Kauai King (USA)
April 3, 1963 – January 24, 1989
Native Dancer (USA) x Sweep In (USA), by Blenheim II (GB)
Family 5-f
April 3, 1963 – January 24, 1989
Native Dancer (USA) x Sweep In (USA), by Blenheim II (GB)
Family 5-f
Although he won two-thirds of the American Triple Crown, Kauai King is little remembered today thanks to the much superior Buckpasser (who had to miss the Triple Crown events with a quarter crack) and an injury that ended his career in the summer of 1966. He deserves better, as he was a clear leader of the sophomore division in the absence of Buckpasser and that of the crop's other outstanding runner, Graustark, who suffered a career-ending injury in the Blue Grass Stakes. Unfortunately, Kauai King was a stud failure in the United States, England and Japan.
Race record
16 starts, 9 wins, 2 seconds, 1 third, US$381,397
1965:
1966:
Honors:
Assessments
Rated at 128 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1966, 8 pounds below divisional champion and Horse of the Year Buckpasser but tied for second with Buffle.
As an individual
A medium-sized, well-balanced dark bay or brown horse of robust build, Kauai King stood 16 hands. He possessed the powerful hindquarters of his sire, Native Dancer, but also had his sire's rather suspicious-looking ankles. His temperament as a racehorse was sensible. While he preferred to run on or near the lead, he rated well and had a good turn of foot when needed. He was completely genuine in a drive. He had a rather rounded running gait resembling his sire's. Kauai King stumbled at the break of the 1966 Arlington Classic (a race that his trainer had not wanted to run him in) and bowed a tendon, ending his racing career.
As a stallion
According to Jockey Club records, Kauai King sired 76 winners (30.8%) and eight stakes winners (3.2%) from 247 named foals. His best runners were Grade 3 winner Wicked Park and English Group 3 winner Gilding.
Connections
Foaled in Maryland at Sagamore Farm, Kauai King was bred by Dr. Frank A. O'Keefe's Pine Brook Farm. He was owned by Mike Ford, who purchased the colt for US$42,000 from the 1964 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale through the agency of Tom Gentry. The horse was trained by Tom Gentry's cousin Loyd Gentry at 2 and by Henry Forrest at 3. Following his fourth-place finish in the 1966 Belmont Stakes, Kauai King was syndicated for US$2.16 million. He entered stud in Maryland in 1967 at Sagamore Farm. He later moved to Hamilton Stud near Newmarket, England, in late 1971 and was exported to Japan in 1973. He died of old age at Maekawa Stallion Center, Japan, in 1989.
Pedigree notes
Kauai King is inbred 5x3 to two-time American champion sire and broodmare sire Sweep, who was a two-time American champion on the racetrack as well. He is a half brother to multiple stakes winners Pursuit (by Bull Lea) and Inswept (by Faultless). Sweep In, the dam of Kauai King, is a winning half sister to 1936 Adirondack Handicap winner Juliet W. (by High Time) and to Esta Lea (by Bull Lea), dam of multiple stakes winner Bull Story (by Mighty Story), second dam of 1972 Las Flores Handicap winner Crowning Glory and third dam of 1983 Jamaican champion 2-year-old male Royal Aquarian and 1985 Premio Hipodromo La Rinconada (VEN-G1) winner Algodonal.
Sweep In and her sisters were produced from the Sweep mare Sweepesta. Sweepesta's dam Celesta is by the English import Sempronius out of the Meddler mare Rezia, whose full sister Armenia was a juvenile stakes winner and the dam of 1914 Derby Stakes winner Durbar II (by Rabelais). Rezia and Armenia are out of Urania (by Hanover), also the dam of juvenile stakes winners Sandria (by Sandringham) and Perseus (by Persimmon). Urania, in turn, is out of Wanda (by Mortemer), generally considered the American champion juvenile filly of 1884 and the American champion 3-year-old filly of 1885.
Books and media
Kauai King is profiled in Chapter 9 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
Last updated: January 25, 2022
Race record
16 starts, 9 wins, 2 seconds, 1 third, US$381,397
1965:
- 3rd Joliet Stakes (USA, 5FD, Arlington Park)
1966:
- Won Kentucky Derby (USA, 10FD, Churchill Downs)
- Won Preakness Stakes (USA, 9.5FD, Pimlico)
- Won Governor's Gold Cup (USA, 8.5FD, Bowie)
- Won Prince George's Handicap (USA. 8.5FD, Bowie)
- Won Fountain of Youth Stakes (USA, 8.5FD, Gulfstream Park)
- 2nd Hutcheson Stakes (USA, 7FD, Gulfstream Park)
Honors:
- Maryland Thoroughbred Hall of Fame (inducted in 2016)
- Maryland-bred Horse of the Year (1966)
- Maryland-bred champion 3-year-old male (1966)
Assessments
Rated at 128 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1966, 8 pounds below divisional champion and Horse of the Year Buckpasser but tied for second with Buffle.
As an individual
A medium-sized, well-balanced dark bay or brown horse of robust build, Kauai King stood 16 hands. He possessed the powerful hindquarters of his sire, Native Dancer, but also had his sire's rather suspicious-looking ankles. His temperament as a racehorse was sensible. While he preferred to run on or near the lead, he rated well and had a good turn of foot when needed. He was completely genuine in a drive. He had a rather rounded running gait resembling his sire's. Kauai King stumbled at the break of the 1966 Arlington Classic (a race that his trainer had not wanted to run him in) and bowed a tendon, ending his racing career.
