Alsab (USA)
1939 – 1963
Good Goods (USA) x Winds Chant (USA), by Wildair (USA)
Family 27-a
1939 – 1963
Good Goods (USA) x Winds Chant (USA), by Wildair (USA)
Family 27-a
A US$700 sales yearling, Alsab was an equine rags-to-riches story, ending his racing career as a two-time champion. He was also an incredibly tough horse and needed to be, as he was often raced to meet his owner's demands when he probably should not have been. He started 22 times as a juvenile and 23 times at 3 before his rigorous schedule finally wore him down. Along the way, he defeated the year-older Whirlaway two of the three times they met. Finally retired to stud in 1945, he proved to be a useful sire. He continued the male line of Domino through his son Armageddon.
Race record
51 starts, 25 wins, 11 seconds, 5 thirds, US$350,015
1941:
1942:
1943:
Honors
Assessments
Alsab was ranked #65 among the top 100 American racehorses of the 20th century by a panel of experts assembled by The Blood-Horse (Thoroughbred Champions, Eclipse Press, 7th printing, 2005).
Highweighted at 130 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1941.
As an individual
A strongly-made, short-coupled bay, Alsab generally needed to race himself into condition during his campaigns and was more formidable in the summer and fall than in the spring. At full racing speed, he had a very smooth, efficient stride.
As a stallion
According to Jockey Club records Alsab sired 199 winners (75.9%) and 17 stakes winners (6.5%) from 262 named foals. John H. “Trader” Clark, a longtime member of the Kentucky racing and breeding fraternity, stated that the horse's stud career suffered from his being overbooked to too many inferior mares.
Notable progeny
Armageddon (USA), Myrtle Charm (USA), Scotch Verdict (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Myrtle's Jet (USA)
Connections
Alsab was bred by Thomas Piatt. He was owned by Mr. & Mrs. Albert Sabath, who purchased the colt for US$700 at the 1940 Saratoga yearling sale; the colt ran in Mrs. Sabath's colors. He was trained by August "Sarge" Swenke. Following his retirement, Alsab entered stud at his owner's small farm near Lexington, Kentucky. He was moved to Bonnie Heath Farm in Florida following the 1958 breeding season and died there in 1963.
Pedigree notes
Alsab is inbred 4x4 to Pastorella and 4x5 to Commando through the three-quarters siblings Colin (Commando—Pastorella) and Verdure, a daughter of Pastorella by Commando's son Peter Pan. He is also inbred 5x3 to Fair Play, 4x5 to Bend Or, 5x4 to St. Simon, and 5x5x5 to Springfield. Alsab's full sister Robins Charm produced Alhambra (by Olympia), one of the best juveniles of 1957.
Winds Chant, the dam of Alsab, is a daughter of 1920 Metropolitan Handicap winner Wildair and is a half sister to multiple stakes winner Peto (by Peter Pan) and to Hedemora (by Troutbeck), dam of the good stakes winners Arabs Arrow (by The Porter) and Aonbarr (by Boatswain), second dam of 1956 Betsy Ross Stakes winner Lycka, and third dam of 1967 Massachusetts Handicap winner Good Knight. Winds Chant and her siblings, in turn, were produced from the Fair Play mare Eulogy, whose full sister Even Money is the dam of 1929 Post and Paddock Stakes winner Thistle Ann (by Sir John Johnson).
Eulogy, in turn, is out of the imported English mare St. Eudora, a daughter of St. Simon whose half sister Ladora produced 1917 Deutches Derby winner Landgraf (by Louvois). The next dam in the tail-female line, Dorothea, is a full sister to 1889 Two Thousand Guineas winner Enthusiast and is by Sterling out of Cherry Duchess, by The Duke.
Books and media
Alsab is profiled in Chapter 7 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
Photo credit
Photographer unknown. From the collection of Quarter Horse Record (Susan Larkin); used by permission.
Last updated : December 2, 2022.
