Modesty was the first top-flight race mare to win the Kentucky Oaks. Also the winner of the inaugural American Derby by a nose in a four-horse blanket finish, she is generally considered to be the American co-champion 3-year-old filly of 1884. After racing through age 6, she was a fairly successful broodmare and had several important descendants, headed by her champion great-granddaughter Regret.
Race record
82 starts, 35 wins, 8 seconds, 11 thirds, US$49,135
1883:
1884:
1885:
1886:
Honors
American co-champion 3-year-old filly (1884)
As an individual
A long, rangy, light-framed chestnut filly, Modesty stood close to 16 hands.
As a producer
Hampered by frequent barrenness, Modesty produced only five named foals. Her important foals are as follow:
Connections
Modesty was bred by George H. Clay and made her first four starts in his colors. She was owned for most of her racing career by Ed Corrigan, who purchased her for US$5,000 after her fourth start. At the time of her Kentucky Oaks win, she was trained by Corrigan according to the on-line Kentucky Derby/Oaks media guide, but other sources indicate that she was trained by John W. Rogers during at least some of her Oaks preparation. She was ridden to her Oaks victory by Isaac Murphy. She remained in Corrigan's ownership as a broodmare and was last reported as barren in 1901.
Pedigree notes
Modesty is inbred 3x4 to the champion four-mile runner Boston, a three-time American champion sire and sire of 16-time American champion sire Lexington. She is also inbred 5x5 to the tough early 19th-century stayer Catton, an influential English sire. She is a full sister to Vega, dam of stakes winner The Lioness (by Billet) and the second dam of five stakes winners including 1900 Carlton Stakes winner Standing. She is a half sister to Peg Woffington (by Longfellow), winner of the 1888 September Stakes and dam of 1894 Clipsetta Stakes winner Kitty Clive (by Macduff), 1896 American Champion Stakes winner David Garrick (by Hanover), and 1905 Junior Champion Stakes winner Pegasus (by Hamburg). Peg Woffington is also the second dam of 1912 American Horse of the Year The Manager and 1903 Latonia Derby winner Woodlake and the third dam of 1923 California Derby winner Victoire.
Returning to Modesty, she is also a half sister to Maid of Balgowan (by Hindoo), dam of 1900 Lawrence Realization winner Prince of Melbourne (by Bramble); to Elizabeth L. (by Woodlands), dam of the minor stakes winner Zuna (by Hamburg), second dam of 1919 Saratoga Special winner Golden Broom and 1921 Prix Robert Papin winner Zenoia, and third dam of 1917 King's Plate winner Ladder of Light; and to Cathay (by Onondaga), third dam of 1932 Cuban Derby winner Monk's First.
Modesty was produced from the great 19th-century matron Ballet, whose dam Balloon (by Yorkshire) accomplished a remarkable feat by sweeping races at one-mile heats, two-mile heats, three-mile heats, and four-mile heats during the same race meeting. The female line traces back to an unnamed daughter of Janus (a paternal grandson of the Godolphin Arabian who also had considerable influence on the early background of the American Quarter Horse) and cannot be linked to any of the Bruce Lowe female families.
Fun facts
Last updated: May 5, 2023
Race record
82 starts, 35 wins, 8 seconds, 11 thirds, US$49,135
1883:
- Won Walnut Hill Stakes (USA, 8FD, Churchill Downs)
- Won Louisville Ladies' Stakes (USA, 5FD, Churchill Downs)
- 2nd Tennessee Stakes (USA, 6FD, Churchill Downs)
- 3rd Filly Stakes (USA, 4FD, Lexington)
1884:
- Won Kentucky Oaks (USA, 12FD, Churchill Downs)
- Won Moet and Chandon Champagne Stakes (USA, 11FD, Churchill Downs)
- Won American Derby (USA, 12FD, Washington Park)
- Won Woodlawn Stakes (USA, 13FD, Washington Park)
- Won Sequel Stakes (USA, 13FD, Saratoga)
- Won Relief Stakes (USA, 13FD, Saratoga)
- Won Pocahontas Stakes (USA, 10FD, Saratoga)
- 3rd Great Long Island Stakes (USA, 2-mile heats, Sheepshead Bay; 3rd of 3)
- 3rd Cincinnati Hotel Stakes (USA, 10FD, Latonia)
1885:
- Won Distillers' Stakes (USA, 10FD, Lexington)
- Won Turf Stakes (USA, 10FD, Churchill Downs)
- Won Columbia Stakes (USA, 14FD, Washington Park)
- Won Washington Park Cup (USA, 18FD, Washington Park)
- 2nd Merchants' Stakes (USA, 9FD, Churchill Downs)
1886:
- Won Montgomery Stakes (USA, 10FD, Memphis)
- Won Turf Stakes (USA, 10FD, Churchill Downs)
- Won Merchants' Stakes (USA, 9FD, Churchill Downs)
- 2nd St. Louis Brewers' Cup (USA, 18FD, St. Louis)
Honors
American co-champion 3-year-old filly (1884)
As an individual
A long, rangy, light-framed chestnut filly, Modesty stood close to 16 hands.
