Bimelech
Encyclopedia
Bimelech was a champion Thoroughbred
racehorse who won two Triple Crown
races, was twice named American horse of the year, and is ranked #84 among U.S. racehorses of the 20th century. After retiring to stud, he sired 30 stakes winners and his daughters produced 50 stakes winners.
Idle Hour Stock Farm
near Lexington, Kentucky
. Colonel Bradley named this latest La Troienne
foal after a friend, John Harris, who went by the nickname Abimelech. He dropped the "A" because he gave his horses names that began with a "B". Bimelech was the last colt
sired by Bradley's major stallion
, Black Toney
, and was a full brother to Black Helen
, the 1935 champion three-year-old filly
. (Black Toney was also the sire of Hall of Famer
Black Gold
.)
by three lengths. In his next race, an allowance at Empire City, he wired the field. Bimelech's first stakes
race was at Saratoga Race Course
, where he defeated Briar Sharp and Andy K. in the Saratoga Special Stakes
. He then went on to win the Hopeful Stakes by a neck. He ended his first season with a length and a half victory in the Belmont Futurity Stakes and a four length win in the Pimlico Futurity. Bimelech was named American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt. He was also the Experimental Free Handicap Highweight at 130 pounds, a prodigious weight for a young horse.
He became the favorite to win the 1940 Kentucky Derby
; his winterbook odds of three to one were the lowest odds ever quoted for a Derby favorite up to that time.
In his first race as a three-year-old, Bimelech took the Blue Grass Stakes
by two and a half lengths. He then won the Derby Trial Stakes, beating a colt from Milky Way Farms called Gallahadion
.
Still undefeated, Bimelech was the overwhelming choice for the Derby, which had had its purse raised to $75,000 added. It was his third start in 8 days. At six to one, Charles S. Howard's Mioland
was the bettor's second choice. (Howard owned and raced the famous Seabiscuit
.) Gallahadion was thirty-five to one.
In the Derby, Bimelech drifted farther and farther out from the rail and ran wide the entire race. The longer distance left him exhausted in the last few furlong
s. Gallahadion passed him in the final furlong. Bimelech's jockey, Fred Smith
, took the blame for the loss.
A short time later, Bimelech beat Gallahadion in the Preakness
. He ran second in the Withers Stakes
(records indicate this was due to poor preparation, so, after the Withers, Bimelech went into heavy training), and won the Belmont Stakes
. He struggled to win his next race, and it was discovered he was racing with an injured foot, which ended his racing that year. He took that year's honor of American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse.
When the new starting gates were introduced, Bimelech acted very badly while being loaded into the gate. After two races, Bradley retired his horse, fearing Bimelech would hurt himself.
, King Ranch
, and Ogden Phipps
) bought Bimelech. They stood him at Greentree Stud, where he sired 30 stakes winners, including these multiple stakes-winners:
Daughters of Bimelech produced 50 stakes winners. Bimelech died in 1966.
in 1990. In the Blood-Horse magazine List of Top 100 Racehorses of the 20th Century, Bimelech was ranked number 84.
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorse who won two Triple Crown
Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing consists of three races for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment of a Thoroughbred racehorse...
races, was twice named American horse of the year, and is ranked #84 among U.S. racehorses of the 20th century. After retiring to stud, he sired 30 stakes winners and his daughters produced 50 stakes winners.
Early life
Bimelech was foaled at Colonel E. R. Bradley'sEdward R. Bradley
Colonel Edward Riley Bradley was an American steel mill laborer, gold miner, businessman and philanthropist. As well as a race track proprietor, he was the preeminent owner and breeder of Thoroughbred racehorses in the Southern United States during the first three decades of the 20th Century...
Idle Hour Stock Farm
Idle Hour Stock Farm
Idle Hour Stock Farm was a 400 acre thoroughbred horse breeding and training farm near Lexington, Kentucky, United States established in 1906 by Colonel Edward R...
near Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
. Colonel Bradley named this latest La Troienne
La Troienne
La Troienne, was one of the most famous and influential Thoroughbred broodmares in twentieth century America. She produced 10 winners while at stud....
foal after a friend, John Harris, who went by the nickname Abimelech. He dropped the "A" because he gave his horses names that began with a "B". Bimelech was the last colt
Colt (horse)
A colt is a young male horse, under the age of four. The term "colt" is often confused with foal, which refers to a horse of either sex under one year of age....
sired by Bradley's major stallion
Stallion (horse)
A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded .Stallions will follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" neck, as well as a somewhat more muscular physique as compared to...
