From the private collection of Dale Wyatt. Used by permission.
Many observers felt that Crusader bore a close resemblance to his mighty sire, and historians rate him one of Man o' War's two best sons, the other being 1937 Triple Crown winner War Admiral. While War Admiral had the better overall race record, this is somewhat deceptive as Crusader was kicked at the post of the 1927 Brooklyn Handicap, suffering a wrenched shoulder that kept him away from the races for three months. He was never again the same as a racehorse, and his stud career was a sad anticlimax.
Race record
42 starts, 18 wins, 8 seconds, 4 thirds, US$203,261
1925:
1926:
1927:
1928:
Honors
Assessments
Ranked third among American handicap males of 1927 by The Blood-Horse.
As an individual
A golden chestnut horse, Crusader stood 16 hands. He had the clean legs and powerful build of his sire and was considered exceptionally handsome. He was effective under all track conditions but particularly relished off going.
As a stallion
In spite of his race record, pedigree and good looks, Crusader received relatively poor opportunities at stud and failed to make much of them. The Jockey Club credits Crusader with 63 winners (52.5%) and 6 stakes winners (5.0%) from 120 named foals. None of his runners were anywhere close to his own merit, and he did not excel as a broodmare sire.
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Crusader was bred and owned by Samuel D. Riddle (KY), who raced the horse in the name of his Glen Riddle Stable. Crusader was trained by Gwyn R. Tompkins at 2 and by George Conway at 3 to 5. He entered stud at Colonel Phil T. Chinn's Himyar Stud in 1929 but transferred to Riddle's Faraway Farm in 1930 after Chinn declared bankruptcy. He died on May 4, 1940, while standing at Walter Hoffman's Rancho Casitas near Ventura, California.
Pedigree notes
Crusader is inbred 4x4 to Cinderella. He is a full brother to the stakes-winning steeplechaser Gun Boat and to stakes-placed Sister Ship, dam of stakes winner Signalman (by High Cloud) and second dam of 1943 Travers Stakes winner Eurasian (by Quatre Bras II).
Crusader's dam Star Fancy is a half sister to 1918 Clark Handicap winner Beaverkill (by Ogden) and to Camilla S. (by Ormondale), dam of stakes winner Sweepilla (by Sweep). She is out of Dolly Higgins, a daughter of Hastings' otherwise undistinguished half brother Migraine. Dolly Higgins, in turn, is out of stakes winner Frances McClelland (by Bermuda), whose half sister Audience (by Sir Dixon) won the 1904 Kentucky Oaks and is the dam of 1913 American Horse of the Year Whisk Broom II. The next dam in the tail-female line, Sallie McClelland (by Hindoo), won the 1890 Spinaway Stakes and 1891 Alabama Stakes and is generally considered the co-champion American 2-year-old filly of 1890. The line traces back to the great 19th-century matron Maggie B. B. (by Australian).
Books and media
Crusader is profiled in Chapter 5 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
Race record
42 starts, 18 wins, 8 seconds, 4 thirds, US$203,261
1925:
- Won Manor Handicap (USA, 8FD, Laurel)
1926:
- Won Belmont Stakes (USA, 12FD, Belmont)
- Won Suburban Handicap (USA, 10FD, Belmont)
- Won Dwyer Stakes (USA, 12FD, Aqueduct; new track record 2:29-3/5)
- Won Havre de Grace Handicap (USA, 9FD, Havre de Grace, equaled track record 1:50)
- Won Jockey Club Gold Cup (USA, 16FD, Belmont)
- Won Maryland Handicap (USA, 10FD, Laurel)
- Won Riggs Handicap (USA, 12FD, Pimlico)
- Won Cincinnati Derby (USA, 10FD, Coney Island; new track record 2:02)
- Won Huron Handicap (USA, 9.5FD, Saratoga)
- 2nd Lawrence Realization (USA, 13FD, Belmont)
- 2nd Withers Stakes (USA, 8FD, Belmont)
- 2nd Pimlico Cup Handicap (USA, 18FD, Pimlico)
1927:
- Won Suburban Handicap (USA, 10FD, Belmont)
- Won Delaware Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Havre de Grace)
1928:
- 3rd Havre de Grace Cup Handicap (USA, 9FD, Havre de Grace)
- 3rd Hawthorne Gold Cup (USA, 10FD, Hawthorne)
Honors
- National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (inducted in 1995)
- American Horse of the Year (1926)
- American champion 3-year-old male (1926)
Assessments
Ranked third among American handicap males of 1927 by The Blood-Horse.
As an individual
A golden chestnut horse, Crusader stood 16 hands. He had the clean legs and powerful build of his sire and was considered exceptionally handsome. He was effective under all track conditions but particularly relished off going.
As a stallion
In spite of his race record, pedigree and good looks, Crusader received relatively poor opportunities at stud and failed to make much of them. The Jockey Club credits Crusader with 63 winners (52.5%) and 6 stakes winners (5.0%) from 120 named foals. None of his runners were anywhere close to his own merit, and he did not excel as a broodmare sire.
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Crusader was bred and owned by Samuel D. Riddle (KY), who raced the horse in the name of his Glen Riddle Stable. Crusader was trained by Gwyn R. Tompkins at 2 and by George Conway at 3 to 5. He entered stud at Colonel Phil T. Chinn's Himyar Stud in 1929 but transferred to Riddle's Faraway Farm in 1930 after Chinn declared bankruptcy. He died on May 4, 1940, while standing at Walter Hoffman's Rancho Casitas near Ventura, California.
Pedigree notes
Crusader is inbred 4x4 to Cinderella. He is a full brother to the stakes-winning steeplechaser Gun Boat and to stakes-placed Sister Ship, dam of stakes winner Signalman (by High Cloud) and second dam of 1943 Travers Stakes winner Eurasian (by Quatre Bras II).
Crusader's dam Star Fancy is a half sister to 1918 Clark Handicap winner Beaverkill (by Ogden) and to Camilla S. (by Ormondale), dam of stakes winner Sweepilla (by Sweep). She is out of Dolly Higgins, a daughter of Hastings' otherwise undistinguished half brother Migraine. Dolly Higgins, in turn, is out of stakes winner Frances McClelland (by Bermuda), whose half sister Audience (by Sir Dixon) won the 1904 Kentucky Oaks and is the dam of 1913 American Horse of the Year Whisk Broom II. The next dam in the tail-female line, Sallie McClelland (by Hindoo), won the 1890 Spinaway Stakes and 1891 Alabama Stakes and is generally considered the co-champion American 2-year-old filly of 1890. The line traces back to the great 19th-century matron Maggie B. B. (by Australian).
Books and media
Crusader is profiled in Chapter 5 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
- Crusader was the first horse to win the Suburban Handicap two consecutive times, a feat not duplicated until Devil His Due won the race in 1993 and 1994.
- According to Sarasota Herald-Tribune columnist Norman Brown in his column of November 24, 1926, Crusader was slated to be retired after the 1926 season and sent to Europe for stud duty. He did not cite a source for this information.
- Crusader's burial place at Rancho Casitas is under the waters of Lake Casitas, a man-made lake created in 1959 by the damming of Coyote Creek.