Named in honor of his owner's son, Ben Ali headed what was considered one of the best Kentucky Derby fields assembled to that point. In a hard fight with Blue Wing, Ben Ali emerged the victor, setting a new stakes record of 2:36-1/2 in the process. Unfortunately for Ben Ali, while he won his first six races in succession at 3, his reputation suffered greatly after he failed to win during an invasion of the major Eastern tracks, possibly due to the onset of respiratory bleeding. He continued to race at 4 and 5 but with only moderate success and was not a successful sire.
Race record
40 starts, 12 wins, 3 seconds, 5 thirds, US$25,090
1885:
1886:
1887:
1888:
As an individual
A brown horse who stood about 15.3 hands at the time of his Kentucky Derby victory, Ben Ali possessed good substance, a strongly made back and loin coupling, and excellent leverage from hip to hock as described in contemporary accounts. His action was said to be excellent. Unfortunately, according to a report in the San Francisco Examiner of June 15, 1887, he became a bleeder sometime during the summer or fall of his 3-year-old season. A report in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch of December 6, 1887, indicated that he had also developed a bad, unreliable temper.
As a stallion
Clio Hogan's Index to Stakes Winners 1865-1967 credits Ben Ali with only one stakes winner, the colt Arcade, and this colt is properly listed as “by Midlothian or Ben Ali.”
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Ben Ali was bred by Daniel Swigert, who had also bred the 1880 Kentucky Derby winner Apollo, and the 1881 winner, Hindoo. Swigert sold Ben Ali for US$1,750 to James Ben Ali Haggin, master of Elmendorf Farm in Kentucky and also the owner of a breeding and racing operation in California, Rancho del Paso. Ben Ali was trained by James Murphy. The horse entered stud at Rancho del Paso in 1889 and remained there until his death.
Pedigree notes
Ben Ali is inbred 5x5x4 to 1823 Derby Stakes winner and two-time English champion sire Emilus. He is a full brother to 1881 American champion 2-year-old filly Memento, who produced 1902 Tremont Stakes winner Artvis (by Golden Garter). He is a half brother to Megara (by Eclipse), dam of 1880 American champion 2-year-old filly Spinaway (by Leamington) and 1892 Toronto Cup Handicap winner Fenelon (by Reform); second dam of 1894 Latonia Derby and 1895 Suburban Handicap winner Lazzarone, 1895 Tennessee Oaks winner Handspun, and 1891 Tremont Stakes winner Spinalong; and third dam of 1905 American champion 2-year-old filly Tanya (winner of the 1905 Belmont Stakes) and 1906 American champion 3-year-old filly Tangle.
Ulrica, the dam of Ben Ali, won the 1865 Saratoga Stakes. She is a half sister to the stakes winner and important stallion Australian (by West Australian). Her dam Emilia was produced from the Whisker mare Persian, whose dam Variety was sired by 1811 St. Leger Stakes winner and 1819 English champion sire Soothsayer.
Fun facts
Last updated: November 9, 2020
Race record
40 starts, 12 wins, 3 seconds, 5 thirds, US$25,090
1885:
- Won Hopeful Stakes (USA, 5FD, Monmouth)
1886:
- Won Kentucky Derby (USA, 12FD, Churchill Downs)
- Won Charles Green Stakes (USA, 10FD, St. Louis)
- Won St. Louis Fair Derby (USA, 12FD, St. Louis)
- Won Ocean Stakes (USA, 12FD, San Francisco)
- Won Spirit of the Times Stakes (USA, 14FD, San Francisco)
- Won Winters Stakes (USA, 12FD, San Francisco)
- 2nd First Special Stakes (USA, 12FD, Gravesend)
- 2nd Champion Stakes (USA, 12FD, Monmouth; 2nd of 2)
- 3rd Choice Stakes (USA, 12FD, Monmouth)
- 3rd Omnibus Stakes (USA, 12FD, Monmouth)
1887:
- Won Fourth of July Handicap (USA, 8FD, Monmouth)
- Won a handicap sweepstakes (USA, 9FD, Jerome Park)
1888:
- 3rd Westchester Handicap (USA, 11FD, Jerome Park)
- 3rd a handicap sweepstakes (USA, 9.5FD, Sheepshead Bay)
As an individual
A brown horse who stood about 15.3 hands at the time of his Kentucky Derby victory, Ben Ali possessed good substance, a strongly made back and loin coupling, and excellent leverage from hip to hock as described in contemporary accounts. His action was said to be excellent. Unfortunately, according to a report in the San Francisco Examiner of June 15, 1887, he became a bleeder sometime during the summer or fall of his 3-year-old season. A report in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch of December 6, 1887, indicated that he had also developed a bad, unreliable temper.
