Busher (horse)
Encyclopedia
Busher was a thoroughbred
racing filly
. She was sired by War Admiral
, the winner of the Triple Crown
in 1937, and the great son of a great legend, Man o' War
. She was out of Baby League by Bubbling Over
, the colt who won the 1926 Kentucky Derby
. Her dam, Baby League, was the third foal of one of the most influential foundation mares of the Twentieth century, La Troienne
.
in Kentucky
where all the foals' names began with a B—for instance, Busher was a half sister to Bimelech
, her mother was Baby League, her father Bubbling Over. Bradley had to be convinced to breed Baby League to War Admiral. He wasn't much of a fan of his sire line, calling it "hot blood." But when he was reminded how much the small dark-bay Triple Crown winner resembled the splendid horse Sweep, he relented. Other horses at the B Farm, Idle Hour were Black Toney (sire of Black Gold
), Blue Larkspur
, Black Servant, Behave Yourself, Burgoo King
, Broker's Tip, and Blossom Time.)
, the Matron Stakes
, and the Selima Stakes
at Laurel Park
.
Because of the war effort, and at the request of the Director of War Mobilization and Reconversion, horse racing was put on hold from January to May 1945. It would have lasted longer but on April 30 of that year Adolf Hitler
killed himself in his bunker under Berlin and the war was effectively over. But before that, and in response to his horses becoming idle, the aging Bradley sold much of his stock. In his mid-80s when Busher was born, he was also losing a lot of his steam. In March of her three-year-old season, the fleet chestnut with a perfect diamond in the middle of her forehead was sold to Louis B. Mayer
for the then-large sum of $50,000. The movie mogul found Busher was worth every penny, all of which, and much more, was paid back by her earnings. Hall of Fame
r Johnny Longden
became her jockey, George Odom
her trainer, and she raced in Mayer's colors: French blue and pink.
At three, she won the Santa Susanna Stakes, the San Vicente Stakes
(for the first time against males, and carrying top weight: winning even with a horse called Quick Reward losing his rider and weaving all over the track), the Santa Margarita Handicap
, Chicago
's Cleopatra Handicap, the Arlington Handicap
(wire to wire against older horses and winning by five lengths), the Washington Park Handicap
(beating Armed
, the top older male at the time, and setting a track record), the Hollywood Derby
(again over colts, and in so doing passing the $300,000 winning mark in earnings, the first female to do so), and the Vanity Handicap
.
And any race she lost (the Santa Anita Derby
, the Will Rogers Handicap, and the Beverly Handicap
), she came at the same horses again, and beat them all. As Turf authority William H. P. Robertson wrote in his History of Thoroughbred Racing in America, "The salient attribute of War Admiral's little daughter was she always took revenge."
In the Beverly Handicap, she came third to a filly called Durazna, one year her senior, with Busher spotting the older horse 12 pounds. Duranza, who was the Co-Champion two-year-old filly
of 1943, was given a great ride by George Woolf
, the "Ice Man." Woolf had ridden Seabiscuit
to victory in a match race with Busher's sire, War Admiral.
In the match race between Busher and Durazna at Washington Park
, Busher exacted her revenge, beating the older horse by three-quarters of a length.
After the Vanity, Busher developed swelling in a leg, and did not race again that year. She still won Horse of the Year. She rested throughout 1946, and raced only once more, in 1947. She was five years old and she was unplaced.
to stage his sale. 7,000 ticket-buying people came to bid and to gawk. 60 horses changed hands for the then substantial sum of $1,553,500 dollars, with the auction of the very best horses (Busher, of course, being the best of the best of four), broadcast over three radio networks. Mayer explained that his horse business was getting too big and interferring with his movie business. Not too long later, he was in the horse business again.
Busher went to Neil S. McCarthy, who was actually Mayer's man, for $135,000. In a private sale in 1948, Busher finally went to Lexington, Kentucky
's Maine Chance Farm
owned by Mrs. Elizabeth Nightingale Graham (better known as Elizabeth Arden
), for a reported $150,000. It was at Main Chance that Busher had her five foals, one of which was Jet Action by Arden's favorite, Jet Pilot
. (Jet Pilot was trained by Hall of Famer
Tom Smith, the man who found and trained Seabiscuit
. Smith was employed throughout the Forties by Arden.)
