His Majesty was an American 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...

 and Champion 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...

. He was bred by John W. Galbreath and raced under the colors of his Darby Dan Farm

Darby Dan Farm

Darby Dan Farm is a produce, livestock, and thoroughbred horse breeding and training farm founded in 1935 near the Darby Creek in Galloway, Ohio by businessman John W. Galbreath. Named for the creek and for Galbreath's son, Daniel M. Galbreath , it was expanded from an original farm into a 4,000...

. A full brother to Graustark

Graustark (horse)

Graustark was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was a favorite to win the 1966 Kentucky Derby until an injury prematurely ended his career.-Background:Bred by renowned sportsman John W...

, His Majesty was a son of the undefeated superstar European runner and three-time Leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland, Ribot

Ribot (horse)

Ribot was an Italian bay Thoroughbred racehorse, considered the strongest horse of all time.Undefeated in 16 races, he won over distances ranging from 5 furlongs to 1m 7f , in three different countries and in all types of track conditions...

. His dam was the excellent runner and outstanding broodmare, Flower Bowl

Flower Bowl

Flower Bowl was an American Thoroughbred Filly racehorse and an outstanding broodmare. Bred and raced by Isabel Dodge Sloane's Brookmeade Stable, she was out of the mare Flower Bed and sired by the unraced British stallion Alibhai, who became a significant sire in the United States of other good...

 who hemorrhaged to death the morning after his birth.

Trained by Lou Rondinello, at age three His Majesty started 1971 at Florida's

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...

 Hialeah Park Race Track

Hialeah Park Race Track

The Hialeah Park Race Track is a historic site in Hialeah, Florida. Its site covers 40 square blocks of central-east side Hialeah from Palm Avenue east to East 4th Avenue, and from East 22nd Street on the south to East 32nd Street on the north. On March 5, 1979, it was added to the U.S...

 where he won two of his first three starts then recovered from being forced into the rail and stumbling badly to finish third in the Bahamas Stakes

Bahamas Stakes

The Bahamas Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in January at Hialeah Park Race Track in Hialeah, Florida. A seven furlong race on dirt, it was the first important test of the calendar year for newly turned three-year-olds. The race was used by prospective U.S. Triple Crown...

. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=tcwlAAAAIBAJ&sjid=v_MFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5062,4018482&dq=hialeah+his+majesty&hl=en He then won what would be the only significant stakes race of his career under jockey Braulio Baeza

Braulio Baeza

Braulio Baeza is an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey. He began racing in 1955 and in 1960, at the urging of agent Camilo Marin, moved to compete in the United States where at the Keeneland Race Course he won the very first he competed in.Braulio Baeza's success in America was...

, taking the February 17 Everglades Stakes

Everglades Stakes

The Everglades Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Hialeah Park in Hialeah, Florida. For three-year-old horses, the 1 1/8 mile race was run on dirt until 1994 when it was converted to a race on turf...

. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=aMAmAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TiQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4782,3252199&dq=hialeah+his+majesty+everglades+jockey&hl=en Injured in the 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...

 in which he finished sixth, His Majesty underwent surgery for a broken bone in his right front ankle and was sidelined for nine months. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F00615F93A55127B93CBA91788D85F458785F9

Racing at age four, His Majesty finished second by a nose to stablemate Good Counsel in the March 25, 1972 Widener Handicap

Widener Handicap

The Widener Handicap at Hialeah Park Race Track in Hialeah, Florida was a Grade III stakes race for Thoroughbred racehorses 3-years-old and up. It was run over a distance of 1¼ miles until 1993 when it was modified to 1 1/8 miles. Initially called the Widener Challenge Cup Handicap, the race was...

 at Hialeah Park. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=roMyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=x7cFAAAAIBAJ&pg=996,4178660&dq=hialeah+his+majesty&hl=en but was injured again while preparing for the May 30 Hawthorne Gold Cup and was out of racing for another five months. Returning to race at Hialeah Park in January 1973, His Majesty set a new track record of 1:46 2/5 for a mile and an eighth on dirt http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=MNklAAAAIBAJ&sjid=I_MFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4009,3434198&dq=hialeah+his+majesty&hl=en but in the ensuing March 10, 1973 Donn Handicap

Donn Handicap

The Donn Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in late January/early February at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida.The race is named after the Donn family, who for many years owned and operated the racetrack....

 he suffered a tendon

Tendon

A tendon is a tough band of fibrous connective tissue that usually connects muscle to bone and is capable of withstanding tension. Tendons are similar to ligaments and fasciae as they are all made of collagen except that ligaments join one bone to another bone, and fasciae connect muscles to other...

 injury that ended his racing career.

His Majesty died at age 27 in September 1995 from the infirmities of old age. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sun_sentinel/access/18368229.html?dids=18368229:18368229&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Oct+01%2C+1995&author=DAVE+JOSEPH&pub=South+Florida+Sun+-+Sentinel&desc=FULL-SPEED+AHEAD+FOR+IMPROVED+POMPANO&pqatl=google He is buried in the Darby Dan Farm equine cemetery. http://www.tbheritage.com/TurfHallmarks/Graves/cem/GraveMattersDarbyDan.html

A Champion sire

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 at Darby Dan Farm in 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...

