T. V. Lark (USA)
February 12, 1957 – 1975
Indian Hemp (GB) x Miss Larksfly (USA), by Heelfly (USA)
Family 9-c
February 12, 1957 – 1975
Indian Hemp (GB) x Miss Larksfly (USA), by Heelfly (USA)
Family 9-c
As sound, versatile and durable as any horseman could ask, T. V. Lark proved a good racehorse on dirt in a very tough group of horses but was even better on turf, where he became a champion. As a sire, he passed his own toughness and soundness on and continued his male line through Tumble Lark, a three-time champion sire in Brazil.
Race record
72 starts, 19 wins, 13 seconds, 6 thirds, US$902,194
1959:
1960:
1961:
1962:
Honors
American champion turf horse (1961)
Assessments
Rated at 115 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1959, 11 pounds below champion Warfare.
Rated at 125 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1960, 3 pounds below divisional champion and Horse of the Year Kelso.
Rated at 128 pounds on The Blood-Horse's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1960, 6 pounds below Kelso.
Rated at 126 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1961, 8 pounds below divisional champion and Horse of the Year Kelso but second in the division.
Rated at 127 pounds on The Blood-Horse's Free Handicap for American older males of 1961, 7 pounds below Kelso.
Rated at 119 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1962, 12 pounds above divisional champion and Horse of the Year Kelso.
As an individual
A bay, T. V. Lark stood 16.3 hands when measured by Dr. Manuel Gilman following the colt's victory in the 1961 Washington, D.C., International. He was "a light-bodied type with almost no shoulders, but sharp withers" per Daily Racing Form writer Charles Hatton, who noted that the colt muscled up and became a better-looking specimen late in his 3-year-old season as he grew into his frame. He also commented that T. V. Lark ran off his hocks in a fashion similar to Round Table, with great length from hip to hock and short cannons combining to give him excellent leverage in spite of his having sickle hocks. He handled both dry tracks and firm turf with aplomb but did not care for soft or off going. He had great stamina and a very high cruising speed, and was thoroughly game and determined in action. As a racehorse, the only human he would permit to handle him was his groom-turned-trainer, Paul Parker, but he had reasonably good manners.
As a stallion
According to Jockey Club records, T. V. Lark sired 248 winners (64.8%) and 53 stakes winners (14.1%) from 383 named foals. While he did not sire many runners at the very highest level, T. V. Lark consistently got durable, hard-knocking stock, many with a touch of class. T. V. Lark is an Intermediate chef-de-race in the Roman-Miller dosage system.
Sire rankings
Per the American Racing Manual (Daily Racing Form) series:
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
Per Thoroughbred Heritage (www.tbheritage.com):
Per Thoroughbred Record/Thoroughbred Times:
Notable progeny
Miss Carmie (USA), Pink Pigeon (USA), Quack (USA), Ramirez (USA), T. V. Commercial (USA), Tumble Lark (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Chris Evert (USA), Crystal Water (USA)
Connections
Foaled in California, T. V. Lark was bred by Dr. Walter D. Lucas. He was owned by Chase McCoy, who bought the colt for US$10,000 at the 1958 Del Mar yearling sale and raced him in the silks of his CR Mac Stables. After McCoy and his first trainer, Paul Miller, went their separate ways, T. V. Lark was trained by William Molter, but when Molter died of a heart attack on April 2, 1960, the colt's former groom, Paul Parker, took over. T. V. Lark was sold to a syndicate headed by Preston Madden for a reported US$600,000 in September 1961 and entered stud in Kentucky in 1963 at Madden's farm, Hamburg Place. T. V. Lark stood at Hamburg Place throughout his stud career, dying there of a hemorrhage in 1975.
Pedigree notes
T. V. Lark is inbred 4x4 to 1910 St. Leger Stakes winner and 1923 English champion sire Swynford. Sired by the speedy but ungenuine Nasrullah horse Indian Hemp, he is a half brother to Lark's Beauty (by Nashville), whose daughter Lark o' Mine (by Windy Sands) produced four stakes winners and is the second dam of Grade III winner Sky Approval.
