George Smith (horse)

George Smith (foaled April 30, 1913) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse and was the winner of the 1916 Kentucky Derby.

George Smith
Johnny Loftus aboard George Smith
1916 Kentucky Derby
SireOut of Reach
GrandsirePersimmon
DamConsuelo II
DamsireBradwardine
SexStallion
Foaled1913
CountryUnited States
ColourBlack
BreederFred A. Forsythe and Col. Jack Chinn
Owner1) Ed Mcbride
2) John Sanford
3) The Jockey Club
4) U.S. Government
Trainer1) Ed Mcbride (1915)
2) Hollie Hughes (1916)
3) Preston M. Burch (1918)
Record31:17-5-3
Earnings$42,884
Major wins
Aberdeen Stakes (1915)
Juvenile Stakes (1915)
Victoria Stakes (1915)
Spring Brewery Stakes (1915)
Annapolis Stakes (1915)
Warwick Handicap (1917)
Excelsior Handicap (1918)
Edgemere Handicap (1918)
Yorktown Handicap (1918)
Bowie Handicap (1918)

American Classics wins:
Kentucky Derby (1916)

Last updated on 12/07/2018

Background

George Smith was a black colt by the imported British stallion Out of Reach and out of the imported British mare Consuelo II. His grandsire, Persimmon, was a son of the great English racer and sire St. Simon.[1]

George Smith was named after noted turfman George E. Smith, also known as "Pittsburg Phill", who was once an owner of the colt's dam.[2] The horse was bred by Fred Forsythe and Jack Chinn and was foaled at their Fountain Bleu Farm in Harrodsburg, Kentucky. George Smith was purchased as a yearling for $1,600 by Ed Mcbride, who trained him as a yearling and raced him as a two-year-old.

Racing career

George Smith was a promising two-year-old, winning many major stakes races, including the Victoria Stakes at Old Woodbine Race Course in Toronto.[3] He was then bought by noted Eastern horseman John Sanford for $22,500 as a two-year-old.[4]

The 1916 Kentucky Derby was run on a clear day with a field of 9 horses. George Smith was ridden by American Racing Hall of Fame jockey Johnny Loftus and was the clear contender of the race from the start. The only competition for the win came from Star Hawk, who lost the race by a neck after a rally in the home stretch.[1}

In 1918, George Smith won the Bowie Handicap at Pimlico Race Course by defeating two other Kentucky Derby winners. The 1917 winner, Omar Khayyam, finished second, and the 1918 winner, Exterminator, ran third.[5]

Stud career

George Smith was retired from racing at age five and stood at stud at Sanford's Hurricana Stud farm near Amsterdam, New York. He was a disappointing sire, producing few notable offspring.[6] On August 5, 1926, Sanford donated George Smith and another stallion called Nassovian to the Breeding Bureau of The Jockey Club.[7] By the following year, George Smith was in the possession of the U.S. Army Remount Service, where he sired military horses for his remaining years.[8] For the majority of his remount service, he was stationed at the Lookover Stallion Station in Avon, New York.[9]

References
  1. George Smith Pedigree and Racing Stats
  2. NY Times. May 23, 1915
  3. "History of the Kentucky Derby, 1875-1921"
  4. NY Times, May 14, 1916
  5. Miami News - May 13, 1959
  6. Avalyn Hunter. American Classic Pedigrees: 1914-2002 Blood-Horse Publications, 2003.
  7. NY Times. Aug 5, 1926
  8. Washington Post. Apr. 17, 1927
  9. "Valley horses entered in 5th yearling show". Rochester Times-Union. May 4, 1928. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
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