Broomstick

Broomstick (1901–1931) was a Thoroughbred race horse whose most important win was in the 1904 Travers Stakes. After retirement, he became one of the great sires in American racing history, leading the North American sire list in 1913, 1914 and 1915. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1956. Background The important horseman, James R. Keene (who owned Domino, Kingston, Colin and Sysonby among so many other memorable horses), also owned Elf, Broomstick's dam. He bred her to leading sire Ben Brush, but believing she was barren, he sold her to Milton Young, One year later she foaled Broomstick at the famous McGrathiana Stud in Kentucky. As a yearling Broomstick then went to a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, coal millionaire named Captain Samuel S. Brown who was a member of The Jockey Club and the owner of two racetracks. Racing career Broomstick was small, but he won his first three stakes at two for trainer Peter Wimmer. Because of this, he was weighted down rather heavily for such a young horse and consequently won fewer races at that age. He placed in the Saratoga Special, the Walden Stakes, the Flatbush Stakes, the Great Trial Stakes and the Spring Stakes. At three, and under new trainer Robert Tucker, he won the Travers Stakes at Saratoga and the Flying Handicap at Sheepshead Bay. In winning the Brighton Handicap he beat older horses and set a track record that stood for nine years. In that race he was up against the truly game Irish Lad who broke down nearing the wire, but finished on three legs, only barely beaten.