A champion at 2 and a record-setting Classic winner at 3, Old Rosebud came back from a bowed tendon and nearly three years of enforced idleness on a Texas farm to be a champion again at age 6. Following another seemingly career-ending breakdown, Old Rosebud made a second comeback at age 8 and raced on until he suffered his final breakdown in an allowance race on May 17, 1922. He was humanely destroyed six days later, ending his career as racing's “Comeback Kid.”
Race record
80 starts, 40 wins, 13 seconds, 8 thirds, US$74,729
1913:
1914:
1917:
1919:
Honors
Assessments
Old Rosebud was rated #88 among the greatest American racehorses of the 20th century by an expert panel convened by The Blood-Horse (Thoroughbred Champions, Eclipse Press, 7th printing, 2005).
As an individual
A small bay gelding, Old Rosebud was leggy and upright with flat knees and light bone, conformation that predisposed him for the tendon problems that plagued his career. Most contemporary accounts also describe him as large-headed, slightly swaybacked, and blessed with a powerful set of hindquarters. He was game and honest as a racer and preferred to control his races from the front end. An intelligent horse, he was generally calm in his demeanor but became increasingly fractious at the post late in his career.
Connections
Old Rosebud was bred in Kentucky by John E. Madden, who sold him to trainer Frank D. Weir for a mere US$500, along with four fillies that cost another US$2,500. Weir appears to have been acting as agent for Churchill Downs track secretary Hamilton C. Applegate, who became the horse's primary owner and named the gelding for a brand of whiskey produced by his family's distillery. Weir co-owned Old Rosebud as part of "H. C. Applegate & Co."; later, when Applegate drastically reduced his racing interests in early 1919, Weir assumed full ownership of the gelding. Weir trained Old Rosebud's trainer throughout the horse's career. Old Rosebud was most frequently ridden by Johnny McCabe, who piloted the gelding to his Kentucky Derby win.
Pedigree notes
Old Rosebud is inbred 3x3 to the important American sire Alarm and 4x4 to seven-time leading English sire Hermit, winner of the 1867 Derby Stakes. He is a half brother to stakes winners Ivory Black (by Star Shoot) and Lady Rosebud (by Ormondale). His dam Ivory Bells is a half sister of Ivabel (by Ogden), dam of stakes winners Live Oak (by Star Master) and Step Along (by Uncle). His second dam, Ida Pickwick (by Mr. Pickwick), won the 1892 Latonia Oaks and other stakes races.
Books and media
Old Rosebud is profiled in Chapter 4 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
Photo credit
Photo taken by One Day Foto Service in the Churchill Downs winner's circle following the 1914 Kentucky Derby. From the private collection of Dale Wyatt; used by permission.
Last updated: March 21, 2024
Race record
80 starts, 40 wins, 13 seconds, 8 thirds, US$74,729
1913:
- Won Yucatan Stakes (MEX, 3.5FD, Juarez)
- Won Bashford Manor Stakes (USA, 4.5FD, Churchill Downs)
- Won Spring Trial Stakes (USA, 5FD, Douglas Park; new track record :58-2/5)
- Won Harold Stakes (USA, 5FD, Latonia)
- Won Cincinnati Trophy (USA, 6FD, Latonia)
- Won Flash Stakes (USA, 5.5FD, Saratoga)
- Won United States Hotel Stakes (USA, 6FD, Saratoga)
- 2nd Idle Hour Stakes (USA, 4.5FD, Lexington)
- Also set a new 5-furlong track record of 1:00-2/5 at Douglas Park on May 26
- Also set a new 5-furlong track record of :58-4/5 at Douglas Park on May 31
- Also set a new 5-furlong track record of :58-3/5 at Douglas Park on June 4
1914:
- Won Kentucky Derby (USA, 10FD, Churchill Downs; new track record 2:03-2/5)
1917:
- Won Clark Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Churchill Downs)
- Won Inaugural Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Latonia)
- Won Queens County Handicap (USA, 8FD, Aqueduct)
- Won Carter Handicap (USA, 7FD, Aqueduct)
- Won Frontier Handicap (USA, Windsor)
- Won Delaware Handicap (USA, 8FD, Saratoga)
- Won Bayview Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Aqueduct)
- 3rd Brooklyn Handicap (USA, 9FD, Aqueduct)
1919:
- 2nd Paumonok Handicap (USA, 6FD, Jamaica)
- 2nd Mount Vernon Handicap (USA, 8FD, Empire City)
- 3rd Thanksgiving Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Bowie)
Honors
- National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (inducted in 1968)
- American champion 2-year-old male (1913)
- American champion handicap male (1917)
Assessments
Old Rosebud was rated #88 among the greatest American racehorses of the 20th century by an expert panel convened by The Blood-Horse (Thoroughbred Champions, Eclipse Press, 7th printing, 2005).
