Ornament (USA)
1894 – 1916
Order (GB) x Victorine (USA), by Onondaga (USA)
Family 12-b*
1894 – 1916
Order (GB) x Victorine (USA), by Onondaga (USA)
Family 12-b*
Virtually forgotten today, the consistent Ornament was the best American racehorse of his crop despite being beaten in a controversial edition of the Kentucky Derby. He proved a good stallion as well but did not get a son capable of carrying on his male line.
Race record
33 starts, 20 wins, 8 seconds, 2 thirds, US$86,977
1896:
1897:
1898:
Honors
As an individual
A beautiful, elegant chestnut horse, Ornament was a rather lightly made animal whose appearance recalled his Arabian ancestors. He could be a handful at the post and had a habit of bearing in to get the rail, especially when tiring. He was officially retired from racing in October 1898 after becoming “track sore.”
As a stallion
Clio Hogan's Index to Stakes Winners 1865-1967 credits Ornament with 21 stakes winners.
Sire rankings
Per The Blood-Horse:
Notable progeny
Gallavant (USA), King's Daughter (USA)
Connections
Bred in Kentucky by Hal Pettit Headley, Ornament was owned by Charles T. Patterson & Co. (with Headley as a silent partner) and was trained by Charles Patterson. In August, Patterson bought out Headley's interest in the colt for a reported US$14,000. In April 1898, Patterson sold the colt to W. P. Norton, the owner of Wenonah Stock Farm, in a package deal with the good filly May Hempstead for US$35,000; Headley once again became a part owner of Ornament at the same time. Following the transfer of ownership, Ornament was trained by James Rowe, Sr.
Pedigree notes
Ornament is inbred 5x4 to two-time English champion sire King Tom. He is a half brother to Whyota (by Hamburg), dam of 1903 Brooklyn Derby winner Whorler (by Inverness).
Victorine, the dam of Ornament, is out of the Lisbon mare Maria D., a half sister to multiple stakes winner St. Augustine (by King Alfonso) and to Semper Felix (by Phaeton), dam of 1883 Kentucky Derby winner and American champion 3-year-old male Leonatus (by Longfellow) and of juvenile stakes winner Felicia II (by Stratford). Semper Felix is also the second dam of 1903 Matron Stakes winner The Minute Man, 1892 Chicago Derby winner Lew Weir, and 1891 Tidal Stakes winner Portchester and is the third dam of 1899 Jerome Handicap winner Long Street, 1902 Brighton Derby winner Hyphen, and 1907 Astoria Stakes winner Beckon.
Maria D. and her siblings, in turn, are out of Crucifix (by Lexington), whose full sister Salina won the 1871 Monmouth Oaks and is the dam of two-time American Horse of the Year Salvator (by Prince Charlie). Crucifix is also a full sister to Sprightly, dam of stakes winners Volturno (by Billet) and Aretino (by Aramis), and to Nevada, dam of 1880 American champion 3-year-old male Luke Blackburn (by Bonnie Scotland). In addition, Crucifix is a half sister to Gulnare (by Glen Athol), dam of juvenile stakes winner Satisfaction (by Sensation). Crucifix was produced from the Glencoe mare Lightsome, who is also the second dam of 1873 Champagne Stakes winner Grinstead, 1876 Travers Stakes winner Sultana, 1877 Phoenix Hotel Stakes winner Brademante, and the high-class stakes winner Monarchist.
*The tail-female line to which Ornament belongs traditionally has been traced to a mare foaled in the early to mid-1760s by Jack of Diamonds out of Diana, a 1754 mare by the Cullen Arabian who is considered to be the foundation mare of Bruce Lowe family 12-b. However, modern research into mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which is passed only through the direct female line, indicates that an error occurred in the recorded female line somewhere in the eight generations between Diana and an unnamed daughter of imported Tranby who was foaled in 1835. Adding to the confusion, a second line of descent erroneously attributed to Diana also traces to a daughter of Jack of Diamonds who cannot be either identical to or a full sister of the mare who is the ancestor of Ornament because the two’s known descendants have different mtDNA haplotypes.
