High Time was one of the most closely inbred horses ever seen on an American race track, and his racing career tended to support the contention that matings between close relatives aren't a good idea. Although he possessed brilliant speed, High Time also had the badly conformed forelegs of his sire Ultimus and was a bleeder to boot, causing Colonel Phil Chinn to comment that High Time was the only horse he had ever seen who could turn into the stretch leading by 15 lengths only to lose the race by 80. With a record like that, High Time was understandably unattractive to major breeders and received very limited opportunities during his first few years at stud, but he made the most of those opportunities and became a noted influence for speed and precocity before his death in 1937. His best runner was the great gelding Sarazen, a two-time American Horse of the Year, but his greatest influence on the stud book was through his daughters.
Race record
7 starts, 1 win, 0 seconds, 1 third, US$3,950
1918:
As an individual
A chestnut horse, High Time had a good shoulder and strong hindquarters but had tied-in tendons on his forelegs. He was a known bleeder.
As a stallion
High Time was an influence for speed and precocity as a sire. According to The Blood-Horse Silver Anniversary Edition (Blood-Horse), High Time sired 212 winners (73.4%) and 37 stakes winners (12.8%) from 289 named foals.
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
High Strung (USA), Sarazen (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Contessa (USA), Eight Thirty (USA), First Page (USA), Knockdown (USA), Now What (USA), Top Row (USA)
Connections
High Time was bred by Wickliffe Stud, the nom de course of the partnership of Price McKinney and Ed Corrigan. The colt was trained by Colonel Phil T. Chinn, who purchased High Time for US$50,000 after the horse's first crop (which contained Hall of Famer Sarazen and the good stakes winner Time Exposure) started racing. When Chinn was forced to sell out in the aftermath of the 1929 stock market crash, High Time was purchased by Dixiana Farm and stood there until his death on November 20, 1937.
Pedigree notes
High Time is inbred 3x3x2 to Domino. He is a half brother to two-time Toboggan Handicap winner High Noon (by Voter) and to stakes winners Besom (by Ben Brush), Suffragette (by Voter) and Meeting House (by Voter). High Time is also a half brother to to Meridian (by Ben Brush), third dam of 1934 Polla de Potrancas (Argentine One Thousand Guineas) winner and multiple Argentine Classic producer Black Arrow, and to Noontide (by Colin), fourth dam of 1945 American champion handicap male Stymie and two-time American champion High Gun.
High Time's dam Noonday is a juvenile stakes winner and is a half sister to stakes winner and useful sire Peep o' Day (by Ayrshire). She is also a half sister to Nightfall (by Voter), dam of 1916 American champion 2-year-old male Campfire (by Olambala). Noonday and her siblings are out of the Springfield mare Sundown, whose dam Sunshine (by Thormanby) was the foundation mare for J. H. Houldsworth's breeding program.
Fun facts
Photo credit
Photographer unknown. From the private collection of Dale Wyatt; used by permission.
Last updated: November 10, 2023
Race record
7 starts, 1 win, 0 seconds, 1 third, US$3,950
1918:
- Won Hudson Stakes (USA, 5FD, Aqueduct; new track record :58-2/5)
- 3rd Great American Stakes (USA, 5FD, Aqueduct)
As an individual
A chestnut horse, High Time had a good shoulder and strong hindquarters but had tied-in tendons on his forelegs. He was a known bleeder.
As a stallion
High Time was an influence for speed and precocity as a sire. According to The Blood-Horse Silver Anniversary Edition (Blood-Horse), High Time sired 212 winners (73.4%) and 37 stakes winners (12.8%) from 289 named foals.
Sire rankings
Per the American Racing Manual (Daily Racing Form) series:
- Led the American general sire list in 1928.
- Led the American broodmare sire list in 1940; 2nd in 1939; 6th in 1944 and 1946; 8th in 1937; 9th in 1947; 10th in 1945.
- Led the American juvenile sire list in 1928
Per The Blood-Horse:
- Led the American general sire list in 1928; 6th in 1934; 10th in 1930-1933.
- Led the American broodmare sire list in 1936 and 1940; 2nd in 1939; 3rd in 1935; 5th in 1943; 6th in 1941, 1944, and 1946; 9th in 1937 and 1947; 10th in 1938 and 1945.
- Led the American juvenile sire list in 1927, 1928, 1932, and 1936 (by number of winners)
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
- Led the American general sire list in 1928; 6th in 1934; 10th in 1930-1933.
- Led the American broodmare sire list in 1936 and 1940; 2nd in 1939; 3rd in 1935; 5th in 1943; 6th in 1941, 1944, and 1946; 9th in 1937 and 1947; 10th in 1938 and 1945.
Per Thoroughbred Heritage (www.tbheritage.com):
- Led the American general sire list in 1928.
- Led the American broodmare sire list in 1936 and 1940.
Notable progeny
High Strung (USA), Sarazen (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Contessa (USA), Eight Thirty (USA), First Page (USA), Knockdown (USA), Now What (USA), Top Row (USA)
Connections
High Time was bred by Wickliffe Stud, the nom de course of the partnership of Price McKinney and Ed Corrigan. The colt was trained by Colonel Phil T. Chinn, who purchased High Time for US$50,000 after the horse's first crop (which contained Hall of Famer Sarazen and the good stakes winner Time Exposure) started racing. When Chinn was forced to sell out in the aftermath of the 1929 stock market crash, High Time was purchased by Dixiana Farm and stood there until his death on November 20, 1937.
Pedigree notes
High Time is inbred 3x3x2 to Domino. He is a half brother to two-time Toboggan Handicap winner High Noon (by Voter) and to stakes winners Besom (by Ben Brush), Suffragette (by Voter) and Meeting House (by Voter). High Time is also a half brother to to Meridian (by Ben Brush), third dam of 1934 Polla de Potrancas (Argentine One Thousand Guineas) winner and multiple Argentine Classic producer Black Arrow, and to Noontide (by Colin), fourth dam of 1945 American champion handicap male Stymie and two-time American champion High Gun.
High Time's dam Noonday is a juvenile stakes winner and is a half sister to stakes winner and useful sire Peep o' Day (by Ayrshire). She is also a half sister to Nightfall (by Voter), dam of 1916 American champion 2-year-old male Campfire (by Olambala). Noonday and her siblings are out of the Springfield mare Sundown, whose dam Sunshine (by Thormanby) was the foundation mare for J. H. Houldsworth's breeding program.
Fun facts
- The mating that produced High Time was arranged by Elizabeth Daingerfield, whose father, Major Foxhall Daingerfield, had been the manager for James R. Keene's Castleton Stud. Daingerfield later gained still greater stature in the Thoroughbred industry as she was selected by Samuel Riddle to manage the first few years of Man o' War's stud career.
Photo credit
Photographer unknown. From the private collection of Dale Wyatt; used by permission.
Last updated: November 10, 2023