The pampered favorite of colorful owner Willis Sharpe Kilmer throughout Kilmer's lifetime, Sun Briar undoubtedly had considerable talent but was not very sound. He was a very good stallion as well as a speedy racer, but his greatest significance in the history of American racing is as the reason that his trainer, Henry McDaniel, bought an ungainly, unattractive gelding named Exterminator for Kilmer, who was desperate to get Sun Briar to the 1918 Kentucky Derby and needed a work companion for his cherished colt. Kilmer never considered Exterminator to be in the same class as Sun Briar, but for almost everyone else, Sun Briar faded into the long shadow cast by one of American racing's greats in spite of his own status as a two-time American champion.
Race record
22 starts, 8 wins, 4 seconds, 5 thirds, US$74,355
1917:
1918:
1919:
Honors
Assessments
Ranked fourth among American 3-year-old males of 1918 by The Blood-Horse.
Ranked second among American older males of 1919 by The Blood-Horse.
As an individual
A handsome bay colt, Sun Briar stood 15.3 hands. He was troubled with ringbones at ages 3 and 4.
As a stallion
According to The Blood-Horse Silver Anniversary Edition (The Blood-Horse, Inc.), Sun Briar sired 190 winners (64.8%) and 34 stakes winners from 293 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):
Notable progeny
Firethorn (USA), Pompey (USA), Sun Beau (USA), Sun Flag (USA), Suntica (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Big Effort (USA), Chance Sun (USA), Nedayr (USA), Observant (USA), Parading Lady (USA), Tide Rips (USA)
Connections
Sun Briar was bred by Marcel Boussac. Imported to the United States at a cost of £1,200 and entered in the 1916 Saratoga yearling sale, he was purchased by Willis Sharpe Kilmer. He was trained by Henry McDaniel. He entered stud in 1920 at Kilmer's Court Manor Stud in Virginia. He was eventually pensioned at Kilmer's Sun Briar Court in Binghamton, New York, and died there in 1943.
Pedigree notes
Sun Briar is inbred 4x5 to 1867 Derby Stakes winner Hermit, a seven-time champion sire in England, and 5x5 to Vedette. Produced from Sweet Briar II, he is a half brother to juvenile stakes winner Mint Briar (by Assagi). His dam is a daughter of the Orion mare Presentation, whose dam Dubia was sired by St. Simon or Ayrshire and so was either a full or half sister to 1896 St. James's Palace Stakes winner His Reverence (by St. Simon) and to 1893 Oaks Stakes winner Mrs. Butterwick (by St. Simon), a notable producer. The next dam in the tail-female line, the Scottish Chief mare Miss Middlewick, is a full sister to Violet Melrose, dam of 1885 Derby Stakes and St. Leger Stakes winner Melton and second dam of 1901 Yorkshire Oaks winner Santa Brigida, an important foundation mare in the stud of the 17th Earl of Derby.
Fun facts
Last updated: August 7, 2021
Race record
22 starts, 8 wins, 4 seconds, 5 thirds, US$74,355
1917:
- Won Great American Stakes (USA, 5FD, Aqueduct)
- Won Albany Handicap (USA, 6FD, Saratoga)
- Won Saratoga Special (USA, 6FD, Saratoga)
- Won Grand Union Hotel Stakes (USA, 6FD, Saratoga)
- Won Hopeful Stakes (USA, 6FD, Saratoga)
- 3rd Whirl Stakes (USA, 5.5FD, Empire City)
1918:
- Won Travers Stakes (USA, 10FD, Saratoga)
- Won Delaware Stakes (USA, 8FD, Saratoga; new American record 1:36-1/5)
1919:
- Won Champlain Handicap (USA, 9FD, Saratoga; new track record 1:50)
Honors
- Saratoga Hoofprints Walk of Fame (2017)
- American champion 2-year-old male (1917)
- American co-champion handicap male (1919)
Assessments
Ranked fourth among American 3-year-old males of 1918 by The Blood-Horse.
Ranked second among American older males of 1919 by The Blood-Horse.
As an individual
A handsome bay colt, Sun Briar stood 15.3 hands. He was troubled with ringbones at ages 3 and 4.
As a stallion
According to The Blood-Horse Silver Anniversary Edition (The Blood-Horse, Inc.), Sun Briar sired 190 winners (64.8%) and 34 stakes winners from 293 foals.
Sire rankings
Per the American Racing Manual (Daily Racing Form) series:
- 8th on the American general sire list in 1935.
- 8th on the American broodmare sire list in 1940 and 1944; 10th in 1948.
- Led the American juvenile sire list in 1925.