T. V. Lark's dam Miss Larksfly, the 1962 California Broodmare of the Year, had bad knees and failed to win in eight starts but is a half sister to multiple stakes winner Larks Music (by Radiotherapy). She is out of the Bull Dog mare Larksnest, also a non-winner with bad knees but a half sister to Blen Lark (by Blenheim II), dam of 1961 Queen's Plate winner Blue Light (by Chop Chop). The next dam in the tail-female line, Light Lark (by Blue Larkspur) is a half sister to stakes winners Siskin (by Épinard), Hygro (by Épinard), Errard (by Challenger II) and Chicleight (by Chicle); the last-named mare is the ancestress of an excellent Calumet Farm family that includes American champions Real Delight and Our Mims as well as the high-class racehorse and sire Alydar.
Fun facts
Last updated: September 14, 2022
Race record
72 starts, 19 wins, 13 seconds, 6 thirds, US$902,194
1959:
- Won Arlington Futurity (USA, 6FD, Arlington Park)
- Won California Breeders' Trial Stakes (USA, 7FD, Santa Anita)
- 2nd Haggin Stakes (USA, 5FD, Hollywood)
1960:
- Won United Nations Handicap (USA, 9.5FT, Atlantic City)
- Won Washington Park Handicap (USA, 8FD, Arlington Park)
- Won Arlington Classic (USA, 8FD, Arlington Park)
- Won American Derby (USA, 9FD, Arlington Park; new track record 1:47)
- Won Argonaut Stakes (USA, 8.5FD, Hollywood)
- Won Tropicana Hotel of Las Vegas Stakes (USA, 8.5FD, Bay Meadows)
- 2nd Hollywood Derby (USA, 10FD, Hollywood)
- 2nd San Felipe Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Santa Anita)
- 3rd Cinema Handicap (USA, 9FD, Hollywood)
- 3rd California Breeders' Champion Stakes (USA, 8.5FD, Santa Anita)
- 3rd San Vicente Handicap (USA, 7FD, Santa Anita)
- 3rd San Miguel Stakes (USA, 6.5FD, Santa Anita)
1961:
- Won Hawthorne Gold Cup (USA, 10FD, Hawthorne)
- Won Washington, D.C. International Stakes (USA, 12FT, Laurel; new course record 2:26-1/5)
- Won Los Angeles Handicap (USA, 7FD, Hollywood)
- Won Knickerbocker Handicap (USA, 13FT, Aqueduct; new American record 2:40)
- Won Santa Catalina Handicap (USA, 9FD, Santa Anita)
- 2nd San Carlos Handicap (USA, 7FD, Santa Anita)
- 3rd Washington's Birthday Handicap (USA, 12FT, Santa Anita)
1962:
- Won Philadelphia Turf Handicap (USA, 8.5FT, Atlantic City)
- 2nd United Nations Handicap (USA, 9.5FT, Atlantic City)
- 2nd Round Table Handicap (USA, 8.5FT, Washington Park)
- 2nd Laurel Handicap (USA, 9FT, Laurel)
- 2nd Santa Catalina Handicap (USA, 9FD, Santa Anita)
- 2nd Long Island Handicap (1st div) (USA, 11FT, Belmont)
Honors
American champion turf horse (1961)
Assessments
Rated at 115 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1959, 11 pounds below champion Warfare.
Rated at 125 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1960, 3 pounds below divisional champion and Horse of the Year Kelso.
Rated at 128 pounds on The Blood-Horse's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1960, 6 pounds below Kelso.
Rated at 126 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1961, 8 pounds below divisional champion and Horse of the Year Kelso but second in the division.
Rated at 127 pounds on The Blood-Horse's Free Handicap for American older males of 1961, 7 pounds below Kelso.
Rated at 119 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1962, 12 pounds above divisional champion and Horse of the Year Kelso.
As an individual
A bay, T. V. Lark stood 16.3 hands when measured by Dr. Manuel Gilman following the colt's victory in the 1961 Washington, D.C., International. He was "a light-bodied type with almost no shoulders, but sharp withers" per Daily Racing Form writer Charles Hatton, who noted that the colt muscled up and became a better-looking specimen late in his 3-year-old season as he grew into his frame. He also commented that T. V. Lark ran off his hocks in a fashion similar to Round Table, with great length from hip to hock and short cannons combining to give him excellent leverage in spite of his having sickle hocks. He handled both dry tracks and firm turf with aplomb but did not care for soft or off going. He had great stamina and a very high cruising speed, and was thoroughly game and determined in action. As a racehorse, the only human he would permit to handle him was his groom-turned-trainer, Paul Parker, but he had reasonably good manners.