Busher died in 1955 giving birth to another Jet Pilot foal.
In a poll among members of the American Trainers Association, conducted in 1955 by Delaware Park Racetrack, she was voted the sixth greatest filly in American racing history. (Gallorette
was voted first.)
She was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
9 years after her death. The "vengeful" little filly is also ranked number 40 in Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century
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...
racing filly
Filly
A filly is a young female horse too young to be called a mare. There are several specific definitions in use.*In most cases filly is a female horse under the age of four years old....
. She was sired by War Admiral
War Admiral
War Admiral was an American thoroughbred racehorse, the offspring of the great thoroughbred Man o' War and the mare Brushup. He inherited his father's fiery temperament and talent, but did not resemble him physically...
, the winner of the Triple Crown
Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing consists of three races for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment of a Thoroughbred racehorse...
in 1937, and the great son of a great legend, Man o' War
Man O' War (horse)
Man o' War, is considered one of the greatest Thoroughbred racehorses of all time. During his career just after World War I, he won 20 of 21 races and $249,465 in purses....
. She was out of Baby League by Bubbling Over
Bubbling Over (horse)
Bubbling Over was an American thoroughbred stallion racehorse. Bred in Kentucky, he was sired by English stakes winner North Star out of the mare, Beaming Beauty, who in turn was sired by the great Belmont Stakes champion, Sweep....
, the colt who won the 1926 Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
. Her dam, Baby League, was the third foal of one of the most influential foundation mares of the Twentieth century, La Troienne
La Troienne
La Troienne, was one of the most famous and influential Thoroughbred broodmares in twentieth century America. She produced 10 winners while at stud....
.
Background and Pedigree
Born and bred on Col. Edward R. Bradley's Idle Hour Stock FarmIdle Hour Stock Farm
Idle Hour Stock Farm was a 400 acre thoroughbred horse breeding and training farm near Lexington, Kentucky, United States established in 1906 by Colonel Edward R...
in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
where all the foals' names began with a B—for instance, Busher was a half sister to Bimelech
Bimelech
Bimelech was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse who won two Triple Crown races, was twice named American horse of the year, and is ranked #84 among U.S. racehorses of the 20th century. After retiring to stud, he sired 30 stakes winners and his daughters produced 50 stakes winners.-Early...
, her mother was Baby League, her father Bubbling Over. Bradley had to be convinced to breed Baby League to War Admiral. He wasn't much of a fan of his sire line, calling it "hot blood." But when he was reminded how much the small dark-bay Triple Crown winner resembled the splendid horse Sweep, he relented. Other horses at the B Farm, Idle Hour were Black Toney (sire of Black Gold
Black Gold (horse)
Black Gold was an American Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 50th running of the Kentucky Derby in 1924....
), Blue Larkspur
Blue Larkspur
Blue Larkspur was a bay Kentucky-bred thoroughbred race horse. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1957, awarded the 1929 Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year, and ranks Number 100 in Blood-Horse magazine's top 100 U.S. thoroughbred champions of the 20th Century...
, Black Servant, Behave Yourself, Burgoo King
Burgoo King
Burgoo King was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the first two legs of the U.S. Triple Crown series but who did not run in final race, the Belmont Stakes....
, Broker's Tip, and Blossom Time.)
Racing career
At two, under the care of the former jockey Jimmy Smith, Busher won (among other races) three stakes: the Adirondack HandicapAdirondack Stakes
The Adirondack Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race first run in 1901. Held in the middle of August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York, the Adirondack Stakes is open to two-year-old fillies willing to race six and a half furlongs on the dirt...
, the Matron Stakes
Matron Stakes (USA)
The Matron Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race once held annually during the second week of September at Belmont Park in Elmont, Long Island, New York, but is now a Spring/Summer event along with the Futurity Stakes. Open to two-year-old fillies, it is contested on dirt at a distance at...
, and the Selima Stakes
Selima Stakes
The Selima Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland. Raced in late November, it is open to two-year-old fillies and is raced on turf.- History :...
at Laurel Park
Laurel Park (racecourse)
Laurel Park is an American thoroughbred racetrack located just outside Laurel, Maryland which opened in 1911. The track is 1 1/8 miles in circumference. Its name was changed to "Laurel Race Course" for several decades until returning to the "Laurel Park" designation in 1994...
