Blue Man (horse)
Encyclopedia
Blue Man was an American
Thoroughbred
racehorse
best known for winning the Preakness Stakes
.
He was bred by Allen T. Simmons at his Lexington, Kentucky
horse farm, a property that had been part of the renowned Idle Hour Stock Farm
. Blue Man's dam was Poppycock, a granddaughter of the great Man o' War
. His sire was Blue Swords, who won several handicaps and ran second to Count Fleet
in the Kentucky Derby
and Preakness Stakes
. Grandsire Blue Larkspur
was the 1929 American Horse of the Year and a U.S. Racing Hall of Fame
inductee.
Blue Man was owned by Arthur Abbott of Rye, New York
, founder of Abbott's Frozen Custard
, who raced him under the White Oak Stable banner. Trained by future Hall of Fame inductee Woody Stephens
, at age two Blue Man showed limited racing ability. In the spring of 1952, the then three-year-old colt won the important Flamingo Stakes
at Hialeah Park in Florida
. In the ensuing Kentucky Derby
, he finished third to winner Hill Gail
, then won the most important race of his career in the second leg of the U.S. Triple Crown series.
, who was to be ridden by star jockey, Eddie Arcaro
. Blue Man was ridden by Conn McCreary
, a top jockey and future Hall of Fam inductee who had won the 1944 Preakness and was known for his dramatic come-from behind rides. In typical McCreary style, by the time he and Blue Man reached the three-quarter pole they were at the back of the pack, running ahead of just one other horse. One by one, they began passing the field, then pulled away in the homestretch to win by three-and-a-half lengths. For trainer Woody Stephens, Blue Man was his first of nine Preakness starters and his only winner.
Sent to compete in the final leg of the Triple Crown, the 1½ mile Belmont Stakes
, Blue Man ran second to One Count. That year, Blue Man won other important races such as the Yankee Handicap at East Boston's
Suffolk Downs
and the Dwyer Stakes
held that year at the Old Aqueduct Racetrack
.
Retired to stud
duty, in 1958 Blue Man was sold to Canadian breeder Frank R. Conklin who stood him at his Midway Farm in Brantford, Ontario
. Successful as a sire
and damsire, Blue Man produced a number of Canadian stakes race winners.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Thoroughbred
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
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
best known for winning the Preakness Stakes
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 was bred by Allen T. Simmons at his 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...
horse farm, a property that had been part of the renowned 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...
. Blue Man's dam was Poppycock, a granddaughter of the great Man o' War
Man O' War
Man O' War, man o' war or manowar may refer to:* Man-of-war, a warship* Man of war for uses with this spelling - Places :...
. His sire was Blue Swords, who won several handicaps and ran second to Count Fleet
Count Fleet
Count Fleet was born and died at Stoner Creek Stud farm in Paris, Kentucky, United States. He was a Thoroughbred racehorse and Triple Crown champion in 1943....
in the 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...
and Preakness Stakes
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...
. Grandsire Blue Larkspur
Blue Larkspur
Blue Larkspur was a bay Kentucky-bred thoroughbred race horse. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1957, awarded the 1929 Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year, and ranks Number 100 in Blood-Horse magazine's top 100 U.S. thoroughbred champions of the 20th Century...
was the 1929 American Horse of the Year and a U.S. Racing Hall of Fame
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...
inductee.
Blue Man was owned by Arthur Abbott of Rye, New York
Rye (city), New York
Rye is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is separate from the town of Rye, which is larger than the city. Rye city, formerly the village of Rye, was part of the town until 1942, when it received its charter as a city, the most recent to be issued in New York...
, founder of Abbott's Frozen Custard
Abbott's Frozen Custard
Abbott's Frozen Custard is a frozen custard franchise founded and based in Rochester, New York. The franchise has stores throughout New York state along with four stores in Florida and one store in Massachusetts....
