Hillsdale (horse)

Thoroughbred racehorse infobox
horsename = Hillsdale


caption =
sire = Take Away
grandsire = Aneroid
dam = Johann
damsire = Johnstown
sex = Stallion
foaled = 1955
country = United States flagicon|USA
colour = Bay
breeder = Murlogg Farm
owner = Clarence Whitted Smith
trainer = Martin L. Fallon, Jr.
record = 41: 23-6-4
earnings = $646,935
race = Michigan Derby (1958)
Will Rogers Stakes (1958)
Malibu Stakes (1958)
San Fernando Stakes (1959)
Santa Anita Maturity (1959)
Boardwalk Handicap (1958)
Aqueduct Handicap (1959)
American Invitational Handicap (1959)
Californian Stakes (1959)
Hollywood Gold Cup (1959)
Los Angeles Handicap (1959)
San Carlos Handicap (1959)
Argonaut Handicap (1959)
awards=
honours = Hillsdale Stakes at Hoosier Park
updated = CURRENTTIME, CURRENTDAYNAME CURRENTMONTHNAME CURRENTDAY CURRENTYEAR (UTC)

Hillsdale (foaled 1955 in Indiana) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was sired by Take Away who did not distinguish himself on the race track, but grandsire Aneroid did. Aneroid's wins on the U.S. East Coast included the Suburban and Carter Handicaps, plus he defeated Seabiscuit in the 1938 San Antonio Handicap in California. Hillsdale's dam was Johann, a daughter of U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee Johnstown.

Purchased by Clarence Smith, Hillsdale's less than stellar parentage kept his selling price at a very reasonable $25,000. Trained by Martin L. Fallon, Jr., Hillsdale raced at a time when he went head-to-head with four other outstanding horses. He competed against Harry Guggenheim's colt Bald Eagle, and future Hall of Fame inductees, Round Table, Tim Tam, and Sword Dancer.

At age two, he won five important races on both coasts, the last of which was the Malibu Stakes, the first leg of the Strub Series. He followed up in early 1959 by winning the San Fernando Stakes and the Santa Anita Maturity, becoming the second of just five horses who have ever won the Strub Series. In thirteen starts in 1959, the three-year-old Hillsdale won ten important stakes, including seven in a row, and finished second in his other three. His most important win came in the Hollywood Gold Cup. He defeated Round Table in the San Carlos Handicap and on the East Coast he beat Bald Eagle in winning the Aqueduct Handicap. In the Woodward Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack, Hillsdale beat Round Table again but finished second to Sword Dancer.

Retired to stud duty, Hillsdale's first foals were born in 1962, his last in 1973. Although he produced several stakes winners, none achieved his level of success.

References

* [http://www.pedigreequery.com/hillsdale Hillsdale's pedigree and partial racing stats]
* [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,894193-1,00.html February 16, 1959 TIME magazine article on Hillsdale and owner, C. W. Smith]