As a stallion
According to Jockey Club records, Kauai King sired 76 winners (30.8%) and eight stakes winners (3.2%) from 247 named foals. His best runners were Grade 3 winner Wicked Park and English Group 3 winner Gilding.
Connections
Foaled in Maryland at Sagamore Farm, Kauai King was bred by Dr. Frank A. O'Keefe's Pine Brook Farm. He was owned by Mike Ford, who purchased the colt for US$42,000 from the 1964 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale through the agency of Tom Gentry. The horse was trained by Tom Gentry's cousin Loyd Gentry at 2 and by Henry Forrest at 3. Following his fourth-place finish in the 1966 Belmont Stakes, Kauai King was syndicated for US$2.16 million. He entered stud in Maryland in 1967 at Sagamore Farm. He later moved to Hamilton Stud near Newmarket, England, in late 1971 and was exported to Japan in 1973. He died of old age at Maekawa Stallion Center, Japan, in 1989.
Pedigree notes
Kauai King is inbred 5x3 to two-time American champion sire and broodmare sire Sweep, who was a two-time American champion on the racetrack as well. He is a half brother to multiple stakes winners Pursuit (by Bull Lea) and Inswept (by Faultless). Sweep In, the dam of Kauai King, is a winning half sister to 1936 Adirondack Handicap winner Juliet W. (by High Time) and to Esta Lea (by Bull Lea), dam of multiple stakes winner Bull Story (by Mighty Story), second dam of 1972 Las Flores Handicap winner Crowning Glory and third dam of 1983 Jamaican champion 2-year-old male Royal Aquarian and 1985 Premio Hipodromo La Rinconada (VEN-G1) winner Algodonal.
Sweep In and her sisters were produced from the Sweep mare Sweepesta. Sweepesta's dam Celesta is by the English import Sempronius out of the Meddler mare Rezia, whose full sister Armenia was a juvenile stakes winner and the dam of 1914 Derby Stakes winner Durbar II (by Rabelais). Rezia and Armenia are out of Urania (by Hanover), also the dam of juvenile stakes winners Sandria (by Sandringham) and Perseus (by Persimmon). Urania, in turn, is out of Wanda (by Mortemer), generally considered the American champion juvenile filly of 1884 and the American champion 3-year-old filly of 1885.
Books and media
Kauai King is profiled in Chapter 9 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
- Kauai King was the first Maryland-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby and the second to win two legs of the Triple Crown; the first, Cloverbrook, won the 1877 Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes.
- Kauai King was the sixth Maryland-bred horse to win the Preakness Stakes but was the first to do so since Challedon in 1939.
- Kauai King was the first horse to win wire-to-wire in the Kentucky Derby since Jet Pilot in 1947. His opening mile of 1:35-3/5 was not eclipsed by a Derby winner until Spend a Buck ran the first eight panels in 1:34-4/5 en route to his 1985 victory.
- Kauai King gave his owner, trainer and jockey (Don Brumfield) their first Kentucky Derby winner with their first Derby starter. Henry Forrest would later be credited with training a second Kentucky Derby winner in Forward Pass, who inherited the win in the 1968 Kentucky Derby after the apparent victor, Dancer's Image, was disqualified for a drug positive. Brumfield rode in another dozen Derbies but never came near the winner's circle again.
- Kauai King's victory completed a Kentucky Oaks—Kentucky Derby double for his sire Native Dancer and for Don Brumfield, who had won the Oaks the day before on the Native Dancer filly Native Street. Only three other stallions have sired Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks winners in the same year: King Alfonso, who sired 1885 Derby winner Joe Cotton and 1885 Oaks winner Lizzie Dwyer; McGee, who sired 1918 Derby winner Exterminator and 1918 Oaks winner Viva America; and Bull Lea, who sired 1952 Derby winner Hill Gail and 1952 Oaks winner Real Delight.
- Kauai King is the last link in one of two three-generation chains of Preakness Stakes winners in American racing history. The winner of the 1945 Preakness, Polynesian, sired 1953 winner Native Dancer, in turn the sire of Kauai King. The other such chain begins with 1957 Preakness winner Bold Ruler, who sired 1973 winner Secretariat, in turn the sire of 1988 winner Risen Star.
- Following his Kentucky Derby victory, Kauai King was featured in the cover story of the May 16, 1966, issue of Sports Illustrated.
- Kauai King's syndication for US$2.16 million was the second highest-priced for a Thoroughbred stallion prospect up to that time.
- Kauai King is one of six colts who won two of the three American Triple Crown races but failed to win the 3-year-old championship in year-end voting. The others are Johnstown (1939), Shut Out (1942), Pensive (1944), Riva Ridge (1972) and Tabasco Cat (1994).
- Owner Mike Ford explained that he gave Kauai King his name because Kaua'i was the one island not conquered by Kamehameha I when he united the inhabited islands of Hawai'i under a single monarchy. (After two failed invasion attempts by Kamehameha, Kaua'i's ruler, Kaumuali'i, elected to submit voluntarily to Kamehameha's authority rather than face a third possible invasion; he retained the rulership of Kaua'i as Kamehameha's vassal.) Ford's hope was that his colt would prove as unconquerable as Kaua'i.
- Kauai King's barn name was “Old George.”
Last updated: January 25, 2022