Hermis (foaled 1899 in
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
) 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.
Background
Hermis was a chestnut horse bred by Hiram Berry: H. A. Engman owned his dam, Katy of the West. He was purchased as a two-year-old by
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
theatre
Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...
man
Henry M. Ziegler and was trained by Charles Hughes. Hermis would be sold to Louis V. Bell who turned him over to
Jack McCormack to train. Sold in 1903 to banker
Edward R. Thomas, Hermis would then be trained by
Alexander Shields
Alexander Shields or Sheilds or Sheills (January 1661 – 1700) was a Scottish, Presbyterian, nonconformist minister, activist, and author. He was imprisoned in London, in Edinburgh and on the Bass Rock for holding private worship services. A ...
who later would acquire a part ownership and then full ownership in 1906.
Racing career
Beginning at age three, Hermis was a dominant force in racing and would be awarded 1902
American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse The American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually in Thoroughbred flat racing. It became part of the Eclipse Awards program in 1971.
The award originated in 1936 when both ''Turf & Sport ...
and
American Horse of the Year honors. At age four he was the 1903
American Champion Older Male Horse and repeated as American Horse of the Year. At his final race during the 1904 World's Fair Handicap in St. Louis, Hermis received an injury to his leg due to being kicked by 1903
Kentucky Derby winner
Judge Himes during the start. As a result of the injury, Hermis never raced again. However, for 1904 Hermis was again selected as the American Champion Older Male Horse. At the time such Champion designations were espoused by various racing media but these designated honors were selected retrospectively by a panel of experts as published by ''
The Blood-Horse magazine''.
Stud record
Hermis was retired to
stud
Stud may refer to the following terms:
Animals
* Stud (animal), an animal retained for breeding
** Stud farm, a property where livestock are bred
Arts and entertainment
* Stud (band), a British progressive rock group
* The Stud (bar), a gay ba ...
duty. On January 3, 1912, the ''New York Times'' reported that he had been sold to
Edmond Blanc, a prominent French breeder and owner of
Haras de Jardy at
Marnes-la-Coquette
Marnes-la-Coquette () is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. Located from the centre of Paris, the town is situated in the Hauts-de-Seine department on the departmental border with Yvelines between the Parc de Saint-Cloud and th ...
in what is today the western suburbs of
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
.
References
June 17, 1904 ''New York Times'' article on Hermis
1899 racehorse births
Racehorses trained in the United States
Racehorses bred in Kentucky
Thoroughbred family A2
American Thoroughbred Horse of the Year
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