Fenian (horse)

Fenian (foaled 1866) was a Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1869 Belmont Stakes. Bred by August Belmont, Fenian raced as a two-year-old, winning two races, placing second twice, and third once from five starts. As a three-year-old he only raced once, in the Belmont, which he won. He suffered from bad legs and some accounts state that he never raced again after the Belmont, although he appears to have raced later as a gelding, and eventually ended up in England where he did some steeplechase races. His likeness is atop the trophy for the Belmont Stakes.

Fenian
SireMickey Free
GrandsireIrish Birdcatcher
DamSpiletta
DamsireStockwell
SexStallion
Foaled1866
CountryUnited States
ColorChestnut
BreederAugust Belmont
OwnerAugust Belmont
TrainerJacob Pincus
JockeyCharlie Miller
Major wins
American Classics wins:
Belmont Stakes (1869)

Breeding

Fenian was bred by August Belmont and was a chestnut stallion. His sire was Mickey Free.[1] His dam was the imported mare Spiletta by Stockwell, and his second dam was Olivia Augusta by Cowl. Fenian was Spiletta's only stakes winning foal.[2] Mickey Free was an imported stallion, sired by Irish Birdcatcher and out of the mare Annie by Wanderer. Fenian was his only stakes winning foal.[3] The American Stud Book gives his original name as "Leonardo".[4]

Racing career

Fenian raced as a two-year-old and was held to be a good racehorse then.[5] He started five times and won twice.[6] On June 10, 1868, he placed third in the Hopeful Stakes, a 5 furlongs (1.0 kilometer) race for two-year-olds.[7] Seven days later, he placed second in a 1⁄2 mile (1 kilometer) sweepstakes race for two-year-olds.[8] He was again second in a two-year-old sweepstakes race on July 1, this time at a distance of 5 furlongs.[9] On October 7 he won a match race against Inveruglass at a distance of 3⁄4 mile (1.2 kilometers).[10] In his last race as a two-year-old, he won a handicap sweepstakes on October 10 at a distance of 1 mile (1.6 kilometers).[11] His record as a two-year-old was two wins, two seconds, and a third from five races.[7][8][9][6]

1896 newspaper drawing of the August Belmont Trophy, with Fenian on top of the cup.

Fenian won the third running of the Belmont Stakes in 1869 for his owner August Belmont.[12] His trainer was Jacob Pincus and he won the race in a time of 3 minutes and 4.25 seconds.[1][13] The track was rated as heavy, and the race was at a distance of 1+5⁄8 miles (i.e. 13 furlongs (2,600 metres)) on June 5. The race was worth $3500 to the winner,[1] who was ridden by Charlie Miller.[14] Although there is no official record of the margin of victory, contemporary accounts noted that Fenian won the race easily, and finished the race while being pulled up.[1] The race was run at Jerome Park.[14] His stablemate, Glenelg, was also entered in the race, and there is some indication that Glenelg was held back to allow Fenian to win.[13] Glenelg, also owned by Belmont, came in second in the race. Fenian, however, had been bred by Belmont, and Glenelg, who was imported to the United States in his mother's womb, had not, so Belmont preferred for a horse he had bred to win.[15] There were 6 other horses in the race, but none of them came close to beating either Fenian or Glenelg.[5] This was Fenian's only race as a three-year-old.[6]

Fenian reportedly never raced again, due to bad legs.[1] This was a fault of all of his dam's foals.[5] However, Belmont sold Fenian in October 1870 to Dr. D. Kerwin for $70.[16] He later raced under Kerwin's name as a gelding until 1872 when he was sent to England.[17][18] Retrained for steeplechasing and owned by J.B. Burstall, Fenian was second in the Military and Navy Stakes run at Emsworth in April 1872.[19]

Fenian won no other stakes races,[2] and sired no stakes winners.[20] His claim to fame is that he is the horse that appears on top of the Belmont Stakes trophy.[21][22]

Pedigree
Pedigree of Fenian
Sire
Mickey Free[23]

1841

 Birdcatcher[24]

1833

 Sir Hercules Whalebone
Peri
Guiccioli Bob Booty
Flight
Annie

1827

 Wanderer Gohanna
Catherine
Caroline Whalebone
Marianne
Dam
Spiletta[4]

