St. Bass
Encyclopedia
St. Bass was a Canadian
Thoroughbred
racehorse
. Bred by Harry Giddings at his Cedar Grove Stud in Oakville
, his sire, Bassetlaw, was a son of the outstanding runner and nine-time Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland
, St. Simon
. His dam was Lady Betz, the daughter of Hanover
, a U.S. Racing Hall of Fame
inductee and a four-time Leading sire in North America
.
As a weanling, St. Bass almost died of distemper
. As a yearling, he severely injured himself when he caught a hoof between the rails of a fence and as a result was unable to race until age three.
St. Bass was entered in the May 20, 1911 King's Plate
, the preeminent Canadian Classic. The colt was ridden by a nineteen-year-old American jockey, Eddie Dugan
, who three days earlier at Pimlico Race Course
in Baltimore, Maryland had won an American Classic, the Preakness Stakes
. Raced at Woodbine Park Race Course
in Toronto
, St. Bass won the King's Plate by six-lengths in a time of 2:08 4/5 for 1¼ miles, beating the existing record by an exceptional 1 3/5 seconds. St. Bass would be the first of four King's Plate winners for owner/breeder Harry Giddings and the first of a record eight wins as a trainer for his son, Harry Jr.
Three days after winning the King's Plate
, St. Bass and jockey Dugan won the Breeders' Stakes
and on June 21, the colt won the Dominion Plate at the Hamilton
racetrack. While he would win other races in 1911, an injury forced St. Bass to retire that year.
St. Bass was not successful as a sire
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
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 by Harry Giddings at his Cedar Grove Stud in Oakville
Oakville, Ontario
Oakville is a town in Halton Region, on Lake Ontario in Southern Ontario, Canada, and is part of the Greater Toronto Area. As of the 2006 census the population was 165,613.-History:In 1793, Dundas Street was surveyed for a military road...
, his sire, Bassetlaw, was a son of the outstanding runner and nine-time Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland
Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland
The list below shows the leading sire of racehorses in Great Britain and Ireland for each year since 1751. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the season.----- References :* -See also:...
, St. Simon
St. Simon (horse)
St. Simon was an undefeated British Thoroughbred racehorse and one of the most successful sires in the history of the Thoroughbred. In May 1886 The Sporting Times carried out a poll of one hundred experts to create a ranking of the best British racehorses of the 19th Century. St...
. His dam was Lady Betz, the daughter of Hanover
Hanover (thoroughbred horse)
Hanover was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse that won his first 17 race starts. He was the only American stallion to head the Leading sire in North America list for four consecutive years until Bold Ruler did so in 1965.-Background:...
, a 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 and a four-time Leading sire in North America
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...
.
As a weanling, St. Bass almost died of distemper
Distemper
Distemper may refer to:*A viral infection**Canine distemper, a disease of dogs**Feline distemper, a disease of cats**Phocine distemper, a disease of seals*A bacterial infection**Equine distemper, or Strangles, a bacterial infection of the horse...
. As a yearling, he severely injured himself when he caught a hoof between the rails of a fence and as a result was unable to race until age three.
St. Bass was entered in the May 20, 1911 King's Plate
Queen's Plate
The Queen's Plate is Canada's oldest thoroughbred horse race. It is run at a distance of 1¼ miles for 3-year-old thoroughbred horses foaled in Canada. The race takes place each summer in June or July at Woodbine Racetrack, Etobicoke , Ontario...
, the preeminent Canadian Classic. The colt was ridden by a nineteen-year-old American jockey, Eddie Dugan
Eddie Dugan
Eddie Dugan was a jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing who won three American Classic Races and two Canadian Classic Races. In addition, Dugan raced and won in Russia....
, who three days earlier at Pimlico Race Course
Pimlico Race Course
Pimlico Race Course is a horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of Olde Ben Pimlico's Tavern in London...
in Baltimore, Maryland had won an American Classic, the 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...
. Raced at Woodbine Park Race Course
Greenwood Raceway
Greenwood Raceway is a defunct horse racing facility in Toronto.Inaugurated in 1874 as Woodbine Race Course at the foot of Woodbine Avenue and Lake Ontario, it was owned and operated by two gentlemen named Pardee and Howell. Within a few years financial problems resulted in the property reverting...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, St. Bass won the King's Plate by six-lengths in a time of 2:08 4/5 for 1¼ miles, beating the existing record by an exceptional 1 3/5 seconds. St. Bass would be the first of four King's Plate winners for owner/breeder Harry Giddings and the first of a record eight wins as a trainer for his son, Harry Jr.
Harry Giddings, Jr.
Harry Giddings, Jr. was a Canadian owner, breeder, and trainer of thoroughbred racehorses. He was born in Trafalgar Township in Halton County, Ontario now at the outskirts of the city of Oakville...
Three days after winning the King's Plate
Queen's Plate
The Queen's Plate is Canada's oldest thoroughbred horse race. It is run at a distance of 1¼ miles for 3-year-old thoroughbred horses foaled in Canada. The race takes place each summer in June or July at Woodbine Racetrack, Etobicoke , Ontario...
, St. Bass and jockey Dugan won the Breeders' Stakes
Breeders' Stakes
The Breeders' Stakes is a Canadian stakes race for Thoroughbred race horses first run in 1889. Since 1959 it has been the third race in the Canadian Triple Crown for three-year-olds...
and on June 21, the colt won the Dominion Plate at the Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
racetrack. While he would win other races in 1911, an injury forced St. Bass to retire that year.
St. Bass was not successful as a 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...
.