A horse of brilliant speed, Your Host had talent that was matched by both ill-fortune and courage. He came to the races already having survived a serious illness and a neck injury which caused him to carry his head in odd fashion. After falling and shattering a foreleg in the San Pasqual Handicap as a 4-year-old, Your Host was a longshot to survive but fought back from the brink with a strong will to live. The unfortunate horse later had to be destroyed due to a stifle injury at the age of 14, but not before he had sired one of the all-time greats: five-time American Horse of the Year Kelso.
Race record
23 starts, 15 wins, 5 seconds, 2 thirds, US$384,795
1949:
1950:
1951:
Assessments
Ranked third among American 3-year-olds of 1950 by The Blood-Horse.
Ranked seventh among American older males of 1951 by The Blood-Horse.
As an individual
A rather lightly made, smallish chestnut horse with low withers and awkward action, Your Host was born with one eye and ear set noticeably higher in his head than their counterparts; this led to an odd head carriage which was accentuated by a neck injury suffered when he was a youngster. He was speedy and courageous in competition but was also high-strung and headstrong. After his near-fatal injury, he walked with a limp as his right foreleg was shorter than his left.
As a stallion
According to records maintained by The Jockey Club, Your Host sired 95 winners (68.3%) and 16 stakes winners (11.5%) from 139 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):
Notable progeny
Kelso (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Shelter Bay (USA), Terry's Secret (USA)
Connections
Foaled in California, Your Host was bred by Louis B. Mayer. He was owned by Mayer's son-in-law, William Goetz, who paid US$20,000 for him at Mayer's 1949 partial dispersal. The colt was trained by Harry Daniels. Your Host ended his racing career with a fractured ulna after clipping the heels of another horse in the 1951 San Pasqual Handicap but miraculously survived to stand at stud in California as the property of Lloyd's of London, which paid off the horse's US$250,000 insurance policy but did not destroy him. The insurance firm later sold the horse to a syndicate headed by F. Wallis Armstrong for US$150,000, and the stallion was moved to Meadow View Farms in New Jersey. Your Host was humanely destroyed in 1961 due to complications from a dislocated stifle.
Pedigree notes
Your Host is inbred 3x4 to 1918 English Triple Crown winner Gainsborough and 5x5 to two-time English/Irish champion sire St. Frusquin, the English champion 2-year-old male of 1895. He is a full brother to stakes-placed Your Hostess, dam of 1974 Ladies Handicap (USA-G1) winner Coraggioso (by Gallant Man), 1967 Arlington-Washington Futurity winner T. V. Commercial (by T. V. Lark), 1963 Schuylerville Stakes winner Gallita (by Gallant Man), and juvenile stakes winner Royal Clipper (by Royal Charger). Your Hostess is the second dam of 1969 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Majestic Prince, 1971 English champion 2-year-old male Crowned Prince, English Group 2 winner Gallina and Grade 3 winner Native Guest and is also the third dam of 1974 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby, FR-G1) winner and French champion 3-year-old male Caracolero, 1973 French champion 2-year-old filly Hippodamia and Grade/Group 3 winners With a Twist and Bad Conduct. Returning to Your Host, he is also a full brother to Bowl of Roses, second dam of multiple Japanese Group 3 winner Nichido Arashi.
1941 Irish One Thousand Guineas runner-up Boudoir II, the dam of Your Host, also produced Flower Bed (by Beau Pere), dam of 1956 Delaware Handicap winner Flower Bowl (by Alibhai), 1957 Bellerose Handicap winner Floral Park (by Alibhai) and 1965 Benjamin F. Lindheimer Handicap winner Brambles (by Beau Max). Flower Bed is also the second dam of three-time American champion Gallant Bloom, two-time American champion Bowl of Flowers, Grade 2 winner Free Hand and the stakes winners and important sires Graustark and His Majesty and is the third dam of 1989 Demoiselle Stakes (USA-G1) winner Rootentootenwooten, Grade 2 winner Spruce Bouquet, Group 3 winners Lady's Slipper and Misty Valley, and the useful sires Whiskey Road and Big Burn. In addition, Boudoir II is the dam of Caluria (by Heliopolis), second dam of Argentine Group 3 winner Yamolai.
