Iron Liege (USA)
March 11, 1954 – December 14, 1972
Bull Lea (USA) x Iron Maiden (USA), by War Admiral (USA)
American Family 4
March 11, 1954 – December 14, 1972
Bull Lea (USA) x Iron Maiden (USA), by War Admiral (USA)
American Family 4
While he lacked the raw talent of the very best of his generation and was regarded as a second-stringer by his own stable, Iron Liege was still a talented and durable performer whose shining moment came in the 1957 Kentucky Derby. He continued to race well during the rest of his 3-year-old season and at 4, but, like the other top sons of Bull Lea, proved a disappointment as a stallion.
Race record
33 starts, 11 wins, 9 seconds, 5 thirds, US$404,169
1957:
1958:
Assessments
Rated at 124 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1957, 6 pounds below Horse of the Year and divisional champion Bold Ruler.
Rated at 119 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1958, 13 pounds below co-highweights Bold Ruler and Gallant Man and 12 pounds below Horse of the Year Round Table.
As an individual
A handsome, well-balanced bay horse of staying type standing 16 hands, Iron Liege was hard to fault other than for the sickle hocks commonly seen among Bull Lea's progeny. His forelegs were excellent and his cannons were short. He was not a good “doer” and had to be tempted with snacks to keep his weight and energy up, but he was a resolute runner on the track and a horse of easy-going disposition around the barn. He was a free-running horse who tended to resent rating, and he was unusual in that he preferred running inside rather than outside other horses.
As a stallion
According to Jockey Club records, Iron Liege sired 16 winners and four stakes winners from 130 named foals; however, these statistics are almost certainly incomplete. His best runner was probably Strong Eight, who won the 1973 Arima Kinen (now a Group 1 race in Japan).
Notable progeny
Strong Eight (JPN)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Iron Liege was bred and owned by Calumet Farm. He was trained by Horace "Jimmy" Jones and was ridden to his upset Kentucky Derby triumph by Bill Hartack. At the conclusion of his racing career, Iron Liege was purchased by Marcel Boussac and exported to France, standing there in 1959-1967. Following the 1967 breeding season, he was purchased by the Japan Light Breed Horse Association and moved to Shizunai Stud on the island of Hokkaido, where he died of an apparent heart attack at Shizunai Stud in December 1972.
Pedigree notes
Iron Liege is inbred 3x4 to 1923 French champion sire Teddy and the great matron Plucky Liege through the full brothers Bull Dog and Sir Gallahad III, both champion sires and broodmare sires in the United States. He is a full brother to multiple stakes winner Trentonian and to Miss Grundy, dam of 1965 Michigan Derby winner Reverse (by Turn-to). He is also a half brother to stakes winner Aczay (by On-and-On) and to 1955 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Iron Reward (by Beau Pere), dam of the great Swaps and two other stakes winners plus 1962 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Track Medal (all by Khaled). In addition, Iron Liege is a half brother to Klondike Kate (by the Bull Lea horse Mark-Ye-Well), dam of juvenile stakes winner Fair Ye Well (by Ridan) and second dam of Grade 3 winner Kodiack, and to Spartan Woman (by Bull Lea's champion son Tim Tam), second dam of 1981 Puerto Rican champion juvenile male Egregio, Canadian Classic winner Pinafore Park (winner of the 1998 Breeders' Stakes) and multiple Grade 3 winner Iron Courage (by Caro).
A stakes winner at 6, Iron Maiden is a half sister to juvenile stakes winner Betty Sweep (by Sweep All) and Judy-Rae (by Beau Pere). The latter mare is the dam of 1955 Arlington Lassie Stakes winner Judy Rullah (by Nasrullah) and the second dam of Grade 2 winner Tom Tulle, 1968 Remsen Stakes winner Paulali and Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Courtly Dee.
Iron Maiden and Judy Rae are out of 1931 Latonia Oaks winner Betty Derr (by Sir Gallahad III), one of five stakes winners produced from the stakes-winning Uncle's Lassie (by Uncle). The best of Betty Derr's half siblings, the Man o' War gelding Clyde Van Dusen, won the 1929 Kentucky Derby.
Books and movies
Fun facts
Last updated: May 7, 2022
Race record
33 starts, 11 wins, 9 seconds, 5 thirds, US$404,169
1957:
- Won Kentucky Derby (USA, 10FD, Churchill Downs)
- Won Jersey Stakes (USA, 9FD, Garden State)
- Won Sheridan Handicap (USA, 8FD, Arlington Park)
- Won Laurance Armour Memorial Stakes (USA, 7FD, Arlington Park)
- 2nd Fountain of Youth Stakes (USA, 8.5FD, Gulfstream Park)
- 2nd American Derby (USA, 9.5FD, Washington Park)
- 2nd Arlington Classic (USA, 8FD, Arlington Park)
- 2nd Clang Handicap (USA, 6FD, Washington Park)
- 2nd Preakness Stakes (USA, 9.5FD, Pimlico)
- 3rd Flamingo Stakes (USA, 9FD, Hialeah)
- 3rd Florida Derby (USA, 9FD, Gulfstream Park)
- 3rd Everglades Stakes (USA, 9FD, Hialeah)
- Set new track record of 1:42-4/5 for 8.5 furlongs at Hialeah
- Equaled the 7-furlong track record of 1:22-2/5 at Keeneland
1958:
- Won McLennan Handicap (USA, 9FD, Hialeah)
- 2nd Royal Palm Handicap (USA, 9FD, Hialeah)
- 2nd Royal Poinciana Handicap (USA, 6FD, Hialeah)
- 2nd Widener Handicap (USA, 10FD, Hialeah)
- 3rd Camden Handicap (USA, 9FD, Garden State)
Assessments
Rated at 124 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1957, 6 pounds below Horse of the Year and divisional champion Bold Ruler.
