Sly Fox (1895 – after 1909) 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 ...

best known for winning the 1898 Preakness Stakes. He was bred by U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee Wyndham Walden at his Bowling Brook Stud in Middleburg, Maryland. A son of Silver Fox, whose English sire was the 1883

Epsom Derby The Derby Stakes, also known as the Epsom Derby or the Derby, and as the Cazoo Derby for sponsorship reasons, is a Group 1 flat horse race in England open to three-year-old colts and fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey o ...

winner,

St. Blaise Blaise of Sebaste ( hy, Սուրբ Վլասի, ''Surb Vlasi''; el, Ἅγιος Βλάσιος, ''Agios Vlasios''; ) was a physician and bishop of Sebastea in historical Armenia (modern Sivas, Turkey) who is venerated as a Christian saint and m ...

, he was out of the mare Asteria. Sly Fox was owned and raced by

Charles Dwyer Charles "Cha" Dwyer (born 1994) is an Irish hurler who plays as a left wing-forward for the Laois senior team. Born in Ballinakill, County Laois, Dwyer first played competitive hurling during his schooling at Castlecomer Community School. He ...

, the eldest son of prominent New York City horseman, Mike Dwyer. Trained by Hardy Campbell Jr., the colt won several races and is remembered for winning the Preakness Stakes in the pre- U.S. Triple Crown era. Sly Fox won the 1898 Preakness in a year when the race was hosted by the Gravesend Race Track in Gravesend, Brooklyn,

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 * '' ...

. The heavily backed horse won by three lengths, defeating the favorite, The Huguenot. His

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

, Willie Simms, remains the only African-American to ever win the Preakness Stakes. Sly Fox was sold in December 1899 to

Solly Joel Solomon Barnato "Solly" Joel (23 May 1865 – 22 May 1931), born in London, England, moved to South Africa in the 1880s where he made his fortune in connection with diamonds, later becoming a financier with interests in mining, brewing and rai ...

and was exported to the United Kingdom. Sly Fox stood for the 1907 breeding season in Devonshire under the ownership of a Mr. Ash of

Barnstaple Barnstaple ( or ) is a river-port town in North Devon, England, at the River Taw's lowest crossing point before the Bristol Channel. From the 14th century, it was licensed to export wool and won great wealth. Later it imported Irish wool, bu ...

References

{{Preakness Stakes Winners 1895 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Maryland Racehorses trained in the United States Preakness Stakes winners Thoroughbred family 4-r