Baden-Baden (foaled 1874 in Kentucky) was an American

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

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 ...

best known for winning the

1877 Kentucky Derby The 1877 Kentucky Derby was the 3rd running of the Kentucky Derby. The race took place on May 22, 1877. The 1877 Derby was the first to attract a major celebrity spectator, Polish actress Helena Modjeska. Full results Payout The winner recei ...

. He was bred by A. J. Alexander at his

Woodburn Stud Woodburn Stud was an American horse breeding farm located in Woodford County, Kentucky about ten miles (16 km) from the city of Lexington. It was established in the 18th century as an original land grant property of General Hugh Mercer to ...

Woodford County, Kentucky Woodford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,871. Its county seat is Versailles. The area was home to Pisgah Academy. Woodford County is part of the Lexington-Fayette, KY Metrop ...

. Baden-Baden was sired by Australian (GB) (who in turn was sired by West Australian, first horse to win the

English Triple Crown The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, often shortened to Triple Crown, is a series of horse races for Thoroughbreds, often restricted to three-year-olds. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplis ...

in 1853); his dam, Lavender, was sired by Wagner.ASB - Baden Baden
Retrieved on 2009-6-19 He was purchased at Woodburn's yearling sale by Kentucky horseman Daniel Swigert, from

Elmendorf Farm Elmendorf Farm is a Kentucky Thoroughbred horse farm in Fayette County, Kentucky, involved with horse racing since the 19th century. Once the North Elkhorn Farm, many owners and tenants have occupied the area, even during the American Civil War. M ...

Racing career

After the sale, Baden-Baden was trained by future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee Edward D. Brown. In his first start,

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

William Walker rode him to victory in the fledgling

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...

. Baden-Baden was then sold to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

businessman

William Backhouse Astor, Jr. William Backhouse Astor Jr. (July 12, 1829 – April 25, 1892) was an American businessman, racehorse owner/breeder, and yachtsman who was a member of the prominent Astor family. His elder brother, financier and philanthropist John Jacob Astor II ...

1877 Kentucky Derby

The weather was fair and the track, although dry, was "cuppy" from recent rains. The start was delayed by fractious horses; before the advent of the

starting gate A starting gate also called a starting barrier or starting stalls is a machine used to ensure a fair start to in horse racing and dog racing. History Throughout the history of horse racing, there have been proposals as to how better to start ...

, Thoroughbreds raced from a standing start. Vera Cruz (ridden by

Isaac Murphy Isaac Murphy (October 16, 1799 or 1802 – September 8, 1882)Every Arkansas reference says that he was born in 1799; most other sources, including genealogical studies, say he was born in 1802. was a native of Pennsylvania, a teacher and la ...

) reared and stumbled, nearly unseating his rider and losing a great deal of ground. Robert Swim, on Leonard, took the lead. On the backstretch Baden-Baden (who had been in fourth place) began his run, reaching Leonard at the three-quarter-mile pole. He passed Leonard just as they turned into the stretch and they pounded down it together, Baden-Baden maintaining his lead. Murphy was known for coming from behind, and that was what he tried here. He had begun his drive well before the stretch, and passed tiring horses until he was closing in on Baden-Baden and Leonard. Vera Cruz finally tired and finished fourth, with Baden-Baden first and Leonard second. The time for the 1½ miles (the Derby was run at that distance from its inauguration in 1875 until 1895) was a slow 2:38.

After the Derby

Racing for Astor at New York-area tracks, Baden-Baden finished third in 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 ...

; he later won the prestigious

Travers Stakes The Travers Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is nicknamed the "Mid-Summer Derby" and is the third-ranked race for American three-year-olds according to internation ...

Saratoga Race Course Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track located on Union Avenue in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. Opened in 1863, it is often considered to be the oldest major sporting venue of any kind in the country, but is actua ...

. He made his last start at the end of his three-year-old season in the Kenner Stakes, in which he broke a

sesamoid bone In anatomy, a sesamoid bone () is a bone embedded within a tendon or a muscle. Its name is derived from the Arabic word for ' sesame seed', indicating the small size of most sesamoids. Often, these bones form in response to strain, or can be pres ...

. This injury ended Baden-Baden's racing career; he was retired to stud duty at William Astor's Ferncliffe Stud, where he sired many offspring (mostly daughters, with few successful) into the late 1880s.NY Times. April 22, 1887
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Pedigree

* Baden-Baden is

inbred Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely related genetically. By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genetic disorders and o ...

4S × 4D to the stallion

Emilius Emilius may refer to: People * Saint Emilius (died 250), Christian martyr * Emilius Ditlev Bærentzen (1799–1868), Danish painter * Emilius Bangert (1883–1962), Danish composer, organist, and academic * Emilius Bayley (1823–1917), English ...

, meaning that he appears fourth generation on the sire side of his pedigree and fourth generation on the dam side of his pedigree.

References

External links

Baden-Baden's Kentucky Derby charts
{{Kentucky Derby Winners 1874 racehorse births Kentucky Derby winners Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Thoroughbred family 12-b Godolphin Arabian sire line