Flying Ebony
Encyclopedia
Flying Ebony was an American thoroughbred
racehorse. He was bred by John E. Madden
, who had already bred four Kentucky Derby
winners, and was raced by New York
carpet
manufacturer, Gifford A. Cochran
.
In 1925, Flying Ebony's training was handled by future U.S. Hall of Fame member William B. Duke who had returned from France
that year where he had been training Thoroughbreds since 1888, notably for the Haras du Quesnay
racing stable of Willie K. Vanderbilt
.
Top jockey Earl Sande
was aboard for the Kentucky Derby in which good luck was on his side. An excellent runner on muddy racetracks, a downpour just before racetime turned Churchill Downs
into a quagmire that perfectly suited Flying Ebony who won the 51st running of the Derby by one and a half lengths. This Derby was the first ever to be broadcast on the radio.
Flying Ebony raced three more times after the Derby but without winning and was retired to stud duty. Successful as a sire, his son, Flying Heels, who raced for owner Gifford Cochran, won multiple top races such as the Pimlico Futurity, Remsen Handicap
, Manhattan Handicap
and two editions of the Carter Handicap
. Flying Ebony was also the sire of Dark Secret
, the Wheatley Stable's
colt who too won several important races including two editions of the Jockey Club Gold Cup
. Flying Ebony was eventually sold to California
n Charles Elliot Perkins who stood him at his stud at his Alisal Ranch near Santa Barbara
.
Flying Ebony's 1925 Kentucky Derby Trophy is on display at the Kentucky Derby Museum
.
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...
racehorse. He was bred by John E. Madden
John E. Madden
John Edward Madden was a prominent AmericanThoroughbred and Standardbred owner, breeder and trainer in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. He owned Hamburg Place Stud in Lexington, Kentucky and bred five Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winners.He was inducted into the National...
, who had already bred four 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...
winners, and was raced by New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
carpet
Carpet
A carpet is a textile floor covering consisting of an upper layer of "pile" attached to a backing. The pile is generally either made from wool or a manmade fibre such as polypropylene,nylon or polyester and usually consists of twisted tufts which are often heat-treated to maintain their...
manufacturer, Gifford A. Cochran
Gifford A. Cochran
Gifford A. Cochran was an American entrepreneur and sportsman from New York City. During the latter part of the 19th Century and the first decades of the 20th Century, he made a fortune in the carpet making industry...
.
In 1925, Flying Ebony's training was handled by future U.S. Hall of Fame member William B. Duke who had returned from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
that year where he had been training Thoroughbreds since 1888, notably for the Haras du Quesnay
Haras du Quesnay
Haras du Quesnay, known as "Le Quesnay", is a thoroughbred horse breeding farm in France about four miles outside the city of Deauville on 3 km², established in 1907 by wealthy American sportsman William Kissam Vanderbilt. He sold the property to another American horseman, A. Kingsley Macomber,...
racing stable of Willie K. Vanderbilt
William Kissam Vanderbilt
William Kissam Vanderbilt was a member of the prominent American Vanderbilt family. He managed railroads and was a horse breeder.-Biography:...
.
Top jockey Earl Sande
Earl Sande
Earl H. Sande was an American Hall of Fame jockey and thoroughbred horse trainer.Born in Groton, South Dakota, Earl Sande started out as a bronco buster in the early 1900s but then became a successful American quarter horse rider before switching to thoroughbred horse racing in 1918...
was aboard for the Kentucky Derby in which good luck was on his side. An excellent runner on muddy racetracks, a downpour just before racetime turned Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs...
into a quagmire that perfectly suited Flying Ebony who won the 51st running of the Derby by one and a half lengths. This Derby was the first ever to be broadcast on the radio.
Flying Ebony raced three more times after the Derby but without winning and was retired to stud duty. Successful as a sire, his son, Flying Heels, who raced for owner Gifford Cochran, won multiple top races such as the Pimlico Futurity, Remsen Handicap
Remsen Stakes
The Remsen Stakes is an American Grade II race for Thoroughbred horse race run annually near the end of November at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York...
, Manhattan Handicap
Manhattan Handicap
The Manhattan Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race raced annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is named for Manhattan, the principal borough of the City of New York...
and two editions of the Carter Handicap
Carter Handicap
The Carter Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early April at Aqueduct Racetrack. Open to horses three-years-old and up, it is raced over a distance of seven furlongs....
. Flying Ebony was also the sire of Dark Secret
Dark Secret (horse)
Dark Secret was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was bred and raced by Wheatley Stable, a partnership between Gladys Mills Phipps and her brother, Ogden Mills, the United States Secretary of the Treasury....
, the Wheatley Stable's
Wheatley Stable
Wheatley Stable was the nom de course for the thoroughbred horse racing partnership formed by Gladys Mills Phipps and her brother, Ogden L. Mills. The horses were raised at Claiborne Farm near Paris, Kentucky.-History:...
colt who too won several important races including two editions of the Jockey Club Gold Cup
Jockey Club Gold Cup
The Jockey Club Gold Cup, established in 1919, is a prestigious thoroughbred flat race open to horses of either gender three-years-old and up. It is typically the main event of the fall meeting at Belmont Park, just as the Belmont Stakes is of the spring meeting and the Travers Stakes is of the...
. Flying Ebony was eventually sold to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
n Charles Elliot Perkins who stood him at his stud at his Alisal Ranch near Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
.
Flying Ebony's 1925 Kentucky Derby Trophy is on display at the Kentucky Derby Museum
Kentucky Derby Museum
The Kentucky Derby Museum is an American Thoroughbred horse racing museum located on the grounds of Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Dedicated to preserving the history of the Kentucky Derby, it first opened its doors to the public in the spring of 1985...
.