Fun facts
Last updated: October 27, 2024
Race record
33 starts, 20 wins, 8 seconds, 2 thirds, US$86,977
1896:
- Won Double Event #1 (USA, 5.5FD, Sheepshead Bay)
- Won Double Event #2 (USA, about 6FD, Sheepshead Bay)
- Won Flatbush Stakes (USA, 7FD, Sheepshead Bay)
- 2nd Futurity Stakes (USA, about 6FD, Sheepshead Bay)
- 2nd Great Trial Stakes (USA, about 6FD, Sheepshead Bay)
1897:
- Won Clark Stakes (USA, 9FD, Churchill Downs)
- Won Latonia Derby (USA, 12FD, Latonia)
- Won Himyar Stakes (USA, 9FD, Latonia)
- Won St. Louis Derby (USA, 12FD, St. Louis)
- Won Oakley Derby (USA, 10FD, Oakley)
- Won Detroit International Derby (USA, 12FD, Grosse Pointe)
- Won Twin City Handicap (USA, 10FD, Sheepshead Bay)
- Won Fall Handicap (USA, 6FD, Sheepshead Bay)
- Won Brookwood Stakes (USA, 9FD, Gravesend)
- 2nd Kentucky Derby (USA, 10FD, Churchill Downs)
- 2nd Second Special (USA, 10FD, Gravesend; 2nd of 2)
- 2nd Campau Stakes (USA, 9.5FD, Grosse Pointe)
- 2nd Buckeye Stakes (USA, 9FD, Oakley)
1898:
- Won Brighton Handicap (USA, 10FD, Brighton Beach)
- Won Brooklyn Handicap (USA, 10FD, Gravesend)
- Won Country Club Handicap (USA, 8FD, Montgomery Park)
- 2nd Montgomery Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Montgomery Park)
Honors
- American Horse of the Year (1897)
- American champion 3-year-old male (1897)
- American champion older male (1898)
As an individual
A beautiful, elegant chestnut horse, Ornament was a rather lightly made animal whose appearance recalled his Arabian ancestors. He could be a handful at the post and had a habit of bearing in to get the rail, especially when tiring. He was officially retired from racing in October 1898 after becoming “track sore.”
As a stallion
Clio Hogan's Index to Stakes Winners 1865-1967 credits Ornament with 21 stakes winners.
Sire rankings
Per The Blood-Horse:
- 8th on the American general sire list in 1906; 10th in 1908 and 1909.
Notable progeny
Gallavant (USA), King's Daughter (USA)
Connections
Bred in Kentucky by Hal Pettit Headley, Ornament was owned by Charles T. Patterson & Co. (with Headley as a silent partner) and was trained by Charles Patterson. In August, Patterson bought out Headley's interest in the colt for a reported US$14,000. In April 1898, Patterson sold the colt to W. P. Norton, the owner of Wenonah Stock Farm, in a package deal with the good filly May Hempstead for US$35,000; Headley once again became a part owner of Ornament at the same time. Following the transfer of ownership, Ornament was trained by James Rowe, Sr.
Pedigree notes
Ornament is inbred 5x4 to two-time English champion sire King Tom. He is a half brother to Whyota (by Hamburg), dam of 1903 Brooklyn Derby winner Whorler (by Inverness).
Victorine, the dam of Ornament, is out of the Lisbon mare Maria D., a half sister to multiple stakes winner St. Augustine (by King Alfonso) and to Semper Felix (by Phaeton), dam of 1883 Kentucky Derby winner and American champion 3-year-old male Leonatus (by Longfellow) and of juvenile stakes winner Felicia II (by Stratford). Semper Felix is also the second dam of 1903 Matron Stakes winner The Minute Man, 1892 Chicago Derby winner Lew Weir, and 1891 Tidal Stakes winner Portchester and is the third dam of 1899 Jerome Handicap winner Long Street, 1902 Brighton Derby winner Hyphen, and 1907 Astoria Stakes winner Beckon.
Maria D. and her siblings, in turn, are out of Crucifix (by Lexington), whose full sister Salina won the 1871 Monmouth Oaks and is the dam of two-time American Horse of the Year Salvator (by Prince Charlie). Crucifix is also a full sister to Sprightly, dam of stakes winners Volturno (by Billet) and Aretino (by Aramis), and to Nevada, dam of 1880 American champion 3-year-old male Luke Blackburn (by Bonnie Scotland). In addition, Crucifix is a half sister to Gulnare (by Glen Athol), dam of juvenile stakes winner Satisfaction (by Sensation). Crucifix was produced from the Glencoe mare Lightsome, who is also the second dam of 1873 Champagne Stakes winner Grinstead, 1876 Travers Stakes winner Sultana, 1877 Phoenix Hotel Stakes winner Brademante, and the high-class stakes winner Monarchist.
*The tail-female line to which Ornament belongs traditionally has been traced to a mare foaled in the early to mid-1760s by Jack of Diamonds out of Diana, a 1754 mare by the Cullen Arabian who is considered to be the foundation mare of Bruce Lowe family 12-b. However, modern research into mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which is passed only through the direct female line, indicates that an error occurred in the recorded female line somewhere in the eight generations between Diana and an unnamed daughter of imported Tranby who was foaled in 1835. Adding to the confusion, a second line of descent erroneously attributed to Diana also traces to a daughter of Jack of Diamonds who cannot be either identical to or a full sister of the mare who is the ancestor of Ornament because the two’s known descendants have different mtDNA haplotypes.
Fun facts
- Ornament won four “Derby” races during his 3-year-old season, a feat later emulated by Claude (in 1903), Black Gold (in 1924), Candy Spots (in 1963), Smarten (in 1979), Snow Chief (in 1986), Lost Code (in 1987), Olympio (in 1991) and California Chrome (in 2014).
- As a stallion, Ornament took the blue ribbon as the best aged Thoroughbred stallion exhibited at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904. He also took the blue ribbon as the best Thoroughbred stallion being shown by his breeder.
Last updated: October 27, 2024