Billy Kelly (horse)
| Billy Kelly | |
|---|---|
Billy Kelly, circa 1919
|
|
| Sire | Dick Welles |
| Grandsire | King Eric |
| Dam | Glena |
| Damsire | Free Knight |
| Sex | Gelding |
| Foaled | 1916 |
| Died | 1926 |
| Country | United States |
| Colour | Bay |
| Breeder | Jerome B. Respess |
| Owner | J. K. L. Ross |
| Trainer | H. Guy Bedwell |
| Record | 69 Starts: 39-14-7 |
| Earnings | $99,782 |
| Major wins | |
|
Idle Hour Stakes (1918), Bashford Manor Stakes (1918), Flash Stakes (1918), United States Hotel Stakes (1918), Sanford Stakes (1918), Annapolis Stakes (1918), Grab Bag Handicap (1918), Eastern Shore Handicap (1918), Columbia Handicap (1918), Annapolis Handicap (1918), Harford Handicap (1919–21), Philadelphia Handicap (1919), Toboggan Handicap (1919), Capitol Handicap (1919, 1921), Susquehanna Handicap (1919), Pimlico Fall Serial (1919–20), Connaught Handicap (1921), King George Stakes (1921), Aero Handicap (1921), Govan Handicap (1921) Kentucky Derby (1919) |
|
| Awards | |
| American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse (1918) | |
| Honors | |
| National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame (2015) | |
Idle Hour Stakes (1918), Bashford Manor Stakes (1918), Flash Stakes (1918), United States Hotel Stakes (1918), Sanford Stakes (1918), Annapolis Stakes (1918), Grab Bag Handicap (1918), Eastern Shore Handicap (1918), Columbia Handicap (1918), Annapolis Handicap (1918), Harford Handicap (1919–21), Philadelphia Handicap (1919), Toboggan Handicap (1919), Capitol Handicap (1919, 1921), Susquehanna Handicap (1919), Pimlico Fall Serial (1919–20), Connaught Handicap (1921), King George Stakes (1921), Aero Handicap (1921), Govan Handicap (1921)
Billy Kelly (foaled 1916 in Kentucky, died 1926 in Canada) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the champion two-year-old in 1918 when he won 14 of 17 starts. Favored for the 1919 Kentucky Derby, he lost to his stablemate, the then lightly regarded Sir Barton. Billy Kelly would go on to win 39 races from 69 starts. He was elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2015.
Billy Kelly was foaled in 1916 at Woodlawn Farm in Erlanger, Kentucky, bred by Jerome Respess. He was sold as a yearling for $1,500 to trainer William Perkins, who then sold a half interest to W. F. Polson. After two stakes wins at the 1918 Saratoga meeting, Commander J. K. L. Ross bought Billy Kelly for $27,500. Following the sale, he was trained by H. Guy Bedwell.
Named after a sports editor for a newspaper in Buffalo, Billy Kelly was a small, lightly made gelding and "as plain as a horse could be." A contemporary said he "looked like a lean mule."
During his two-year-old campaign in 1918, Billy Kelly won 14 of 17 starts and earnings of $33,783, equivalent to $537,912 in 2016. He won four stakes races at Saratoga in the span of three weeks. He even raced against his elders in two all-aged races and won four times carrying 130 or more pounds. A narrow loss to Eternal in a match race at Laurel led to the two sharing the honor of the season's juvenile champion. Billy Kelly's wins that year included:
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Wikipedia