Tremont (1884–1899) 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 who, according to the
New York Racing Association
The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) is the not-for-profit corporation that operates the three largest Thoroughbred horse racing tracks in the state of New York, United States: Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, Queens; Belmont Park i ...
, was acclaimed by 19th-century
Thoroughbred horse racing
Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in ...
historians as the best two-year-old ever bred in the United States. He was undefeated in thirteen starts at age two, but never raced again.
Background
Bred by
Daniel Swigert
Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge"Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 68. (cf. Gabriel—"God is my strength"), ...
at his
Elmendorf Farm
Elmendorf Farm is a Kentucky Thoroughbred horse farm in Fayette County, Kentucky, involved with horse racing since the 19th century. Once the North Elkhorn Farm, many owners and tenants have occupied the area, even during the American Civil War. Mo ...
in
Fayette County, Kentucky, Tremont was purchased by the Dwyer Brothers in 1885 at the Elmendorf annual yearling sale. Tremont was sired by Virgil who also sired the 1876
Kentucky Derby winner
Vagrant
Vagrancy is the condition of homelessness without regular employment or income. Vagrants (also known as bums, vagabonds, rogues, tramps or drifters) usually live in poverty and support themselves by begging, scavenging, petty theft, temporar ...
as well as
U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee,
Hindoo. He was trained by future Hall of Fame member
Frank McCabe.
Racing career
In 1886, Tremont set a record for the most wins by a two-year-old trained in the United States that still stands. That year he went undefeated in his thirteen starts while setting an earnings record for his age group. The colt dominated his opponents, winning by an average of almost six lengths. Owned by the
Dwyer Brothers Stable, who were notorious for over-racing their horses, all thirteen of Tremont's races came within a ten-week period.
Tremont made his debut in the Juvenile Stakes at
Jerome Park on May 29, 1886, in a field of fourteen. In the absence of starting gates, the horses milled around the starting area for nearly an hour, during which time one colt was injured and had to be scratched. When the field was finally released, Tremont got a running start and went to the front. He led by three lengths at the top of the stretch, then opened a lead of six lengths when briefly given his head by jockey
Jim McLaughlin.
Over the next two months, Tremont continued to dominate the juvenile stakes races in New York and New Jersey. On June 5, he won the Sequence Stakes at Jerome Park on the same day as stablemate Inspector B took the
Belmont Stakes – at the time, the two races were considered equally newsworthy. On June 10, he took the Foam Stakes at Sheepshead Bay by six lengths in wire-to-wire fashion. Just two days later, he overcame a poor start to win the Surf Stakes by three-quarters of a length while carrying a seven pound penalty. Entering his third race in a week, Tremont then won the Zephyr Stakes on June 15. He then raced back on June 17 to take the Paddock Stakes.
After a relatively long break of five days, Tremont returned to take the Spring Stakes on June 22. Two days later, he was back to win the June Stakes by eight lengths on a day where McLaughlin won four races. On June 26, the Dwyers won three races at Sheepshead Bay, including Tremont's six-length victory in the Great Post Stakes. The Dwyers were less fortunate on the closing day of the Sheepshead Bay meet, but still won the Good Bye Stakes with Tremont.
The stable then relocated to Monmouth Park where, in what was possibly a warning of things to come, the Dwyers elected to run future star
Hanover
Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...
instead of Tremont in the Hopeful Stakes on July 3. Given an extra week's rest, Tremont returned on July 10 to take the Atlantic Stakes by ten lengths. On July 15, he followed up to win the Tyro Stakes by six lengths over a muddy track.
Tremont's thirteenth consecutive victory came on August 7 in the Junior Champion Stakes, run at a distance of six furlongs at
Monmouth Park
Monmouth Park Racetrack is an American race track for thoroughbred horse racing in Oceanport, New Jersey, United States. It is owned by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and is operated under a five-year lease as a partnership with ...
in a driving rainstorm. Many horses scratched due to the weather, leaving only Kingston and the Julietta colt to contest the race. Tremont trailed behind a fast early pace set by the other two, then swept to the lead in the final quarter and pulled away to win in a "common canter" by six lengths. The reporter for ''The New York Times'' wrote, "the skeptics must be convinced that he (Tremont) is the greatest 2-year-old ever foaled in this country."
Tremont was scheduled to make his next start in the August Stakes on August 10, in which he was assigned a 12-pound penalty for a total weight of 127 pounds. The Dwyers decided not to enter the colt and instead started the filly Louise, who finished second. Without further explanation at the time, Tremont's two-year-old campaign was over.
Tremont was expected to return to racing at age three but was unable to do so due to unspecified "trouble with his feet". Although the Dwyers long held out hope for his recovery, they finally arranged for his sale in September 1887 for retirement to stud.
Stud record
Retired to stud duty, Tremont was a moderately successful sire, known for transmitting his speed. Of eleven runners from his first crop, nine were winners. His best offspring was considered to be Dragonet, who finished third in the
Futurity Stakes, then the most important race for two-year-olds. Tremont was
euthanized at
Belle Meade Stud in March 1899 after an accident in which he fractured a hip.
Honors
Tremont was retroactively recognized as the
American Champion Two-Year-Old of 1886.
The Dwyer Brothers owned
Gravesend Race Track
Gravesend Race Track at Gravesend in Brooklyn, New York was a Thoroughbred horse racing facility that opened in 1886 and closed in 1910. The track was built by the Brooklyn Jockey Club with the backing of Philip and Michael Dwyer, two wealthy raci ...
and on its opening in 1887 created the
Tremont Stakes
The Tremont Stakes is a Listed American Thoroughbred horse race run annually for two-year-olds over the distance of 5½ furlongs on the dirt in early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The event carries a purse of US$150,000.
History
First ...
in his honour. Today, the race is run at
Belmont Park.
See also
*
List of leading Thoroughbred racehorses
The list of leading Thoroughbred racehorses contains the names of undefeated racehorses and other horses that had an outstanding race record in specific categories. Note though that many champions do not appear on the list as an unexpected defe ...
References
{{reflist
Pedigree and statistics at Pedigree Query
1884 racehorse births
1899 racehorse deaths
American Champion racehorses
Racehorses bred in Kentucky
Racehorses trained in the United States
Undefeated racehorses
Byerley Turk sire line
Thoroughbred family A33