, Black Toney
Black Toney
Black Toney was bred by James R. Keene's Castleton Farm. Keene, whose health was failing , sold all his holdings in 1912 to Colonel Edward R. Bradley's Idle Hour Stock Farm in Lexington, Kentucky...
, and was a full brother to Black Helen
Black Helen
Black Helen was an American Thoroughbred race horse bred and foaled in the spring of 1932 at Colonel E. R. Bradley's Idle Hour Stock Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. Black Helen was the result of a mating between Bradley's best stallion, Black Toney, and the legendary "blue hen" mare La Troienne...
, the 1935 champion three-year-old filly
Filly
A filly is a young female horse too young to be called a mare. There are several specific definitions in use.*In most cases filly is a female horse under the age of four years old....
. (Black Toney was also the sire of Hall of Famer
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 race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
Black Gold
Black Gold (horse)
Black Gold was an American Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 50th running of the Kentucky Derby in 1924....
.)
Racing career
Bimelech was undefeated as a two-year-old, winning his first over maidens at Suffolk DownsSuffolk Downs
Suffolk Downs, a thoroughbred race track in East Boston, Massachusetts, United States opened in 1935. Famous horses that have raced at this track include Seabiscuit, Whirlaway, Funny Cide and Cigar. The MassCap is held there, as well at the annual Hot Dog Safari...
by three lengths. In his next race, an allowance at Empire City, he wired the field. Bimelech's first stakes
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
race was at Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.-History:John...
, where he defeated Briar Sharp and Andy K. in the Saratoga Special Stakes
Saratoga Special Stakes
The Saratoga Special Stakes is an American grade II thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid-August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The race is for two-year-olds willing to race six and a half furlongs on the dirt....
. He then went on to win the Hopeful Stakes by a neck. He ended his first season with a length and a half victory in the Belmont Futurity Stakes and a four length win in the Pimlico Futurity. Bimelech was named American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt. He was also the Experimental Free Handicap Highweight at 130 pounds, a prodigious weight for a young horse.
He became the favorite to win the 1940 Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
; his winterbook odds of three to one were the lowest odds ever quoted for a Derby favorite up to that time.
In his first race as a three-year-old, Bimelech took the Blue Grass Stakes
Blue Grass Stakes
The Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, currently sponsored by the Toyota Motor Corporation, is an American Grade 1 horse race for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds held annually in mid April at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Kentucky....
by two and a half lengths. He then won the Derby Trial Stakes, beating a colt from Milky Way Farms called Gallahadion
Gallahadion
Gallahadion was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known as the 1940 winner of the Kentucky Derby. A son of the Champion sire Sir Gallahad III, his damsire was U.S. Horse of the Year Reigh Count who won the 1928 edition of the Kentucky Derby. Owned by Ethel V...
.
Still undefeated, Bimelech was the overwhelming choice for the Derby, which had had its purse raised to $75,000 added. It was his third start in 8 days. At six to one, Charles S. Howard's Mioland
Mioland
Mioland was an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred in Oregon by H. W. Ray, he was out of the mare Iolanda. His German-born sire was Mio D'Arezzo, a winner of the Deutsches St...
was the bettor's second choice. (Howard owned and raced the famous Seabiscuit
Seabiscuit
Seabiscuit was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse in the United States. From an inauspicious start, Seabiscuit became an unlikely champion and a symbol of hope to many Americans during the Great Depression...
.) Gallahadion was thirty-five to one.
In the Derby, Bimelech drifted farther and farther out from the rail and ran wide the entire race. The longer distance left him exhausted in the last few furlong
Furlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to 220 yards, 660 feet, 40 rods, or 10 chains. The exact value of the furlong varies slightly among English-speaking countries....
s. Gallahadion passed him in the final furlong. Bimelech's jockey, Fred Smith
Fred A. Smith
Fred A. Smith was a Cuban American jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing best remembered for narrowly missing victory in the 1940 U.S. Triple Crown....
