Broomstick lacked the brilliance of his contemporaries Sysonby and Beldame, but he was durable, game, and consistent enough to earn election to the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame. His stud career was along somewhat similar lines; while he had a very high percentage of stakes winners to foals, he was sometimes classed as better known for siring runners in his own hard-trying image rather than champions of the very highest class--perhaps unfairly, as his progeny included the immortal filly Regret and handicap star Whisk Broom II, among others.
Race record
39 starts, 14 wins, 11 seconds, 5 thirds, US$74,730
1903:
1904:
1905:
Honors
National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (inducted in 1956)
As an individual
Broomstick was small, plain-headed, and built along long, low lines with broad flat legs. He resembled his sire, Ben Brush, but had more quality and more slope to his croup. He had an excellent shoulder and hip, but photographs suggest that he was somewhat sickle-hocked. He matured early but trained on well and was a good weight carrier.
As a stallion
According to The Blood-Horse Silver Anniversary Edition (1941, Blood-Horse), Broomstick sired 207 winners (73.9%) and 69 stakes winners (24.6%) from 280 named foals. 154 (55.0%) of his foals won as juveniles, but most trained on well and many could stay up to 9 or 10 furlongs. Broomstick is an Intermediate chef-de-race in the Roman-Miller dosage system.
Sire rankings
Per the American Racing Manual (Daily Racing Form) series:
Per The Blood-Horse:
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
Per Thoroughbred Heritage (www.tbheritage.com):
Notable progeny
Broomspun (USA), Cudgel (USA), Holiday (USA), Meridian (USA), Regret (USA), Remembrance (USA), Sweeper II (FR), Traffic (USA), Whisk Broom II (USA), Wildair (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Black Panther (USA), Equipoise (USA), Frilette (USA), Iseult (USA), Jeep (USA), Lace (USA), Melodist (USA), Mother Goose (USA), Notebook (USA), Oh Say (USA), Pantella (USA), Sortie (USA), St. Brideaux (USA), Taps (USA), Third Degree (USA), Traffic Court (USA), Whichone (USA), Wilderness (USA)
Connections
Broomstick was bred by Colonel Milton Young, who purchased the mare Elf from James R. Keene with Broomstick in utero. The horse was raced by Captain Samuel S. Brown, who purchased Broomstick and nine others of Young's yearlings for US$17,000 in a package deal. Broomstick was trained by Peter Wimmer at 2 and by Bob Tucker at 3 and 4. Brown died in December 1905, and his heirs stood Broomstick at Brown's Senorita Stud in 1906-1908. In November 1908, Broomstick was sold to Harry Payne Whitney out of the dispersal of Brown's stock for US$7,250. Broomstick stood at Whitney's Brookdale Farm near Red Bank, New Jersey, until 1914, when he and the rest of the Whitney horses were moved to Whitney's new farm in Kentucky. Broomstick spent the last year of his life under the ownership of Whitney's heir, C. V. “Sonny” Whitney, and died on March 24, 1931. He is buried on land that is now part of Gainesway Farm.
Pedigree notes
Broomstick is outcrossed through five generations. He is a half brother to stakes winners Broomhandle (by Onondaga) and Elfall (by Pirate of Penzance). His dam Elf is a half sister to Melisande (by Disguise), one of the best juvenile fillies of 1908, and to Sylvan, dam of stakes winner Woodland (by Whisk Broom II) and second dam of 1924 American co-champion 2-year-old filly Maud Muller. Broomstick's second dam, Sylvabelle (by Bend Or), is a half sister to St. Gatien (by Rotherhill or The Rover), winner of the 1884 Derby Stakes (in a dead heat) and 1885 Ascot Gold Cup. Sylvabelle is also a half sister to Emmeline Marcia (by Queen's Messenger), dam of 1893 Ascot Gold Cup winner Marcion (by Royal Hampton).
Books and media
Fun facts
Photo credit
Photographer unknown. From the collection of Quarter Horse Record (Susan Larkin); used by permission.
Last updated: November 6, 2021
Race record
39 starts, 14 wins, 11 seconds, 5 thirds, US$74,730
1903:
- Won Juvenile Stakes (USA, 5FD, Morris Park)
- Won Expectation Stakes (USA)
- Won Great American Stakes (USA, 5FD, Aqueduct)
- 2nd Saratoga Special (USA, 5.5FD, Saratoga)
- 2nd Great Trial Stakes (USA, 6FD, Sheepshead Bay)
- 2nd Flatbush S. (USA, 7FD, Sheepshead Bay)
- Also picked up placings in the Walden Stakes and Spring Stakes per Wikipedia
1904:
- Won Brighton Handicap (USA, 10FD, Brighton Beach; new American record 2:02-4/5)
- Won Travers Stakes (USA, 10FD, Saratoga)
- Won Flying Handicap (USA, 5FD, Sheepshead Bay)
- 2nd Merchants' and Citizens' H. (USA, 9FD, Saratoga)
- 2nd Hindoo Handicap (USA, 12FD, Gravesend)
- 3rd Annual Champion Stakes (USA, 18FD, Sheepshead Bay)
1905:
- 2nd Century Handicap (USA, 12FD, Sheepshead Bay)
- 3rd Annual Champion Stakes (USA, 18FD, Sheepshead Bay)
- 3rd Great Republic Stakes (USA, 10FD, Saratoga)
- According to Sire Lines (Hewitt), he placed in two other stakes races at 4
Honors
National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (inducted in 1956)
As an individual
Broomstick was small, plain-headed, and built along long, low lines with broad flat legs. He resembled his sire, Ben Brush, but had more quality and more slope to his croup. He had an excellent shoulder and hip, but photographs suggest that he was somewhat sickle-hocked. He matured early but trained on well and was a good weight carrier.
