El Rio Rey
| El Rio Rey | |
|---|---|
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Norfolk, the sire of El Rio Rey.
|
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| Sire | Norfolk |
| Grandsire | Lexington |
| Dam | Marian |
| Damsire | Malcolm |
| Sex | Stallion |
| Foaled | 1887 |
| Country | United States |
| Colour | Bay |
| Breeder | Theodore Winters |
| Owner | Theodore Winters |
| Trainer | Alfred H. Estell |
| Record | 7: 7-0-0 |
| Earnings | US$46,835 |
| Major wins | |
| Hyde Park Stakes Kenwood Stakes Dunmow Stakes Brewers Stallion Stakes Great Eclipse Stakes White Plains Handicap Prospect Stakes |
|
| Awards | |
| Unofficial American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt (1889) | |
El Rio Rey (foaled January 16, 1887 in California) was an undefeated American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was regarded as the American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt of 1889.
Breeding
He was bred by Nevadan Theodore Winters at his Rancho del Rio breeding farm near Sacramento, California where he had both El Rio Rey's important sire, Norfolk and his dam, Marian. The outstanding mare of her era in the American West, Marian (1871–1893) was also the dam of Yo Tambien as a result of Theodore Winters mating her to his stallion, Joe Hooker. El Rio Rey was a full brother to the good racehorse, Emperor of Norfolk and Czar as well as six other horses.[1] These colts were inbred to Glencoe in the third and fourth (3m x 4f) generation.[2]
Racing record
El Rio Rey's race conditioning was supervised by the head of the Theodore Winters racing stable, Alfred H. Estell, as well as trainer, William H. McCormick.[3] As a two-year-old racing in 1889, El Rio Rey competed at racetracks in Chicago and St. Louis, Missouri before heading to New York where the publicity surrounding his racing abilities as a full brother to the great Emperor of Norfolk drew a huge crowd to Morris Park Racecourse to see him win the August 25 Great Eclipse Stakes. On the same track, he then won the inaugural running of the six furlong (1,200 meters) White Plains Handicap on August 31 against a field of 14 horses in track record time while carrying 126 pounds (57 kilograms). The next day's issue of the New York Times declared him the best two-year-old in the country, stating that horsemen consider him "the greatest colt ever foaled."[4] El Rio Rey followed up with another win in September's Prospect Stakes at the Gravesend Race Track. The colt ended his two year-old campaign undefeated, having won all seven starts.[5]
In 1890, El Rio Rey was scheduled to run but breathing problems led to the belief that he was a roarer and his career eventually ended without making a start at age three.[6]
Retirement
Later in 1890, Theodore Winters sold his California properties to return to Nevada after he had been selected the Democratic Party's candidate for Governor of Nevada. He relocated his breeding operations to his Rancho del Sierra in Nevada's Washoe Valley with El Rio Rey and Joe Hooker as his main stallions.[7]
El Rio Rey sired some Californian race winners.
See also
References
- ↑ Lowe, Bruce, Breeding Racehorses by the Figure System, Libra Books, Canberra, 1977, ISBN 978-0-909619-04-6
- ↑ Morris, Simon; Tesio Power 2000 - Stallions of the World, Syntax Software
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- Robertson, William H. P. The History of Thoroughbred Racing in America (1988) Random House ISBN 978-0-517-00204-9
- April 15, 1888 New York Times article on Theodore Winters and El Rio Rey
