George Kinney 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 ...

best known for winning the 1883

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 ...

Background

George Kinney was bred in Tennessee by Captain James Franklin at Kennesaw Stud. His dam was Kathleen, a daughter of the great sire Lexington, and his father was Bonnie Scotland, a great imported sire. He was sold to the

Dwyer Brothers Stable Dwyer Brothers Stable was an American thoroughbred horse racing Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat ...

, owned by

Philip J. Dwyer Philip, also Phillip, is a male given name, derived from the Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominent Philips who popularize ...

and

Michael F. Dwyer Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...

Racing career

As a two-year-old, George Kinney won the

Flash Stakes The Flash Stakes was an important and prestigious race for two-year-old Thoroughbred horses and one of the longest running horse racing events in America. Run before races were graded, the Flash was won by a host of starry names. Begun before ...

, the Hopeful Stakes, and the Kentucky Stakes. His win at the Flash Stakes was particularly notable, as he beat his stablemate and top filly

Miss Woodford Miss Woodford (1880–1899) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who was one of the top American fillies of all time, winning 16 consecutive races. Background Miss Woodford was bred in Kentucky by the Ezekiel Clay & Catesby Woodford b ...

. During his three-year-old season, George Kinney won the Withers Stakes, and was the heavy favorite in the 1883 Belmont Stakes. His winning of the race was considered such a sure thing that bookmakers offered a special bet that included all of three of the other horses that would be running against him. George Kinney ended up winning the race by two lengths. George Kinney went on to win a number of other races as a three-year-old, including the Lorillard Stakes, the Jerome Stakes, the

Kenner Stakes The Kenner Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race run from 1870 through 1942 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Open to three-year-old horses, it was last contested at a distance of a mile and three sixteenths on dirt. I ...

, the

Dixie Stakes The Dinner Party Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in mid-May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the eighth-oldest graded stakes race in the United States and the oldest stakes race in Maryland and all o ...

, and the

Grand National Handicap The Grand National Handicap was an American Thoroughbred race horse first run in 1866 at the newly built Jerome Park Racetrack in Fordham, New York. Open to horses age three and older, the race was contested on dirt at a distance of miles from i ...

. He came second in Pimlico Stakes, beaten by the filly he'd previously triumphed over, Miss Woodford. He also came second in that year's Ocean Stakes, and third in the Sequel Stakes. He was beaten in the Potomac Stakes by Duke Carter, and did not place in that race. As a four-year-old, George Kinney was starting to slow down. He came second in that year's Ocean Stakes, beaten once again by Miss Woodford. Overall, he started 38 times, won 25, placed 9 times, and came in third twice. His total career earnings were $63,875.

Pedigree

References

{{Belmont Stakes Winners 1880 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Tennessee Racehorses trained in the United States Belmont Stakes winners