A useful sprinter-miler on turf in England, Whisk Broom II raced only three times in the United States but made them count. Whether he benefited from weaker competition or the transition to dirt---or both---he helped bring racing back with a roar following the conclusion of the New York racing blackout, becoming the first winner of the Handicap Triple Crown and setting a world record for a mile and a quarter that remained a subject of controversy for decades. He was a successful sire following his retirement from racing.
Race record
26 starts, 10 wins, 7 seconds, 1 third, US$38,545 (including converted foreign earnings)
1909:
1910:
1911:
1912:
1913:
Honors
Assessments
Whisk Broom II was generally rated as being about 8 to 10 pounds below the best of his age in England based on his form in the Two Thousand Guineas. On the other side of the Atlantic, his form in his three races at Belmont was at least 20 pounds better than anything brought against him. Andrew J. Joyner, an astute judge who had trained in both England and the United States, assessed the average American form of the early 20th century as about 14 pounds below the average English form of the same period, suggesting that part of Whisk Broom II's apparent improvement was due to inferior competition. Nonetheless, it is also possible that he was a much better horse on dirt than turf. He certainly stayed better on dirt, setting two consecutive records at 1¼ miles on dirt in America but failing to win at the distance in England.
As an individual
Whisk Broom II stood 16.2 hands. He was an imposing, muscular chestnut with good rein length and an excellent shoulder. Like most of the Ben Brush tribe, he was lengthy in make and had short cannons. He could be faulted for sickle hocks and being too wide in the fork in front.
As a stallion
According to Sires and Dams of Stakes Winners 1925-1985 (The Blood-Horse), Whisk Broom II sired 26 stakes winners (16.0%) from 163 foals.
Notable progeny
Diavolo (USA), John P. Grier (USA), Upset (USA), Victorian (USA), Whiskaway (USA), Whiskery (USA)
Connections
Whisk Broom II was bred in Kentucky by the estate of Captain Samuel S. Brown and was from the first crop of his sire Broomstick. (The Daily Racing Form's book Champions gives Whisk Broom II's breeder as Clarence H. Mackay, but Mackay apparently did not acquire the colt's dam Audience until the dispersal sale of Brown's bloodstock in November 1908.) He was owned by Harry Payne Whitney, who purchased Whisk Broom II for US$2,500 from trainer Andrew J. Joyner. (Joyner had originally paid Brown's brother the same price for the colt, suggesting that he may have been acting as agent for Whitney.) Whisk Broom II was trained by Joyner in England and by James Rowe, Sr., in the United States. He was reported as having gone lame after the Suburban and was retired to Whitney's stud. He was perhaps hampered as a stallion by standing alongside his sire Broomstick, who ended up outliving him by three years. Whisk Broom II died in 1928.
Pedigree notes
Whisk Broom II is inbred 5x4 to four-time American champion sire Leamington and the important 19th-century American sire Alarm and 5x5x5 to another important 19th-century American sire, Australian. He is a full brother to Matinee, dam of stakes winners Rialto (by Chicle) and Candy Kid (by Peter Pan) and second dam of five stakes winners. He is also a half brother to Conference (by Rock Sand), dam of stakes winner Sunference (by Sun Briar). His dam Audience won the 1904 Kentucky Oaks and Tennessee Oaks and is a half sister to stakes winner Frances McClelland (by Bermuda), second dam of 1918 Clark Handicap winner Beaverkill and third dam of 1926 American Horse of the Year Crusader. In addition, Audience is a full or half sister to stakes producers Martha Gorman, Sallie of Navarre, and Saratoga Belle.
Whisk Broom II's second dam Sallie McClelland won eight stakes races including the 1890 Spinaway Stakes and 1891 Alabama Stakes and is generally considered the co-champion American juvenile filly of 1890. A full sister to Bonnie Blue II (dam of two-time American champion filly Blue Girl and 1901 Travers Stakes winner Blues, both by Sir Dixon), she is out of Red-and-Blue (by Alarm), a full sister to 1884 Belmont Stakes winner Panique. Red-and-Blue is also a half sister to 1879 Preakness Stakes winner Harold, 1881 Derby Stakes and St. Leger Stakes winner Iroquois, and the stakes-winning fillies Pera and Francesca, all by Leamington. Red-and-Blue and her siblings were produced from the great 19th century matron Maggie B. B., a daughter of Australian.
