Middleground (April 22, 1947 – February 16, 1972)^[2] was an AmericanThoroughbredracehorse who won the 1950Kentucky Derby andBelmont Stakes and came second in thePreakness Stakes. He was named the 1950American Horse of the Year andChampion Three-Year-Old Male.

Middleground was ridden throughout his career by 16-year-oldapprentice jockeyBill Boland, and he was trained byMax Hirsch, both futureU.S. Hall of Fame inductees.

As a two-year-old in 1949, Middleground won theHopeful Stakes and came third in theArlington Futurity.

The following year, Middleground started the year with second-place finishes both theWithers Stakes andWood Memorial.

He then won theKentucky Derby, only the second horse to win it with an apprentice jockey after his sire Bold Venture who won with jockey Ira Hanford. Five time Kentucky Derby winning jockeyEddie Arcaro had the chance to ride Middleground, but he chose to rideHill Prince instead, who finished second.

After the Kentucky Derby, Middleground finished second to Hill Prince after a rough trip in thePreakness Stakes, and won theBelmont Stakes.

As a three-year-old he also won theLeonard Richards Stakes.

In the 1950Jerome Handicap, Middleground broke a bone in his foot and was retired.

Middleground was retired to stud at King Ranch in 1951. He sired 101 winners and 7 stakes winners in his stud career, including Resaca, Chistosa, and Here and There.

He died in 1972, and the gravesite is on theKing Ranch, inKingsville, Texas.^[2]

In 2000, he was inducted into the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame.

• Middleground's pedigree and racing stats

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