Horse Racing: Gallant Fox, the Thoroughbred champion
The United States Thoroughbred horseracing champion, Gallant Fox was foaled on the 23rd March 1927. Sired by Sir Gallahad III out of Marguerite, the bay coloured talented stallion was foaled at Claiborne Farm situated in Paris, Kentucky. Earl
Sande was the colt’s regular jockey. Gallant Fox has the honour to become the second racehorse to have won the United States Triple Crown under the training of the legendary trainer Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons. He was owned by Belair Stud and earned $ 572, 417 during
his remarkable athletic career.
The champion started his career as a two year old colt. In his first racing season that was 1929; he could not give any brilliant performances and thus was not widely acknowledged by the trainers and fans of the sport. The only meets that the racehorse won
in this year was the Flash Stakes (1929) and the Cowdin Stakes (1929).
However, as a three year old thoroughbred, the champion displayed his talent and potential at its best when he contended some of the most significant races of American Horse Racing including the Kentucky Derby (1930) and Preakness Stakes (1930). Gallant
Fox contended a total of 10 races in the year 1930, out of which he managed to win 9 starts. He was then sent out as a heavy favourite for the 1930 Lawrence Realization Stakes, which he won. The racehorse went on to add the Wood Memorial Stakes (1930) to his
list of victories. This particular year was significant for the racehorse because he became the second thoroughbred to have won the United States Triple Crown. After winning the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes, Gallant Fox clinched
the Jockey Gold Cup. The legendary colt was only defeated in one meet that racing season, Jim Dandy in the Travers Stakes.
Other races that are considered to be Gallant Fox’s major wins of the 1930 racing season include the Dwyer Stakes (1930), the Arlington Classic (1930), the Lawrence Realization Stakes (1930) and the ever popular Saratoga Cup (1930). Apart from becoming the
second Triple Crown champion, the racehorse was adorned with the United States Champion Three Year Old Colt Award 1930 and the United States Horse of the Year Award (1930).
The racehorse was retired after his victorious 1930 racing season. He then stood at stud for over 22 years and foaled some of the best and most talented racehorses of American Horse Racing Industry. One of his offspring was also the 1935 United States Triple
Crown champion Omaha, meanwhile Granville was the Horse of the Year 1935. He also gave birth to Flares, who has the honour of becoming the second American bred thoroughbred racehorse to win the England’s Ascot Gold Cup.
Gallant Fox also has the honour to be the only Triple Crown champion to sire a second generation Triple Crown winner, Omaha. Omaha clinched the Triple Crown in the year 1935. Affirmed, then bagged the Triple Crown fifty years later in 1993. Yet again Affirmed’s
foal, Peteski managed to win away the Canadian Triple Crown.
The legendary thoroughbred died on the 13th of November 1953, and is buried at Claiborne Farm. Four years after his death, in 1957, the racehorse was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Gallant Fox was has been ranked
#28 in the list of the top 100 United States thoroughbred champions of the 20th century by the Blood Horse Magazine.
In the honour of the great racehorse, the race that is contended at the Aqueduct Racetrack has been named as the Gallant Fox Handicap. Gallant Fox is considered as one of the most significant thoroughbred of the American Horse Racing Industry. His contributions
to the sport are still acknowledged by the legendary trainers and the fans of the sport.
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