Race record
51 starts, 25 wins, 11 seconds, 5 thirds, US$350,015
1941:
- Won Washington Park Futurity (USA, 6FD, Washington Park)
- Won Washington Park Juvenile Stakes (USA, 5.5FD, Washington Park; new track record 1:05)
- Won Mayflower Stakes (USA, 5FD, Suffolk Downs; new track record 1:05-1/5)
- Won Joliet Stakes (USA, 6FD, Lincoln Fields)
- Won Eastern Shore Handicap (USA, 6FD, Havre de Grace)
- Won Champagne Stakes (USA, 8FD, Belmont)
- Won Walden Stakes (USA, 8.5FD, Pimlico)
- Won Spalding Lowe Jenkins Stakes (USA, 8.5FD, Laurel)
- Won Prairie State Stakes (USA, 6FD, Washington Park)
- Won Hyde Park Stakes (USA, 6FD, Arlington Park)
- Won Primer Stakes (USA, 5.5FD, Arlington Park)
- Won match race with Requested (USA, 6.5FD, Belmont; new track record 1:16)
- 2nd Myles Standish Stakes (USA, 5FD, Suffolk Downs)
1942:
- Won American Derby (USA, 10FD, Washington Park)
- Won Preakness Stakes (USA, 9.5FD, Pimlico)
- Won New York Handicap (USA, 18FD, Belmont)
- Won Withers Stakes (USA, 8FD, Belmont)
- Won Victory Handicap (USA, 10FD, Belmont)
- Won Lawrence Realization (USA, 13FD, Belmont)
- Won Dick Welles Handicap (USA, 8FD, Washington Park)
- Won match race with Whirlaway (USA, 9.5FD, Narragansett Park)
- 2nd Kentucky Derby (USA, 10FD, Churchill Downs)
- 2nd Belmont Stakes (USA, 12FD, Belmont)
- 2nd Jockey Club Gold Cup (USA, 16FD, Belmont)
- 2nd Washington Park Handicap (USA, 10FD, Washington Park)
- 2nd Gallant Fox Handicap (USA, 13FD, Jamaica)
- 2nd Chesapeake Stakes (USA, 8.5FD, Havre de Grace)
- 2nd Chesapeake Trial Stakes (USA, 6FD, Havre de Grace)
- 3rd Flamingo Stakes (USA, 9FD, Hialeah)
- 3rd Westchester Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Empire City)
- 3rd Derby Trial Stakes (USA, 8FD, Churchill Downs)
1943:
- 2nd Bryan and O'Hara Memorial Handicap (USA, 9.5FD, Pimlico)
- 3rd Pawtucket Handicap (USA, 6FD, Narragansett Park)
Honors
- National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (inducted in 1976)
- American champion 2-year-old male (1941)
- American champion 3-year-old male (1942)
Assessments
Alsab was ranked #65 among the top 100 American racehorses of the 20th century by a panel of experts assembled by The Blood-Horse (Thoroughbred Champions, Eclipse Press, 7th printing, 2005).
Highweighted at 130 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1941.
As an individual
A strongly-made, short-coupled bay, Alsab generally needed to race himself into condition during his campaigns and was more formidable in the summer and fall than in the spring. At full racing speed, he had a very smooth, efficient stride.
As a stallion
According to Jockey Club records Alsab sired 199 winners (75.9%) and 17 stakes winners (6.5%) from 262 named foals. John H. “Trader” Clark, a longtime member of the Kentucky racing and breeding fraternity, stated that the horse's stud career suffered from his being overbooked to too many inferior mares.
Notable progeny
Armageddon (USA), Myrtle Charm (USA), Scotch Verdict (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Myrtle's Jet (USA)
Connections
Alsab was bred by Thomas Piatt. He was owned by Mr. & Mrs. Albert Sabath, who purchased the colt for US$700 at the 1940 Saratoga yearling sale; the colt ran in Mrs. Sabath's colors. He was trained by August "Sarge" Swenke. Following his retirement, Alsab entered stud at his owner's small farm near Lexington, Kentucky. He was moved to Bonnie Heath Farm in Florida following the 1958 breeding season and died there in 1963.
Pedigree notes
Alsab is inbred 4x4 to Pastorella and 4x5 to Commando through the three-quarters siblings Colin (Commando—Pastorella) and Verdure, a daughter of Pastorella by Commando's son Peter Pan. He is also inbred 5x3 to Fair Play, 4x5 to Bend Or, 5x4 to St. Simon, and 5x5x5 to Springfield. Alsab's full sister Robins Charm produced Alhambra (by Olympia), one of the best juveniles of 1957.
Winds Chant, the dam of Alsab, is a daughter of 1920 Metropolitan Handicap winner Wildair and is a half sister to multiple stakes winner Peto (by Peter Pan) and to Hedemora (by Troutbeck), dam of the good stakes winners Arabs Arrow (by The Porter) and Aonbarr (by Boatswain), second dam of 1956 Betsy Ross Stakes winner Lycka, and third dam of 1967 Massachusetts Handicap winner Good Knight. Winds Chant and her siblings, in turn, were produced from the Fair Play mare Eulogy, whose full sister Even Money is the dam of 1929 Post and Paddock Stakes winner Thistle Ann (by Sir John Johnson).
Eulogy, in turn, is out of the imported English mare St. Eudora, a daughter of St. Simon whose half sister Ladora produced 1917 Deutches Derby winner Landgraf (by Louvois). The next dam in the tail-female line, Dorothea, is a full sister to 1889 Two Thousand Guineas winner Enthusiast and is by Sterling out of Cherry Duchess, by The Duke.
Books and media
Alsab is profiled in Chapter 7 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
- Alsab's name was a contraction of owner Albert Sabath's.
- Alsab's time of 1:35-2/5 for the Champagne Stakes was a new world record for a mile by a juvenile. His time of 1:16 for 6½ furlongs in his match race with Requested was also a world record for a juvenile. In addition, Alsab set a new record for wins by a juvenile with 15 during his 1941 campaign.
- Because of a heart condition, Al Sabath's doctors forbade him to watch Alsab's races. Whenever the horse went to the post, Sabath had to remain behind the grandstand or clubhouse.
Photo credit
Photographer unknown. From the collection of Quarter Horse Record (Susan Larkin); used by permission.
Last updated : December 2, 2022.