1923 Animal Deaths - 1923 Racehorse Deaths, Beldame, Ard Patrick, War Cloud, Rhine Maiden, Diamond Jubilee (Paperback)

Chapters: 1923 Racehorse Deaths, Beldame, Ard Patrick, War Cloud, Rhine Maiden, Diamond Jubilee. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 20. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Beldame (19011923) was one of the great racing fillies of Twentieth century American breeding. The chestnut was foaled near Lexington, Kentucky in 1901 by Octagon, out of the English bred Bella Donna (by the Epsom Derby winner Hermit). Named Beldame, she was a homebred of August Belmont II's (after whose family the Belmont Stakes as well as Belmont Park were named), and though Belmont, Jr. continued to own her, he leased her as a two-year- and three-year-old to a business associate named Newton Bennington. Although she'd won two races before going to Bennington, it was while racing for him that Beldame began her great career, earning her place as number 98 in the Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 Racehorses of the 20th Century. (Aside from Beldame, Belmont bred 129 stakes winners, including Man o' War. The colt was originally named My Man O' War by his wife since August Jr. had enlisted in World War I at the age of 65. Because of this war, he sold his greatest horse to Samuel D. Riddle for $5,000, a pittance.) When she was three, she won twelve of her fourteen starts, earned the championship of her division, and her only loses were to older males. She dominated all females, and defeated males constantly. Because of this, track officials everywhere weighted her so heavily she won only twice at the age of four. It didn't matter. Beldame had made her mark. The only way to stop her was to handicap her. So she stopped racing, retiring with 17 wins, 6 places, and 4 shows from 31 starts, Her earnings amounted to $102,570. After Firenze and Miss Woodford, she was the third filly to win more than $100,000. Belmont took...More: http: //booksllc.net/?id=771303