Swoon's Son (USA)
February 13, 1953 – 1977
The Doge (USA) x Swoon (USA), by Sweep Like (USA)
Family 12-b*
February 13, 1953 – 1977
The Doge (USA) x Swoon (USA), by Sweep Like (USA)
Family 12-b*
Swoon's Son seldom ventured outside his Midwestern base, but he was a tough, consistent runner capable of tangling with the best when they came calling. He was a useful stallion best remembered as the sire of 1974 American champion 3-year-old filly Chris Evert and as the broodmare sire of 1973 Kentucky Oaks (USA-G2) winner Bag of Tunes.
Race record
51 starts, 30 wins, 10 seconds, 3 thirds, US$970,605
1955:
1956:
1957:
1958:
Honors
National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (inducted in 2007)
Assessments
Rated at 123 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1955, 3 pounds below highweighted Career Boy and 2 pounds below the official co-champions, Nail and Needles.
Ranked fifth among American 2-year-old males of 1955 by The Blood-Horse.
Rated at 126 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1956, 2 pounds below divisional champion and highweight Needles.
Ranked second among American 3-year-old males of 1956 by The Blood-Horse.
Rated at 126 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1957, 2 pounds below divisional champion Dedicate.
Ranked second among American older males of 1957 by The Blood-Horse.
Rated at 124 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1958, 8 pounds below co-highweights Bold Ruler and Gallant Man and 7 pounds below the official divisional champion and Horse of the Year, Round Table.
Ranked fifth among American older males of 1958 by The Blood-Horse.
As an individual
A cherry bay horse standing 16 hands, Swoon's Son was described by Charles Hatton of the Daily Racing Form as “courageous, intelligent, durable, and gentlemanly.” He was muscular, full-bodied and well-balanced with exceptionally clean, correct limbs. His shoulder was good and he had excellent leverage from hip to hock. While he preferred to race on or near the lead, he was amenable to rating. He won under all possible conditions on both dirt and turf.
As a stallion
According to records kept by The Jockey Club, Swoon's Son sired 227 winners (67.6%) and 22 stakes winners (6.5%) from 336 named foals.
Sire rankings
Per the American Racing Manual (Daily Racing Form) series:
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
Notable progeny
Chris Evert (USA), El Peligroso (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Bag of Tunes (USA)
Connections
Swoon's Son was bred and owned by E. Gay Drake. He was trained by A. G. “Lex” Wilson. He stood at his owner's Mineola Stock Farm near Lexington, Kentucky, where he died in 1977.
Pedigree notes
Swoon's Son is inbred 5x3x5 to two-time American champion sire Sweep. He is a full brother to Dogoon, whose six stakes wins included two editions of the Chicago Handicap; to Swooning, dam of stakes winners Swoonland (by Promised Land) and Susceptible (by Prince John) and third dam of 1984 American champion sprinter Eillo and Grade 2 winners Radiant Ring and Secret Firm; and to Dogette, third dam of Japanese Grade 3 winner Inado Kotobuki. He is also a half brother to Dottie Dear (by Amphitheatre), second dam of Grade 2 winner Aljamin and Grade 3 winner Neapolitan Way and third dam of multiple Grade 3 winner Hudson County. In addition, Swoon's Son is a half brother to stakes-placed Swoon's Princess (by Princequillo), second dam of French Group 2 winner Premier Role.
Swoon, the dam of Swoon's Son and his siblings, was named the 1956 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year. A winning daughter of the stakes-winning Sweep horse Sweep Like, she is out of Sadie Greenock, whose sire Greenock is a stakes-winning son of The Porter. The next dam in the tail-female line, Silk Lady, is by Ormondale out of the Esher mare Silk Maid and is a half sister to 1909 Latonia Oaks winner Crystal Maid (by Pirate of Penzance), dam of the minor stakes winner Crystal Prince (by Prince of Bourbon) and second dam of 1928 Coffroth Handicap winner Crystal Pennant.
*The tail-female line to which Swoon's Son 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 Swoon's Son because the two’s known descendants have different mtDNA haplotypes.
