In Memoriam rose to prominence in the summer and fall of his 3-year-old season. At his best, he was a match for any colt in the country, defeating Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Zev in the Latonia Championship and losing a match race to the same rival by the narrowest of margins in November 1923. This was before the days of the photo finish camera, and many who thought that In Memoriam had actually won looked forward to a renewed rivalry between the two colts at 4. Their hopes were disappointed as In Memorial started only once in 1924 and twice in 1925 before his retirement. Like Zev, he proved a dismal failure as a stallion though he did sire 1935 Kentucky Oaks winner Paradisical.
Race record
32 starts, 9 wins, 5 seconds, 4 thirds, US$91,532
1922:
1923:
Honors
American co-champion 3-year-old male (1923)
Assessments
Ranked third among American 3-year-old males of 1923 by The Blood-Horse.
As an individual
A rangy, leggy, big-boned bay horse, In Memoriam had a rather gawky appearance reminiscent of the similarly sired Exterminator but carried more flesh. He had an excellent shoulder and strong hindquarters.
As a stallion
The Jockey Club credits In Memoriam with siring 62 winners (51.7%) and 3 stakes winners (2.5%) from 120 named foals.
Notable progeny
Paradisical (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, In Memoriam was bred by Colonel Phil T. Chinn. He was owned by Carl Weidemann. He was trained by Robert Gilmore, later moving to the barn of T. J. Brown as an older horse. He last stood at Woodsacres Farm in Skylight, Kentucky.
Pedigree notes
In Memoriam is inbred 4x5 to Vedette and Flying Duchess through the full sister and brother Vex and Galopin. The former was a hardy mare whose victories included one of the most important English sprints, the Stewards' Cup at Goodwood, while the latter won the Derby Stakes and was a three-time English champion sire.
In Memoriam is a half brother to Bewitching (by Jim Gaffney), dam of the minor stakes winner Sunny Sideup (by Cherokee). The dam of In Memoriam, Enchantress II, was imported to the United States by Phil T. Chinn and was owned by Chinn's Himyar Stud during her American broodmare career, which ended with her death in 1924. She was out of Dorothy Melton, whose sire Melton won the 1885 Derby Stakes and St. Leger Stakes before becoming an influential sire in England and Italy. Dorothy Melton, in turn, was out of Hortensia (by 1888 Two Thousand Guineas and Derby Stakes winner Ayrshire) and thus was a half sister to Hornisse (by 1902 Derby Stakes winner Ard Patrick), whose son Herold (by Dark Ronald) won the 1920 Deutsches Derby (German Derby) and Deutsches St. Leger (German St. Leger) and led the German general sire list twice.
Fun facts
Race record
32 starts, 9 wins, 5 seconds, 4 thirds, US$91,532
1922:
- 3rd Queen City Handicap (USA, 8FD, Latonia)
1923:
- Won Latonia Championship Stakes (USA, 14FD, Latonia)
- Won Illinois Derby (USA, 10FD, Hawthorne)
- Won Covington Handicap (USA)
- 2nd Match race with Zev (USA, 10FD, Churchill Downs)
- 2nd Kentucky Special Handicap (USA, 9.5FD, Latonia)
- 3rd Latonia Derby (USA, 12FD, Latonia)
Honors
American co-champion 3-year-old male (1923)
Assessments
Ranked third among American 3-year-old males of 1923 by The Blood-Horse.
As an individual
A rangy, leggy, big-boned bay horse, In Memoriam had a rather gawky appearance reminiscent of the similarly sired Exterminator but carried more flesh. He had an excellent shoulder and strong hindquarters.
As a stallion
The Jockey Club credits In Memoriam with siring 62 winners (51.7%) and 3 stakes winners (2.5%) from 120 named foals.
Notable progeny
Paradisical (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, In Memoriam was bred by Colonel Phil T. Chinn. He was owned by Carl Weidemann. He was trained by Robert Gilmore, later moving to the barn of T. J. Brown as an older horse. He last stood at Woodsacres Farm in Skylight, Kentucky.
Pedigree notes
In Memoriam is inbred 4x5 to Vedette and Flying Duchess through the full sister and brother Vex and Galopin. The former was a hardy mare whose victories included one of the most important English sprints, the Stewards' Cup at Goodwood, while the latter won the Derby Stakes and was a three-time English champion sire.
In Memoriam is a half brother to Bewitching (by Jim Gaffney), dam of the minor stakes winner Sunny Sideup (by Cherokee). The dam of In Memoriam, Enchantress II, was imported to the United States by Phil T. Chinn and was owned by Chinn's Himyar Stud during her American broodmare career, which ended with her death in 1924. She was out of Dorothy Melton, whose sire Melton won the 1885 Derby Stakes and St. Leger Stakes before becoming an influential sire in England and Italy. Dorothy Melton, in turn, was out of Hortensia (by 1888 Two Thousand Guineas and Derby Stakes winner Ayrshire) and thus was a half sister to Hornisse (by 1902 Derby Stakes winner Ard Patrick), whose son Herold (by Dark Ronald) won the 1920 Deutsches Derby (German Derby) and Deutsches St. Leger (German St. Leger) and led the German general sire list twice.
Fun facts
- “In memoriam” refers to an article written in honor of a dead person. It is also the title of a famous poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, which the poet wrote in honor of his late friend Arthur Henry Hallam. Considered one of the finest lyric poems of the 19th century, “In Memoriam” took 17 years years to complete.
- The In Memoriam Stakes was run at Turfway Park. A one-mile race on dirt for juveniles, the In Memoriam was inaugurated in 1986 but was soon renamed after Alysheba, who finished second in the inaugural running.