Worth (1909–1912) 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 ...

race horse 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 ...

. He was the winner of the

1912 Kentucky Derby The 1912 Kentucky Derby was the 38th running of the Kentucky Derby. The race took place on May 11, 1912. Full results *Winning Breeder: R. H. McCarter Potter; (KY) *Horses The Manager and Patruche scratched before the race. Payout * The w ...

, an achievement he is best known for.

Background and family

Worth was bred in Kentucky by R.H. McCarter Porter.He was sired by Knight of the Thistle, a stakes-winning stallion who was imported to the United States (New Jersey) in 1899. During his racing career, Knight of the Thistle won the inaugural 1843

Royal Hunt Cup The Royal Hunt Cup is a flat handicap horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and it is scheduled to ...

, Great Jubilee Handicap, and Limekiln Stakes. Through his grandson King Plaudit (sired by Kentucky Derby winner

Plaudit Plaudit (1895–1919) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. A descendant of English Triple Crown champion, West Australian, he was bred by Dr. John D. Neet, owner of Kindergarten Stud at Versailles, Kentucky. Plaudit is best known for win ...

), Knight of the Thistle is an ancestor to

American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame The American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and Museum was created by the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), based in Amarillo, Texas. Ground breaking construction of the Hall of Fame Museum began in 1989. The distinction is earned by people and ...

r Maddon's Bright Eyes. Worth's dam, Miss Hanover (by

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 ...

), won her first start at Pimlico in 1899, defeating Pink Domino, the dam of

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, nickname ...

winner and prominent sire Sweep and Curiosity, the dam of American Champion Juvenile Novelty. Miss Hanover was also the dam of 1916

Alabama Stakes The Alabama Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race open to three-year-old fillies. Inaugurated in 1872, the Grade I race is run over a distance of one and one-quarter miles on the dirt track at Saratoga Race Course. Held in mid August, it c ...

winner Malachite and multiple stakes winner Hanovia. Worth's full sister, Fair Atlanta, is the dam of Dangerous, winner of the 1925

Travers Stakes The Travers Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is nicknamed the "Mid-Summer Derby" and is the third-ranked race for American three-year-olds according to internati ...

and

runner-up. Dangerous was trained by Carroll Shilling, the jockey that rode Worth in his Kentucky Derby. Fair Atlanta is also the dam of multiple stakes winners Bondage, Georgie, and Thessaly.

Racing career

Trained by Frank M. Taylor, Worth won the 1912

Bashford Manor Stakes The Bashford Manor Stakes is a six furlong sprint for two-year-old thoroughbred horses run each year toward the end of the Spring meet at Churchill Downs. It is a Listed race on the dirt and currently offers a purse of $100,000, (plus $7,500 ad ...

and Raceland Stakes as a juvenile. He was the top racehorse, based on earnings, in 1911 and would earn

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 ...

honors in 1911. Worth's biggest career win came in 1912 as a three-year-old when he took the 1912

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-yea ...

. Ridden by jockey C. H. Shilling, the favored frontrunner Worth held off longshot Duval to win by a neck margin. His final time of 2:09.40 is among the slowest in the Derby's history. His other wins included the 1912 Chesapeake Stakes and 1912 Latonia Handicap.

Death

On November 6, 1912, Worth was severely injured during a race run at the

Pimlico Race Course 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 ...

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 wa ...

. Worth's jockey, McTaggart, rode too closely to another horse, causing a three-horse collision that severely injured two other jockeys and severed two tendons in Worth's leg. "Two jockeys injured: Teahan and Byrne in spill at Pimlico- horse Worth badly hurt." ''The New York Times'', Nov. 7, 191

/ref> Worth was euthanized shortly after this incident due to blood poisoning from his extensive injuries.

Pedigree

References

1909 racehorse births 1912 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Kentucky Derby winners Horses who died from racing injuries Thoroughbred family 6-a {{Racehorse-stub