Fun facts
Last updated: July 5, 2024
Race record
26 starts, 10 wins, 7 seconds, 1 third, US$38,545 (including converted foreign earnings)
1909:
- 2nd Middle Park Stakes (ENG, 6FT, Newmarket)
- 2nd Dewhurst Plate (ENG, 7FT, Newmarket)
1910:
- Won Trial Stakes (ENG, 7.5FT, Ascot)
- Won Select Stakes (ENG, 8FT, Newmarket)
- 2nd Craven Stakes (ENG, 8FT, Newmarket)
- 2nd Knowsley Dinner Stakes (ENG, 10FT, Aintree)
- 3rd Two Thousand Guineas (ENG, 8FT, Newmarket)
1911:
- Won Salford Borough Handicap (ENG, 6FT, Manchester)
- Won Peril of the Peak Handicap (ENG, 8FT, Derby)
- 2nd Duke of Cambridge Handicap (ENG, 8FT, Newmarket)
1912:
- Won Victoria Cup Handicap (ENG, 7FT, Hurst Park)
- Won Snailwell Stakes (ENG, 5FT, Newmarket)
- 2nd Great Jubilee Handicap (ENG, 10FT, Kempton)
- 2nd Select Stakes (ENG, 8FT, Newmarket)
1913:
- Won Metropolitan Handicap (USA, 8FD, Belmont)
- Won Brooklyn Handicap (USA, 10FD, Belmont; new track record 2:03-2/5)
- Won Suburban Handicap (USA, 10FD, Belmont; new world record 2:00)
Honors
- National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (inducted in 1979)
- American Horse of the Year (1913)
- American champion older male (1913)
Assessments
Whisk Broom II was generally rated as being about 8 to 10 pounds below the best of his age in England based on his form in the Two Thousand Guineas. On the other side of the Atlantic, his form in his three races at Belmont was at least 20 pounds better than anything brought against him. Andrew J. Joyner, an astute judge who had trained in both England and the United States, assessed the average American form of the early 20th century as about 14 pounds below the average English form of the same period, suggesting that part of Whisk Broom II's apparent improvement was due to inferior competition. Nonetheless, it is also possible that he was a much better horse on dirt than turf. He certainly stayed better on dirt, setting two consecutive records at 1¼ miles on dirt in America but failing to win at the distance in England.
As an individual
Whisk Broom II stood 16.2 hands. He was an imposing, muscular chestnut with good rein length and an excellent shoulder. Like most of the Ben Brush tribe, he was lengthy in make and had short cannons. He could be faulted for sickle hocks and being too wide in the fork in front.
As a stallion
According to Sires and Dams of Stakes Winners 1925-1985 (The Blood-Horse), Whisk Broom II sired 26 stakes winners (16.0%) from 163 foals.
Notable progeny
Diavolo (USA), John P. Grier (USA), Upset (USA), Victorian (USA), Whiskaway (USA), Whiskery (USA)
Connections
Whisk Broom II was bred in Kentucky by the estate of Captain Samuel S. Brown and was from the first crop of his sire Broomstick. (The Daily Racing Form's book Champions gives Whisk Broom II's breeder as Clarence H. Mackay, but Mackay apparently did not acquire the colt's dam Audience until the dispersal sale of Brown's bloodstock in November 1908.) He was owned by Harry Payne Whitney, who purchased Whisk Broom II for US$2,500 from trainer Andrew J. Joyner. (Joyner had originally paid Brown's brother the same price for the colt, suggesting that he may have been acting as agent for Whitney.) Whisk Broom II was trained by Joyner in England and by James Rowe, Sr., in the United States. He was reported as having gone lame after the Suburban and was retired to Whitney's stud. He was perhaps hampered as a stallion by standing alongside his sire Broomstick, who ended up outliving him by three years. Whisk Broom II died in 1928.
Pedigree notes
Whisk Broom II is inbred 5x4 to four-time American champion sire Leamington and the important 19th-century American sire Alarm and 5x5x5 to another important 19th-century American sire, Australian. He is a full brother to Matinee, dam of stakes winners Rialto (by Chicle) and Candy Kid (by Peter Pan) and second dam of five stakes winners. He is also a half brother to Conference (by Rock Sand), dam of stakes winner Sunference (by Sun Briar). His dam Audience won the 1904 Kentucky Oaks and Tennessee Oaks and is a half sister to stakes winner Frances McClelland (by Bermuda), second dam of 1918 Clark Handicap winner Beaverkill and third dam of 1926 American Horse of the Year Crusader. In addition, Audience is a full or half sister to stakes producers Martha Gorman, Sallie of Navarre, and Saratoga Belle.
Whisk Broom II's second dam Sallie McClelland won eight stakes races including the 1890 Spinaway Stakes and 1891 Alabama Stakes and is generally considered the co-champion American juvenile filly of 1890. A full sister to Bonnie Blue II (dam of two-time American champion filly Blue Girl and 1901 Travers Stakes winner Blues, both by Sir Dixon), she is out of Red-and-Blue (by Alarm), a full sister to 1884 Belmont Stakes winner Panique. Red-and-Blue is also a half sister to 1879 Preakness Stakes winner Harold, 1881 Derby Stakes and St. Leger Stakes winner Iroquois, and the stakes-winning fillies Pera and Francesca, all by Leamington. Red-and-Blue and her siblings were produced from the great 19th century matron Maggie B. B., a daughter of Australian.
Fun facts
- Andrew Joyner was so impressed by Whisk Broom II as a yearling that he recommended that his employer Harry Payne Whitney purchase the colt's sire, Broomstick. Whitney did, thereby securing a three-time leading American sire for his stud.
- Whisk Broom II's first-ever sweep of the Handicap Triple Crown was ranked #90 in Horse Racing's Top 100 Moments, a review of racing in the 20th century compiled by The Blood-Horse and released in 2006.
- Whisk Broom II's official clocking of 2:00 for the 1913 Suburban Handicap engendered a great deal of controversy, as none of the horsemen watching the race timed it faster than 2:01-3/5. While it seems certain that the horse at least equaled his own track record—an impressive enough feat given that he was loaded up with 139 pounds—it seems unlikely that he ran as fast as the official timer recorded, especially since the internal fractions indicate that he would have had to have run his final quarter in :23-1/5 to make the official time. Controversial or not, the time stood as an official world record that was not broken until 1948, when Shannon II ran the distance in 1:59-4/5 at Golden Gate Fields.
Last updated: July 5, 2024