J. Elliott Burch
Encyclopedia
John Elliott Burch was an American
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
Thoroughbred
racehorse
trainer
. Four of his horses were inducted in the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
.
and grandson of William P. Burch
who were both Hall of Fame trainers. He served with the United States Army Signal Corps
in World War II
.
A graduate of Lawrenceville School
, Yale University
and the University of Kentucky
, Elliott Burch worked as a sports writer
for The Racing Form before going to work for his father in 1955 at Isabel Dodge Sloane's
Brookmeade Stable
. In 1957 he took over from his father as head trainer for whom he would have considerable success. The most famous of his Brookmeade horses was 1959 American Horse of the Year and Hall of Fame inductee, Sword Dancer. Elliott Burch and Sword Dancer were on the cover of the February 22, 1960 issue of Sports Illustrated
.
In 1966 he went to work for Paul Mellon's
Rokeby Stables
where he remained until 1977. For Rokeby, he conditioned four Champions
including the 1969 American Horse of the Year and Hall of Fame inductee, Arts and Letters
and Fort Marcy
, a Hall of Fame inductee and a five-time Eclipse Award
winner including American Co-Champion Horse of the Year. Burch went on to train for the stable of Sonny Whitney
for whom he won a number of important stakes races including the 1982 Suburban Handicap
with Silver Buck in which he set a new Belmont Park
track record of 1:59.60 for 1¼ miles.
. His best results were a second-place finish in 1959 (Sword Dancer) and again in 1969 (Arts and Letters). He also trained four Preakness Stakes
runners, finishing second in 1959 (Sword Dancer) and 1969 (Arts and Letters), third in 1972 (Key To The Mint), and fourth in 1964 (Quadrangle).
In the Belmont Stakes, Burch won three times from the five years in which he had an entrant. He won with Sword Dancer in 1959, with Quadrangle
in 1964 when he thwarted Northern Dancer's
bid for the 1964 Triple Crown
, and his third Belmont in 1969 with Arts and Letters.
In the pre-Breeders Cup era, Burch won such fall classics as the Washington, D.C. International Stakes in 1967, 1970, and 1971 and the Travers Stakes
in 1959, 1964, 1969, and 1972.
In 1980, Elliott Burch was inducted in the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. He retired after the 1985 campaign, having won three American Classic Races and the trainer of six Champions
who won fifteen titles including three Horse of the Year honors.
Elliott Burch died in a Newport, Rhode Island
hospital at age eighty-six following complications from pneumonia
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
National Museum of Racing and 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...
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...
trainer
Horse trainer
In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...
. Four of his horses were inducted in the National Museum of Racing and 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...
.
Biography
Known by Elliott, he is the son of Preston M. BurchPreston M. Burch
Preston Morris Burch was an American Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse trainer, breeder, and owner. -Biography:...
and grandson of William P. Burch
William P. Burch
William Preston Burch was an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame trainer. A native of South Carolina, William Burch served as a courier in the Confederate States Army under Lieut. Gen. Wade Hampton III during the American Civil War...
who were both Hall of Fame trainers. He served with the United States Army Signal Corps
United States Army Signal Corps
The United States Army Signal Corps develops, tests, provides, and manages communications and information systems support for the command and control of combined arms forces. It was established in 1860, the brainchild of United States Army Major Albert J. Myer, and has had an important role from...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
A graduate of Lawrenceville School
Lawrenceville School
The Lawrenceville School is a coeducational, independent preparatory boarding school for grades 9–12 located on in the historic community of Lawrenceville, in Lawrence Township, New Jersey, U.S., five miles southwest of Princeton....
, Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
and the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
, Elliott Burch worked as a sports writer
Sports journalism
Sports journalism is a form of journalism that reports on sports topics and events.While the sports department within some newspapers has been mockingly called the toy department, because sports journalists do not concern themselves with the 'serious' topics covered by the news desk, sports...
for The Racing Form before going to work for his father in 1955 at Isabel Dodge Sloane's
Isabel Dodge Sloane
Isabel Cleves Dodge Sloane was an American heiress and socialite who owned a major Thoroughbred horse racing stable and breeding farm....
Brookmeade Stable
Brookmeade Stable
Brookmeade Stable was a successful thoroughbred horse racing stable owned by heiress and socialite Isabel Dodge Sloane. Sloane first won using the name Brookmeade Stable at the Manly Memorial Steeplechase at Pimlico in 1924....
. In 1957 he took over from his father as head trainer for whom he would have considerable success. The most famous of his Brookmeade horses was 1959 American Horse of the Year and Hall of Fame inductee, Sword Dancer. Elliott Burch and Sword Dancer were on the cover of the February 22, 1960 issue of Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
.
In 1966 he went to work for Paul Mellon's
Paul Mellon
Paul Mellon KBE was an American philanthropist, thoroughbred racehorse owner/breeder. He is one of only five people ever designated an "Exemplar of Racing" by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame...
Rokeby Stables
Rokeby Stables
Rokeby Stables was an American thoroughbred racehorse breeding farm in Upperville, Virginia involved with both steeplechase and flat racing. The operation was established in the late 1940s by Paul Mellon who won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder in 1971 and again in 1986...
where he remained until 1977. For Rokeby, he conditioned four Champions
Eclipse Award
The Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. The Eclipse Awards, honoring the champions of the sport, are sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association , Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers...
including the 1969 American Horse of the Year and Hall of Fame inductee, Arts and Letters
Arts and Letters
Arts and Letters was an American Hall of Fame Champion Thoroughbred racehorse.Owned and bred by American sportsman and noted philanthropist Paul Mellon, and trained by future Hall of Famer Elliott Burch, the colt began racing at age two...
and Fort Marcy
Fort Marcy (horse)
Fort Marcy was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. His grandsire was the important Italian horse, Nearco. In 1970 he earned three Champion titles including Co-Horse of the Year honors. He competed for six years until his retirement at the end of the 1971 racing season.Fort Marcy died in 1991 at...
