Johren (1915–1932) was a

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 competed in the

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. His most important win came in the 1918 Belmont Stakes.

Background

Johren was a "massive" bay horse owned and bred by

Harry Payne Whitney Harry Payne Whitney (April 29, 1872 – October 26, 1930) was an American businessman, thoroughbred horse breeder, and member of the prominent Whitney family. Early years Whitney was born in New York City on April 29, 1872, as the eldest son ...

. He was sired by

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, the 1906

Grand Prix de Paris The Grand Prix de Paris is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and i ...

winner and a son of Australian Racing Hall of Fame and

New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame The New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame recognises and honours those whose achievements have enriched the New Zealand thoroughbred horse racing industry. History The Hall of Fame's first group of honorees were inducted in 2006, and inductions are he ...

inaugural inductee

Carbine A carbine ( or ) is a long gun that has a barrel shortened from its original length. Most modern carbines are rifles that are compact versions of a longer rifle or are rifles chambered for less powerful cartridges. The smaller size and lighte ...

. As well as being the sire of the Belmont Stakes-winning filly Tanya, Johren's damsire Meddler was the damsire of U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee Grey Lag. Harry Whitney had racing operations at Newmarket in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

and in his native United States. He brought Johren as a yearling to his Brookdale Farm in

Lincroft, New Jersey Lincroft is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) within Middletown Township, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States.

, where his race training was overseen by head trainer James G. Rowe, Sr.

Racing career

Johren was not sufficiently developed to race at age two and started his three-year-old racing season with nine straight losses before getting his first win. In the pre- U.S. Triple Crown era, he was not entered in the 1918 Kentucky Derby. Entered in the

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 ...

, Johren ran fourth and then won the Belmont Stakes, defeating the British-bred Preakness winner War Cloud. By the summer of 1918, the colt had become one of the dominant horses in American racing, winning a number of other important races including the 1918 Latonia Derby in late June, in which he beat Kentucky Derby winner Exterminator by three lengths. He was beaten by War Cloud in the Dwyer Stakes at Aqueduct in July.

Stud career

Retired to

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duty, Johen had modest success as a sire. His most noteworthy progeny was Edisto, who raced for the Seagram Stables and won several races in Canada and the U.S. Johren died in 1932.

References

Johren's pedigree and partial racing stats

Johren's offspring at the Triple Crown database by Kathleen Irwin and Joy Reeves
{{Belmont Stakes Winners 1915 racehorse births 1932 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom Racehorses trained in the United States Belmont Stakes winners Whitney racehorses Thoroughbred family 2-h