Saxon (horse)
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| Saxon | |
|---|---|
| Sire | Beadsman |
| Grandsire | Weatherbit[1] |
| Dam | Girasol |
| Damsire | Asteroid |
| Sex | Stallion |
| Foaled | 1871 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Color | Brown |
| Breeder | Joseph Hawley |
| Owner | Pierre Lorillard |
| Trainer | William Pryor |
| Record | 8 starts, 2 wins |
| Earnings | $5,150 (about $143,000 today) |
| Major wins | |
| American Classics wins: Belmont Stakes (1874) | |
Saxon (1871–1895) was a British-bred American-trained Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 1874 Belmont Stakes, the eighth running of that stakes race.
Saxon was a brown stallion sired by Beadsman, and was bred in England,[2] by Joseph Hawley.[1][3][notes 1] He was imported into the United States by Pierre Lorillard,[3] along with his dam.[4] Saxon's dam was the imported mare Girasol, who was sired by Asteroid and out of the mare Gillyflower. Gillyflower was sired by Venison.[5]
Racing career
As a two-year-old, Saxon won the 1873 August Stakes.[5]
Saxon won the 1874 Belmont while owned by Pierre Lorillard. This was the eighth running of the stakes race.[6] The race was run on June 13, 1871 at a distance of 1+1⁄2 miles (i.e. 12 furlongs (2,400 meters)) on a fast track. He finished first by a neck over Grinstead, and third place went to Aaron Pennington. All the horses in the race carried 110 pounds (50 kg), and the value to the winner was $4,200 (about $117,000 today),[7][2] with the winning time being 2 minutes and 39+1⁄2 seconds.[2] The winning jockey was George Barbee, and the winning trainer was William Pryor.[6]
In his racing career, Saxon won 2 times out of 8 starts, with total earnings of $5,150 (about $143,000 today).[7][1]
Stud record
As a breeding stallion, he sired three stakes winners: Gerald out of Girl of the Period by Virgil, Hiawasse out of Vandalite by Vandal, and Zamora out of Zoo Zoo by imported Australian.[8] Gerald, an 1879 brown stallion, won the 1881 Foam Stakes.[5] Hiawasse, an 1879 brown mare, won the 1882 Ladies Handicap, 1881 Monmouth Oaks, and the 1881 Mermaid Stakes.[9] Hiawasse was undefeated as a three-year-old racehorse.[10] Zamora, an 1881 gray mare, won the 1884 Tennessee Oaks.[11]
Saxon was used as a breeding stallion by his owner, Pierre Lorillard. Once, Lorillard's brother George teased Pierre that Saxon's offspring were not as good as expected. Pierre then challenged George to a match race between one of Saxon's offspring against any racehorse that George owned. The result was that Hiawasse won the match race by four horse lengths.[10]
Saxon died in February 1895 at the Cliff Lawn Stud, the farm of W. B. Cheatham, in Nashville.[12]