Wintergreen (1906–1914) 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 that is best known for winning the 1909

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 for being the first horse bred in Ohio to win the Derby. Wintergreen was bred and trained by Jerome "Rome" Respess at his Ohio stud farm. Respess was a multimillionaire owner of a brewing company and also owned Wintergreen's sire, Dick Welles — named after Richard H. Welles, later the father of

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...

. Higham, Charles, ''Orson Welles: The Rise and Fall of an American Genius''. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1985 Wintergreen raced from ages two to seven years old but did not win any stakes races before or after the Kentucky Derby but was a stakes performer for most of his career. Wintergreen was killed April 10, 1914, in a fire that consumed barn #18 at the

Latonia Race Track Latonia Race Track on Winston Avenue in Latonia ( Covington) Kentucky, six miles south of Cincinnati, Ohio, was a Thoroughbred horse racing facility opened in 1883. The track hosted a spring-summer racing series and a second in late fall. It w ...

Covington, Kentucky Covington is a list of cities in Kentucky, home rule-class city in Kenton County, Kentucky, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Ohio River, Ohio and Licking River (Kentucky), Licking rivers, across from Cincinnati to the north ...

, just across the

Ohio River The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...

from

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

. He had been gelded some years previously and was racing for D. Fisk.

Pedigree

References

{{Kentucky Derby Winners 1906 racehorse births Racehorses trained in the United States Racehorses bred in Ohio Kentucky Derby winners 1914 racehorse deaths Thoroughbred family 4