, a Hall of Fame inductee and a five-time Eclipse Award
Eclipse Award
The Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. The Eclipse Awards, honoring the champions of the sport, are sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association , Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers...
winner including American Co-Champion Horse of the Year. Burch went on to train for the stable of Sonny Whitney
Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney
Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney was an American businessman, film producer, writer, and government official, as well as the owner of a leading stable of thoroughbred racehorses....
for whom he won a number of important stakes races including the 1982 Suburban Handicap
Suburban Handicap
The Suburban Handicap is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is run at the classic one-and-one-quarter mile distance on dirt for a $400,000 purse....
with Silver Buck in which he set a new 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...
track record of 1:59.60 for 1¼ miles.
Triple Crown
Elliott Burch had four horses who ran in the Kentucky DerbyKentucky 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 best results were a second-place finish in 1959 (Sword Dancer) and again in 1969 (Arts and Letters). He also trained four 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...
runners, finishing second in 1959 (Sword Dancer) and 1969 (Arts and Letters), third in 1972 (Key To The Mint), and fourth in 1964 (Quadrangle).
In the Belmont Stakes, Burch won three times from the five years in which he had an entrant. He won with Sword Dancer in 1959, with Quadrangle
Quadrangle (horse)
Quadrangle was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1964 Belmont Stakes. Bred in Virginia by Paul Mellon, he was out of the mare Tap Day, a daughter of the Calumet Farm Champion stallion, Bull Lea...
in 1964 when he thwarted Northern Dancer's
Northern Dancer
Northern Dancer was a Canadian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and the most successful sire of the 20th Century. The National Thoroughbred Racing Association calls him "one of the most influential sires in Thoroughbred history"....
bid for the 1964 Triple Crown
United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
In the United States, the "Triple Crown" is usually the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a series of three Thoroughbred horse races for three-year-old horses run in May and early June of each year consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes.While Daily Racing Form...
, and his third Belmont in 1969 with Arts and Letters.
In the pre-Breeders Cup era, Burch won such fall classics as the Washington, D.C. International Stakes in 1967, 1970, and 1971 and the Travers Stakes
Travers Stakes
The Travers Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York.First held in 1864, it was named for William R. Travers, the president of the old Saratoga Racing Association. His horse, Kentucky, won the first running of the Travers...
in 1959, 1964, 1969, and 1972.
Horses trained
- Sword Dancer
- U.S. Champion 3-Yr-Old Colt (1959)
- U.S. Champion Male Handicap Horse (1959)
- American Horse of the Year (1959)
- United States Racing Hall of FameNational Museum of Racing and Hall of FameThe 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...
(1977)
- Bowl of FlowersBowl of FlowersBowl of Flowers was an American Hall of Fame Thoroughbred Champion racehorse.Bowl of Flowers was the product of two horses owned by Isabel Dodge Sloane...
- U.S. Champion two-year-old filly (1960)
- U.S. Champion three-year-old filly (1961)
- United States' Racing Hall of FameNational Museum of Racing and Hall of FameThe 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...
(2004)
- Fort MarcyFort Marcy (horse)Fort Marcy was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. His grandsire was the important Italian horse, Nearco. In 1970 he earned three Champion titles including Co-Horse of the Year honors. He competed for six years until his retirement at the end of the 1971 racing season.Fort Marcy died in 1991 at...
- American Champion Male Turf Horse (1967, 1970)
- American Co-Champion Male Turf Horse (1968)
- American Champion Older Male Horse (1970)
- American Co-Champion Horse of the Year (1970)
- United States Racing Hall of FameNational Museum of Racing and Hall of FameThe 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...
(1998)
- Arts and LettersArts and LettersArts and Letters was an American Hall of Fame Champion Thoroughbred racehorse.Owned and bred by American sportsman and noted philanthropist Paul Mellon, and trained by future Hall of Famer Elliott Burch, the colt began racing at age two...
- U.S. Champion 3-Yr-Old Colt (1969)
- U.S. Champion Handicap Male Horse (1969)
- American Horse of the Year (1969)
- United States Racing and Hall of FameNational Museum of Racing and Hall of FameThe 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...
(1994)
- Run the GantletRun the GantletRun the Gantlet was an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse and noted sire. He was out of the mare First Feather, whom owner Paul Mellon had purchased as a yearling at a then record price of $90,000 for a filly. He was sired by the 1965 Preakness Stakes winner, Tom Rolfe, a son of the...
- American Champion Male Turf Horse (1971)
- Key to the MintKey to the MintKey to the Mint was an American Thoroughbred racehorse.-Background:Bred by Paul Mellon and raced under his Rokeby Stable colors, Key to the Mint was trained by future Hall of Fame inductee, Elliott Burch.-Racing Career:...
- U.S. Champion 3-Yr-Old Colt (1972)
In 1980, Elliott Burch was inducted in the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. He retired after the 1985 campaign, having won three American Classic Races and the trainer of six Champions
Eclipse Award
The Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. The Eclipse Awards, honoring the champions of the sport, are sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association , Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers...
who won fifteen titles including three Horse of the Year honors.
Elliott Burch died in a Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
hospital at age eighty-six following complications from pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
.