Rated at 119 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1958, 13 pounds below co-highweights Bold Ruler and Gallant Man and 12 pounds below Horse of the Year Round Table.
As an individual
A handsome, well-balanced bay horse of staying type standing 16 hands, Iron Liege was hard to fault other than for the sickle hocks commonly seen among Bull Lea's progeny. His forelegs were excellent and his cannons were short. He was not a good “doer” and had to be tempted with snacks to keep his weight and energy up, but he was a resolute runner on the track and a horse of easy-going disposition around the barn. He was a free-running horse who tended to resent rating, and he was unusual in that he preferred running inside rather than outside other horses.
As a stallion
According to Jockey Club records, Iron Liege sired 16 winners and four stakes winners from 130 named foals; however, these statistics are almost certainly incomplete. His best runner was probably Strong Eight, who won the 1973 Arima Kinen (now a Group 1 race in Japan).
Notable progeny
Strong Eight (JPN)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Iron Liege was bred and owned by Calumet Farm. He was trained by Horace "Jimmy" Jones and was ridden to his upset Kentucky Derby triumph by Bill Hartack. At the conclusion of his racing career, Iron Liege was purchased by Marcel Boussac and exported to France, standing there in 1959-1967. Following the 1967 breeding season, he was purchased by the Japan Light Breed Horse Association and moved to Shizunai Stud on the island of Hokkaido, where he died of an apparent heart attack at Shizunai Stud in December 1972.
Pedigree notes
Iron Liege is inbred 3x4 to 1923 French champion sire Teddy and the great matron Plucky Liege through the full brothers Bull Dog and Sir Gallahad III, both champion sires and broodmare sires in the United States. He is a full brother to multiple stakes winner Trentonian and to Miss Grundy, dam of 1965 Michigan Derby winner Reverse (by Turn-to). He is also a half brother to stakes winner Aczay (by On-and-On) and to 1955 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Iron Reward (by Beau Pere), dam of the great Swaps and two other stakes winners plus 1962 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Track Medal (all by Khaled). In addition, Iron Liege is a half brother to Klondike Kate (by the Bull Lea horse Mark-Ye-Well), dam of juvenile stakes winner Fair Ye Well (by Ridan) and second dam of Grade 3 winner Kodiack, and to Spartan Woman (by Bull Lea's champion son Tim Tam), second dam of 1981 Puerto Rican champion juvenile male Egregio, Canadian Classic winner Pinafore Park (winner of the 1998 Breeders' Stakes) and multiple Grade 3 winner Iron Courage (by Caro).
A stakes winner at 6, Iron Maiden is a half sister to juvenile stakes winner Betty Sweep (by Sweep All) and Judy-Rae (by Beau Pere). The latter mare is the dam of 1955 Arlington Lassie Stakes winner Judy Rullah (by Nasrullah) and the second dam of Grade 2 winner Tom Tulle, 1968 Remsen Stakes winner Paulali and Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Courtly Dee.
Iron Maiden and Judy Rae are out of 1931 Latonia Oaks winner Betty Derr (by Sir Gallahad III), one of five stakes winners produced from the stakes-winning Uncle's Lassie (by Uncle). The best of Betty Derr's half siblings, the Man o' War gelding Clyde Van Dusen, won the 1929 Kentucky Derby.
Books and movies
- The story of Iron Liege's Kentucky Derby victory, “Stand Up Guy,” is the third chapter in The 10 Best Kentucky Derbies. Written by the staff and correspondents of The Blood-Horse, the book was published by Eclipse Press in 2005.
- Iron Liege is profiled in Chapter 8 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2012 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
- Iron Liege was photographed within minutes of his birth by the famous nature photographer Ylla on assignment for Sports Illustrated, and his development into a young racehorse was chronicled regularly thereafter. On February 25, 1957, Sports Illustrated ran a 10-page pictorial on the colt under the title, “The Baby Started at 9,066 to 1,” showing how Iron Liege had grown into a Derby colt. Sports Illustrated's following article on Iron Liege's Derby win was titled, “The Baby Comes Into His Own.”
- While most observers felt that Bill Shoemaker's infamous misjudgment of the finish line in the 1957 Kentucky Derby cost Gallant Man the race (after Shoemaker stood briefly in the stirrups passing the sixteenth pole, Gallant Man lost by a nose), Charles Hatton of the Daily Racing Form opined that Iron Liege might actually have won by a more comfortable margin had he not been blocked and forced to check while leaving the backstretch, losing perhaps a length and a half.
- Iron Liege was the first of five Kentucky Derby winners for Hall of Fame jockey Bill Hartack, who tied Eddie Arcaro's record for winning rides in the Derby when he won aboard Majestic Prince (1969). In between, Hartack also won with Venetian Way (1960), Decidedly (1962), and Northern Dancer (1964).
- Iron Liege was the sixth of a record eight homebred Kentucky Derby winners for Calumet Farm. The others were Whirlaway (1941), Pensive (1944), Citation (1948), Ponder (1949), Hill Gail (1952), Tim Tam (1958) and Forward Pass (1968). Calumet later bred 1991 Kentucky Derby winners Strike the Gold and 2022 winner Rich Strike, but these colts raced for other owners.
Last updated: May 7, 2022