Greyhound
Every so often you come across a horse that is truly exceptional – one that stands out amongst its peers in both form and talent. Greyhound was just such a horse. Born in 1932, Greyhound was one of the most outstanding trotting horses of his day. Some today would still argue that this gray Standardbred gelding was one of the most outstanding animals that the sport has ever seen. However, since he lived so long ago, it is hard to tell just how well he’d perform against modern trotting horses today. Greyhound was sired by Guy Abbey and his dam was Elizabeth by Peter the Great. His excellent breeding no doubt contributed to his outstanding performance and stature.
As a Standardbred race horse, Greyhound was considered to be unbeatable. He started his racing career as a three-year-old and in 1935 he won the Hambletonian race. Just three years later in 1938, he set a new trotting record for the mile. His record time of 1:55 ¼ remained unbeaten until 1969 – an impressive period of 31 years. During the course of his career, Greyhound trotted 25 two-minute miles. He also held fourteen world records at one stage – making him a most noteworthy horse in many respects. When one considers that his career lasted just five years, you can see just how remarkable he was to achieve so much in such a short period of time.
In 1940, the decision was made to retire Greyhound after his short but incredibly successful trotting career. He was taken to Red Gate Farm, located in St Charles, Illinois, with ideas of allowing him to enjoy his retirement in peace. However, he proved to be so popular amongst trotting fans that his owner, Col. Edward J. Baker decided to allow visitors to come and see the horses that had won so many races and held so many records. Thus, right up until his death in February 1965, Greyhound continued to receive visitors and fans. When he eventually did pass away he was the ripe old age of 33. Shortly after his death he was given the honor of being named Horse of the Century.
