Lawrin (USA)
January 30, 1935 – August 31, 1955
Insco (USA) x Margaret Lawrence (USA), by Vulcain (FR)
Family 4-m
January 30, 1935 – August 31, 1955
Insco (USA) x Margaret Lawrence (USA), by Vulcain (FR)
Family 4-m
Lawrin was one of the better colts of a moderate American crop, good enough to become the first Kentucky Derby winner for the legendary jockey Eddie Arcaro and the equally legendary trainer Ben A. Jones. The first Kentucky Derby winner to have done his major prep work in Florida, he was plagued by hoof trouble and lost the 3-year-old championship to Stagehand, who had beaten eventual Horse of the Year Seabiscuit in the Santa Anita Handicap. Lawrin was not a successful sire but in fairness did not receive much in the way of opportunity.
Race record
26 starts, 9 wins, 8 seconds, 2 thirds, US$126,275
1938:
Assessments
Ranked second among American 3-year-old males of 1938 by The Blood-Horse.
As an individual
A robust bay colt of staying type, Lawrin was tall and was workmanlike and plain in appearance. He was troubled by hoof problems during his career and was permanently retired in 1939 after suffering a recurrence of a tendon injury. He was a gluttonous eater who required a lot of work to stay fit. He had a fractious disposition.
As a stallion
Lawrin sired 47 winners (52.2%) and two stakes winners (2.2%) from 90 named foals. His only runner of much significance was Historian, one of the better American handicap males of 1946.
Notable progeny
Historian (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Kansas, Lawrin was bred and owned by Herbert M. Woolf at his Woolford Farm. He was trained by Ben A. Jones, later the head trainer for Calumet Farm. He was ridden to his Kentucky Derby win by Eddie Arcaro. Lawrin stood at Woolford Farm near Kansas City, Kansas, where he died in 1955 and was buried alongside his sire, Insco. While the farm is gone, the grave marker is still visible in Prairie Village, Kansas.
Pedigree notes
Lawrin is inbred 5x5 to nine-time English champion sire St. Simon. He is a full brother to 1939 American co-champion 3-year-old filly Unerring, dam of 1947 Preakness Stakes winner Faultless (by Bull Lea) and second dam of two-time American champion filly Idun and 1959 Saratoga Special winner Irish Lancer. Unerring is also the third dam of 1970 Laurance Armour Handicap winner Indian Emerald. Returning to Lawrin, he is also a full brother to 1940 Kentucky Oaks winner Inscolassie and a half brother to stakes winners Lawley (by Sir Martin) and Modern Times (by Pataud). In addition, he is a half brother to Spring Glory (by Bow to Me), dam of the minor stakes winner Glory Glory (by War Glory).
Lawrin and his siblings were produced from Margaret Lawrence, a half sister to 1914 Futurity Stakes winner Trojan (by Sir Wilfred) and a half sister to Pyrope (by Sir Wilfred), dam of the minor stakes winner Undercover (by Under Fire). The next dam in Lawrin's tail-female line, Bohemia (by Wagner), won two stakes races and is a full sister to multiple stakes winner Colonel Wagner. Their dam Mattie T., in turn, is by Billet out of Jaconet and, thus, is a full sister to 1888 American co-champion 3-year-old male Sir Dixon and the good stakes winner Belvedere. Mattie T. is also a half sister to The Niece (by Alarm), dam of the good racer and sire Uncle (by Star Shoot), and to Lady Pepper (by Hindoo), dam of 1902 Alabama Stakes winner Par Excellence (by Kantaka).
Books and media
Lawrin is profiled in Chapter 8 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
Photo credit
Photographer unknown. From the private collection of Dale Wyatt; used by permission.
Last updated: August 19, 2023
Race record
26 starts, 9 wins, 8 seconds, 2 thirds, US$126,275
1938:
- Won Kentucky Derby (USA, 10FD, Churchill Downs)
- Won Flamingo Stakes (USA, 9FD, Hialeah)
- Won Hialeah Stakes (USA, 6FD, Hialeah)
- Won Hollywood Trial Stakes (USA, 8.5FD, Hollywood)
- Won American Invitational 3-Year-Old Championship (USA, 10FD, Hollywood)
- 2nd Derby Trial Stakes (USA, 8FD, Churchill Downs)
Assessments
Ranked second among American 3-year-old males of 1938 by The Blood-Horse.
As an individual
A robust bay colt of staying type, Lawrin was tall and was workmanlike and plain in appearance. He was troubled by hoof problems during his career and was permanently retired in 1939 after suffering a recurrence of a tendon injury. He was a gluttonous eater who required a lot of work to stay fit. He had a fractious disposition.
As a stallion
Lawrin sired 47 winners (52.2%) and two stakes winners (2.2%) from 90 named foals. His only runner of much significance was Historian, one of the better American handicap males of 1946.
