Hoist The Flag
Encyclopedia
Hoist The Flag was an American Champion Thoroughbred
racehorse
. Bred by New York City
Investment banker
, John Schiff
, he was out of the mare Wavy Navy, a daughter of the 1937 U.S. Triple Crown
champion, War Admiral
. His sire was Tom Rolfe
, the 1965 American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse and a son of the undefeated Europe
an superstar, Ribot
.
Hoist The Flag was purchased as a yearling for $37,000 by Jane Forbes Clark I (née Wilbur), wife of noted philanthropist
Stephen C. Clark, Jr. who also owned and raced top steeplechase
horses. The colt's race conditioning was handled by future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame
trainer, Sidney Watters, Jr. and his jockey was Jean Cruguet
, who six years later would ride Seattle Slew
to a U.S. Triple Crown
championship.
As a two-year-old, Hoist The Flag dominated his age group and was the heavy winterbook
favorite for the 1971 Kentucky Derby
. En route to being voted the 1970 American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt, Hoist The Flag finished first by several lengths in each of his four starts but in the Champagne Stakes was disqualified from first and set back to last for interference during the early stages of the race. He came out of the race with sore shins and was sent to recuperate at facilities in Camden, South Carolina
.
For 1971, Hoist The Flag was assigned highweight of 126 pounds on The Jockey Club's
Experimental Free Handicap. He did not return to racing until March 12, 1971 when he blew away the competition by 15 lengths in an overnight race at Bowie Race Track
. In his next start on March 20, the colt won the Bay Shore Stakes
at Aqueduct Racetrack
by seven lengths while setting a new track record. No three-year-old had ever run seven furlong
s faster than the 1:21 Hoist The Flag clocked in winning the Bay Shore.
On March 30, 1971, Hoist The Flag was at Belmont Park
where he was scheduled to run in the Gotham Stakes
as a tune-up before the Kentucky Derby. Following a five furlong workout, the colt took a misstep and broke his right hind leg in two places, suffering a shattered pastern
and a fractured cannon bone that ended his racing career and put his life in jeopardy. Veterinary Surgeons performed a bone graft, using screws and metal plates to secure the breaks then created the first ever fiberglass
cast
to wrap around the horse's leg. While Hoist The Flag eventually recovered, in 2006, Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro
would suffer a very similar injury but following surgery developed laminitis
and had to be euthanized
.
at Claiborne Farm
near Paris, Kentucky
where he sired 254 live foals. Successful as a sire and as a broodmare sire, he was the leading juvenile sire in North America in 1981 and the leading broodmare sire
in 1987. Among his notable offspring, Hoist The Flag was the sire of:
Hoist The Flag was the damsire of:
Hoist the Flag died in 1980 and is buried at Claiborne Farm.
, perhaps best known for his Triple Crown victory on Seattle Slew
, said Hoist The Flag was the best horse he ever rode.
Jockey Jean Cruguet would reiterate and amplify his remarks in an August 2011 interview with Brisnet. His quote was:
"Hoist the Flag was the best horse I ever rode, by far," Cruguet added. "It wasn't Seattle Slew
. The first time I ever got on Hoist the Flag (as a two-year-old), I told everyone I knew that I was going to win the Kentucky Derby
with this horse. The only reason I didn't say 'the Triple Crown' was because I was so new in this county I didn't even know what the Triple Crown
was. I'd never even heard of it. If he hadn't broke down (early in his three-year-old season but eventually saved for stud duties), Hoist the Flag would have been 1-9 to win the Triple Crown. "Seattle Slew was a top miler, and because he was so much better than everyone else that year he was able to win the Triple Crown, but Hoist the Flag would have beat everyone else going any distance at any time. He was just that much better than everyone else."
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
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
. Bred by New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
Investment banker
Investment banking
An investment bank is a financial institution that assists individuals, corporations and governments in raising capital by underwriting and/or acting as the client's agent in the issuance of securities...
, John Schiff
John M. Schiff
John Mortimer Schiff was an American banker and national president of the Boy Scouts of America from 1951 to 1956.-Biography:...
