J. O. Tobin 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...

. Bred in Maryland

Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

 by his owner, George A. Pope, Jr., he was sent to race in England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 under trainer Noel Murless

Noel Murless

Sir Charles Francis Noel Murless began his career as a racehorse trainer in 1935 at Hambleton Lodge in Yorkshire before moving to Hambleton House after the war, at one time sharing premises with the equally legendary Ryan Price...

. Racing at age two he won the Richmond Stakes

Richmond Stakes

The Richmond Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and geldings. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 6 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late July or early August....

 at Goodwood Racecourse

Goodwood Racecourse

Goodwood Racecourse is a horse-racing track five miles north of Chichester, West Sussex, in England controlled by the family of the Duke of Richmond, whose seat is nearby Goodwood House...

, the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster Racecourse

Doncaster Racecourse

Doncaster Racecourse is a racecourse in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It hosts two of Great Britain's 31 Group 1 flat races, the St Leger Stakes and the Racing Post Trophy.- History :...

, and was third to Blushing Groom

Blushing Groom

Blushing Groom was a French Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. He was bred by American businessman John McNamee Sullivan and was raced by HH Aga Khan IV. A descendant of Nearco, Blushing Groom was sired by Red God and out of the mare Runaway Bride....

 in the Grand Criterium

Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère

The Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early October.It is the oldest and most prestigious race in France...

 at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

, France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

. The 1976 Champion two-year-old, he was Top-Weighted on the Great Britain Free Handicap.

Sent to race in the United States, J. O. Tobin is well remembered for his win in the 1977 Swaps Stakes

Swaps Stakes

The Swaps Stakes is a race for Thoroughbred horses run annually at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California. The race is open to three-year-old horses willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the dirt. A Grade II event, it carries a purse of $350,000.Run in mid July, this race is...

 at Hollywood Park Racetrack  in which he beat the U.S. 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...

 champion Seattle Slew

Seattle Slew

Seattle Slew was an American Thoroughbred race horse who won the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing in 1977, the tenth of eleven horses to accomplish the feat. He remains the only horse to win the Triple Crown while undefeated. In the Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S...

 who had been undefeated in nine consecutive races. Trained by former jockey and 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, Johnny Adams, he beat Affiliate by 8 3/4-lengths in a time of 1:58 3/5 that missed the track and world record

World record

A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...

 for 1 1/4 miles by only two-fifths of a second. Seattle Slew finished 4th, 16 lengths behind. Ridden by Bill Shoemaker, he led from start to finish, running very fast fractions of 22 2/5 to the 1/4 mile, 45 2/5 to the 1/2 mile, 1:09 1/5 to the 3/4 mile & 1:33 3/5 to the mile. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XDsQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=f48DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5465,102293&dq=jo+tobin+adams

In 1978, J. O. Tobin's race conditioning was taken over by future Hall of Fame trainer Laz Barrera

Laz Barrera

Lazaro Sosa Barrera was a Cuban-born American Hall of Fame thoroughbred racehorse trainer.Born in Havana, "Laz" Barrera was one of nine brothers who went on to become involved in thoroughbred horse racing in the United States...

 who guided him to wins in six Graded stakes race

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...

s and American Champion Sprint Horse honors.

J. O. Tobin died in 1994, in Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

.