A half sister to Dark Justice (by Fair Trial), dam of 1962 American Derby winner Black Sheep (by Nigromante) and multiple stakes producer Zuleika (by Alibhai), Boudoir II is out of Kampala, a daughter of 1916 Two Thousand Guineas winner Clarissimus and a full sister to La Cantine, dam of the stakes-winning steeplechaser Rouge Vert (by Porte Veine) and second dam of 1959 Prix du President de la Republique winner Voveen (by Sirlan). Kampala and La Cantine were produced from the unraced Prince Palatine mare La Soupe II, whose dam Hermosita, a half sister to 1911 Ascot Gold Cup winner Willonyx (by William the Third), was sired by 1904 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) and Grand Prix de Paris winner Ajax.The next dam in Boudoir II's tail-female line, Tribonyx, failed to win but is a daughter of five-time English/Irish champion broodmare sire Gallinule.
Fun facts
Photo credit
Photographer unknown. From the private collection of Dale Wyatt; used by permission.
Last updated: May 16, 2022
Race record
23 starts, 15 wins, 5 seconds, 2 thirds, US$384,795
1949:
- Won California Breeders Champion Stakes (USA, 8.5FD, Santa Anita)
- Won Del Mar Futurity (USA, 6FD, Del Mar)
- 2nd Homebred Stakes (USA, 6FD, Bay Meadows)
- 2nd Salinas Handicap (USA, 8FD, Bay Meadows)
1950:
- Won Santa Anita Derby (USA, 9FD, Santa Anita)
- Won San Felipe Stakes (USA, 7FD, Santa Anita)
- Won Thanksgiving Day Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Hollywood)
- Won Golden State Breeders' Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Hollywood)
- Won Kent Stakes (USA, 8.5FD, Delaware)
- Won Dick Welles Stakes (USA, 7FD, Arlington Park)
- Won Sheridan Handicap (USA, 8FD, Washington Park)
- 2nd Premiere Handicap (USA, 7FD, Hollywood)
- 3rd American Derby (USA, 10FD, Washington Park)
- 3rd Arlington Classic (USA, 10FD, Arlington Park)
- Also set a new track record of 1:22-2/5 for 7 furlongs at Keeneland in an allowance race.
1951:
- Won Santa Catalina Handicap (USA, 9FD, Santa Anita; new track record 1:48-1/5)
- 2nd San Carlos Handicap (USA, 7FD, Santa Anita)
Assessments
Ranked third among American 3-year-olds of 1950 by The Blood-Horse.
Ranked seventh among American older males of 1951 by The Blood-Horse.
As an individual
A rather lightly made, smallish chestnut horse with low withers and awkward action, Your Host was born with one eye and ear set noticeably higher in his head than their counterparts; this led to an odd head carriage which was accentuated by a neck injury suffered when he was a youngster. He was speedy and courageous in competition but was also high-strung and headstrong. After his near-fatal injury, he walked with a limp as his right foreleg was shorter than his left.
As a stallion
According to records maintained by The Jockey Club, Your Host sired 95 winners (68.3%) and 16 stakes winners (11.5%) from 139 named foals.
Sire rankings
Per the American Racing Manual (Daily Racing Form) series:
- 2nd on the American general sire list in 1963; 7th in 1961; 8th in 1962.
Per The Blood-Horse:
- 2nd on the American general sire list in 1963; 7th in 1961; 8th in 1962.
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
- 2nd on the American general sire list in 1963; 7th in 1961; 8th in 1962.
Notable progeny
Kelso (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Shelter Bay (USA), Terry's Secret (USA)
Connections
Foaled in California, Your Host was bred by Louis B. Mayer. He was owned by Mayer's son-in-law, William Goetz, who paid US$20,000 for him at Mayer's 1949 partial dispersal. The colt was trained by Harry Daniels. Your Host ended his racing career with a fractured ulna after clipping the heels of another horse in the 1951 San Pasqual Handicap but miraculously survived to stand at stud in California as the property of Lloyd's of London, which paid off the horse's US$250,000 insurance policy but did not destroy him. The insurance firm later sold the horse to a syndicate headed by F. Wallis Armstrong for US$150,000, and the stallion was moved to Meadow View Farms in New Jersey. Your Host was humanely destroyed in 1961 due to complications from a dislocated stifle.