Per The Blood-Horse:
- 3rd on the American general sire list in 1930; 4th in 1931; 5th in 1929; 6th in 1928; 8th in 1925 and 1935; 10th in 1924.
- 3rd on the American broodmare sire list in 1934 and 1943; 4th in 1941; 5th in 1942; 8th in 1940 and 1944; 10th in 1948.
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
- 3rd on the American general sire list in 1930; 4th in 1931; 5th in 1929; 6th in 1928; 8th in 1925 and 1935; 10th in 1924.
- 3rd on the American broodmare sire list in 1934 and 1943; 4th in 1941; 5th in 1942; 8th in 1940 and 1944; 10th in 1948.
Notable progeny
Firethorn (USA), Pompey (USA), Sun Beau (USA), Sun Flag (USA), Suntica (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Big Effort (USA), Chance Sun (USA), Nedayr (USA), Observant (USA), Parading Lady (USA), Tide Rips (USA)
Connections
Sun Briar was bred by Marcel Boussac. Imported to the United States at a cost of £1,200 and entered in the 1916 Saratoga yearling sale, he was purchased by Willis Sharpe Kilmer. He was trained by Henry McDaniel. He entered stud in 1920 at Kilmer's Court Manor Stud in Virginia. He was eventually pensioned at Kilmer's Sun Briar Court in Binghamton, New York, and died there in 1943.
Pedigree notes
Sun Briar is inbred 4x5 to 1867 Derby Stakes winner Hermit, a seven-time champion sire in England, and 5x5 to Vedette. Produced from Sweet Briar II, he is a half brother to juvenile stakes winner Mint Briar (by Assagi). His dam is a daughter of the Orion mare Presentation, whose dam Dubia was sired by St. Simon or Ayrshire and so was either a full or half sister to 1896 St. James's Palace Stakes winner His Reverence (by St. Simon) and to 1893 Oaks Stakes winner Mrs. Butterwick (by St. Simon), a notable producer. The next dam in the tail-female line, the Scottish Chief mare Miss Middlewick, is a full sister to Violet Melrose, dam of 1885 Derby Stakes and St. Leger Stakes winner Melton and second dam of 1901 Yorkshire Oaks winner Santa Brigida, an important foundation mare in the stud of the 17th Earl of Derby.
Fun facts
- Sun Briar was originally named “Sunday” in his native France.
- Even before Sun Briar ever started a race, Willis Sharpe Kilmer sent trainer Henry McDaniel to Europe to buy mares for the future stallion's harem. Among the mares imported as a result of this shopping trip was Contessina, whose mating to Sun Briar's full brother Sunreigh produced the best horse Kilmer ever bred, 1928 American Horse of the Year Reigh Count.
- Reigh Count actually owed both sides of his parentage to Kilmer's infatuation with Sun Briar, as it was because of Sun Briar that Kilmer imported the horse's younger full brother Sunreigh and his dam Sweet Briar II from France. Even less sound than his brother, Sunreigh never won a race but sired Reigh Count among his 14 registered foals. The male line continued through Reigh Count's greatest son, 1943 American Triple Crown winner Count Fleet, to his Classic-winning grandsons Count Turf, Counterpoint and One Count.
- On New Year's Day, 1918, Kilmer threw a party in honor of Sun Briar at his Binghamton, New York, estate. Hundreds of Kilmer's friends and acquaintances came to admire the prize colt and the state-of-the-art training facility that Kilmer proudly named Sun Briar Court. They also had the chance to see memorabilia such as the horseshoes the colt had won while winning the 1917 Hopeful Stakes and the whip jockey Willie Knapp had carried as Sun Briar drove home to win the 1917 Grand Union Hotel Stakes.
- According to Thoroughbred historian William Robertson, Sun Briar set an unofficial record for a time trial mile of 1:34 following the close of the Saratoga meeting, breaking the official time trial record of 1:34-4/5 set by Roamer on August 21, 1918. The time was not official as no formal arrangements had been made for the time trial beforehand, but was verified by Saratoga track superintendent William A. Myers. Sun Briar's time of 1:36-1/5 in the Delaware Stakes was the fastest run on dirt in competition up to that time.
- Sun Briar was the first horse to defeat three winners of American Triple Crown races of the same year in a single race. In the 1918 Travers Stakes, Sun Briar defeated Belmont Stakes winner Johren (second), Preakness Stakes winner War Cloud (third) and Kentucky Derby winner Exterminator (fourth).
- Because of a Binghamton city ordinance forbidding the burial of animals within city limits, Sun Briar (along with his old companion Exterminator and his best racing daughter, Suntica) is buried in the nearby Whispering Pines Pet Cemetery.
Last updated: August 7, 2021