As a stallion
According to Jockey Club records, T. V. Lark sired 248 winners (64.8%) and 53 stakes winners (14.1%) from 383 named foals. While he did not sire many runners at the very highest level, T. V. Lark consistently got durable, hard-knocking stock, many with a touch of class. T. V. Lark 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 1974; 2nd in 1972 and 1973; 4th in 1976; 6th in 1977; 7th in 1970; 8th in 1975.
- 4th on the American broodmare sire list in 1981; 5th in 1983
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
- Led the American general sire list in 1974; 2nd in 1972 and 1973; 4th in 1976; 6th in 1977; 7th in 1970; 8th in 1975.
- 4th on the American broodmare sire list in 1983; 6th in 1981.
Per Thoroughbred Heritage (www.tbheritage.com):
- Led the American general sire list in 1974.
Per Thoroughbred Record/Thoroughbred Times:
- Led the American general sire list in 1974.
Notable progeny
Miss Carmie (USA), Pink Pigeon (USA), Quack (USA), Ramirez (USA), T. V. Commercial (USA), Tumble Lark (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Chris Evert (USA), Crystal Water (USA)
Connections
Foaled in California, T. V. Lark was bred by Dr. Walter D. Lucas. He was owned by Chase McCoy, who bought the colt for US$10,000 at the 1958 Del Mar yearling sale and raced him in the silks of his CR Mac Stables. After McCoy and his first trainer, Paul Miller, went their separate ways, T. V. Lark was trained by William Molter, but when Molter died of a heart attack on April 2, 1960, the colt's former groom, Paul Parker, took over. T. V. Lark was sold to a syndicate headed by Preston Madden for a reported US$600,000 in September 1961 and entered stud in Kentucky in 1963 at Madden's farm, Hamburg Place. T. V. Lark stood at Hamburg Place throughout his stud career, dying there of a hemorrhage in 1975.
Pedigree notes
T. V. Lark is inbred 4x4 to 1910 St. Leger Stakes winner and 1923 English champion sire Swynford. Sired by the speedy but ungenuine Nasrullah horse Indian Hemp, he is a half brother to Lark's Beauty (by Nashville), whose daughter Lark o' Mine (by Windy Sands) produced four stakes winners and is the second dam of Grade III winner Sky Approval.
T. V. Lark's dam Miss Larksfly, the 1962 California Broodmare of the Year, had bad knees and failed to win in eight starts but is a half sister to multiple stakes winner Larks Music (by Radiotherapy). She is out of the Bull Dog mare Larksnest, also a non-winner with bad knees but a half sister to Blen Lark (by Blenheim II), dam of 1961 Queen's Plate winner Blue Light (by Chop Chop). The next dam in the tail-female line, Light Lark (by Blue Larkspur) is a half sister to stakes winners Siskin (by Épinard), Hygro (by Épinard), Errard (by Challenger II) and Chicleight (by Chicle); the last-named mare is the ancestress of an excellent Calumet Farm family that includes American champions Real Delight and Our Mims as well as the high-class racehorse and sire Alydar.
Fun facts
- At the time he bred and raised T. V. Lark. Dr. Walter Lucas had only a half-acre of land for Miss Larksfly and her colt, making him a “backyard breeder” in truth. A few years' later, Lucas moved his breeding operations to the much larger Land O' Lark Farm—all of 15 acres.
- At the time of his retirement, T. V. Lark was the richest California-bred Thoroughbred of all time, surpassing Swaps' mark set in 1956. He was also the top money earner among former sales yearlings.
- T. V. Lark won seven races worth US$100,000 or more (big money by the standards of the early 1960s), but none of these were in his native California, although he did win five stakes races on his home soil.
- T. V. Lark was the first California-bred stallion to lead the American general sire list.
Last updated: September 14, 2022