, who raced him under the White Oak Stable banner. Trained by future Hall of Fame inductee Woody Stephens
Woody Stephens
Woody Stephens was an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame trainer.Born Woodford Cefis Stephens in Stanton, Kentucky, his younger brother William Ward Stephens also became a successful trainer. Woody Stephens first started in racing as a jockey at age 16 but within a few years switched...
, at age two Blue Man showed limited racing ability. In the spring of 1952, the then three-year-old colt won the important Flamingo Stakes
Flamingo Stakes
The Flamingo Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually in March at the Hialeah Park Race Track in Hialeah, Florida. Run over a distance of nine furlongs, the inaugural race took place in 1926 at the Tampa, Florida racetrack...
at Hialeah Park in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. In the ensuing 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...
, he finished third to winner Hill Gail
Hill Gail
Hill Gail was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred and raced by the renowned Calumet Farm of Lexington, Kentucky, the son of Champion sire, Bull Lea, Hill Gail is best known as the winner of the 1952 Kentucky Derby....
, then won the most important race of his career in the second leg of the U.S. Triple Crown series.
1952 Preakness Stakes
Derby winner Hill Gail had to be withdrawn from the Preakness as a result of an injury, but Blue Man still faced a solid field led by Walter M. Jeffords' highly regarded One CountOne Count
One Count was an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. Owned and bred by Walter M. Jeffords, Sr., and raced by his wife, Sarah, he was a son of the 1943 U.S. Triple Crown Champion, Count Fleet.-Racing career:...
, who was to be ridden by star jockey, Eddie Arcaro
Eddie Arcaro
George Edward Arcaro , known professionally as Eddie Arcaro, was an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who won more American classic races than any other jockey in history and is the only rider to have won the U.S. Triple Crown twice...
. Blue Man was ridden by Conn McCreary
Conn McCreary
Conn N. McCreary was a United States Hall of Fame jockey and trainer in Thoroughbred horse racing who won four American Classic Races....
, a top jockey and future Hall of Fam inductee who had won the 1944 Preakness and was known for his dramatic come-from behind rides. In typical McCreary style, by the time he and Blue Man reached the three-quarter pole they were at the back of the pack, running ahead of just one other horse. One by one, they began passing the field, then pulled away in the homestretch to win by three-and-a-half lengths. For trainer Woody Stephens, Blue Man was his first of nine Preakness starters and his only winner.
Sent to compete in the final leg of the Triple Crown, the 1½ mile 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...
, Blue Man ran second to One Count. That year, Blue Man won other important races such as the Yankee Handicap at East Boston's
East Boston, Massachusetts
East Boston is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, with approximately 40,000 residents. The community was created by connecting several islands using landfill and was annexed by Boston in 1836. East Boston is separated from the rest of the city by Boston Harbor and bordered by Winthrop,...
Suffolk Downs
Suffolk 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...
and the Dwyer Stakes
Dwyer Stakes
The Dwyer Stakes is an American Grade II stakes race for three-year-old thoroughbred racehorses held annually at Belmont Park racetrack in Elmont, Long Island, New York. Run in early July, it is open to three-year-old horses and is raced over a distance of 1 1/16-miles on dirt...
held that year at the Old Aqueduct Racetrack
Aqueduct Racetrack
Aqueduct Racetrack is a thoroughbred horse-racing facility and racino in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. Its racing meets usually are from late October/early November through April.-History:...
.
Retired to stud
Stud (animal)
A stud animal is a registered animal retained for breeding. The terms for the male of a given animal species usually imply that the animal is entire—that is, not castrated—and therefore capable of siring offspring...
duty, in 1958 Blue Man was sold to Canadian breeder Frank R. Conklin who stood him at his Midway Farm in Brantford, Ontario
Brantford, Ontario
Brantford is a city located on the Grand River in Southern Ontario, Canada. While geographically surrounded by the County of Brant, the city is politically independent...
. Successful as a sire
Sire
Sire may refer to:* Father, the counterpart of a dam, particularly in animal breeding. See also stallion* James W. Sire, author on worldviews* Sire Records, a record label* Sire Advertising, an advertising agency...
and damsire, Blue Man produced a number of Canadian stakes race winners.