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| Gallant Man | |
|---|---|
 Gallant Man at Spendthrift Farm in 1981 | |
| Sire | Migoli |
| Grandsire | Bois Roussel |
| Dam | Majideh |
| Damsire | Mahmoud |
| Sex | Stallion |
| Foaled | March 20, 1954 |
| Died | September 7, 1988(1988-09-07) (aged 34) |
| Country | Ireland |
| Color | Brown |
| Breeder | HH Aga Khan III &Prince Aly Khan |
| Owner | Ralph Lowe |
| Trainer | John A. Nerud |
| Record | 26:14-4-1 |
| Earnings | $510,355 |
| Major wins | |
| Jockey Club Gold Cup (1957) Travers Stakes (1957) Peter Pan Stakes (1957) Nassau County Handicap (1957) Hibiscus Stakes (1957) Hollywood Gold Cup (1958) Sunset Handicap (1958) Metropolitan Handicap (1958) U.S. Triple Crown series: | |
| Honors | |
| United States Racing Hall of Fame (1987) #36 - Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century Gallant Man Handicap atHollywood Park Racetrack | |
| Last updated on November 23, 2006 | |
Gallant Man (March 20, 1954 – September 7, 1988) was athoroughbred racehorse, named for a horse in aDon Ameche movie. His exact foaling date was unknown or at best debated over the years of his life and many years after. The supporting evidence from a review of foaling stall records in Ireland indicates that he was born on the Saturday after St. Patrick's Day during a highly productive foaling weekend for many thoroughbred mothers on the same farm. His dam, Majideh, is recorded as being in the foaling stall without a live foal until March 20, 1954, at approximately 7:45 am.
Gallant Man is remembered primarily for his upset loss in the 1957Kentucky Derby. He would almost certainly have won the race, but hisjockey, futureHall of FamerBill Shoemaker, misjudged the finish line and stood up too early in hisstirrups, which slowed Gallant Man's rush for the wire as he briefly lost his stride, and allowed another Hall of Fame jockey,Bill Hartack ridingIron Liege, to take the win by a nose. As noted in books, in articles, and on online sites, Shoemaker's error remains one of the biggest blunders in racing history.
After the Derby, Hall of Fame trainer John Nerud sent Gallant Man out to decimate the field in theBelmont Stakes, winning by 8 lengths, beating the favoriteBold Ruler. The track and race records Gallant Man achieved that day stood until Bold Ruler's son,Secretariat's 1973 Belmont Stakes. Subsequently, Gallant Man beat Bold Ruler in theMetropolitan Mile, and hisJockey Club Gold Cup was achieved against older horses.
Gallant Man raced as a three- and four-year-old at the same time asBold Ruler andRound Table, who both becameHorse of the Year.
Gallant Man, who had at one time or another beaten each of them, was never awarded a racing honor or a championship of any kind. He ranks #36 inBlood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century. (Round Table ranks #17 and Bold Ruler ranks #19.)
A small brown horse by (Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner)Migoli out of Majideh (winner of both theIrish Oaks and theIrish 1,000 Guineas), Gallant Man stood a little over fifteen hands and was afflicted with bad ankles.
If Ralph Lowe had listened to his vet, Gallant Man would not have been bought in the group of nine horses acquired from theAga Khan ($220,000 for the crop of Irish yearlings). However, Lowe's bloodstock agent, Humphrey Finney, thought the little horse might be perhaps the worst of the lot, but was still a good buy.
Retired after his 1958 season with a splint problem in his left foreleg, Gallant Man stood atKentucky'sSpendthrift Farm, where he sired 52 stakes winners. He did even better as a broodmare sire.Genuine Risk (from one of his daughters) andGallant Bloom were two of hisbreeding triumphs.
After being pensioned in 1981, Gallant Man was euthanized on September 7, 1988, at the age of 34 after suffering from lameness, respiratory problems, and many failing organs.
According to the most up-to-date records on past racehorses, Gallant Man (by virtue of his 1957 Belmont Stakes win), at 34 years and 171 days, is the longest-lived racehorse ever to win anyTriple Crown race, surpassingCount Fleet, who lived for 33 years and 254 days, on November 30, 1987. His longevity genes continued throughout the generations. Nearly 20 years to the day of his death, his granddaughterGenuine Risk, who lived31+1⁄2 years, died naturally from similar health problems, but also became the longest-lived filly ever to win a Triple Crown race. His grandsonLord Avie became one of the few thoroughbred racehorses to place third or better in all of his races and is the longest-lived horse with this distinction. In 2012,Lord Avie at 34 surpassed his grandfather in longevity by approximately2+1⁄2 months.
| Sire Migoli | Bois Roussel | Vatout | Prince Chimay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vasthi | |||
| Plucky Liege | Spearmint | ||
| Concertina | |||
| Mah Iran | Bahram | Blandford* | |
| Friar's Daughter | |||
| Mah Mahal* | Gainsborough* | ||
| Mumtaz Mahal* | |||
| Dam Majideh | Mahmoud | Blenheim | Blandford |
| Malva | |||
| Mah Mahal* | Gainsborough* | ||
| Mumtaz Mahal* | |||
| Qurrat-Al-Ain | Buchan | Sunstar | |
| Hamoaze | |||
| Harpsichord | Louvois | ||
| Golden Harp (family: 5-e) |
* Gallant Man isinbred 3S x 3D to the mareMah Mahal, meaning that she appears third generation on the sire side of his pedigree and third generation on the dam side of his pedigree.
* Gallant Man is inbred 4S x 4D to the stallionBlandford, meaning that he appears fourth generation on the sire side of his pedigree and fourth generation on the dam side of his pedigree.