Kayak II (1935 – November 19??) was an Argentine-bred

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 successfully in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. He was sired by a famous Argentine thoroughbred named Congreve out of the dam Mosquita. After being seen by American Lindsay Howard during a polo trip to Argentina, Kayak was purchased for $7,000 along with another horse named Ligaroti. The horses were shipped back to

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, where Howard's father, businessman

Charles S. Howard Charles Stewart Howard (February 28, 1877 – June 6, 1950) was an American businessman. He made his fortune as an automobile dealer and became a prominent thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse owner. Biography Howard was dubbed one of the most s ...

, owned a successful racing stable that included 1938 U.S. Horse of the Year

Seabiscuit Seabiscuit (May 23, 1933 – May 17, 1947) was a champion thoroughbred racehorse in the United States who became the top money-winning racehorse up to the 1940s. He beat the 1937 Triple Crown winner, War Admiral, by four lengths in a two-horse ...

. Lin Howard and his partner in

Binglin Stable Binglin Stable in Moorpark, Ventura County, California, was a stock farm established during the latter part of the 1930s to race and breed Thoroughbred horses. The stable was owned by entertainer Bing Crosby and close friend, Lindsay Howard. Cr ...

, singer Bing Crosby, raced Ligaroti, while Charles Howard raced Kayak. His original name was Kajak; Howard, however, renamed him. To avoid a conflict of names, the horse had to be registered in the U.S. as Kayak II. Trained by

R. Thomas Smith Robert Thomas Smith (May 20, 1878 – January 23, 1957) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer. Born in a log cabin in the backwoods of northwest Georgia, as a young man he trained horses for the United States Cavalry and worked o ...

, he won 14 races and finished in the money in 23 of his 26 starts in the U.S. Substituting for injured stablemate Seabiscuit, Kayak II won the 1939

Santa Anita Handicap The Santa Anita Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early March at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is a Grade I race for horses four years old and up and was once considered the most important race for o ...

, then finished second to Seabiscuit in the 1940 edition. In his other major 1939 race, Kayak II lost to

Challedon Challedon (1936–1958) was an American Hall of Fame Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred in Maryland by William L. Brann and Robert S. Castle, he raced under the colors of their Branncastle Farm. Two-year-old-season Racing at age two, Challed ...

in the 1939

Pimlico Special The Pimlico Special is a Grade 3 American thoroughbred horse race for horses age three and older over a distance of miles ( furlongs) held at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland in mid May. The race currently offers a purse of $300,000. ...

Pimlico Race Course Pimlico Race Course is a thoroughbred horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of Ol ...

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

. Kayak II was named the U.S. Champion Older Male Horse in 1939 in the earlier equivalent to today's

Eclipse Award The Eclipse Award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th-century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. An Eclipse Award Trophy is presented to the winner in each division that is made by a few small selected American ...

References

Kayak II's pedigree and racing stats
{{Reflist 1935 racehorse births Thoroughbred family 3-b Racehorses bred in Argentina Racehorses trained in the United States