- Omar Khayyam (horse)
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Omar Khayyam Sire Marco Grandsire Barcaldine Dam Lisma Damsire Persimmon Sex Stallion Foaled 1914 Country Great Britain Colour Chestnut Breeder Sir John Robinson Owner C. K. G. Billings & Frederick Johnson
Wilfrid Viau (from May 1917)Trainer Charles T. Patterson
Richard F. Carmen (from May 1917)Record 28: 12-5-4 Earnings $57,010 Major wins Brooklyn Derby (1917)
American Classic Race wins:
Kenner Stakes (1917)
Travers Stakes (1917)
Saratoga Cup (1917)
Lawrence Realization Stakes (1917)
Havre de Grace Handicap (1917)
Pimlico Autumn Handicap (1917)
Marines' Liberty Bond Handicap (1918)
Rennert Handicap (1919)
Kentucky Derby (1917)Awards American Co-Champion 3-Yr-Old Male Horse (1917) Horse (Equus ferus caballus) Last updated on February 14, 2011 Omar Khayyam (1914-1938) was a British-born Thoroughbred racehorse who was sold as a yearling to an American racing partnership and who became the first foreign-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby.[1] He was named for the famous Persian mathematician, Omar Khayyam.
Contents
Bloodlines
Omar Khayyam was out of the mare Lisma, daughter of the champion sire Persimmon;[2] his success on the track included wins in the Epsom Derby, St. Leger Stakes and Ascot Gold Cup. He was sired by Marco, a leading three-year-old in England in 1895 and great-grandson of the first English Triple Crown Champion, West Australian.
Racing career
Trained by Charles Patterson, Omar Khayyam was sent to the track in 1916 as a two-year-old. His most important result that year was a second to Campfire in the Hopeful Stakes. In his three-year-old season, no U.S. Triple Crown series had yet been formalized; the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes were held on the same day.[3] Choosing to run in the Derby, Omar Khayyam was unplaced in the Derby Trial. As a result, he was sent off at 13–1 odds in the Kentucky Derby. Ridden by jockey Charles Borel, Omar Khayyam unleashed a powerful stretch run to come from tenth place to win over the favorite, a colt named Ticket.[4]
Three weeks after his Derby win, Omar Khayyam was sold as part of his owner's multi-horse dispersal auction held on the grounds of New York's Belmont Park. He was purchased by Canadian biscuit manufacturer Wilfrid Viau. For his new owner, the colt went on to win the Prospect Handicap at Jamaica Racetrack; the Brooklyn Derby at the old Aqueduct Racetrack; and (at the Saratoga Race Course) the Kenner Stakes, the Saratoga Cup and the Travers Stakes. In Maryland Omar Khayyam won the Havre de Grace Handicap and – despite a 30-pound handicap – set a new Pimlico Race Course track record in winning the Pimlico Autumn Handicap.
After the other entrants were scratched, the October 18, 1917 John R. McLean Memorial Championship at Laurel Park Racecourse turned into a match race between Omar Khayyam and August Belmont, Jr.'s Belmont Stakes winner, Hourless. Earlier that year, Omar Khayyam had beaten Hourless in the 1½ mile Lawrence Realization Stakes and in the Brooklyn Derby. This time, however, Hourless won by a length. Despite Omar Khayyam's earlier wins over Hourless and the fact that he had earned $20,000 more than Hourless in purses that year (in more starts with greater consistency), Omar Khayyam shared American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse honors with Hourless.[5]
As a four-year-old in 1918, Omar Khayyam's chances of winning were limited due to his high weight assignments; however, he won the Marines' Liberty Bond Handicap. The following year, at five, he won the Rennert Handicap at Pimlico under Clarence Kummer before being retired to stand at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky for the 1920 season.
Progeny
In 1929 Omar Khayyam was moved to the J. P. Jones stud in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he remained until his death in 1938. Among his offspring was Malicious, an iron horse who won 32 races out of 185 career starts. Another son, Mr. Khayyam, won the 1933 Wood Memorial Stakes and the 1934 Metropolitan Handicap. Yet another, Balko, won the 1930 Toboggan and Baltimore Handicaps.
See also
References
- ^ [1] Marco (scroll down for Omar Khayyam). Accessed February 14, 2011.
- ^ [2] Omar Khayyam's five-generation pedigree. Accessed February 14, 2011.
- ^ [3] Preakness Stakes history. Accessed February 14, 2011.
- ^ [4] New York Times, May 13, 1917. Accessed February 14, 2011.