Notable progeny
Historian (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Kansas, Lawrin was bred and owned by Herbert M. Woolf at his Woolford Farm. He was trained by Ben A. Jones, later the head trainer for Calumet Farm. He was ridden to his Kentucky Derby win by Eddie Arcaro. Lawrin stood at Woolford Farm near Kansas City, Kansas, where he died in 1955 and was buried alongside his sire, Insco. While the farm is gone, the grave marker is still visible in Prairie Village, Kansas.
Pedigree notes
Lawrin is inbred 5x5 to nine-time English champion sire St. Simon. He is a full brother to 1939 American co-champion 3-year-old filly Unerring, dam of 1947 Preakness Stakes winner Faultless (by Bull Lea) and second dam of two-time American champion filly Idun and 1959 Saratoga Special winner Irish Lancer. Unerring is also the third dam of 1970 Laurance Armour Handicap winner Indian Emerald. Returning to Lawrin, he is also a full brother to 1940 Kentucky Oaks winner Inscolassie and a half brother to stakes winners Lawley (by Sir Martin) and Modern Times (by Pataud). In addition, he is a half brother to Spring Glory (by Bow to Me), dam of the minor stakes winner Glory Glory (by War Glory).
Lawrin and his siblings were produced from Margaret Lawrence, a half sister to 1914 Futurity Stakes winner Trojan (by Sir Wilfred) and a half sister to Pyrope (by Sir Wilfred), dam of the minor stakes winner Undercover (by Under Fire). The next dam in Lawrin's tail-female line, Bohemia (by Wagner), won two stakes races and is a full sister to multiple stakes winner Colonel Wagner. Their dam Mattie T., in turn, is by Billet out of Jaconet and, thus, is a full sister to 1888 American co-champion 3-year-old male Sir Dixon and the good stakes winner Belvedere. Mattie T. is also a half sister to The Niece (by Alarm), dam of the good racer and sire Uncle (by Star Shoot), and to Lady Pepper (by Hindoo), dam of 1902 Alabama Stakes winner Par Excellence (by Kantaka).
Books and media
Lawrin is profiled in Chapter 8 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
- Lawrin was the first (and as of 2021 the only) Kentucky Derby winner bred in Kansas. According to William Robertson in The History of Thoroughbred Racing in America (1964, Prentice-Hall, Inc.), the Churchill Downs band had gotten so used to playing “Bred in Old Kentucky” after the Derby that they stood mute “for an embarrassing interval” following Lawrin's victory.
- Lawrin was the first of Eddie Arcaro's five Kentucky Derby winners. The others were Whirlaway (1941), Hoop, Jr. (1945), Citation (1948) and Hill Gail (1952). The only other jockey with five Kentucky Derby wins is Bill Hartack, who tied Arcaro's record aboard Majestic Prince in 1969.
- Lawrin was the first of Ben Jones' six Kentucky Derby winners and the only one not bred and owned by Calumet Farm. The others were Whirlaway (1941), Pensive (1944), Citation (1948), Ponder (1949) and Hill Gail (1952). (Jones' record of six Derby winners for a single trainer was not tied until 2020, when Bob Baffert scored his sixth Derby win with Authentic. Baffert appeared to have a record-breaking seventh win in 2021 when Medina Spirit finished first, but the victory was taken away via disqualification after the post-race drug sample tested positive for the corticosteroid betamethasone.)
- Thanks to Lawrin's Kentucky Derby victory, Herbert Woolf reportedly collected US$150,000 in bets in the winter book and at the track. In gratitude, he gave trainer Ben A. Jones 20 percent of Lawrin's Derby purse, double the normal cut for the winning trainer.
- Footage from Lawrin's Kentucky Derby was used to supply the climactic scenes for the 1938 film Kentucky, in which a longshot horse named Blue Grass wins the Derby for his Romeo-and-Juliet trainer and owner.
- Lawrin was sometimes known as the “Kansas Seabiscuit.”
- Lawrin carried a bit of extra luck with him in the Kentucky Derby in the form of a four-leaf clover tucked under his saddle.
- Lawrin's name was a contraction of the names of his dam and sire ("Margaret Lawrence" + "Insco").
- Sammy Roberts, who was Herbert Woolf's contract jockey and had ridden Lawrin prior to being severely injured in a spill at Oaklawn Park in March 1938, was not forgotten when the Kentucky Derby rolled around. He watched the race as a guest in Woolf's private box.
- Eddie Arcaro, who rode Lawrin to victory in the Kentucky Derby, was twice lucky to get the mount, both in Roberts' injury, and in that he had tried—and failed—to get the mount on the previous season's juvenile champion, Menow. (Ridden by Sonny Workman, Menow finished fourth.)
Photo credit
Photographer unknown. From the private collection of Dale Wyatt; used by permission.
Last updated: August 19, 2023