Venetian Way (USA)
March 23, 1957 – October 17, 1964
Royal Coinage (USA) x Firefly (USA), by Papa Redbird (USA)
Family 4-m
March 23, 1957 – October 17, 1964
Royal Coinage (USA) x Firefly (USA), by Papa Redbird (USA)
Family 4-m
A connoisseur of good show horses, Isaac Blumberg had an eye for conformation and used it to pick up 1958 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes runner-up Lincoln Road as a yearling for just US$3,100. Lincoln Road earned $128,375 for him, and Blumberg did still better two years later when his US$10,500 bargain Venetian Way won the 1960 Kentucky Derby after overcoming stifle and shin soreness, splint trouble, and an infestation of bloodworms along the way. Unfortunately, Venetian Way was not very sound, nor was he a good sire in a brief stud career.
Race record
20 starts, 7 wins, 4 seconds, 3 thirds, US$359,422
1959:
1960:
Assessments
Rated at 124 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1959, 2 pounds below champion Warfare.
Rated at 123 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-olds of 1960, 5 pounds below divisional champion and Horse of the Year Kelso.
As an individual
A handsome chestnut standing 15.2 hands, Venetian Way had a lengthy body on slightly short legs. His pelvis was long and his hindquarters were powerful, though he was perhaps a little lighter through the coupling than desirable. His head was Arabian-like and his shoulders were well sloped. He had frequent problems with soreness and was not an easy colt to ride to best advantage; left on a loose rein, he would take off and squander his energies. According to jockey Bill Hartack, who rode the colt to his Kentucky Derby victory, Venetian Way had a rather delicate constitution and was not capable of putting together tough races back to back.
As a stallion
According to Jockey Club records, Venetian Way sired only 31 foals, of which 19 won (61.3%); none were stakes winners.
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky at Glencrest Farm, Venetian Way was bred by John W. Greathouse. He was owned by Isaac Blumberg who bought Venetian Way for US$10,500 from the 1958 Keeneland summer yearling sale and raced him in the name of Sunny Blue Farm. He was trained by Vic Sovinski, a former baker. He was retired to Mare's Nest Farm in Kentucky after wrenching an ankle during the running of the 1960 Arlington Classic. He was humanely destroyed in 1964 after fracturing his hip in a farm accident.
Pedigree notes
Venetian Way is inbred 5x5 to 1913 English champion juvenile male and 1919 English champion sire The Tetrarch. Sired by the Eight Thirty horse Royal Coinage, one of the top juveniles of 1954, he is a full brother to 1960 Breeders' Futurity winner He's a Pistol, a four-time stakes winner.
Firefly, the dam of Venetian Way, was sired by 1948 Arlington Classic winner Papa Redbird. She won only once from 17 tries—in a US$2,500 claimer, at that—but is a half sister to 1949 Sheridan Stakes winner Ky. Colonel (by Papa Redbird's sire Balladier) and to 1946 Hawthorne Gold Cup winner Jack's Jill (by Jack High), dam of 1955 Maskette Handicap winner Oil Painting (by Papa Redbird) and 1963 Beverly Handicap winner Patrol Woman (by Traffic Judge), second dam of 1967 Post-Deb Stakes winner T. V 's Princess, and third dam of Grade 3 winner Fork Union Cadet. Firefly is also a half sister to stakes-placed Balla's Girl, dam of 1958 Del Mar Oaks and Palomar Handicap winner Camloc (by Crafty Admiral).
Firefly was produced from Minstrelette (by Royal Minstrel), whose dam Bannerette (by Pennant) is a winning half sister to juvenile stakes winner Now Then (by Dis Donc) and to stakes-placed Tony's Wife (by Whichone), dam of multiple stakes winner Foreign Policy (by Peace Chance). The next dam in Venetian Way's tail-female line, Meetme, is by 1912 English champion 3-year-old male Tracery out of Matinee, an important producer for Harry Payne Whitney's breeding program.
Books and media
Venetian Way is profiled in Chapter 9 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
Last updated: November 26, 2021
Race record
20 starts, 7 wins, 4 seconds, 3 thirds, US$359,422
1959:
- Won Prairie State Stakes (USA, 9FD, Washington Park)
- Won Washington Park Futurity (USA, 6.5FD, Washington Park; new track record 1:15-4/5)
1960:
- Won Kentucky Derby (USA, 10FD, Churchill Downs)
- Won Warren Wright Memorial Handicap (USA, 9FD, Washington Park; equaled track record 1:48-2/5)
- 2nd Belmont Stakes (USA, 12FD, Belmont)
- 2nd Florida Derby (USA, 9FD, Gulfstream Park)
- 3rd Arlington Classic (USA, 8FD, Arlington Park)
- Also equaled the Gulfstream Park track record of 1:08-4/5 for 6 furlongs.