As an individual
A small bay gelding, Old Rosebud was leggy and upright with flat knees and light bone, conformation that predisposed him for the tendon problems that plagued his career. Most contemporary accounts also describe him as large-headed, slightly swaybacked, and blessed with a powerful set of hindquarters. He was game and honest as a racer and preferred to control his races from the front end. An intelligent horse, he was generally calm in his demeanor but became increasingly fractious at the post late in his career.
Connections
Old Rosebud was bred in Kentucky by John E. Madden, who sold him to trainer Frank D. Weir for a mere US$500, along with four fillies that cost another US$2,500. Weir appears to have been acting as agent for Churchill Downs track secretary Hamilton C. Applegate, who became the horse's primary owner and named the gelding for a brand of whiskey produced by his family's distillery. Weir co-owned Old Rosebud as part of "H. C. Applegate & Co."; later, when Applegate drastically reduced his racing interests in early 1919, Weir assumed full ownership of the gelding. Weir trained Old Rosebud's trainer throughout the horse's career. Old Rosebud was most frequently ridden by Johnny McCabe, who piloted the gelding to his Kentucky Derby win.
Pedigree notes
Old Rosebud is inbred 3x3 to the important American sire Alarm and 4x4 to seven-time leading English sire Hermit, winner of the 1867 Derby Stakes. He is a half brother to stakes winners Ivory Black (by Star Shoot) and Lady Rosebud (by Ormondale). His dam Ivory Bells is a half sister of Ivabel (by Ogden), dam of stakes winners Live Oak (by Star Master) and Step Along (by Uncle). His second dam, Ida Pickwick (by Mr. Pickwick), won the 1892 Latonia Oaks and other stakes races.
Books and media
Old Rosebud is profiled in Chapter 4 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
- Old Rosebud met his fellow Hall of Famer Roamer 11 times in his career, finishing ahead of him on 6 occasions.
- Old Rosebud was the first of five Kentucky Derby winners bred or co-bred by John E. Madden and the first of six to be foaled at Madden's farm, Hamburg Place. (The sixth, Alysheba, was foaled while the farm was owned by Madden's grandson, Preston Madden.)
- A month prior to the 1914 Kentucky Derby, Applegate turned down an offer of US$30,000 for Old Rosebud—then a high price for any horse, let alone one with no breeding potential. As reported by the Thoroughbred Record, the offer was raised to US$35,000--a price which would have been a record for a Thoroughbred gelding in training—but Applegate again refused; his reported asking price was $40,000.
- During his comebacks from his tendon problems, Old Rosebud was sometimes trained while hitched to a buggy in order to avoid the stress of a rider's weight on his fragile tendons.
- Old Rosebud was known as "Old Buddy" to his fans and connections.
- Following every race, win or lose, Frank Weir had a lump of sugar for his stable star. Occasionally, Old Rosebud also got treats of pastries, beer, and tobacco plugs.
Photo credit
Photo taken by One Day Foto Service in the Churchill Downs winner's circle following the 1914 Kentucky Derby. From the private collection of Dale Wyatt; used by permission.
Last updated: March 21, 2024