.
Because of the war effort, and at the request of the Director of War Mobilization and Reconversion, horse racing was put on hold from January to May 1945. It would have lasted longer but on April 30 of that year Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
killed himself in his bunker under Berlin and the war was effectively over. But before that, and in response to his horses becoming idle, the aging Bradley sold much of his stock. In his mid-80s when Busher was born, he was also losing a lot of his steam. In March of her three-year-old season, the fleet chestnut with a perfect diamond in the middle of her forehead was sold to Louis B. Mayer
Louis B. Mayer
Louis Burt Mayer born Lazar Meir was an American film producer. He is generally cited as the creator of the "star system" within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in its golden years. Known always as Louis B...
for the then-large sum of $50,000. The movie mogul found Busher was worth every penny, all of which, and much more, was paid back by her earnings. Hall of Fame
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...
r Johnny Longden
Johnny Longden
John Eric Longden was an American Hall of Fame jockey. He was born in Wakefield, Yorkshire, England but his father wanted to build a better life for his family so in 1909 emigrated to Canada, settling in Taber, Alberta. By 1912 Longden Sr. had saved enough money to send for his wife and young son...
became her jockey, George Odom
George M. Odom
George Martin Odom was an American National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame jockey and trainer in Thoroughbred horse racing. He is only one of two people to ever have won the Belmont Stakes as both a jockey and a trainer....
her trainer, and she raced in Mayer's colors: French blue and pink.
At three, she won the Santa Susanna Stakes, the San Vicente Stakes
San Vicente Stakes
The San Vicente Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race run annually at Santa Anita Park. A Grade III event, the race is open to three-year-old horses willing to race seven furlongs on the dirt and carries a purse of $150,000....
(for the first time against males, and carrying top weight: winning even with a horse called Quick Reward losing his rider and weaving all over the track), the Santa Margarita Handicap
Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap
The Santa Margarita Invitational Handicapis an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early March at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
's Cleopatra Handicap, the Arlington Handicap
Arlington Handicap
The Arlington Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1929 at Arlington Park racetrack in Arlington Heights, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. Open to 3-Year-Olds & Up, it is currently a Grade III stakes run in July at a distance of 1¼ miles on turf...
(wire to wire against older horses and winning by five lengths), the Washington Park Handicap
Washington Park Handicap
The Washington Park Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the first week of September at Arlington Park Racetrack in Arlington Heights, Illinois. A Grade III event open to horses age three and older, it is contested on Polytrack synthetic dirt over a distance of a...
(beating Armed
Armed
Armed was an American Thoroughbred gelding race horse. He was sired by the great stakes winner Bull Lea, which made him a half-brother to Citation...
, the top older male at the time, and setting a track record), the Hollywood Derby
Hollywood Derby
The Hollywood Derby is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in late November/early December at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California. The race is open to horses, age three willing to race a mile and a quarter on turf. It currently offers a purse of ...
(again over colts, and in so doing passing the $300,000 winning mark in earnings, the first female to do so), and the Vanity Handicap
Vanity Handicap
The Vanity Invitational Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in July at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California....
.
And any race she lost (the Santa Anita Derby
Santa Anita Derby
The Santa Anita Derby is an American Grade 1 thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run each April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California and carries a purse of $1 million. Inaugurated in 1935, it is considered the most important West Coast stepping-stone to the Kentucky Derby...
, the Will Rogers Handicap, and the Beverly Handicap
Beverly Handicap
The Beverly Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race first run in 1938 at Washington Park Race Track in the Chicago metropolitan area and moved to Arlington Park in 1962...
), she came at the same horses again, and beat them all. As Turf authority William H. P. Robertson wrote in his History of Thoroughbred Racing in America, "The salient attribute of War Admiral's little daughter was she always took revenge."
In the Beverly Handicap, she came third to a filly called Durazna, one year her senior, with Busher spotting the older horse 12 pounds. Duranza, who was the Co-Champion two-year-old filly
Eclipse Award for Outstanding 2-Year-Old Filly
The American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually to a female horse in Thoroughbred flat racing. It became part of the Eclipse Awards program in 1971....
of 1943, was given a great ride by George Woolf
George Woolf
George Monroe Woolf , nicknamed "The Ice Man", was a Canadian-born thoroughbred race horse jockey and the namesake of the annual jockey's award given by the United States Jockeys' Guild....
