Kingston (horse)

Thoroughbred racehorse infobox
horsename = Kingston


caption =
sire = Spendthrift
grandsire = Australian
dam = Kapanga
damsire = Victorious
sex = Stallion
foaled = 1884
country = United States flagicon|USA
colour = Brown
breeder = James R. Keene
owner = E. V. Snedeker & J. F. Cushman
Dwyer Brothers (age 3 to 7)
Michael F. Dwyer & Castleton Stud (age 7)
trainer = E.V. Snedeker
Frank McCabe (at age 3)
record = 138: 89-33-12
earnings = $140,195
race =
awards= Leading sire in North America (1900)
honours = United States Racing Hall of Fame (1955)
updated= May 30, 2007

Kingston (1884-1912) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He won 89 races, the most in the history of the sport of Thoroughbred racing. Of his 138 starts, he was out of the money only 4 times. (See side bar racing stats as well as externally linked pedigree.)

Bred by James R. Keene at his Castleton Stud near Lexington, Kentucky, Kingston was by Spendthrift out of Kapanga (GB). Kingston's line goes back through Spendthrift to three significant sires: Lexington, Glencoe, and Boston. Keene only sold him because he was having financial difficulties. As a yearling, Kingston was purchased by the trainer, E. V. Snedeker, and his partner J. F. Cushman. These two raced him as a two-year-old during which time he proved himself a colt of quality, though he was beaten by both Hanover and the noted Tremont.

As a three-year-old, Kingston was bought by two Brooklyn ex-butchers, Phil and Mike Dwyer for $12,500. The Dwyer Brothers typically bought horses rather than breeding them, their chosen strategy for building a successful stable. They hoped that owning both Kingston and Hanover would prevent Hanover from racing a horse which might beat him.

Once under the Dwyer's roof, Kingston's conditioning was taken over by future Hall of Fame member, Frank McCabe. The colt then went on a winning streak almost unprecedented in racing. At three, he won 13 of his 18 starts. At four, he won 10 of 14. At five, he came home first 14 times in 15 tries. At six, he won nine of his ten starts. At seven, he started 21 times and won 15. He also set the record at 7 at the old Futurity course at Sheepshead Bay of 1:08 for six furlongs. At the age of eight, he won 13 of his 20 races. At nine, 9 out of 25, but in most of these 25 races he took home money. In his last year of racing, when he was 10 years old, he won 4 of his 9 starts against much younger horses.

Not a gelding, still he raced way past the age when intact horses are retired to stud. Many experts believe a stallion sours if he’s raced too long, but as a sire, Kingston was as good as he was a race horse. Two years after he went to stud he was already a leading sire. He led the American sire list in 1900 and 1910.

Kingston died in Kentucky on December 6, 1912.

Following the creation of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1955, Kingston was one of the first handful of horses inducted.

References

* [http://www.pedigreequery.com/kingston2 Kingston’s pedigree]
* [http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=98 Kingston’s page in the Hall of Fame]