Inspector B 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 best known for winning the 1886 Belmont Stakes.

Background

Inspector B was bred at Belle Meade Stud in Tennessee by William Giles Harding. His sire was Enquirer, and his dam was Colossa. He was previously registered as Envoleur, but his name was later changed to Inspector B. He was named after the head of the

New York City Police Department The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...

detective department, Thomas F. Byrnes. He was later sold to the Dwyer Brothers, Philip J. Dwyer and Michael F. Dwyer.

Racing career

As a two-year-old, Inspector B came second in the August Stakes, the Champagne Stakes, and the

Great Eastern Handicap The Great Eastern Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race first run in 1883 at Sheepshead Bay Race Track in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York. A race for two-year-old horses of either sex, it was run on dirt over a distance of 6 furlon ...

. At age three, Inspector B ran in the Belmont alongside another horse owned by the Dwyer Brothers, Buffalo. Buffalo's purpose was to act as a rabbit, setting the pace early in hopes of tiring out other horses and allowing Inspector B to win. The horse to beat was

The Bard A bard is a minstrel in medieval Scottish, Irish, and Welsh societies; and later re-used by romantic writers. Bard, BARD, The Bard or Bård may also refer to: People * Bard (surname) * Bård, Norwegian given name and surname *William Shakespea ...

, who'd won that year's

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs () o ...

. Inspector B was sent off as the favorite, with The Bard as a second choice. During the race, Buffalo set a quick pace, which The Bard matched at first, taking the lead. Towards the end of the race, Buffalo started to tire, and Inspector B took the lead. The Bard almost caught up with him with a furlong to go, but ultimately lost. Inspector B won the race by a length, beating four other horses. 11 days after his victory in the Belmont, Inspector B won the

Tidal Stakes The Tidal Stakes is a discontinued Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run at the Sheepshead Bay Race Track in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York from the 1880s through until the track closed in 1910. According to a 1901 report on the ra ...

. During the rest of the season, he won the Harvest Handicap, the Lorillard Stakes, the

United States Hotel Stakes The United States Hotel Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in the late summer or early autumn until 1955 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. It was run on dirt over a distance of six furlongs. Raced in th ...

, and the

Travers Stakes The Travers Stakes is an American Graded stakes race, 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 acco ...

. He came second in the Green Grass Stakes and the Coney Island Derby, and came third in the Sequel Stakes. Inspector B continued racing for several more years. At age six, he won the Bay Ridge Handicap, the

Brookdale Handicap The Brookdale Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid summer from 1887 through 1910 at Gravesend Race Track in Brooklyn, New York and from 1914 through 1933 at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens. Open to horses age three ...

, and the Lawnview Handicap. He also came second in the Green Grass Stakes.

Later life

Following the 1889 season, Inspector B was retired to stud, where he had a respectable career. In 1907, he was sold to a farmer for $15 after his owner deemed him no longer useful. The farmer stated he intended to geld Inspector B and use him to plow his crops.

Pedigree

References

{{Belmont Stakes Winners 1883 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Tennessee Racehorses trained in the United States Belmont Stakes winners