Artful (1902–1927) was an American Thoroughbred

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

Background

Artful was born at the Westbury Stable at Old Westbury on

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...

into a prominent racing family begun in 1898 by William Collins Whitney. The Whitney family remain to this day a leading name in the sport of Thoroughbred

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

. Artful raced in the days when horses could be "declared" to win. This meant that if a stable entered more than one of its horses, it would announce beforehand which horse they expected to win the event.

Racing career

In both of Artful's first two starts at age two at Saratoga Race Course (a track that William Collins Whitney had a hand in rejuvenating), her stablemate was declared to win against her. In the first of these races in August 1904 that horse was her stablemate Dreamer. In order to achieve this result, Artful had to be held back. Frank Brunnell of '' The Daily Racing Form'' hailed her as "a genuine crackerjack" who should have won both races with ease. On both occasions it was written that she was: "…hard held and close up throughout, finished as easily and probably could have won the race." Her second race was won by Princess Rupert. These two "declared" races would be the only races Artful ever lost. In her third "undeclared" race, the Futurity Stakes, Artful handed

Sysonby 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 ...

his only defeat by five lengths. Artful's victory was also over a field of exceptional strength (and said at the time to be the finest juvenile field ever assembled): the Canadian champion Oiseau, the fillies and future classic winners

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and

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, and the unbeaten filly Tradition. Artful raced four days later in the winning the Great Filly Stakes. She then took the White Plains Handicap under 130 pounds, giving away 29 pounds to a colt named Dandelion, and setting a new track record of 1:08 for six furlongs. That record stood for fifty years, only broken on a straight course and under a much lighter burden of 115 pounds. William Whitney died in Artful's two-year-old season and his son, Harry Payne Whitney, succeeded him. In her three-year-old season, Artful won two sprints to prepare for the Brighton Handicap which she took "pulling up," (slowing down). She defeated,

Beldame Beldame (1901–1924) was an American horse race, racehorse and horse breeding, broodmare. Background The Chestnut (color), chestnut filly was foaled near Lexington, Kentucky, in 1901. She was by Octagon, out of the England, English-bred Bella D ...

as well as Delhi, the 1904 winner of the

Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over 1.5 miles (2,400 m). Colts and geldings carry a weight of ; fillies carry . The race, nicknamed Th ...

. Her last win was a quarter of a mile race.

Stud record

As a broodmare, Artful did not reproduce herself. Her few foals were winners but not stakes winners. She died in 1927 at the age of twenty five.

References

* "''The History of Thoroughbred Racing in America''" by William H.P. Roberton, Bonanza Books, New York, 1964 * "''Champions, The Lives, Times, and Past Performances of America's Greatest Thoroughbreds'', Revised Edition, Champions from 1893-2004," the Daily Racing Form.

External links

Artful’s pedigree

Artful in the Hall of Fame
{{DEFAULTSORT:Artful (Horse) 1902 racehorse births 1927 racehorse deaths Racehorses trained in the United States American Champion racehorses Racehorses bred in New York (state) United States Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame inductees Thoroughbred family 4-r Byerley Turk sire line