Olden Times (1958–1985) 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 c ...

racehorse.

Background

Olden Times was conceived in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

and bred in

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

and was raced by

Rex Ellsworth Rex Cooper Ellsworth (November 15, 1907 – August 24, 1997) was a major owner in Thoroughbred racing and twice the leading breeder in the United States whose story was featured with a cover of the February 25, 1963 edition of ''Sports Illustrate ...

, who also bred and raced U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee Swaps. He was conditioned for racing by Hall of Fame trainer

Mesh Tenney Meshach A. "Mesh" Tenney (November 16, 1907 – November 6, 1993) was an American Thoroughbred horse trainer. From Arizona, Tenney began his career as a Thoroughbred trainer in the western United States in 1935. He won the Santa Anita Derby three ...

from a base in

. Ridden by Hank Moreno,

Racing career

Olden Times won top races on both dirt and grass at racetracks across the United States from 1960 through 1964 at distances from five eighths of a mile to a mile and three quarters. He was sired by

Relic In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...

, an American multiple

stakes race Glossary of North American horse racing: Additional glossaries at: *Glossary of Australian and New Zealand punting *Glossary of equestrian terms This is a basic glossary of equestrian terms that includes both technical terminology and jargon ...

winner who became the leading broodmare sire in France in 1965. Olden Times' dam was Djenne, a daughter of 1942

Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris, France, over a distance ...

winner and five-time

Leading sire in France The list below shows the leading Thoroughbred sire of racehorses in France for each year since 1887. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the season. Due to the huge prize money of the Prix de l'Arc de Tri ...

Djebel : ''For mountains or other uses, see: Jabal.'' Djebel (1937–1958) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse, who won 15 of 22 races during 1939–1942 including the Prix d'Essai, 2000 Guineas and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He was later a leading s ...

. On 30 April 1964 Olden Times captured the

Churchill Downs Handicap The Churchill Downs Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for four-year-old and older sprinters run over a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt annually in early May at Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky as an unde ...

by lengths in a time of 1:21 setting a new track record for the seven furlong distance. Olden Times capped off his career with a 1964 win over

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 ...

winner Quadrangle in the prestigious

Metropolitan Handicap The Metropolitan Handicap, frequently called the "Met Mile", is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is contested on dirt over a distance of one mile (8 furl ...

Aqueduct Racetrack Aqueduct Racetrack is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and casino in the South Ozone Park, Queens, South Ozone Park and Jamaica, Queens, Jamaica neighborhoods of Queens, New York City, United States. Aqueduct is the only racetrack locate ...

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

Stud record

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 bar ...

duty for the 1965 breeding season, Olden Times was a successful sire. The best of his progeny was

Roving Boy Roving Boy (1980–1983) was an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred and raced by Robert E. Hibbert, Roving Boy was a descendant of Man o' War on his sire's side. His dam's grandsire was the undefeated Italian racing superstar, Ri ...

, voted the 1982

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 ...

as the

American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt The American Champion Two-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 the ''Daily Racing F ...

. A winner of five of his seven starts in 1982, Roving Boy earned $800,425 that year, at the time the highest ever for his age group. Among Olden Times' other successful offspring were multiple stakes winners Full Pocket (f. 1969), Blue Times (f. 1971), Dainty Dotsie (f. 1974), Dr. Riddick (f. 1974), and Vittorioso (f. 1979).Olden Times' progeny
/ref>

Pedigree

References

{{reflist 1958 racehorse births 1985 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in California Racehorses trained in the United States Thoroughbred family 20-a