Hail to Reason (USA)
April 18, 1958 – February 24, 1976
Turn-to (IRE) x Nothirdchance (USA), by Blue Swords (USA)
Family 4-n
April 18, 1958 – February 24, 1976
Turn-to (IRE) x Nothirdchance (USA), by Blue Swords (USA)
Family 4-n
A big, rugged colt, Hail to Reason started racing in January of his 2-year-old year. A training accident in September of that same year ended his racing career and nearly his life, but not before he had convinced everyone that he was the best juvenile in the country. He was saved for stud and became a great success, continuing the male line of Turn-to through his sons Roberto and Halo.
Race record
18 starts, 9 wins, 2 seconds, 2 thirds, US$328,434
1960:
Honors
American champion 2-year-old male (1960)
Assessments
Highweighted at 126 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American 2-year-old males of 1960, 4 pounds above Carry Back and Pappa's All.
As an individual
Hail to Reason was a very well-conformed brown colt of good size (he was measured at 16.2 hands as a 2-year-old) with good length from hip to hock, combined with short cannons and excellent joints. He had a slight tendency towards curbiness of the left hock. He was intelligent but had a tough and willful disposition and was nervous around people as a youngster.
As a stallion
According to records kept by The Jockey Club, Hail to Reason sired 218 winners (68.3%) and 43 stakes winners (13.5%) from 319 named foals. He was known as a source of soundness, bone and stamina. Hail to Reason is a Classic chef-de-race in the Roman-Miller dosage system.
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):
Per Thoroughbred Heritage (www.tbheritage.com):
Notable progeny
Admiring (USA), Bold Reason (USA), Cum Laude Laurie (USA), Good Counsel (USA), Hail to All (USA), Hail the Pirates (USA), Hail to Patsy (USA), Halo (USA), Hippodamia (USA), Limit to Reason (USA), Mr. Leader (USA), Mrs. Warren (USA), Personality (USA), Priceless Gem (USA), Prince Thou Art (USA), Proud Clarion (USA), Regal Gleam (USA), Roberto (USA), Straight Deal (USA), Stop the Music (USA), Trillion (USA), Winds of Thought (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Allez France (USA), Asaltante (USA), Colonial Waters (USA), Desiree (USA), Escaline (FR), Executioner's Reason (USA), Glowing Tribute (USA), Knifebox (USA), Noble Bijou (USA), Roan Star (USA), Royal Glint (USA), Sabona (USA), Southern Sultan (USA), Tree of Knowledge (IRE), Triptych (USA)
Connections
Hail to Reason was bred in Kentucky by Bieber-Jacobs Stable and was foaled at Dr. Charles Hagyard's Hagyard Farm, which boarded many of the Bieber-Jacobs mares. He was raced in the colors of Patrice Jacobs, daughter of his trainer and co-breeder Hirsch Jacobs. The colt was retired due to a fractured sesamoid suffered during a workout in September of his juvenile season. Some eyewitnesses stated that the injury took place when the colt stepped on a loose horseshoe. Immediate care by Hirsch Jacobs followed by devoted nursing from Jacobs and his family saved Hail to Reason's life, and he entered stud at Hagyard Farm in 1961. He was humanely destroyed in 1976 due to the effects of a debilitating illness.
Pedigree notes
Hail to Reason is inbred 4x4 to the great matron Plucky Liege and 5x5 to 1910 St. Leger Stakes winner and 1923 English champion sire Swynford. He is a half brother to stakes winner Be Suspicious (by Porterhouse), dam of stakes winners Half an Hour (by Nijinsky II; a steeplechaser) and Secret Scheme (by Arts and Letters) and second dam of 1985 Arlington-Washington Futurity (USA-G1) winner Meadowlake (a good sire) and Grade 2 winner Leo Castelli.
Hail to Reason's dam Nothirdchance won a division of the 1951 Acorn Stakes and is out of the Sir Gallahad III mare Galla Colors, a half sister to stakes winner Caillou Rouge (by Big Pebble). Galla Colors, in turn, was produced from Rouge et Noir, a St. Germans half sister to 1936 Suburban Handicap winner Firethorn (by Sun Briar) and 1938 Coaching Club American Oaks winner Creole Maid (by Pharamond II).
Books and media
Fun facts
Photo credit
Hail to Reason, Bobby Ussery up, at Saratoga after winning the 1960 Hopeful Stakes, August 27, 1960. Photo by Bert Morgan. From the Keeneland Library Morgan Collection; used by permission. Please contact the Keeneland Library with any questions regarding use or licensure of this photo.
Last updated: May 9, 2024
Race record
18 starts, 9 wins, 2 seconds, 2 thirds, US$328,434
1960:
- Won World's Playground Stakes (USA, 7FD, Atlantic City)
- Won Hopeful Stakes (USA, 6.5FD, Saratoga; new track record 1:16)
- Won Sapling Stakes (USA, 6FD, Monmouth)
- Won Tremont Stakes (USA, 5.5FD, Aqueduct)
- Won Sanford Stakes (USA, 6FD, Saratoga)
- Won Great American Stakes (USA, 5.5FD, Aqueduct)
- Won Youthful Stakes (USA, 5FD, Aqueduct)
- 3rd Juvenile Stakes (USA, 5FD, Aqueduct)
- Also set a new track record for 5 furlongs on dirt of :58-1/5 in his maiden victory at Aqueduct
Honors
American champion 2-year-old male (1960)
Assessments
Highweighted at 126 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American 2-year-old males of 1960, 4 pounds above Carry Back and Pappa's All.