1856

 Stockwell[25]

1849

 The Baron Birdcatcher
Echidna
Pocahontas Glencoe I
Marpessa
Olivia Augusta

1851

 Cowl Bay Middleton
Crucifix
Maria Belshazzar
Cervantes Mare

Citations
  1. New York Racing Association "1869 Belmont Stakes" The Belmont Stakes
  2. Hogan Index to Stakes Winners p. 460
  3. Hogan Index to Stakes Winners p. 622
  4. Bruce American Stud Book vol. 1 p. 128
  5. Vosburgh "Belmont Stakes" Daily Racing Form
  6. Crickmore Racing Calendars: Vol. 3 p. 232
  7. Crickmore Racing Calendars: Vol. 3 p. 33
  8. Crickmore Racing Calendars: Vol. 3 p. 36
  9. Crickmore Racing Calendars: Vol. 3 p. 38
  10. Crickmore Racing Calendars: Vol. 3 p. 75
  11. Crickmore Racing Calendars: Vol. 3 p. 78
  12. New York Racing Association "Belmont Stakes" The Belmont Stakes
  13. Hewitt Great Breeders of the Past p. 24
  14. Staff "Glory of Belmont Stakes" Daily Racing Form
  15. Robertson History of Thoroughbred Racing pp. 105–106
  16. Staff "Sale of horses at Jerome Park Evening Post
  17. Staff "American Jockey Club Handicaps" American Gentleman's Newspaper
  18. Staff "Racing and Trotting Notes New York Clipper
  19. Staff "South Hampshire Steeplechases" Sportsman
  20. Hogan Index to Stakes Winners p. 580
  21. Sowers Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes p. 11
  22. Staff "Belmont Stakes Factoids" Belmont Stakes
  23. Bruce American Stud Book vol. 1 p. 38
  24. Bruce Horse Breeder's Guide p. 71
  25. Bruce Horse Breeder's Guide p. 3

References
  • Bruce, S. D. (1884). American Stud Book. Vol. 1 (Revised ed.). New York: Turf, Field, and Farm. OCLC 9320888.
  • Bruce, S. D. (1883). Horse-Breeder's Guide and Hand Book. New York: Turf, Field and Farm. OCLC 63337475.
  • Crickmore, H. G. (1901). Racing Calendars: Vol. 3 1868, 1869. New York: W. C. Whitney. OCLC 950904302.
  • Hewitt, Abram S. (1982). The Great Breeders and Their Methods. Lexington, KY: Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. OCLC 12739523.
  • Hogan, Clio D. (n.d.). Index to Stakes Winners 1865–1967. Solvang, CA: Flag Is Up Farms.
  • New York Racing Association (2010). "1869 Belmont Stakes" (PDF). The Belmont Stakes. New York Racing Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 7, 2011. Retrieved January 31, 2011.
  • New York Racing Association (2010). "Belmont Stakes". New York Racing Association. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved January 31, 2011.
  • Robertson, William H. P. (1964). The History of Thoroughbred Racing in America. New York: Bonanza Books. LCCN 64-17364.
  • Sowers, Richard (2014). The Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes: A Comprehensive History. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-7698-5.
  • Staff (1871). "American Jockey Club Handicaps" (PDF). The American Gentleman's Newspaper. Retrieved May 29, 2011.
  • Staff. "Belmont Stakes Factoids". Belmont Stakes. New York Racing Association. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
  • Staff (June 1, 1921). "Glory of Belmont Stakes". Daily Racing Form. Retrieved January 31, 2011.
  • Staff (May 4, 1872). "Racing and trotting notes" (PDF). The New York Clipper. Retrieved May 29, 2011.
  • Staff (October 14, 1870). "Sale of horses at Jerome Park" (PDF). The Evening Post. Retrieved May 29, 2011.
  • Staff (April 20, 1872). "South Hampshire Steeplechases". The Sportsman. No. page 8.
  • Vosburgh, W. S. (April 9, 1922). "The Belmont Stakes". Daily Racing Form. Retrieved January 31, 2011.
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