The Bard

The Bard (1883–1907) was an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. He was the most popular horse of his day and one who raced and beat many leading American horses. Background Bred by Charles Reed, owner of the Fairview Stud Farm in Gallatin, Tennessee, his dam was Bradamante and his sire was the U.S. Racing Hall of Famne inductee, Longfellow, who was the Leading sire in North America sixteen times between 1861 and 1878. The Bard was purchased and raced by Alexander Cassatt, President of the Pennsylvania Railroad, and, in racing, the owner of Chesterbrook Farm in Berwyn, Pennsylvania and President of Monmouth Park Racetrack. He was trained by John Huggins. Racing career The Bard raced at age two in 1885, notably winning the Red Bank Stakes at Monmouth Park, the Bouquet Stakes at Sheepshead Bay Race Track, and the Capital Stakes at the Ivy City Racetrack in Washington, D.C. As a three-year-old, The Bard developed into a top competitor. In the pre-United States Triple Crown era, he won the 1886 Preakness Stakes and finished second in the Belmont Stakes. The following year, The Bard's performances led to his being recognized as the best Older Male in America in 1887, despite missing much of the second half of the year with a life-threatening illness. His popularity at the time was such that regular bulletins of his condition were released and published by major newspapers across the country.