Reviewer 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...

 best known as the sire of the 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...

 filly

Filly

A filly is a young female horse too young to be called a mare. There are several specific definitions in use.*In most cases filly is a female horse under the age of four years old....

, Ruffian

Ruffian (horse)

Ruffian was an American champion thoroughbred racehorse. Ruffian is considered by many to be the greatest female racehorse in history. Ruffian is among the greatest U.S. racehorses of all time. Her story was told in 2007 film Ruffian.- Career :An almost coal black filly of 16 and a half hands,...

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Foaled in Kentucky

Kentucky

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...

, the dark bay colt was owned and bred by Ogden Phipps

Ogden Phipps

Ogden Phipps was an American stockbroker, court tennis champion and Hall of Fame member, thoroughbred horse racing executive and owner/breeder, and an art collector and philanthropist...

. A son of Bold Ruler

Bold Ruler

Bold Ruler was an American Thoroughbred Hall of Fame racehorse.Bred by the Wheatley Stable of Gladys Mills Phipps, Bold Ruler was foaled on April 6, 1954 at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky to Nasrullah and Miss Disco by Discovery...

, the very important Champion sire

Leading sire in North America

The list below shows the leading sire of Thoroughbred racehorses in North America for each year since 1830. This is determined by the amount of prizemoney won by the sire's progeny during the year...

, his damsire Hasty Road

Hasty Road

Hasty Road was an American thoroughbred racehorse best remembered for winning the 1954 Preakness Stakes and coming in a close second to Determine in the 1954 Kentucky Derby. Hasty Road was a very large bay thoroughbred with a distinctive white blaze...

 won the 1954 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...

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Trained by Hall of Fame inductee Edward A. Neloy

Edward A. Neloy

Edward Albert "Eddie" Neloy was an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer. At age fourteen, he began working at a racetrack then joined the United States Army during World War II...

, in 1970 the then four-year-old Reviewer 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 1:46 4/5 for 1⅛ miles in winning the Nassau County Handicap. Reviewer finished his racing career with a record of 13: 9-3-1, and he won $247,223.

Ruffian was foaled in his first crop. The filly was euthanized in 1975 when she broke a leg. This ran in the family, because in a paddock accident at Claiborne Farm

Claiborne Farm

Claiborne Farm is a thoroughbred Horse breeding operation in near Paris, Kentucky. It was established in 1910, by Arthur B. Hancock, owner of Ellerslie Farm in Albemarle County, Virginia, and has been operated by members of his family ever since.-Owners:...

 he broke his leg and had to be euthanized. His line was known as "Soft boned runners". Shenanigans

Shenanigans (horse)

Shenanigans was an American thoroughbred mare born in Kentucky. She was sired by Native Dancer and out of the Locust Hill foundation mare Bold Irish. Owner Janney once recalled, "Shenanigans was meant to be a good mare, she had speed and she was second to Miss Spin in the Maryland Futurity, but she...

, Ruffian's mother, was euthanized on May 21, 1977 when she broke two legs after waking from an intestinal surgery. Though not a Champion

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...

, Reviewer will always be remembered as the sire of the great Ruffian. Among his other progeny, Reviewer sired the 1976 American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly, Revidere

Revidere

Revidere was an American Thoroughbred filly racehorse that was voted the 1976 Eclipse Award as the American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly....

and the good runner Drama Critic (b. 1974).