, the "Ice Man." Woolf had ridden Seabiscuit
Seabiscuit
Seabiscuit was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse in the United States. From an inauspicious start, Seabiscuit became an unlikely champion and a symbol of hope to many Americans during the Great Depression...
to victory in a match race with Busher's sire, War Admiral.
In the match race between Busher and Durazna at Washington Park
Arlington Park
Arlington Park is a horse race track in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois. Horse racing in the Chicago region has been a popular sport since the early days of the city in the 1830s, and at one time Chicago had more horse racing tracks than any other major metropolitan area...
, Busher exacted her revenge, beating the older horse by three-quarters of a length.
After the Vanity, Busher developed swelling in a leg, and did not race again that year. She still won Horse of the Year. She rested throughout 1946, and raced only once more, in 1947. She was five years old and she was unplaced.
Retirement and stud record
In a fabulous display of showmanship, Mayer sold out his racing stable in a horse auction to beat all horse auctions. On February 27, 1947, he used the Santa Anita trackSanta Anita Park
Santa Anita Park is a thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent racing events in the United States during the winter and in spring. With its backdrop of the purple San Gabriel Mountains, it is considered by many as the world's most beautiful race...
to stage his sale. 7,000 ticket-buying people came to bid and to gawk. 60 horses changed hands for the then substantial sum of $1,553,500 dollars, with the auction of the very best horses (Busher, of course, being the best of the best of four), broadcast over three radio networks. Mayer explained that his horse business was getting too big and interferring with his movie business. Not too long later, he was in the horse business again.
Busher went to Neil S. McCarthy, who was actually Mayer's man, for $135,000. In a private sale in 1948, Busher finally went to Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
's Maine Chance Farm
Maine Chance Farm
Maine Chance Farm was an American Thoroughbred horse racing stable in Lexington, Kentucky owned by cosmetics tycoon, Elizabeth Arden.Elizabeth Arden raced under the nom de course "Mr. Nightingale" until 1943 when she adopted the name Maine Chance Farm from her health spa in Mount Vernon, Maine...
owned by Mrs. Elizabeth Nightingale Graham (better known as Elizabeth Arden
Elizabeth Arden
Florence Nightingale Graham , who went by the business name Elizabeth Arden, was a Canadian-American businesswoman who built a cosmetics empire in the United States. At the peak of her career, she was one of the wealthiest women in the world.-Biography:Arden was born in 1884 at Woodbridge, Ontario,...
), for a reported $150,000. It was at Main Chance that Busher had her five foals, one of which was Jet Action by Arden's favorite, Jet Pilot
Jet Pilot
Jet Pilot was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Purchased for US$41,000 at the Keeneland Yearling Sale by cosmetics queen Elizabeth Arden, he raced under her Maine Chance Farm colors. He was sired by the English champion and 1930 Epsom Derby winner, Blenheim II, and out of the mare Black Wave by...
. (Jet Pilot was trained by Hall of Famer
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...
Tom Smith, the man who found and trained Seabiscuit
Seabiscuit
Seabiscuit was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse in the United States. From an inauspicious start, Seabiscuit became an unlikely champion and a symbol of hope to many Americans during the Great Depression...
. Smith was employed throughout the Forties by Arden.)
Busher died in 1955 giving birth to another Jet Pilot foal.
In a poll among members of the American Trainers Association, conducted in 1955 by Delaware Park Racetrack, she was voted the sixth greatest filly in American racing history. (Gallorette
Gallorette
Gallorette was a Maryland-bred chestnut thoroughbred filly who became a Hall of Fame race horse. Sired by Challenger II, out of Gallette, Gallorette's damsire was Sir Gallahad III. Even so, her dam, Gallette, had once exchanged hands for $250 and was used as a hack. -Breeding:Trainer Preston M...
was voted first.)
She was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
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...
9 years after her death. The "vengeful" little filly is also ranked number 40 in Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century
Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century
In 1999, a panel for The Blood-Horse magazine was made up of distinguished horse racing people: Howard Battle, Lenny Hale, Jay Hovdey, William Nack, Pete Pedersen, Jennie Rees and Tommy Trotter. These experts compiled a list of what they considered to be the top 100 United States thoroughbred...