Sysonby
| Sysonby | |
|---|---|
Sysonby (1906)
|
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| Sire | Melton (GB) |
| Grandsire | Master Kildare |
| Dam | Optime (GB) |
| Damsire | Orme |
| Sex | Stallion |
| Foaled | 1902 |
| Country | United States |
| Colour | Bay |
| Breeder | Marcus Daly |
| Owner | James R. Keene |
| Trainer | James G. Rowe, Sr. |
| Record | 15: 14-0-1 |
| Earnings | $184,438 |
| Major wins | |
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Flash Stakes (1904) Saratoga Special Stakes (1904) Brighton Derby (1905) Century Stakes (1905) Metropolitan Handicap (1905) Lawrence Realization Stakes (1905) Tidal Stakes (1905) |
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| Honours | |
|
United States Racing Hall of Fame (1956) #30 - Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century Sysonby Mile at Belmont Park |
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| Last updated on October 2, 2006 | |
Sysonby (1902–1906) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He won every start easily, except one, at distances from one mile to two and a quarter miles. His superiority as a two and three-year-old was unchallenged during his short career of 15 race starts.
Foaled in Kentucky, Sysonby was a bay son of the 1885 Epsom Derby winner, Melton, out of the English mare Optime by Orme (by the undefeated Ormonde). The mating of Melton and Optime was arranged by Marcus Daly, who was involved with the Anaconda Copper Mine. Daly died before Optime, stabled in England, foaled. His stock, including the still pregnant Optime, was brought to New York to be auctioned. James R. Keene purchased Optime for $6,600, sending her to his Castleton Stud in Kentucky, which he rarely visited.
Apparently Optime's foal, observed in his paddock, was anything but inspiring. Considered unattractive and small, as well as slow, young Sysonby was to be sent back to England for sale. But Keene's trainer, the well-regarded James G. Rowe, Sr., had seen Sysonby in action during some early trials. When it was time for the yearlings to be sent away, Rowe, a leading trainer who had once been a leading jockey (guiding Harry Bassett to his Saratoga Cup win amongst many other successes), covered Sysonby in blankets, convincing Keene he was too ill to make the long ocean journey.
In the care of Rowe, Sysonby won everything Rowe entered him in by sizable margins, with the exception of the Futurity Stakes (USA), where he came in an unaccountable third, beaten by the filly Tradition and the filly Artful. Artful ranked 94th in the top 100 U.S. Thoroughbred champions of the 20th century by Blood-Horse magazine). Rowe saw Sysonby's groom exhibiting a large sum of money, and the groom admitted he'd been bribed to drug Sysonby before the race.
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