General Duke (born 1865) 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 ...
racehorse who won the second running of the
Belmont Stakes in 1868.
[New York Racing Association]
Belmont Stakes
" ''The Belmont Stakes''Daily Racing Form
The ''Daily Racing Form'' (DRF) (referred to as the ''Racing Form'' or "Form" and sometimes "telegraph" or "telly") is a tabloid newspaper founded in 1894 in Chicago, Illinois, by Frank Brunell. The paper publishes the past performances of raceh ...
''American Racing Manual'' p. 215A A son of
Lexington, he was bred by
Robert A. Alexander in Kentucky. He raced as a two-year-old, winning twice, including a stakes race. As a three-year-old, he raced nine times, winning six races, including several stakes. His final racing record was 18 wins from 32 starts. He was later known as Judge Curtis, and after his racing career ended he was a breeding stallion in Canada before dying in Illinois in 1888. Three of his daughters won
stakes races.
Early life
General Duke was sired by
Lexington, and out of Lilla, who was by the imported stallion Yorkshire. General Duke was foaled in 1865 and was a
chestnut stallion. He was bred by
Robert A. Alexander at
Woodburn Stud in Kentucky.
[Bruce ''American Stud Book'' Vol. 1 p. 653] Both of his back legs were white to the pastern.
[Vosburgh "Belmont Stakes" ''Daily Racing Form'']
Racing career
General Duke's first start on the racetrack was in 1867, in the
Saratoga Stakes on August 9. He placed third in that race, which was and limited to two-year-old horses. He carried and raced for McConnell and Harness.
[Crickmore ''Racing Calendars Vol. 2 1866, 1867'' p. 143] He then raced on August 12, for the same owners at the same distance in a race for two-year-olds, which he won in 1 minute 20 seconds.
[Crickmore ''Racing Calendars Vol. 2 1866, 1867'' p. 145] Both of these races were at
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 actu ...
in New York.
[ On September 26, 1867, General Duke started a race at Cincinnati, Ohio, the Cincinnati Stakes. This was a race for two-year-olds, which General Duke won in 1 minute 45 seconds carrying . He was at that time still owned by McConnell and Harness.][Crickmore ''Racing Calendars Vol. 2 1866, 1867'' p. 179]
As a three-year-old, General Duke first started at the Secaucus Racetrack in New Jersey, on May 29, 1868. This race was a mile-heat race, run as three separate races. Racing again for McConnell and Harness, General Duke finished 3rd in each of the three heats.[Crickmore ''Racing Calendars Vol. 3 1868, 1869'' p. 30] The next race he started was the Belmont Stakes on June 10, 1868, which was run at the Jerome Park Racetrack
Jerome Park Racetrack was an American thoroughbred horse racing facility from 1866 until 1894. It was located in a part of Westchester County, New York that was annexed into the Bronx in 1874. Jerome Park Racetrack was the home of the Belmont Sta ...
. The Belmont was run at a . General Duke won while carrying , in a time of 3 minutes and 2 seconds.[Crickmore ''Racing Calendars Vol. 31868, 1869'' p. 32] His jockey for the race was R. Swim.[ and the trainer was A. Thompson.][Sowers ''Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes'' p. 10] The horse led from the start, even though he had reared up with his jockey before the beginning of the race.[ He was the first of four winners of the Belmont sired by Lexington.][Dunstan "Reflections" ''Daily Racing Form'']
On June 17, General Duke came in second in a sweepstakes race at distance.[Crickmore ''Racing Calendars Vol. 31868, 1869'' p. 36] On July 2, he won a sweepstakes race for three-year-olds at a distance of a .[Crickmore ''Racing Calendars Vol. 31868, 1869'' p. 39] On August 10, at Saratoga, he won the Sequel Stakes over in a time of 3 minutes 40 seconds. He carried in that race.[Crickmore ''Racing Calendars Vol. 31868, 1869'' p. 43] On August 25, 1868, he won the Providence Stake at Narragansett Race Track, in Rhode Island. This race was a , and he carried during his winning time of 2 minutes and 44 seconds.[Crickmore ''Racing Calendars Vol. 31868, 1869'' p. 47] The same day, he won a heat race, with two heats, placing first in both heats.[Crickmore ''Racing Calendars Vol. 31868, 1869'' p. 48] He next started at the Jerome Park Racetrack in New York on October 7, 1868, in a cup race over . He placed second while carrying .[Crickmore ''Racing Calendars Vol. 31868, 1869'' p. 74] His last start of the year was on October 8, when he won a race with a time of 3 minutes and 13 seconds.[Crickmore ''Racing Calendars Vol. 31868, 1869'' p. 76]
General Duke's final racing career totals were 32 starts and 18 wins, with total earnings on the track of $17,915 ().[ His career spanned six years on the track.][ He was named Champion Three-Year-Old in 1868.][Hewitt ''Great Breeders'' p. 18] In 1870 he was the first horse to run a mile in 1 minute, 4.5 seconds.[ When he was four and five, he was owned by Charles Littlefield, but was subsequently sold to Joseph O'Donnell. O'Donnell changed the horse's name, to Judge Curtis; something that has never happened to any other winner of a United States Triple Crown race.][
As Judge Curtis, he was used as a breeding stallion in ]Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
but died in 1888 in Monmouth, Illinois
Monmouth is a city in and the county seat of Warren County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,902 at the 2020 census, down from 9,444 in 2010. It is the home of Monmouth College and contains Monmouth Park, Harmon Park, North Park, Warf ...
.[ Three of his daughters won stakes races:][Hogan ''Index to Stakes Winners'' p. 606] His daughter Bonnie Bird, foaled in 1876, won the Queen's Plate
The King's Plate (known as the Queen's Plate between 1860 to 1901 and 1952 to 2022) is Canada's oldest Thoroughbred horse race, having been founded in 1860. It is also the oldest continuously run race in North America. It is run at a distance of ...
at Woodbine Racetrack
Woodbine Racetrack is a race track for Thoroughbred horse racing in the Etobicoke area of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Owned by Woodbine Entertainment Group, Woodbine Racetrack manages and hosts Canada's most famous race, the King's Plate. The tra ...
in 1880. Her full sister Bonnie Duke, foaled in 1882, won the same race in 1887.[Hogan ''Index to Stakes Winners'' p. 131] His 1882 daughter Curtolima won the 1885 Woodstock Plate Handicap, now called the Woodstock Stakes
The Woodstock Stakes is a historic Canadian Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario since 1885. Held in mid April, the sprint race is open to three-year-old horses and is contested over a distance of five an ...
.[Hogan ''Index to Stakes Winners'' p. 491]
Pedigree
Citations
References
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
{{Use mdy dates, date=July 2017
1865 racehorse births
Racehorses trained in the United States
Racehorses bred in Kentucky
Belmont Stakes winners
Thoroughbred family 9-c
Byerley Turk sire line