One of the rags-to-riches stories of the American turf, Virgil was only a moderate racehorse and was not considered good enough for the stud of his owner, being put to use as a buggy horse instead. His merits as a sire were not recognized until his chance-bred first crop came to the races. Their victories transformed the former cast-off into an in-demand stallion, a status he maintained for the rest of his life.
Race record
8 starts, 6 wins on the flat, but his wins were not in stakes company. Virgil was also a multiple winner over jumps.
As an individual
Virgil was described by Milton Sanford as “the blackest horse you ever saw” but appears in various records as black, bay, or brown. He is registered as a bay in Volume I of the American Stud Book. As a flat racer, Virgil preferred distances of a mile or less although he won at up to two miles.
As a stallion
Virgil was the American champion sire of 1885. Clio Hogan's Index to Stakes Winners 1865-1967 credits him with 20 stakes winners.
Notable progeny
Ben Ali (USA), Carley B. (USA), Hindoo (USA), Memento (USA), Tremont (USA), Vagrant (USA), Vanguard (USA), Vigil (USA)
Connections
Foaled at the famous Woodburn Stud in Kentucky, Virgil was bred by Robert A. Alexander. He was purchased as a yearling by Milton H. Sanford, who resold Virgil to Daniel Swigert for racing. According to the stallion's obituary in the New York Times of September 12, 1886, Swigert, in turn, sold the horse for US$1,000 to Colonel R. W. Simmons, who had Virgil trained for steeplechasing and won several hurdle races with him. Following his racing career, Simmons gave or sold Virgil back to Sanford. Sanford was not particularly inclined to make much stud use of a horse he considered “delicate” and so had Virgil broken to harness for use as a buggy horse.
That might have been the end of the story had Sanford's premier stallion, Baywood, not become too ill to cover mares in the spring of 1872. Rather than let the mares at his Preakness Stud go without issue for a year, Sanford had Virgil bred to the mares of Baywood's book. Apparently he was not impressed when the resulting foals arrived in 1873, as he gave the stallion to Benjamin Bruce at the end of the year. Bruce probably had something unflattering to say about gift horses when he found he could neither sell Virgil nor attract mares to him for breeding, but in 1875, the stallion's gelded son Vagrant proved himself one of the two best 2-year-olds in America. Bruce gave Virgil back to Sanford (or, by some accounts, sold the stallion back to Sanford for US$2,000 or $2,500), and Sanford reportedly later turned down an offer of US$25,000 in gold for the horse. Virgil returned to Swigert's ownership in 1881 when Swigert purchased Sanford's entire stud, making it into his Elmendorf Farm, and Virgil remained Swigert's property for the remainder of his life.
Pedigree notes
Sired by Vandal, who was probably the best sire son of eight-time American champion sire Glencoe, Virgil is inbred 4x4 to the good four-mile horse and stallion Tramp, 5x5 to two-time English champion sire Orville, and 5x5 to an unnamed daughter of Coriander. He is a half brother to Molly Wood (by Lexington), dam of 1888 St. Louis Derby winner Falcon (by Falsetto) and juvenile stakes winner Gascon (by Falsetto). He is also a half brother to Daisy (by Cracker), second dam of 1891 Brooklyn Derby winner Russell.
Virgil and his siblings were produced from Hymenia, whose half sister Agnes Donovan (by Lexington) is the second dam of the good stakes horse Ingomar. Hymenia is also a half sister to Peggy Ringgold (by Ringgold), second dam of the noted 19th-century sprint mare Geraldine. Hymenia and her sisters were produced from Little Peggy, a daughter of Cripple.
Fun facts
Photo credit
19th-century artwork by Henry Stull, found among the items in the estate of Walter Vosburgh. From the private collection of Dale Wyatt; used by permission.
Last updated: July 24, 2021
Race record
8 starts, 6 wins on the flat, but his wins were not in stakes company. Virgil was also a multiple winner over jumps.
As an individual
Virgil was described by Milton Sanford as “the blackest horse you ever saw” but appears in various records as black, bay, or brown. He is registered as a bay in Volume I of the American Stud Book. As a flat racer, Virgil preferred distances of a mile or less although he won at up to two miles.
As a stallion
Virgil was the American champion sire of 1885. Clio Hogan's Index to Stakes Winners 1865-1967 credits him with 20 stakes winners.
Notable progeny
Ben Ali (USA), Carley B. (USA), Hindoo (USA), Memento (USA), Tremont (USA), Vagrant (USA), Vanguard (USA), Vigil (USA)
Connections
Foaled at the famous Woodburn Stud in Kentucky, Virgil was bred by Robert A. Alexander. He was purchased as a yearling by Milton H. Sanford, who resold Virgil to Daniel Swigert for racing. According to the stallion's obituary in the New York Times of September 12, 1886, Swigert, in turn, sold the horse for US$1,000 to Colonel R. W. Simmons, who had Virgil trained for steeplechasing and won several hurdle races with him. Following his racing career, Simmons gave or sold Virgil back to Sanford. Sanford was not particularly inclined to make much stud use of a horse he considered “delicate” and so had Virgil broken to harness for use as a buggy horse.
That might have been the end of the story had Sanford's premier stallion, Baywood, not become too ill to cover mares in the spring of 1872. Rather than let the mares at his Preakness Stud go without issue for a year, Sanford had Virgil bred to the mares of Baywood's book. Apparently he was not impressed when the resulting foals arrived in 1873, as he gave the stallion to Benjamin Bruce at the end of the year. Bruce probably had something unflattering to say about gift horses when he found he could neither sell Virgil nor attract mares to him for breeding, but in 1875, the stallion's gelded son Vagrant proved himself one of the two best 2-year-olds in America. Bruce gave Virgil back to Sanford (or, by some accounts, sold the stallion back to Sanford for US$2,000 or $2,500), and Sanford reportedly later turned down an offer of US$25,000 in gold for the horse. Virgil returned to Swigert's ownership in 1881 when Swigert purchased Sanford's entire stud, making it into his Elmendorf Farm, and Virgil remained Swigert's property for the remainder of his life.
Pedigree notes
Sired by Vandal, who was probably the best sire son of eight-time American champion sire Glencoe, Virgil is inbred 4x4 to the good four-mile horse and stallion Tramp, 5x5 to two-time English champion sire Orville, and 5x5 to an unnamed daughter of Coriander. He is a half brother to Molly Wood (by Lexington), dam of 1888 St. Louis Derby winner Falcon (by Falsetto) and juvenile stakes winner Gascon (by Falsetto). He is also a half brother to Daisy (by Cracker), second dam of 1891 Brooklyn Derby winner Russell.
Virgil and his siblings were produced from Hymenia, whose half sister Agnes Donovan (by Lexington) is the second dam of the good stakes horse Ingomar. Hymenia is also a half sister to Peggy Ringgold (by Ringgold), second dam of the noted 19th-century sprint mare Geraldine. Hymenia and her sisters were produced from Little Peggy, a daughter of Cripple.
Fun facts
- Virgil was named for the famous Roman poet of the first century B.C., author of The Aeneid and other important works.
- Virgil was the first stallion to sire three winners of the Kentucky Derby, begetting Vagrant (1876), Hindoo (1881), and Ben Ali (1886). No stallion has ever bettered this record, although Falsetto, Sir Gallahad III, and Bull Lea later tied it.
Photo credit
19th-century artwork by Henry Stull, found among the items in the estate of Walter Vosburgh. From the private collection of Dale Wyatt; used by permission.
Last updated: July 24, 2021