Pedigree notes
Your Host is inbred 3x4 to 1918 English Triple Crown winner Gainsborough and 5x5 to two-time English/Irish champion sire St. Frusquin, the English champion 2-year-old male of 1895. He is a full brother to stakes-placed Your Hostess, dam of 1974 Ladies Handicap (USA-G1) winner Coraggioso (by Gallant Man), 1967 Arlington-Washington Futurity winner T. V. Commercial (by T. V. Lark), 1963 Schuylerville Stakes winner Gallita (by Gallant Man), and juvenile stakes winner Royal Clipper (by Royal Charger). Your Hostess is the second dam of 1969 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Majestic Prince, 1971 English champion 2-year-old male Crowned Prince, English Group 2 winner Gallina and Grade 3 winner Native Guest and is also the third dam of 1974 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby, FR-G1) winner and French champion 3-year-old male Caracolero, 1973 French champion 2-year-old filly Hippodamia and Grade/Group 3 winners With a Twist and Bad Conduct. Returning to Your Host, he is also a full brother to Bowl of Roses, second dam of multiple Japanese Group 3 winner Nichido Arashi.
1941 Irish One Thousand Guineas runner-up Boudoir II, the dam of Your Host, also produced Flower Bed (by Beau Pere), dam of 1956 Delaware Handicap winner Flower Bowl (by Alibhai), 1957 Bellerose Handicap winner Floral Park (by Alibhai) and 1965 Benjamin F. Lindheimer Handicap winner Brambles (by Beau Max). Flower Bed is also the second dam of three-time American champion Gallant Bloom, two-time American champion Bowl of Flowers, Grade 2 winner Free Hand and the stakes winners and important sires Graustark and His Majesty and is the third dam of 1989 Demoiselle Stakes (USA-G1) winner Rootentootenwooten, Grade 2 winner Spruce Bouquet, Group 3 winners Lady's Slipper and Misty Valley, and the useful sires Whiskey Road and Big Burn. In addition, Boudoir II is the dam of Caluria (by Heliopolis), second dam of Argentine Group 3 winner Yamolai.
A half sister to Dark Justice (by Fair Trial), dam of 1962 American Derby winner Black Sheep (by Nigromante) and multiple stakes producer Zuleika (by Alibhai), Boudoir II is out of Kampala, a daughter of 1916 Two Thousand Guineas winner Clarissimus and a full sister to La Cantine, dam of the stakes-winning steeplechaser Rouge Vert (by Porte Veine) and second dam of 1959 Prix du President de la Republique winner Voveen (by Sirlan). Kampala and La Cantine were produced from the unraced Prince Palatine mare La Soupe II, whose dam Hermosita, a half sister to 1911 Ascot Gold Cup winner Willonyx (by William the Third), was sired by 1904 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) and Grand Prix de Paris winner Ajax.The next dam in Boudoir II's tail-female line, Tribonyx, failed to win but is a daughter of five-time English/Irish champion broodmare sire Gallinule.
Fun facts
- Because of his crooked head carriage and odd gait, Your Host was affectionately known to his fans as “Old Sidewinder” and “The Twister.” He was also known to the press as “The Magnificent Cripple” and “The Freak.”
- Your Host had acquired such a reputation in the spring of his 3-year-old season that Louis B. Mayer hired a publicity man, Eddie Read, for him. The colt shipped east for the Kentucky Derby in a railroad car decked with banners that read “Kentucky Bound, Derby Winner, 1950” but unfortunately ran the worst race of his career at Churchill Downs and ended up ninth.
- After Your Host clipped heels and fell in the 1951 San Pasqual Handicap, he was diagnosed with four fractures of the ulna and a fractured shoulder blade. He was saved by Dr. John Walker, who hit on the solution of packing sand around the horse to support his weight and immobilize the fractures.
Photo credit
Photographer unknown. From the private collection of Dale Wyatt; used by permission.
Last updated: May 16, 2022