, took the blame for the loss.
A short time later, Bimelech beat Gallahadion in the Preakness
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
. He ran second in the Withers Stakes
Withers Stakes
The Withers Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds willing to compete one mile on the dirt. Held at Aqueduct Racetrack every year at the end of April , it is a Grade III event, and offers a purse of $150,000...
(records indicate this was due to poor preparation, so, after the Withers, Bimelech went into heavy training), and won the Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
. He struggled to win his next race, and it was discovered he was racing with an injured foot, which ended his racing that year. He took that year's honor of American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse.
When the new starting gates were introduced, Bimelech acted very badly while being loaded into the gate. After two races, Bradley retired his horse, fearing Bimelech would hurt himself.
Stud record
In 1946, Bradley died and all his horses were sold. A syndicate (Greentree StudGreentree Stable
Greentree Stable, in Red Bank, New Jersey, was a major American thoroughbred horse racing stable and breeding farm established in 1914 by Payne Whitney of the Whitney family of New York City. Payne Whitney operated a horse farm and stable at Saratoga Springs, New York with his brother Harry Payne...
, King Ranch
King Ranch
King Ranch, located in south Texas between Corpus Christi and Brownsville, is one of the world's largest ranches. The ranch, founded in 1853 by Captain Richard King and Gideon K. Lewis, includes portions of six Texas counties, including most of Kleberg County and much of Kenedy County, with...
, and Ogden Phipps
Ogden Phipps
Ogden Phipps was an American stockbroker, court tennis champion and Hall of Fame member, thoroughbred horse racing executive and owner/breeder, and an art collector and philanthropist...
) bought Bimelech. They stood him at Greentree Stud, where he sired 30 stakes winners, including these multiple stakes-winners:
- Alfoxie, wom Laurel Stakes and Jasmine Stakes
- Bassanio, won Monmouth Handicap and USA Sussex Handicap
- Be Faithful, won Beverly Handicap (twice) etc; was the second dam of Never BendNever BendNever Bend was an American Thoroughbred Champion racehorse and a leading sire in England.-Two-Year-Old Champion:Foaled at Claiborne Farm for owner/breeder Harry F. Guggenheim, Never Bend was the dominant two-year-old racing in the United States in 1962...
. He also sired Better Self, the broodmare sire of Dr. FagerDr. FagerDr. Fager was an American a thoroughbred racehorse who had what many consider one of the greatest single racing seasons by any horse in the history of the sport. "The Doctor" was the only horse who ever held four titles in one year...
. - Better Self, won Saratoga Handicap etc; the damsire of Dr. FagerDr. FagerDr. Fager was an American a thoroughbred racehorse who had what many consider one of the greatest single racing seasons by any horse in the history of the sport. "The Doctor" was the only horse who ever held four titles in one year...
. - Blue Border, won Palm Beach Handicap and Shevlin Stakes etc.
- Bradley, won Great American Stakes and Sanford Stakes
- Brookfield (Domino Handicap and Wilmington Handicap)
- Burning Dream (American Handicap and San Francisco County Handicap)
- Bymeabond (Santa Anita DerbySanta Anita DerbyThe Santa Anita Derby is an American Grade 1 thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run each April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California and carries a purse of $1 million. Inaugurated in 1935, it is considered the most important West Coast stepping-stone to the Kentucky Derby...
and San Jose Handicap) - Getthere Jack (Great American Stakes and Tremont Stakes)
- Guillotine (Lincoln's Birthday Handicap and Futurity Stakes etc.)
- Jabneh (Hialeah Turf Handicap, Longfellow Handicap)
- Laugh (USA Albany Stakes and Flash Stakes)
- Torch Of War (Churchill Downs Handicap and USA de Soto Handicap)
- Well Away (La Centinela Stakes and Yo Tambien Handicap)
Daughters of Bimelech produced 50 stakes winners. Bimelech died in 1966.
Legacy
Bimelech was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of FameNational 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 race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
in 1990. In the Blood-Horse magazine List of Top 100 Racehorses of the 20th Century, Bimelech was ranked number 84.