T.V. Lark (February 12, 1957 – 1975) was an American Thoroughbred

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

and

sire Sire is an archaic respectful form of address to reigning kings in Europe. In French and other languages it is less archaic and relatively more current. In Belgium, the king is addressed as "Sire..." in both Dutch and French. The words "sire" a ...

. He was named the

American Champion Turf Horse The American Champion Male Turf Horse award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor. The award originated in 1953 when the ''Daily Racing Form'' (DRF) named Iceberg II their champion. The Thoroughbred Racing Association (TRA) added the cat ...

of 1961 after winning the Santa Catalina, Los Angeles, Hawthorne Gold Cup and

Knickerbocker Handicap The Knickerbocker Stakes is an American Grade III race on turf for Thoroughbred horses run each year at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The Knickerbocker is open to three-year-olds and up, and set at a distance of miles (nine furlongs). Run ...

s and the

Washington, D.C. International Stakes The Baltimore Washington International Turf Cup is an American Grade III invitational horse race run over one mile. Inaugurated in 1952, it was raced at Laurel Park Racecourse on the turf in Laurel, Maryland, at a distance of miles (12 furlongs ...

. He was also the leading sire in North America in 1974.

Background

T.V. Lark was a bay horse bred in California by Dr. Walter D. Lucas. He was owned during his racing career by Chase McCoy of CR Mac Stables, and initially trained by U.S. Racing Hall of Fame member

William Molter William Molter (June 2, 1910 – April 2, 1960) was an American National Champion and Hall of Fame horse trainer in the sport of Thoroughbred racing. A native of Fredericksburg, Texas, Molter began his career in horse racing as a jockey at race ...

Racing career

At age two, T.V. Lark won the

Arlington Futurity The Arlington-Washington Futurity is a Listed horse race for Thoroughbred two-year-olds. It is scheduled to run at a distance of one mile on the turf at Arlington Park, Arlington Heights, Illinois every fall and as at 2020 offers a purse of $100, ...

(1959). In 1960, as a three-year-old, he won the

California Derby The California Derby is a race for Thoroughbred horses held early in the year at Golden Gate Fields. An ungraded stakes, it is open to three-year-olds at a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on a Tapeta surface. The Derby offers a purs ...

, but on April 2, 1960, William Molter died unexpectedly of a heart attack and Paul Parker, a former groom of T.V. Lark, became his trainer. The horse did not run in the

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...

, and in the Preakness Stakes finished a disappointing 6th behind winner Bally Ache. However, he came back to win the 1960 Arlington Classic, the Washington Park Handicap and the Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap. He defeated both Sword Dancer and Bally Ache in the 1960

United Nations Handicap The United Nations Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds and older run over a distance of one and three-eighth miles on the turf held annually in July at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. The event ...

. In 1961, T.V. Lark won several top races and broke the track record on the turf while defeating the great Kelso in the prestigious Washington, D.C. International. T.V. Lark's performances in 1961 saw him named that year's American Champion Male Turf Horse.

Stud career

T.V. Lark was retired to stand at stud at owner Preston Madden's Hamburg Place farm in

Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, Fayette County. By population, it is the List of cities in Kentucky, second-largest city in Kentucky and List of United States cities by popul ...

. A descendant of the great sire Nearco, T.V. Lark was the leading sire in the United States in 1974 when his progeny won 121 races. T.V. Lark was the damsire of the Hall of Fame

filly A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use: *In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old. *In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, t ...

Chris Evert Christine Marie Evert (born December 21, 1954), known as Chris Evert Lloyd from 1979 to 1987, is an American former world No. 1 tennis player. Evert won 18 major singles titles, including a record seven French Open titles and a joint-record ...

. T.V. Lark died in 1975 at age 18 and was buried in the equine cemetery at Hamburg Place.

Pedigree

References

{{reflist
T.V. Lark's pedigree and racing stats
1957 racehorse births 1975 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in California Racehorses trained in the United States United States Champion Thoroughbred Sires Thoroughbred family 9-c Chefs-de-Race