As a stallion
Clio Hogan's Index to Stakes Winners 1865-1967 credits Ben Ali with only one stakes winner, the colt Arcade, and this colt is properly listed as “by Midlothian or Ben Ali.”
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Ben Ali was bred by Daniel Swigert, who had also bred the 1880 Kentucky Derby winner Apollo, and the 1881 winner, Hindoo. Swigert sold Ben Ali for US$1,750 to James Ben Ali Haggin, master of Elmendorf Farm in Kentucky and also the owner of a breeding and racing operation in California, Rancho del Paso. Ben Ali was trained by James Murphy. The horse entered stud at Rancho del Paso in 1889 and remained there until his death.
Pedigree notes
Ben Ali is inbred 5x5x4 to 1823 Derby Stakes winner and two-time English champion sire Emilus. He is a full brother to 1881 American champion 2-year-old filly Memento, who produced 1902 Tremont Stakes winner Artvis (by Golden Garter). He is a half brother to Megara (by Eclipse), dam of 1880 American champion 2-year-old filly Spinaway (by Leamington) and 1892 Toronto Cup Handicap winner Fenelon (by Reform); second dam of 1894 Latonia Derby and 1895 Suburban Handicap winner Lazzarone, 1895 Tennessee Oaks winner Handspun, and 1891 Tremont Stakes winner Spinalong; and third dam of 1905 American champion 2-year-old filly Tanya (winner of the 1905 Belmont Stakes) and 1906 American champion 3-year-old filly Tangle.
Ulrica, the dam of Ben Ali, won the 1865 Saratoga Stakes. She is a half sister to the stakes winner and important stallion Australian (by West Australian). Her dam Emilia was produced from the Whisker mare Persian, whose dam Variety was sired by 1811 St. Leger Stakes winner and 1819 English champion sire Soothsayer.
Fun facts
- Ben Ali was the first Kentucky Derby winner to race in California prior to his triumph at Louisville.
- Ben Ali was the third Kentucky Derby winner sired by Virgil, following Vagrant (1876) and Hindoo (1881). Virgil's record of three winners was later tied by Falsetto, Sir Gallahad III, and Bull Lea.
- Ben Ali was the last of four maternal grandsons of Lexington to win the Kentucky Derby. The most successful broodmare sire in the history of the race, Lexington was also represented by Aristides (1875), Day Star (1878), and Hindoo (1881).
- Ben Ali's Kentucky Derby victory completed a unique double for his maternal granddam Emilia, who became the first mare to produce both the sire and the dam of Kentucky Derby winners as she had previously produced Australian, sire of 1877 victor Baden-Baden.
- According to the Louisville Courier-Journal of November 20, 1906, James Ben Ali Haggin bought up every betting pool available on Ben Ali prior to the Kentucky Derby. The paper speculated that Haggin's cornering of the market might have landed him as much as US$100,000 when the horse won.
- In spite of any winnings he may have had from the auction pools, Haggin was displeased that there were no bookmakers available to handle high-end bets. The reason was that one C. M. White had purchased the wagering rights for the 1886 Kentucky Derby from track management and demanded that any bookie wishing to conduct business at the track pay him a US$100 licensing fee. The bookies unanimously refused to pay up and were barred from the track. This issue had repercussions for future runnings of the Kentucky Derby as Haggin demanded that bookmakers be made available for future editions of the race on pain of his refusing to run horses at Churchill Downs if his demand was not met. The track director reportedly responded to Haggin's threat by saying, “To hell with him [Haggin] anyway,” and an enraged Haggin kept his word. His influence in Eastern racing circles was such that other major Eastern owners began shunning the Kentucky Derby as well, causing the quality and quantity of entrants to the race to drop off and helping send the Derby and Churchill Downs into a decline that lasted nearly 30 years.
- In the 1886 Kentucky Derby, all the starters carried 118 pounds, more weight than had previously been assigned any starter in the race.
- Ben Ali's connections were said to have lost US$50,000 in bets on the 1887 Suburban Handicap, in which the colt was left at the post. The race was the subject of a great deal of unsavory speculation as the official starter was said to have backed the eventual winner, Eurus, and was accused of having given his choice as much as a 6-length advantage at the start. Three days later, Ben Ali beat Eurus (who finished third) in a sweepstakes at Sheepshead Bay restricted to horses that had been nominated to and assigned weights for the Suburban.
- The Ben Ali Stakes (which was named more in honor of Haggin than his horse) is a race for horses aged 4 and up on the main track at Keeneland. Inaugurated in 1917, it was contested at the old Lexington Association track in 1917-1922 and was revived in 1937, a year after Keeneland opened. As of 2020, the Ben Ali Stakes is carded as a Grade 3 race over 9 furlongs.
Last updated: November 9, 2020