Tanya (1902–1929) 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 c ...

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 ...

bred and raised in

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

. She was bred by

William Collins Whitney William Collins Whitney (July 5, 1841February 2, 1904) was an American political leader and financier and a prominent descendant of the John Whitney family. He served as Secretary of the Navy in the first administration of President Grover Clev ...

and foaled at his Brookdale Farm in

Lincroft, New Jersey Lincroft is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) within Middletown Township, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States.

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 ...

d by the outstanding English

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 ...

Meddler, she was out of the

mare A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four ...

Handspun. Before Tanya could set foot on a track, William Whitney died. She, along with several other racers for the Whitney stable, was leased to

Herman Duryea Herman Barkulo Duryea (1862-1916) was an American Thoroughbred race horse owner and breeder. Herman Duryea built an estate in Old Westbury on Long Island, New York known as "Knole". Completed in 1903, it was designed by Carrere and Hastings. In ...

. As a 2-year-old, she won the

Hopeful Stakes The Hopeful Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Open to two-year-old horses, the Hopeful is the first Grade I stakes for two-year-olds each season and historically has ...

, the

National Stallion Stakes The National Stallion Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race held sixty-two times between 1898 and 1971. Inaugurated as the National Stallion Race at Morris Park Racecourse in The Bronx, the event was open to horses of either sex until 194 ...

, and the

Spinaway Stakes The Spinaway Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Open to two-year-old fillies, it is a Grade I event contested at a distance of seven furlongs (1,408 metres) on dirt. Th ...

under his colors.

1905 Belmont Stakes

Tanya is best known as one of three fillies to win 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 ...

. Purchased for $7,000 by Whitney's son,

Harry Payne Whitney Harry Payne Whitney (April 29, 1872 – October 26, 1930) was an American businessman, thoroughbred horse breeder, and member of the prominent Whitney family. Early years Whitney was born in New York City on April 29, 1872, as the eldest son ...

, Tanya was trained by future

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 ...

inductee John W. Rogers. Ridden by the 1904 U. S. Champion Jockey

Gene Hildebrand Eugene Hildebrand (August 16, 1887 - November 26, 1921) was an American National Champion jockey in Thoroughbred racing who won the 1904 Preakness Stakes and the 1905 Belmont Stakes, races that would become part of the U.S. Triple Crown seri ...

, on May 24, 1905, the filly won the Belmont Stakes in its first running at the new

Belmont Park Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse racing facility in the northeastern United States, located in Elmont, New York, just east of the New York City limits. It was opened on May 4, 1905. It is operated by the non-profit New York Racin ...

. She beat second-place finisher Blandy and her half-brother Hot Shot, another Meddler colt, who came in third in a time of 2:08 3/5. The Belmont Stakes distance was one mile and a quarter in 1905. Tanya was the second filly in history to win the Belmont Stakes, after Ruthless won the inaugural race in 1867. The race would not be won by another filly for more than a century, when

Rags to Riches Rags to riches refers to any situation in which a person rises from poverty to wealth, and in some cases from absolute obscurity to heights of fame, fortune and celebrity—sometimes instantly. This is a common archetype in literature and popula ...

won the race in 2007.

Pedigree

External links

Tanya

References

Belmont Stakes Info

Tanya's pedigree and partial racing stats

Details of all past Belmont Stakes
{{Belmont Stakes Winners 1902 racehorse births 1929 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in New Jersey Racehorses trained in the United States American Champion racehorses Belmont Stakes winners Thoroughbred family 11