Assessments
Rated at 124 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1959, 2 pounds below champion Warfare.
Rated at 123 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-olds of 1960, 5 pounds below divisional champion and Horse of the Year Kelso.
As an individual
A handsome chestnut standing 15.2 hands, Venetian Way had a lengthy body on slightly short legs. His pelvis was long and his hindquarters were powerful, though he was perhaps a little lighter through the coupling than desirable. His head was Arabian-like and his shoulders were well sloped. He had frequent problems with soreness and was not an easy colt to ride to best advantage; left on a loose rein, he would take off and squander his energies. According to jockey Bill Hartack, who rode the colt to his Kentucky Derby victory, Venetian Way had a rather delicate constitution and was not capable of putting together tough races back to back.
As a stallion
According to Jockey Club records, Venetian Way sired only 31 foals, of which 19 won (61.3%); none were stakes winners.
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky at Glencrest Farm, Venetian Way was bred by John W. Greathouse. He was owned by Isaac Blumberg who bought Venetian Way for US$10,500 from the 1958 Keeneland summer yearling sale and raced him in the name of Sunny Blue Farm. He was trained by Vic Sovinski, a former baker. He was retired to Mare's Nest Farm in Kentucky after wrenching an ankle during the running of the 1960 Arlington Classic. He was humanely destroyed in 1964 after fracturing his hip in a farm accident.
Pedigree notes
Venetian Way is inbred 5x5 to 1913 English champion juvenile male and 1919 English champion sire The Tetrarch. Sired by the Eight Thirty horse Royal Coinage, one of the top juveniles of 1954, he is a full brother to 1960 Breeders' Futurity winner He's a Pistol, a four-time stakes winner.
Firefly, the dam of Venetian Way, was sired by 1948 Arlington Classic winner Papa Redbird. She won only once from 17 tries—in a US$2,500 claimer, at that—but is a half sister to 1949 Sheridan Stakes winner Ky. Colonel (by Papa Redbird's sire Balladier) and to 1946 Hawthorne Gold Cup winner Jack's Jill (by Jack High), dam of 1955 Maskette Handicap winner Oil Painting (by Papa Redbird) and 1963 Beverly Handicap winner Patrol Woman (by Traffic Judge), second dam of 1967 Post-Deb Stakes winner T. V 's Princess, and third dam of Grade 3 winner Fork Union Cadet. Firefly is also a half sister to stakes-placed Balla's Girl, dam of 1958 Del Mar Oaks and Palomar Handicap winner Camloc (by Crafty Admiral).
Firefly was produced from Minstrelette (by Royal Minstrel), whose dam Bannerette (by Pennant) is a winning half sister to juvenile stakes winner Now Then (by Dis Donc) and to stakes-placed Tony's Wife (by Whichone), dam of multiple stakes winner Foreign Policy (by Peace Chance). The next dam in Venetian Way's tail-female line, Meetme, is by 1912 English champion 3-year-old male Tracery out of Matinee, an important producer for Harry Payne Whitney's breeding program.
Books and media
Venetian Way is profiled in Chapter 9 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
- Venetian Way was named for a street in Miami Beach, Florida.
- After Venetian Way turned out to be a good 2-year-old, owner Isaac Blumberg turned down a reported offer of US$500,000 for him with the comment that he'd have had to spend twice as much to get one that good.
- Venetian Way's Kentucky Derby performance had an unexpected effect on Derby history in later years thanks to the colt's use of phenylbutazone (“Bute”), then legal in Kentucky for race-day pain relief. He performed poorly when racing without it two weeks later in the Preakness Stakes, probably due to the shin soreness that often plagued him (he could not be administered the drug in Maryland as the state's rules did not permit it as a race-day medication). The difference in Venetian Way's performance with and without medication was a factor in the Kentucky Racing Commission's decision to ban race-day use of the drug. That decision, in turn, led to the disqualification of 1968 Kentucky Derby winner Dancer's Image after a post-race urine sample tested positive for phenylbutazone.
- Venetian Way was the second of a record-tying five Kentucky Derby winners for National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame jockey Bill Hartack. Hartack's other winners were Iron Liege (1957), Decidedly (1962), Northern Dancer (1964) and Majestic Prince (1969).
- Trainer Vic Sobrinski had been clashing with jockey Bill Hartack regarding Venetian Way's workouts even before the Kentucky Derby, and during Venetian Way's preparation for the Belmont Stakes, Sobrinski elected to replace Hartack with Eddie Arcaro as Venetian Way's rider. In the Belmont itself, Venetian Way finished second to Celtic Ash—ridden by Hartack.
Last updated: November 26, 2021