Tom Ochiltree
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Tom Ochiltree (1872–1897), 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 ...
who won the 1875 Preakness Stakes and several other major stakes. In 1877, he lost in one of the most famous match races of the nineteenth century – a race that had been so anticipated that both houses of Congress were adjourned so members could attend. In 2016, Tom Ochiltree was inducted into the
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American Thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers. In 1955, the museum moved to its current location on Union Av ...
.


Background

Tom Ochiltree was bred by A.J. Alexander's
Woodburn Stud Woodburn Stud was an American horse breeding farm located in Woodford County, Kentucky about ten miles (16 km) from the city of Lexington. It was established in the 18th century as an original land grant property of General Hugh Mercer to ...
and was one of the last offspring of the great foundation
stallion A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded (castrated). Stallions follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" nec ...
, Lexington. He was an enormous
colt Colt(s) or COLT may refer to: *Colt (horse), an intact (uncastrated) male horse under four years of age People * Colt (given name) *Colt (surname) Places *Colt, Arkansas, United States *Colt, Louisiana, an unincorporated community, United States ...
, eventually reaching high with a girth of 76 inches. According to racing historian Walter Vosburgh, "For size, bone, and coarseness, Tom Ochiltree surpassed all contemporaries." Purchased by J. F. Chamberlain at the 1873 Woodburn yearling sale for $500, he was later resold to tobacco heir George Lynde Lorillard. He was named after Colonel
Thomas P. Ochiltree Thomas Peck Ochiltree (October 26, 1839November 25, 1902) was a U.S. Representative from Texas. Biography Born in Livingston, Alabama and raised in Nacogdoches in the Republic of Texas, Ochiltree attended the public schools. He volunteered in ...
, who joined the Texas Rangers at age 14, fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War, became a newspaper editor and served as a United States Congressman. The colt was originally trained by
Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...
conditioner Wyndham Walden, the founder of Bowling Brook Farm in
Carroll County, Maryland Carroll County is located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 172,891. Its county seat is Westminster. Carroll County is included in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is ...
). Tom Ochiltree had two great rivals, Ten Broeck and Parole. Ten Broeck was foaled in the same year as Tom Ochiltree at the neighboring Nantura Stock Farm. Parole was born one year later, bred by Pierre Lorillard IV, the brother and racing rival of Tom Ochiltree's owner.New York Times, 8/09/1876
/ref> In 1877, these three would ignite the racing world in one of its biggest match races.


Racing career

Because he was still growing, Tom Ochiltree did not race at age two. At three, he won in his career debut in a six-furlong race at
Pimlico Racetrack 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 ...
. Two days later, he returned to win the third running of the Preakness Stakes, then run at a distance of miles. He then finished third in the
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 ...
and Jersey Derby, and last in the Ocean Hotel Stakes. He was given some time off and was switched to trainer Anthony Taylor. Returning in October, he won the mile Annual Stakes and the two mile Dixie Stakes before finishing third in the Breckenridge Stakes to Aristides, winner of the first
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 ...
. Tom Ochiltree finished 1875 with a record of four wins from nine starts and earnings of $6,150. At age four, Tom Ochiltree returned to trainer Walden and became one of the top handicap horses on the east coast. He won eight of ten starts, including the Baltimore Cup at miles, the Jockey Club Handicap at two miles, the Centennial Stakes at miles, the Monmouth Cup at miles, Capital Stakes at three miles, Saratoga Cup at miles, Maturity Stakes at three miles and the Centennial Cup at four miles. One of his few losses that year was to Parole in the -mile All Ages Sweepstakes, but he then beat Parole in the Saratoga Cup despite carrying 21 more pounds than his rival. At age 5, Tom Ochiltree won nine of 14 starts, also finishing second four times. His wins included the Westchester Cup at miles, the Grand National Handicap at miles, the All-Aged Stakes at miles and a second Baltimore Cup at . He beat Parole in both the Grand National and All-Aged Stakes, carrying higher weight every time. At the same time Ten Broeck was winning all his races. These two were then considered the best horses in the Union, with Parole a distant third. In those days, that could mean only one thing: a match race.''The History of Thoroughbred Racing in America'' by William H.P. Robertson, Bonanza Books, New York


The Pimlico Match

On October 24, 1877, at
Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...
's
Pimlico Pimlico () is an area of Central London in the City of Westminster, built as a southern extension to neighbouring Belgravia. It is known for its garden squares and distinctive Regency architecture. Pimlico is demarcated to the north by London V ...
a "match" race was run between Parole, Ten Broeck and Tom Ochiltree. It was scheduled for the first day of the October meeting of the Maryland Jockey Club. By this time Ten Broeck ("King of the Western Turf") was winning everything in the midwest, while Tom Ochiltree and Parole were exchanging wins on the east coast that were so heated that a backer of Parole attempted to poison Tom Ochiltree, an attempt that sickened his stablemate Leander instead. That July Parole had beaten Tom Ochiltree in the Saratoga Cup but Tom Ochiltree had come back and beaten Parole twice that October in the Grand National Stakes and All-Aged Handicap. On the day of the three-way match, perhaps 20,000 people showed up, filling every place in the stands or sitting in their carriages to watch. Both houses of Congress adjourned so that members could attend. At 3:15 in the afternoon the horses went to post. Ten Broeck wore red ribbons in his mane, his stable colors. Parole wore cherry and black. Tom Ochiltree wore orange and blue. In the two and one-half mile race, Ten Broeck immediately led, followed by Tom Ochiltree, then Parole. And so it went in this order for quite some time. Twice Tom Ochiltree made a bid for the lead and won it on his second try. Parole was still trailing. And then, suddenly, Parole came on with a rush, passed both horses and won by four lengths.


Aftermath

The result was a surprise. No one had ever beaten Ten Broeck and Tom Ochiltree had beaten Parole more times than he was beaten. Later, the owners of both horses explained away their losses. Ten Broeck had been seen for some time before the race to have had a cough. As for Tom Ochiltree, before the race Wyndham Walden had telegraphed George Lorillard to warn him Tom Ochiltree had a cough. Lorillard had instructed him to run Tom Ochiltree "…so as not to spoil the race." But he also put $500 on Parole's nose. A
gelding A gelding is a castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. Castration, as well as the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male equine to be calmer and better-behaved, makin ...
, Parole raced on, becoming one of the few American horses to win a major English race. Both Ten Broeck and Tom Ochiltree were retired to stud. Tom Ochiltree died on December 29, 1897, at the Middleburg, Maryland farm of his owner Wyndham Walden at the age of 25. In 2016, he was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, joining both Ten Broeck and Parole.


Sire line tree

*Tom OchiltreeHerod Sire Line
/ref>Tom Ochiltree
/ref> **Tattler **Sluggard **Cynosure **Major Domo **Anecdote


Pedigree


References


External links


Tom Ochiltree's pedigree, image and stats
{{Preakness Stakes Winners 1872 racehorse births 1897 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States American Champion racehorses Thoroughbred family A7 Byerley Turk sire line United States Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame inductees