As an individual
Hail to Reason was a very well-conformed brown colt of good size (he was measured at 16.2 hands as a 2-year-old) with good length from hip to hock, combined with short cannons and excellent joints. He had a slight tendency towards curbiness of the left hock. He was intelligent but had a tough and willful disposition and was nervous around people as a youngster.
As a stallion
According to records kept by The Jockey Club, Hail to Reason sired 218 winners (68.3%) and 43 stakes winners (13.5%) from 319 named foals. He was known as a source of soundness, bone and stamina. Hail to Reason is a Classic 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 1970; 2nd in 1967; 3rd in 1965; 4th in 1966; 5th in 1972; 7th in 1971.
- 5th on the American broodmare sire list in 1977; 10th in 1976.
- Led the American juvenile sire list in 1970.
Per The Blood-Horse:
- 3rd on the American general sire list in 1965.
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
- Led the American general sire list in 1970; 2nd in 1967; 3rd in 1965; 4th in 1966; 5th in 1972; 7th in 1971.
- 4th on the American broodmare sire list in 1972; 6th in 1977; 10th in 1976.
- 3rd on the combined English/Irish general sire list in 1972.
- 2nd on the combined English/Irish broodmare sire list in 1987; 7th in 1986.
- 9th on the French general sire list in 1978.
- 2nd on the French broodmare sire list in 1974; 5th in 1973.
Per Thoroughbred Heritage (www.tbheritage.com):
- Led the American general sire list in 1970.
Notable progeny
Admiring (USA), Bold Reason (USA), Cum Laude Laurie (USA), Good Counsel (USA), Hail to All (USA), Hail the Pirates (USA), Hail to Patsy (USA), Halo (USA), Hippodamia (USA), Limit to Reason (USA), Mr. Leader (USA), Mrs. Warren (USA), Personality (USA), Priceless Gem (USA), Prince Thou Art (USA), Proud Clarion (USA), Regal Gleam (USA), Roberto (USA), Straight Deal (USA), Stop the Music (USA), Trillion (USA), Winds of Thought (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Allez France (USA), Asaltante (USA), Colonial Waters (USA), Desiree (USA), Escaline (FR), Executioner's Reason (USA), Glowing Tribute (USA), Knifebox (USA), Noble Bijou (USA), Roan Star (USA), Royal Glint (USA), Sabona (USA), Southern Sultan (USA), Tree of Knowledge (IRE), Triptych (USA)
Connections
Hail to Reason was bred in Kentucky by Bieber-Jacobs Stable and was foaled at Dr. Charles Hagyard's Hagyard Farm, which boarded many of the Bieber-Jacobs mares. He was raced in the colors of Patrice Jacobs, daughter of his trainer and co-breeder Hirsch Jacobs. The colt was retired due to a fractured sesamoid suffered during a workout in September of his juvenile season. Some eyewitnesses stated that the injury took place when the colt stepped on a loose horseshoe. Immediate care by Hirsch Jacobs followed by devoted nursing from Jacobs and his family saved Hail to Reason's life, and he entered stud at Hagyard Farm in 1961. He was humanely destroyed in 1976 due to the effects of a debilitating illness.
Pedigree notes
Hail to Reason is inbred 4x4 to the great matron Plucky Liege and 5x5 to 1910 St. Leger Stakes winner and 1923 English champion sire Swynford. He is a half brother to stakes winner Be Suspicious (by Porterhouse), dam of stakes winners Half an Hour (by Nijinsky II; a steeplechaser) and Secret Scheme (by Arts and Letters) and second dam of 1985 Arlington-Washington Futurity (USA-G1) winner Meadowlake (a good sire) and Grade 2 winner Leo Castelli.
Hail to Reason's dam Nothirdchance won a division of the 1951 Acorn Stakes and is out of the Sir Gallahad III mare Galla Colors, a half sister to stakes winner Caillou Rouge (by Big Pebble). Galla Colors, in turn, was produced from Rouge et Noir, a St. Germans half sister to 1936 Suburban Handicap winner Firethorn (by Sun Briar) and 1938 Coaching Club American Oaks winner Creole Maid (by Pharamond II).
Books and media
- Hail to Reason is profiled in Part Three of Edward L. Bowen's Dynasties (2000, Eclipse Press).
- Hail to Reason is one of 205 stallions whose accomplishments at stud are profiled in Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, The Australian Bloodhorse Review), a massive reference work written by Jennifer Churchill, Andrew Reichard and Byron Rogers.
Fun facts
- Hail to Reason got his name due to co-breeder Isidore Bieber's habit of giving his horses names reflecting his interests in international politics. The colt's dam Nothirdchance was named based on Bieber's belief that Germany should not be permitted to re-arm after having instigated two world wars, and Hail to Reason was named based on Bieber's belief that reason had prevailed in the post-World War II era.
- Hail to Reason made his first start on January 21, 1960, nearly three months before his actual second birthday. He finished 12th of 14 runners.
- Although 40-mare books had become the norm by the time Hail to Reason went to stud, Hirsch Jacobs routinely restricted his book to 31 mares.
- Hail to Reason is the second horse to have sired winners of all three American Triple Crown races and the Derby Stakes in England and is the first American-bred to have done so. (The first was the English import Leamington, who sired the 1875 Kentucky Derby winner Aristides, the 1879 Preakness Stakes winner Harold, the 1881 Preakness and Belmont Stakes winner Saunterer and the Derby Stakes winner Iroquois. For good measure, Iroquois also won the classic St. Leger Stakes in England.)
Photo credit
Hail to Reason, Bobby Ussery up, at Saratoga after winning the 1960 Hopeful Stakes, August 27, 1960. Photo by Bert Morgan. From the Keeneland Library Morgan Collection; used by permission. Please contact the Keeneland Library with any questions regarding use or licensure of this photo.
Last updated: May 9, 2024