Blue Swords (horse)
Encyclopedia
Blue Swords was an American Thoroughbred
race horse
who debuted as a two-year-old in 1942. Bred in Kentucky by Samuel D. Riddle
, he was owned by Allen T. Simmons of Akron, Ohio
, a rubber mogul and radio station operator. He was rated a close rival of Occupation, owned by Chicago, Illinois contractor John Marsch, in horse racing
competition in the Western United States
.
Blue Swords was a son of Blue Larkspur
and Flaming Swords, whose father was Man o' War
. In 22 starts he earned 5 wins, 5 places, and 2 shows. His career earnings totaled $58,065.
Futurity event on August 15, 1942. A 20 to 1 shot, he was bested by the winner, Occupation, and Count Fleet
, who placed second. On September 3, 1942 he came within 1/5 of a second of the Aqueduct Racetrack
track record established by the sprinter Doulrab. Blue Swords bested Col. Teddy
by three lengths, finishing with a time of 1:10 3/5.
Blue Swords secured a purse of $10,800 by winning the Eastern Shore Handicap at Havre de Grace, Maryland
on September 12, 1942. He won by a length after taking the lead down the stretch and
pulling away comfortably. He ran the six furlongs in 1:12.
On the final day of the Belmont Park
fall meeting, October 10, 1942, Count Fleet established a track record by running 1:34 4/5 in the Champagne Stakes. Blue Swords ran second, putting up a strong pursuit. Count Fleet had fractions of 0:23, 0:46, 1:10, and 1:34 4/5. Blue Swords
second position was eight lengths faster than third place Attendant.
In early odds for the 1943 Kentucky Derby
Blue Swords was given an 8 to 1 shot by James J.
Carroll, St. Louis, Missouri
sports betting commissioner. Also at 8 to 1 were Ocean Wave (Horse)
and Devil's Thumb. Count Fleet was named the favorite at 2 to 1.
On April 8, 1943 Blue Swords finished a disappointing 11th at Jamaica, New York in the feature race, Experimental handicap. He came in ahead of only four horses at a time when he was considered second to Count Fleet in the Kentucky Derby future books.
, on April 17, 1943. Al Wolf of the Los Angeles Times
gave him the edge provided there was mud on the race track.
Blue Swords again failed to perform up to expectations, this time in the Derby Trial. He ran poorly throughout the six furlongs, finishing ahead of just four horses among a field of fifteen. In the Wood Memorial Stakes
on April 17, 1943, Count Fleet won handily after Blue Swords led temporarily prior to the half mile mark. At the finish Count Fleet led Blue Swords by four lengths.
On April 23, 1943 Blue Swords had an impressive workout at Churchill Downs
, running 3/8 of a mile in :41 2/5. Count Fleet was timed three seconds quicker, clocking in at :38 2/5. On April 30 Blue Swords was given 8 to 1 odds and was assigned the #1 post position.
On May 1, 1943, in front of a crowd of 60,000 in attendance, Blue Swords finished three lengths behind Count Fleet. Count Fleet's next nearest rival, Slide Rule
, was nine lengths in back of him at the end.
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...
race horse
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...
who debuted as a two-year-old in 1942. Bred in Kentucky by Samuel D. Riddle
Samuel D. Riddle
Samuel Doyle Riddle . He was born in Glen Riddle, Pennsylvania, a small town southwest of Philadelphia given the family name in honor of his grandfather....
, he was owned by Allen T. Simmons of Akron, Ohio
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
, a rubber mogul and radio station operator. He was rated a close rival of Occupation, owned by Chicago, Illinois contractor John Marsch, in horse racing
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...
competition in the Western United States
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
.
Blue Swords was a son of 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...
and Flaming Swords, whose father was 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 :...
. In 22 starts he earned 5 wins, 5 places, and 2 shows. His career earnings totaled $58,065.
Notable races
Blue Swords finished third in the Washington Park Race TrackWashington Park Race Track
Washington Park Race Track was a popular horse racing venue in the Chicago metropolitan area from 1884 until 1977. It had two locations during its existence. It was first situated in what is the current location of the Washington Park Subdivision of the Woodlawn community area of Chicago in Cook...
Futurity event on August 15, 1942. A 20 to 1 shot, he was bested by the winner, Occupation, and 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....
, who placed second. On September 3, 1942 he came within 1/5 of a second of the 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:...
track record established by the sprinter Doulrab. Blue Swords bested Col. Teddy
by three lengths, finishing with a time of 1:10 3/5.
Blue Swords secured a purse of $10,800 by winning the Eastern Shore Handicap at Havre de Grace, Maryland
Havre de Grace, Maryland
Havre de Grace is a city in Harford County, Maryland, United States. Located at the mouth of the Susquehanna River and the head of the Chesapeake Bay, Havre de Grace is named after the port city of Le Havre, France, which was first named Le Havre de Grâce, meaning in French "Harbor of Grace." As...
on September 12, 1942. He won by a length after taking the lead down the stretch and
pulling away comfortably. He ran the six furlongs in 1:12.
On the final day of the Belmont Park
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...
fall meeting, October 10, 1942, Count Fleet established a track record by running 1:34 4/5 in the Champagne Stakes. Blue Swords ran second, putting up a strong pursuit. Count Fleet had fractions of 0:23, 0:46, 1:10, and 1:34 4/5. Blue Swords
second position was eight lengths faster than third place Attendant.
In early odds for the 1943 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...
Blue Swords was given an 8 to 1 shot by James J.
Carroll, St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
sports betting commissioner. Also at 8 to 1 were Ocean Wave (Horse)
Ocean Wave (horse)
Ocean Wave was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was a main rival ofCount Fleet in the early 1940s. Owned by Calumet Farm, he was trained by Ben Jones. and owned by Warren Wright, Ocean Wave was the son of Blenheimand Columbiana...
and Devil's Thumb. Count Fleet was named the favorite at 2 to 1.
On April 8, 1943 Blue Swords finished a disappointing 11th at Jamaica, New York in the feature race, Experimental handicap. He came in ahead of only four horses at a time when he was considered second to Count Fleet in the Kentucky Derby future books.
Kentucky Derby runnerup
Nevertheless odds makers made Blue Swords a 6 to 1 pick to win the Kentucky Derby prior to the horses arrival in Louisville, KentuckyLouisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, on April 17, 1943. Al Wolf of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
gave him the edge provided there was mud on the race track.
Blue Swords again failed to perform up to expectations, this time in the Derby Trial. He ran poorly throughout the six furlongs, finishing ahead of just four horses among a field of fifteen. In the Wood Memorial Stakes
Wood Memorial Stakes
The Wood Memorial Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually at Aqueduct Racetrack in Jamaica, New York. It is currently a Grade I race run over a distance of 9 furlongs on dirt....
on April 17, 1943, Count Fleet won handily after Blue Swords led temporarily prior to the half mile mark. At the finish Count Fleet led Blue Swords by four lengths.
On April 23, 1943 Blue Swords had an impressive workout at Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs...
, running 3/8 of a mile in :41 2/5. Count Fleet was timed three seconds quicker, clocking in at :38 2/5. On April 30 Blue Swords was given 8 to 1 odds and was assigned the #1 post position.
On May 1, 1943, in front of a crowd of 60,000 in attendance, Blue Swords finished three lengths behind Count Fleet. Count Fleet's next nearest rival, Slide Rule
Slide Rule (horse)
Slide Rule was a thoroughbred race horse who was owned by William E. Boeing of Boeing. He was a stablemate of the morenoted Devil's Thumb, and in April of 1943, of the colt Twoses...
, was nine lengths in back of him at the end.