, he was out of the mare Wavy Navy, a daughter of the 1937 U.S. Triple Crown
United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
In the United States, the "Triple Crown" is usually the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a series of three Thoroughbred horse races for three-year-old horses run in May and early June of each year consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes.While Daily Racing Form...
champion, 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...
. His sire was Tom Rolfe
Tom Rolfe
The racehorse Tom Rolfe was one of the best American sons of the great racehorse and sire Ribot. His dam was Pocahontas, from whom he takes his name...
, the 1965 American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse and a son of the undefeated Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an superstar, Ribot
Ribot (horse)
Ribot was an Italian bay Thoroughbred racehorse, considered the strongest horse of all time.Undefeated in 16 races, he won over distances ranging from 5 furlongs to 1m 7f , in three different countries and in all types of track conditions...
.
Hoist The Flag was purchased as a yearling for $37,000 by Jane Forbes Clark I (née Wilbur), wife of noted philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
Stephen C. Clark, Jr. who also owned and raced top steeplechase
Steeplechase
Steeplechase may refer to:* Steeplechase, an event in horse racing* SteepleChase, a Danish jazz label* Steeplechase , a 1975 arcade game released by Atari...
horses. The colt's race conditioning was handled by future U.S. Racing 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...
trainer, Sidney Watters, Jr. and his jockey was Jean Cruguet
Jean Cruguet
Jean Cruguet is an French-American thoroughbred horse racing jockey who won the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing....
, who six years later would ride Seattle Slew
Seattle Slew
Seattle Slew was an American Thoroughbred race horse who won the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing in 1977, the tenth of eleven horses to accomplish the feat. He remains the only horse to win the Triple Crown while undefeated. In the Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S...
to a U.S. Triple Crown
United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
In the United States, the "Triple Crown" is usually the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a series of three Thoroughbred horse races for three-year-old horses run in May and early June of each year consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes.While Daily Racing Form...
championship.
As a two-year-old, Hoist The Flag dominated his age group and was the heavy winterbook
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
favorite for the 1971 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...
. En route to being voted the 1970 American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt, Hoist The Flag finished first by several lengths in each of his four starts but in the Champagne Stakes was disqualified from first and set back to last for interference during the early stages of the race. He came out of the race with sore shins and was sent to recuperate at facilities in Camden, South Carolina
Camden, South Carolina
Camden is the fourth oldest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina and is also the county seat of Kershaw County, South Carolina, United States. The population was an estimated 7,103 in 2009...
.
For 1971, Hoist The Flag was assigned highweight of 126 pounds on The Jockey Club's
The Jockey Club
The Jockey Club, formed on February 9, 1894, is the keeper of The American Stud Book. It came into existence after James R. Keene spearheaded a drive in support of racehorse trainers who had complained about the Board of Control that governed racing in New York State.-History:On its formation, The...
Experimental Free Handicap. He did not return to racing until March 12, 1971 when he blew away the competition by 15 lengths in an overnight race at Bowie Race Track
Bowie Race Track
The Bowie Race Track was a horse racing track located just outside the city limits of Bowie, Maryland. Opened October 1, 1914 by the Southern Maryland Agricultural Society, the racetrack was a major attraction in the area, serving the now defunct WB&A Railroad that drew passengers from New York,...
. In his next start on March 20, the colt won the Bay Shore Stakes
Bay Shore Stakes
The Bay Shore Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early April at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. The Grade III event is for three-year-olds of either gender, and is set at a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt track.In its 49th running in 2009, the...
at Aqueduct Racetrack
Aqueduct Racetrack
Aqueduct Racetrack is a thoroughbred horse-racing facility and racino in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. Its racing meets usually are from late October/early November through April.-History:...
by seven lengths while setting a new track record. No three-year-old had ever run seven furlong
Furlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to 220 yards, 660 feet, 40 rods, or 10 chains. The exact value of the furlong varies slightly among English-speaking countries....
s faster than the 1:21 Hoist The Flag clocked in winning the Bay Shore.