, His Majesty became an influential sire of more than fifty stakes race winners as well as a prominent broodmare sire. Among his most notable progeny were:

• Asaltante (b. 1974) - won Handicap de las Américas;
• Mehmet (b. 1978) - multiple stakes winner including the G1 Monmouth Handicap;
• Pleasant Colony
  Pleasant Colony
  Pleasant Colony was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the first two legs of the 1981 U.S. Triple Crown series....
  
   (b. 1978) - won 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...
  
  , 1981 American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse ;
• Majesty's Prince
  Majesty's Prince
  Majesty's Prince was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred at John D. Marsh's farm in Gainesville, Virginia, he was out of the mare Pied Princess, a daughter of 1953 American Horse of the Year and U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee, Tom Fool...
  
   (b. 1979) - won the Rothmans International
  Canadian International Stakes
  The Canadian International Stakes is a $2 million Grade I Canadian stakes race on Turf for thoroughbred racehorses three years of age and up held annually in October at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario....
  
  , (1982, 1984), the Man o' War Handicap
  Man O' War Stakes
  The Man o' War Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Now Raced in July, it is a Grade I event offering a purse of $500,000 and is open to horses three-years-old and up. Run at one and three-eighths mile on the grass, the race sometimes attracts top European horses...
  
   (1983, 1984), and the Sword Dancer Handicap
  Sword Dancer Invitational Handicap
  The Sword Dancer Invitational Handicap is an American race for thoroughbred horses, aged three and up, run annually in mid August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. A prep for the Breeders' Cup Turf, it is set at a distance of one and one-half miles on the turf...
  
   (1983, 1984);
• Country Pine (b. 1980) - won 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...
  
  ;
• Tight Spot (b. 1987) - 1991 American Champion Male Turf Horse whose wins included the Arlington Million
  Arlington Million
  The Arlington Million is a Grade 1 flathorse race in the United States for thoroughbred horses aged three years and upward. It is raced over a distance of 1¼ miles on the turf at Arlington Park, Arlington Heights, Illinois in August each year...
  
  , Eddie Read Handicap
  Eddie Read Handicap
  The Eddie Read Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually during the second half of July at the Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. Open to horses age three and older, it is raced at a distance of one and one-eighth miles on turf...
  
  , and Del Mar Derby
  Del Mar Derby
  The Del Mar Derby is an American thoroughbred horse race run annually during the first week of September at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California...
  
  .

Through his daughter, Razyana, His Majesty is the damsire of the outstanding international sire, Danehill

Danehill (horse)

Danehill was a Thoroughbred racehorse who was bred in the United States. During his phenomenal stud career Danehill became a champion sire on both sides of the Equator...

.

His Majesty was the grandsire of the 1993 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...

 winner Colonial Affair

Colonial Affair

Colonial Affair is an American thoroughbred stallion racehorse....

 and of the 1994 Kentucky Derby winner, Go For Gin

Go for Gin

Go for Gin is an American thoroughbred racehorse best known as the winner of the 1994 Kentucky Derby. He was sired by Cormorant out of the dam Never Knock...

. He was also the damsire of:

• Risen Moon - winner in England of the 1990 Cambridgeshire Handicap
  Cambridgeshire Handicap
  The Cambridgeshire Handicap is a flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile and 1 furlong , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late September or early October.The event...
  
  
• Midway Lady - winner of three Group One
  Group One
  Group One or Group 1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. Group One races may be run under handicap conditions in Australia but in Europe weight-for-age conditions always apply. Races may be also restricted to age groups or a...
  
   races: the 1985 Prix Marcel Boussac
  Prix Marcel Boussac
  The Prix Marcel Boussac is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,600 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early October....
  
   in France, and in 1986 two British Classics, the 1,000 Guineas Stakes and Epsom Oaks
  Epsom Oaks
  The Oaks Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 10 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early June....
  
  
• Parade Ground - won the 1998 Lawrence Realization Stakes
  Lawrence Realization Stakes
  The Lawrence Realization Stakes was an American horse race first run on the turf in 1889. The race, for three-year-old Thoroughbred colts, geldings and fillies, was last run in 2005.-History:...
  
  , National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Handicap
  National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Handicap
  The National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race set at a distance of one and one-eighths miles on the turf at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. A Grade II event, it's open to three-year-olds of either gender, and carries a purse of...
  
  , Belmont Lexington Stakes
  Belmont Lexington Stakes
  The Belmont Lexington is a Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run over a distance of one and one eighth miles on the inner turf course at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York....
  
  , Tampa Bay Derby
  Tampa Bay Derby
  The Tampa Bay Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race held in mid March at Tampa Bay Downs. A Grade III event since 2002, it is open to three-year-olds willing to race one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt. The race has gained in popularity over the past few years and is now listed as an...