- ^ [5] New York Times article on the 1917 John R. McLean Memorial Championship. Accessed February 14, 2011.
External links
- Omar Khayyam's pedigree and partial racing stats
- May 13, 1917 New York Times article on Omar Khayyam's victory in the Kentucky Derby
- New York Times article on the 1917 John R. McLean Memorial Championship
- Thoroughbred Heritage profile of Omar Khayyam
- Omar Khayyam's offspring at the Classic Runners database
Kentucky Derby winners 1875 Aristides • 1876 Vagrant • 1877 Baden-Baden • 1878 Day Star • 1879 Lord Murphy • 1880 Fonso • 1881 Hindoo • 1882 Apollo • 1883 Leonatus • 1884 Buchanan • 1885 Joe Cotton • 1886 Ben Ali • 1887 Montrose • 1888 Macbeth II • 1889 Spokane • 1890 Riley • 1891 Kingman • 1892 Azra • 1893 Lookout • 1894 Chant • 1895 Halma • 1896 Ben Brush • 1897 Typhoon II • 1898 Plaudit • 1899 Manuel • 1900 Lieut. Gibson • 1901 His Eminence • 1902 Alan-a-Dale • 1903 Judge Himes • 1904 Elwood • 1905 Agile • 1906 Sir Huon • 1907 Pink Star • 1908 Stone Street • 1909 Wintergreen • 1910 Donau • 1911 Meridian • 1912 Worth • 1913 Donerail • 1914 Old Rosebud • 1915 Regret ♥ • 1916 George Smith • 1917 Omar Khayyam • 1918 Exterminator • 1919 Sir Barton ₩ • 1920 Paul Jones • 1921 Behave Yourself • 1922 Morvich • 1923 Zev • 1924 Black Gold • 1925 Flying Ebony • 1926 Bubbling Over • 1927 Whiskery • 1928 Reigh Count • 1929 Clyde Van Dusen • 1930 Gallant Fox ₩ • 1931 Twenty Grand • 1932 Burgoo King • 1933 Brokers Tip • 1934 Cavalcade • 1935 Omaha ₩ • 1936 Bold Venture • 1937 War Admiral ₩ • 1938 Lawrin • 1939 Johnstown • 1940 Gallahadion • 1941 Whirlaway ₩ • 1942 Shut Out • 1943 Count Fleet ₩ • 1944 Pensive • 1945 Hoop Jr. • 1946 Assault ₩ • 1947 Jet Pilot • 1948 Citation ₩ • 1949 Ponder • 1950 Middleground • 1951 Count Turf • 1952 Hill Gail • 1953 Dark Star • 1954 Determine • 1955 Swaps • 1956 Needles • 1957 Iron Liege • 1958 Tim Tam • 1959 Tomy Lee • 1960 Venetian Way • 1961 Carry Back • 1962 Decidedly • 1963 Chateaugay • 1964 Northern Dancer • 1965 Lucky Debonair • 1966 Kauai King • 1967 Proud Clarion • 1968 Forward Pass • 1969 Majestic Prince • 1970 Dust Commander • 1971 Canonero II • 1972 Riva Ridge • 1973 Secretariat ₩ • 1974 Cannonade • 1975 Foolish Pleasure • 1976 Bold Forbes • 1977 Seattle Slew ₩ • 1978 Affirmed ₩ • 1979 Spectacular Bid • 1980 Genuine Risk ♥ • 1981 Pleasant Colony • 1982 Gato Del Sol • 1983 Sunny's Halo • 1984 Swale • 1985 Spend A Buck • 1986 Ferdinand • 1987 Alysheba • 1988 Winning Colors ♥ • 1989 Sunday Silence • 1990 Unbridled • 1991 Strike the Gold • 1992 Lil E. Tee • 1993 Sea Hero • 1994 Go For Gin • 1995 Thunder Gulch • 1996 Grindstone • 1997 Silver Charm • 1998 Real Quiet • 1999 Charismatic • 2000 Fusaichi Pegasus • 2001 Monarchos • 2002 War Emblem • 2003 Funny Cide • 2004 Smarty Jones • 2005 Giacomo • 2006 Barbaro • 2007 Street Sense • 2008 Big Brown • 2009 Mine That Bird • 2010 Super Saver • 2011 Animal Kingdom
Legend - ₩ = Triple Crown Winners, ♥ = FillyCategories:- 1914 racehorse births
- 1938 racehorse deaths
- Thoroughbred racehorses
- Racehorses bred in Kentucky
- Racehorses trained in the United States
- American Champion racehorses
- Kentucky Derby winners
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