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...
where he was scheduled to run in the Gotham Stakes
Gotham Stakes
The Gotham Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses run in early March at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. A Grade III event with a purse of $250,000, it is set at a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt...
as a tune-up before the Kentucky Derby. Following a five furlong workout, the colt took a misstep and broke his right hind leg in two places, suffering a shattered pastern
Pastern
The pastern is a part of the leg of a horse between the fetlock and the top of the hoof. It incorporates the long pastern bone and the short pastern bone , which are held together by two sets of paired ligaments to form the pastern joint...
and a fractured cannon bone that ended his racing career and put his life in jeopardy. Veterinary Surgeons performed a bone graft, using screws and metal plates to secure the breaks then created the first ever fiberglass
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
cast
Orthopedic cast
An orthopedic cast, body cast or surgical cast, is a shell, frequently made from plaster, encasing a limb to hold a broken bone in place until healing is confirmed...
to wrap around the horse's leg. While Hoist The Flag eventually recovered, in 2006, Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro
Barbaro
Barbaro was an American thoroughbred who decisively won the 2006 Kentucky Derby, but shattered his leg two weeks later in the 2006 Preakness Stakes, ending his racing career and eventually leading to his death....
would suffer a very similar injury but following surgery developed laminitis
Laminitis
Laminitis is a disease that affects the feet of ungulates. It is best known in horses and cattle. Symptoms include lameness, and increased temperature in the hooves...
and had to be euthanized
Animal euthanasia
Animal euthanasia is the act of putting to death painlessly or allowing to die, as by withholding extreme medical measures, an animal suffering from an incurable, especially a painful, disease or condition. Euthanasia methods are designed to cause minimal pain and distress...
.
As a sire
Following his recovery from surgery, Hoist The Flag was sent to stand at studStud (animal)
A stud animal is a registered animal retained for breeding. The terms for the male of a given animal species usually imply that the animal is entire—that is, not castrated—and therefore capable of siring offspring...
at Claiborne Farm
Claiborne Farm
Claiborne Farm is a thoroughbred Horse breeding operation in near Paris, Kentucky. It was established in 1910, by Arthur B. Hancock, owner of Ellerslie Farm in Albemarle County, Virginia, and has been operated by members of his family ever since.-Owners:...
near Paris, Kentucky
Paris, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,183 people, 3,857 households, and 2,487 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 4,222 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 84.23% White, 12.71% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.16%...
where he sired 254 live foals. Successful as a sire and as a broodmare sire, he was the leading juvenile sire in North America in 1981 and the leading broodmare sire
Leading broodmare sire in North America
The list below shows the leading Thoroughbred sire of broodmares in North America for each year since 1924. This is determined by the amount of prizemoney won during the year by racehorses which were foaled by a daughter of the sire.-----References:* *...
in 1987. Among his notable offspring, Hoist The Flag was the sire of:
- AllegedAlleged (horse)Alleged was a champion American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse best remembered as winning back-to-back Prix de l'Arc de Triomphes in 1977 and 1978. Trained by Vincent O'Brien in Ireland and ridden by Lester Piggott, this front-running horse was undefeated in all but one of his appearances, that being...
(b. 1974) - 1977 European Horse of the YearEuropean Horse of the YearEuropean Horse of the Year is an award in European Thoroughbred horse racing. Since 1991 the honor has been part of the Cartier Racing Awards. It is presented annually by Cartier SA to a horse of any age racing in Europe.-Honorees:...
, two-time winner of the Prix de l'Arc de TriomphePrix de l'Arc de TriompheThe Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year, usually on the first Sunday in October.Popularly referred to as the...
(1977, 1978) - SensationalSensational (horse)Sensational was an American Champion Thoroughbred Filly racehorse bred and raced by Mill House Stable which was owned by Nicholas F. Brady and his siblings. She was trained by future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee Woody Stephens....
(b. 1974) - multiple Grade 1 winner, American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly - Linkage (b. 1979) - won 1982 Blue Grass StakesBlue Grass StakesThe Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, currently sponsored by the Toyota Motor Corporation, is an American Grade 1 horse race for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds held annually in mid April at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Kentucky....