Fun facts
Last updated: November 25, 2024
Race record
51 starts, 30 wins, 10 seconds, 3 thirds, US$970,605
1955:
- Won Arlington Futurity (USA, 6FD, Arlington Park)
- Won Washington Park Futurity (USA, 6FD, Washington Park)
- Won Prairie State Stakes (USA, 6FD, Washington Park)
- Won George Woolf Memorial Stakes (USA, 6FD, Washington Park)
- Won Bashford Manor Stakes (first division) (USA, 5FD, Churchill Downs)
- 2nd Breeders' Futurty (USA, 7FD, Keeneland)
- 2nd Hialeah Juvenile Stakes (second division) (USA, 3FD, Hialeah)
- 2nd Gulfstream Park Juvenile Stakes (USA, 4.5FD, Gulfstream Park)
1956:
- Won American Derby (USA, 9.5FT, Washington Park)
- Won Arlington Classic (USA, 8FD, Arlington Park)
- Won Chicagoan Stakes (USA, 8FD, Balmoral)
- Won Clark Handicap (USA, 9FD, Churchill Downs)
- Won Warren Wright Memorial Stakes (USA, 7FD, Arlington Park)
- Won Domino Stakes (USA, 6FD, Balmoral)
- 2nd Charles W. Bidwill Memorial Handicap (USA, 9FD, Hawthorne)
- 2nd Sheridan Handicap (USA, 8FD, Washington Park)
1957:
- Won Equipoise Mile Handicap (USA, 8FD, Arlington Park)
- Won Charles W. Bidwill Memorial Handicap (USA, 9FD, Washington Park; new track record 1:48-4/5)
- Won Warren Wright Memorial Handicap (USA, 7FD, Arlington Park; new track record 1:21-3/5)
- Won Citation Handicap (USA, 8FD, Balmoral)
- Won Midwest Handicap (USA, 6.5FD, Hawthorne)
- Won La Salle Handicap (USA, 6FD, Balmoral)
- Won Churchill Downs Handicap (USA, 7FD, Churchill Downs)
- 2nd Hawthorne Gold Cup (USA, 10FD, Hawthorne)
- 2nd Arlington Handicap (USA, 9.5FT, Arlington Park)
- 3rd Washington Park Handicap (USA, 8FD, Washington Park)
- 3rd Balmoral Turf Handicap (USA, 9.5FT, Balmoral)
1958:
- Won Equipoise Mile Handicap (USA, 8FD, Arlington Park)
- Won Clang Handicap (USA, 7FD, Balmoral)
- Won Detroit Sweepstakes (USA, 8.5FD, Detroit)
- Won Myrtlewood Handicap (USA, 6FD, Washington Park)
- 2nd Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap (USA, 10FD, Hawthorne)
- 2nd Charles H. Bidwill Memorial Handicap (USA, 9FD, Hawthorne)
Honors
National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (inducted in 2007)
Assessments
Rated at 123 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1955, 3 pounds below highweighted Career Boy and 2 pounds below the official co-champions, Nail and Needles.
Ranked fifth among American 2-year-old males of 1955 by The Blood-Horse.
Rated at 126 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1956, 2 pounds below divisional champion and highweight Needles.
Ranked second among American 3-year-old males of 1956 by The Blood-Horse.
Rated at 126 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1957, 2 pounds below divisional champion Dedicate.
Ranked second among American older males of 1957 by The Blood-Horse.
Rated at 124 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1958, 8 pounds below co-highweights Bold Ruler and Gallant Man and 7 pounds below the official divisional champion and Horse of the Year, Round Table.
Ranked fifth among American older males of 1958 by The Blood-Horse.
As an individual
A cherry bay horse standing 16 hands, Swoon's Son was described by Charles Hatton of the Daily Racing Form as “courageous, intelligent, durable, and gentlemanly.” He was muscular, full-bodied and well-balanced with exceptionally clean, correct limbs. His shoulder was good and he had excellent leverage from hip to hock. While he preferred to race on or near the lead, he was amenable to rating. He won under all possible conditions on both dirt and turf.
As a stallion
According to records kept by The Jockey Club, Swoon's Son sired 227 winners (67.6%) and 22 stakes winners (6.5%) from 336 named foals.
Sire rankings
Per the American Racing Manual (Daily Racing Form) series:
- 10th on the American broodmare sire list in 1979.
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
- 10th on the American broodmare sire list in 1979.
Notable progeny
Chris Evert (USA), El Peligroso (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Bag of Tunes (USA)
Connections
Swoon's Son was bred and owned by E. Gay Drake. He was trained by A. G. “Lex” Wilson. He stood at his owner's Mineola Stock Farm near Lexington, Kentucky, where he died in 1977.
Pedigree notes
Swoon's Son is inbred 5x3x5 to two-time American champion sire Sweep. He is a full brother to Dogoon, whose six stakes wins included two editions of the Chicago Handicap; to Swooning, dam of stakes winners Swoonland (by Promised Land) and Susceptible (by Prince John) and third dam of 1984 American champion sprinter Eillo and Grade 2 winners Radiant Ring and Secret Firm; and to Dogette, third dam of Japanese Grade 3 winner Inado Kotobuki. He is also a half brother to Dottie Dear (by Amphitheatre), second dam of Grade 2 winner Aljamin and Grade 3 winner Neapolitan Way and third dam of multiple Grade 3 winner Hudson County. In addition, Swoon's Son is a half brother to stakes-placed Swoon's Princess (by Princequillo), second dam of French Group 2 winner Premier Role.
Swoon, the dam of Swoon's Son and his siblings, was named the 1956 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year. A winning daughter of the stakes-winning Sweep horse Sweep Like, she is out of Sadie Greenock, whose sire Greenock is a stakes-winning son of The Porter. The next dam in the tail-female line, Silk Lady, is by Ormondale out of the Esher mare Silk Maid and is a half sister to 1909 Latonia Oaks winner Crystal Maid (by Pirate of Penzance), dam of the minor stakes winner Crystal Prince (by Prince of Bourbon) and second dam of 1928 Coffroth Handicap winner Crystal Pennant.
*The tail-female line to which Swoon's Son 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 Swoon's Son because the two’s known descendants have different mtDNA haplotypes.
Fun facts
- When deciding which of two yearlings of 1954 he wanted to sell, E Gay Drake relied on the advice of Lex Wilson. Wilson advised that he keep Swoon's Son because his older brother, Dogoon, was showing some ability. The advice was sound. The yearling Drake sold for US$6,200, named Dark Toga, was better than an empty stall but earned two stakes placings and US$57,827 in 65 starts compared to Swoon's Son's 22 stakes wins and US$970,605.
- For a time, Arlington Park ran the Swoon's Son Handicap in the popular horse's honor. Swoon's Son won six stakes races at Arlington and set a track record there.
Last updated: November 25, 2024