As a producer
Hampered by frequent barrenness, Modesty produced only five named foals. Her important foals are as follow:
- Junius (1892, by Longfellow) won the Palace Hotel Stakes at the Ingleside track in California.
- Daisy F. (1895, by Riley) was stakes-placed on the track, running second in the 1898 Ripple Stakes. Through her daughter Jersey Lightning (by Hamburg), she is the second dam of 1915 American Horse of the Year Regret (by Broomstick), 1915 Futurity Stakes winner Thunderer (by Broomstick), 1916 Champagne Stakes winner Vivid (by All Gold), and multiple Canadian stakes winner Barnegat (by Broomstick).
- Toah (1898, by Bassetlaw; a gelding) was a multiple stakes winner.
Connections
Modesty was bred by George H. Clay and made her first four starts in his colors. She was owned for most of her racing career by Ed Corrigan, who purchased her for US$5,000 after her fourth start. At the time of her Kentucky Oaks win, she was trained by Corrigan according to the on-line Kentucky Derby/Oaks media guide, but other sources indicate that she was trained by John W. Rogers during at least some of her Oaks preparation. She was ridden to her Oaks victory by Isaac Murphy. She remained in Corrigan's ownership as a broodmare and was last reported as barren in 1901.
Pedigree notes
Modesty is inbred 3x4 to the champion four-mile runner Boston, a three-time American champion sire and sire of 16-time American champion sire Lexington. She is also inbred 5x5 to the tough early 19th-century stayer Catton, an influential English sire. She is a full sister to Vega, dam of stakes winner The Lioness (by Billet) and the second dam of five stakes winners including 1900 Carlton Stakes winner Standing. She is a half sister to Peg Woffington (by Longfellow), winner of the 1888 September Stakes and dam of 1894 Clipsetta Stakes winner Kitty Clive (by Macduff), 1896 American Champion Stakes winner David Garrick (by Hanover), and 1905 Junior Champion Stakes winner Pegasus (by Hamburg). Peg Woffington is also the second dam of 1912 American Horse of the Year The Manager and 1903 Latonia Derby winner Woodlake and the third dam of 1923 California Derby winner Victoire.
Returning to Modesty, she is also a half sister to Maid of Balgowan (by Hindoo), dam of 1900 Lawrence Realization winner Prince of Melbourne (by Bramble); to Elizabeth L. (by Woodlands), dam of the minor stakes winner Zuna (by Hamburg), second dam of 1919 Saratoga Special winner Golden Broom and 1921 Prix Robert Papin winner Zenoia, and third dam of 1917 King's Plate winner Ladder of Light; and to Cathay (by Onondaga), third dam of 1932 Cuban Derby winner Monk's First.
Modesty was produced from the great 19th-century matron Ballet, whose dam Balloon (by Yorkshire) accomplished a remarkable feat by sweeping races at one-mile heats, two-mile heats, three-mile heats, and four-mile heats during the same race meeting. The female line traces back to an unnamed daughter of Janus (a paternal grandson of the Godolphin Arabian who also had considerable influence on the early background of the American Quarter Horse) and cannot be linked to any of the Bruce Lowe female families.
Fun facts
- Modesty ran the first four races of her career under the name “Golden Rod.”
- Having scared off all but three rivals, Modesty won the 1884 Kentucky Oaks by 10 lengths, the largest winning margin to that date, and was reportedly under a hard pull while doing so.
- On May 28, 1884, the Louisville Courier-Journal reported that Modesty's owner, Ed Corrigan, had expressed a willingness to match Modesty against any 3-year-old filly in the country for any amount a challenger cared to name.
- The Modesty Handicap was inaugurated at Washington Park in 1942 and later moved to Arlington Park. As of 2021 (when Arlington Park ran its final season), it was a Grade 3 turf race at Arlington Park for fillies and mares aged 3 and up and was carded for 9.5 furlongs. Churchill Downs is the home track for the current version of the Modesty Handicap, a Grade 3 turf race over 9 furlongs for fillies and mares aged 4 and older.
Last updated: May 5, 2023