, 2nd Preakness StakesPreakness StakesThe Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb... - Stalwart (b. 1979) - won Norfolk StakesNorfolk StakesNorfolk Stakes may refer to:*Norfolk Stakes , a horse race held at Ascot Racecourse.*Norfolk Stakes , a horse race held at Santa Anita Park.*Norfolk Stakes, the original title of the Flying Childers Stakes....
, Hollywood FuturityHollywood FuturityThe Hollywood Futurity is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually since 1981 at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California. The Grade I race is open to two-year-old horses and run over a distance of 1 1/16 miles...
Hoist The Flag was the damsire of:
- Broad BrushBroad BrushBroad Brush was an American thoroughbred racehorse foaled in Maryland. He was out of the Hoist The Flag mare, Hay Patcher, by the Hall of Fame stallion, Ack Ack.Bred and owned by Robert E. Meyerhoff, and trained by Richard W...
(b. 1983) - multiple stakes winner of US$2,656,793, Leading sire in North AmericaLeading sire in North AmericaThe list below shows the leading sire of Thoroughbred racehorses in North America for each year since 1830. This is determined by the amount of prizemoney won by the sire's progeny during the year...
(1994) - Personal Flag (b. 1983) - multiple Grade 1 winner, career earnings of US$$1,258,924
- CryptoclearanceCryptoclearanceCryptoclearance was an American Thoroughbred racehorse.Trained by future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee Scotty Schulhofer, leading up to the 1987 U.S. Triple Crown series, Cryptoclearance won the Florida Derby...
(b. 1984) - Multiple Grade 1 winner, career earnings of US$3,376,327 - Personal EnsignPersonal EnsignPersonal Ensign was an American champion Thoroughbred racehorse.A bay filly by Private Account out of Grecian Banner , she was the undefeated winner of 13 races and won $1,679,880 in the United States from 1986 to 1988...
(b. 1984) - U.S. Racing Hall of FameNational Museum of Racing and Hall of FameThe National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
inductee who won the 1988 Breeders' Cup Distaff and retired undefeated in thirteen starts - SacahuistaSacahuistaSacahuista is an American Thoroughbred Champion filly racehorse. She is a descendant of Nearco through both her Champion sire Bold Ruler and through her dam, Nalees Flying Flag....
(b. 1984) - won 1987 Breeders' Cup Distaff, American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly, career earnings of US$$1,298,842
Hoist the Flag died in 1980 and is buried at Claiborne Farm.
"Best I ever rode."
In a 2004 televised interview, jockey Jean CruguetJean Cruguet
Jean Cruguet is an French-American thoroughbred horse racing jockey who won the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing....
, perhaps best known for his Triple Crown victory on Seattle Slew
Seattle Slew
Seattle Slew was an American Thoroughbred race horse who won the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing in 1977, the tenth of eleven horses to accomplish the feat. He remains the only horse to win the Triple Crown while undefeated. In the Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S...
, said Hoist The Flag was the best horse he ever rode.
Jockey Jean Cruguet would reiterate and amplify his remarks in an August 2011 interview with Brisnet. His quote was:
"Hoist the Flag was the best horse I ever rode, by far," Cruguet added. "It wasn't Seattle Slew
Seattle Slew
Seattle Slew was an American Thoroughbred race horse who won the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing in 1977, the tenth of eleven horses to accomplish the feat. He remains the only horse to win the Triple Crown while undefeated. In the Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S...
. The first time I ever got on Hoist the Flag (as a two-year-old), I told everyone I knew that I was going to win the 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...
with this horse. The only reason I didn't say 'the Triple Crown' was because I was so new in this county I didn't even know what the Triple Crown
Triple Crown
The term Triple Crown is often used to describe the act of winning or completing the three most difficult or prestigious events in a given field:*Triple Crown of Alpine Skiing*Major League Baseball Triple Crown*Triple Crown...
was. I'd never even heard of it. If he hadn't broke down (early in his three-year-old season but eventually saved for stud duties), Hoist the Flag would have been 1-9 to win the Triple Crown. "Seattle Slew was a top miler, and because he was so much better than everyone else that year he was able to win the Triple Crown, but Hoist the Flag would have beat everyone else going any distance at any time. He was just that much better than everyone else."