

Retirement

Two Bob produced seven foals as a broodmare, all of which were winners on the racetrack. Three of her foals, all fillies sired by

Bull Lea Bull Lea (March 11, 1935 – June 16, 1964) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who is best known as the foundation sire responsible for making Calumet Farm one of the most successful racing stables in American history. In their ...

, became stakes winners and later notable broodmares themselves. Her first foal, Twosy, won three stakes races at ages two, four and five. Through Twosy, Two Bob is the direct female-line ancestor of champions

Chris Evert Christine Marie Evert (born December 21, 1954) is an American former professional tennis player. One of the most successful players of all time, she was ranked as the world No. 1 in women's singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) for 2 ...

Chief's Crown Chief's Crown (April 7, 1982 – April 29, 1997) was an American-bred Thoroughbred race horse who won the 1984 Breeders' Cup Juvenile and was voted the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Two-Year-Old Male Horse. He later became a successful sire. Ba ...

, and Winning Colors. Two Bob's 1946 foal,

Two Lea Two Lea (1946–1973) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the 1949 Champion Three-Year-Old Filly and 1950 Champion Older Female. Background Born at Calumet Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, her sire was Bull Lea whose progeny ...

, went on to become the co-champion three-year-old filly of 1949 (alongside

Wistful Wistful (foaled in 1946 in Kentucky) was an American Champion Thoroughbred racemare. The daughter of Sun Again and granddaughter of Sun Teddy is best remembered for wins in the Kentucky Oaks, the Coaching Club American Oaks, the Black-Eyed Susa ...

) and the champion older female in 1950, and was inducted into the United States Racing Hall of Fame in 1981. She won 15 of her 26 races, including the

Arcadia Handicap The Arcadia Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run in early April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Open to horses four years of age and older, it is raced on turf over a distance of one mile. A Grade II race, it currently offe ...

Santa Margarita Handicap The Santa Margarita Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California for fillies and mares age four and older, it is contested on dirt over a distance of one and one-eighths miles ...

, and the

Hollywood Gold Cup The Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes is a Grade II American thoroughbred horse race for horses age three and older over a distance of miles on the dirt held at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California in May. The race currently offers a purse of $200,000 ...

, which she won following a 22-month layoff due to leg problems. Two Lea later became the dam of 1958 Kentucky Derby and

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 ...

winner

Tim Tam Tim Tam is a brand of chocolate biscuit introduced by the Australian biscuit company Arnott's Biscuits Holdings in 1964. It consists of two malted biscuits separated by a light hard chocolate cream filling and coated in a thin layer of textur ...

and multiple stakes winner and sire On-and-On. The final of Two Bob's three stakes-winning daughters, Miz Clementine, won 11 stakes races during her racing career. In the 1955

Santa Anita Maturity The Strub Stakes is an American race for thoroughbred horses run at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, each year. Currently a Grade II stakes race with a purse of $200,000, it is for four-year-olds, at one and one-eighth miles on Santa Anit ...

, she defeated 1954 Kentucky Derby winner

Determine Determine (April 7, 1951 – September 27, 1972) was an American Thoroughbred race horse. In a racing career which lasted from 1953 through 1955, the California-trained colt ran forty-four times and won eighteen races. His best season was 1954 w ...

but was disqualified. As a broodmare, she became the second dam of the sire

Best Turn Best Turn (May 7, 1966–February 10, 1984) was an American-bred thoroughbred racehorse and Classic Chef-de-race sire. Background Best Turn was a dark bay or brown stallion bred and owned by the famous Calumet Farm. Best Turn's sire, Turn-t ...

Death

Two Bob died in 1953 after foaling a colt by Bull Lea, who was placed on a nurse mare. She was buried at Calumet Farm.

Pedigree

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bay 1915 , m=Blessings
bay 1925 , ff=

Sweep Sweep or swept may refer to: Cleaning * Sweep, the action of using a brush to clean * Chimney sweep, a worker who clears ash and soot from chimneys * Street sweeper, a person's occupation, or a machine that cleans streets * Swept quartz, a cle ...

br. 1907 , fm=Ballet Girl
ch. 1906 , mf=

Chicle Chicle () is a natural gum traditionally used in making chewing gum and other products. It is collected from several species of Mesoamerican trees in the genus '' Manilkara'', including '' M. zapota'', '' M. chicle'', '' M. staminodella'', and ...

b. 1913 , mm=Mission Bells
b. 1919 , fff=

Ben Brush Ben Brush (1893–1918) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1896 Kentucky Derby. Background Ben Brush was a bay stallion sired by Bramble (the 1879 champion handicap horse) out of Roseville (a sister to Azra, the 1892 ...

b. 1893 , ffm=Pink Domino
br. 1897 , fmf=St. Leonards
b. 1890 , fmm=Cerito
ch. 1888 , mff=

Spearmint Spearmint (''Mentha spicata''), also known as garden mint, common mint, lamb mint and mackerel mint, is native to Europe and southern temperate Asia, extending from Ireland in the west to southern China in the east. It is naturalized in many othe ...

b. 1903 , mfm=Lady Hamburg II
br. 1908 , mmf=

Friar Rock Friar Rock (1913 – January 8, 1928) was a Champion American Thoroughbred racehorse. His most important win came in the 1916 Belmont Stakes. Background Owned and raced by the prominent New York City businessman August Belmont Jr., he was foale ...

ch. 1913 , mmm=Sanctuary
b. 1911 , ffff=Bramble , fffm=Roseville , ffmf=

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'' ...

, ffmm=Belle Rose , fmff=

St. Blaise Blaise of Sebaste (, ''Hágios Blásios''; martyred 316 AD) was a physician and bishop of Sebastea in historical Lesser Armenia (modern Sivas, Turkey) who is venerated as a Christian saint and martyr. He is counted as one of the Fourteen Holy ...

, fmfm=Belladonna , fmmf=Lowland Chief , fmmm=Merry Dance , mfff=

Carbine A carbine ( or ) is a long gun that has a barrel shortened from its original length. Most modern carbines are rifles that are compact versions of a longer rifle or are rifles chambered for less powerful cartridges. The smaller size and ligh ...

, mffm=Maid of the Mint , mfmf=

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

, mfmm=Lady Frivoles , mmff=

Rock Sand Rock Sand (1900–1914) was a British Thoroughbred race horse and sire. In a career which lasted from the spring of 1902 until October 1904 he ran twenty times and won sixteen races. He was a leading British two-year-old of his generation an ...

, mmfm=Fairy Gold , mmmf=

Broomstick A broom (also known as a broomstick) is a cleaning tool, consisting of usually stiff fibers (often made of materials such as plastic, hair, or corn husks) attached to, and roughly parallel to, a cylindrical handle, the broomstick. It is thus a ...

, mmmm=Vespers (

Family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

23-b)

References

Kentucky Oaks winners 1933 racehorse births 1953 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Thoroughbred family 23-b Whitney racehorses