As a stallion
According to The Blood-Horse Silver Anniversary Edition (1941, Blood-Horse), Broomstick sired 207 winners (73.9%) and 69 stakes winners (24.6%) from 280 named foals. 154 (55.0%) of his foals won as juveniles, but most trained on well and many could stay up to 9 or 10 furlongs. Broomstick is an Intermediate chef-de-race in the Roman-Miller dosage system.
Sire rankings
Per the American Racing Manual (Daily Racing Form) series:
- Led the American general sire list in 1914 and 1915.
- Led the American juvenile sire list in 1915.
Per The Blood-Horse:
- Led the American general sire list in 1913-1915; 2nd in 1912 and 1917; 3rd in 1919; 4th in 1918 and 1923; 5th in 1919; 7th in 1911 and 1921; 8th in 1916 and 1926; 9th in 1924 and 1925; 10th in 1922.
- Led the American broodmare sire list in 1932 and 1933; 2nd in 1924, 1929, and 1934; 3rd in 1926, 1930, and 1931; 6th in 1925 and 1928; 8th in 1935.
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
- Led the American general sire list in 1913-1915; 2nd in 1912, 1917, and 1927; 3rd in 1920; 4th in 1911, 1918, and 1923; 5th in 1919; 7th in 1921; 8th in 1916 and 1926; 9th in 1924 and 1925; 10th in 1922.
- Led the American broodmare sire list in 1932 and 1933; 2nd in 1934; 3rd in 1930 and 1931; 8th in 1935.
Per Thoroughbred Heritage (www.tbheritage.com):
- Led the American general sire list in 1913-1915.
Notable progeny
Broomspun (USA), Cudgel (USA), Holiday (USA), Meridian (USA), Regret (USA), Remembrance (USA), Sweeper II (FR), Traffic (USA), Whisk Broom II (USA), Wildair (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Black Panther (USA), Equipoise (USA), Frilette (USA), Iseult (USA), Jeep (USA), Lace (USA), Melodist (USA), Mother Goose (USA), Notebook (USA), Oh Say (USA), Pantella (USA), Sortie (USA), St. Brideaux (USA), Taps (USA), Third Degree (USA), Traffic Court (USA), Whichone (USA), Wilderness (USA)
Connections
Broomstick was bred by Colonel Milton Young, who purchased the mare Elf from James R. Keene with Broomstick in utero. The horse was raced by Captain Samuel S. Brown, who purchased Broomstick and nine others of Young's yearlings for US$17,000 in a package deal. Broomstick was trained by Peter Wimmer at 2 and by Bob Tucker at 3 and 4. Brown died in December 1905, and his heirs stood Broomstick at Brown's Senorita Stud in 1906-1908. In November 1908, Broomstick was sold to Harry Payne Whitney out of the dispersal of Brown's stock for US$7,250. Broomstick stood at Whitney's Brookdale Farm near Red Bank, New Jersey, until 1914, when he and the rest of the Whitney horses were moved to Whitney's new farm in Kentucky. Broomstick spent the last year of his life under the ownership of Whitney's heir, C. V. “Sonny” Whitney, and died on March 24, 1931. He is buried on land that is now part of Gainesway Farm.
Pedigree notes
Broomstick is outcrossed through five generations. He is a half brother to stakes winners Broomhandle (by Onondaga) and Elfall (by Pirate of Penzance). His dam Elf is a half sister to Melisande (by Disguise), one of the best juvenile fillies of 1908, and to Sylvan, dam of stakes winner Woodland (by Whisk Broom II) and second dam of 1924 American co-champion 2-year-old filly Maud Muller. Broomstick's second dam, Sylvabelle (by Bend Or), is a half sister to St. Gatien (by Rotherhill or The Rover), winner of the 1884 Derby Stakes (in a dead heat) and 1885 Ascot Gold Cup. Sylvabelle is also a half sister to Emmeline Marcia (by Queen's Messenger), dam of 1893 Ascot Gold Cup winner Marcion (by Royal Hampton).
Books and media
- Broomstick is profiled in Chapter 6 of Abram Hewitt's Sire Lines (1977, The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders of America; later updated and re-released in 2006 by Eclipse Press).
- Broomstick is one of 205 stallions whose accomplishments at stud are profiled in Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, The Australian Bloodhorse Review), a massive reference work written by Jennifer Churchill, Andrew Reichard and Byron Rogers.
Fun facts
- Although Colonel Young is Broomstick's breeder of record, he was lucky in that regard. Keene's stud manager, Foxhall Daingerfield, actually arranged the mating of Elf to Ben Brush, but veterinary examination indicated that she did not get pregnant. At Keene's insistence, Daingerfield then consigned the mare to a sale at Madison Square Garden. Young picked her up for US$250 and thus was her owner when she produced Broomstick as a surprise foal.
- Despite his success as a sire of winners and stakes winners, Broomstick averaged only 11 foals per crop.
- The land belonging to Senorita Stud, where Broomstick initially stood, is now the site of the Kentucky Horse Park.
Photo credit
Photographer unknown. From the collection of Quarter Horse Record (Susan Larkin); used by permission.
Last updated: November 6, 2021