Sir Walter

{{For|people named Sir Walter|Walter Raleigh}} {{Infobox racehorse | horsename = Sir Walter | image = | caption = | sire = Midlothian | grandsire = Strathconan | dam = La Scala | damsire = [[Joe Hooker (horse)|Joe Hooker]] | sex = [[Stallion (horse)|Stallion]] | foaled = 1890 | country = United States | colour = [[Bay (horse)|Bay]] | breeder = [[James B. A. Haggin]] | owner = [[Oneck Stable]] | trainer = [[Walter C. Rollins]] | record = 86: 35-19-15 (age 2-7) plus 3 wins at age 8 | earnings = [[United States dollar|US$]]90,000+ | race = Seaside Stakes (1892) Atlantic Stakes (1892) Seabright Stakes (1892) [[Great American Stakes]] (1892) [[Great Eclipse Stakes]] (1892) Fulton Stakes (1893) [[Lorillard Stakes]] (1893) [[Omnium Handicap]] (1893) [[Tidal Handicap|Tidal Stakes]] (1893) Stevens Stakes (1893) Stockton Stakes (1893) Union Handicap (1893) [[Long Island Handicap]] (1894) Second All-Aged Serial Handicap (1894) Third All-Aged Serial Handicap (1894) [[Sheepshead Bay Handicap]] (1894) Parkway Handicap (1895) [[Brooklyn Handicap]] (1896) [[Municipal Handicap]] (1896) Midsummer Handicap (1897) Fort Hamilton Handicap (1898) | awards = | honours = | updated= }} '''Sir Walter''' (foaled 1890 in [[California]]) was an outstanding American [[Thoroughbred]] [[Horse racing|racehorse]] known for his gritty determination which saw him win a number of races by a matter of inches.

==Background== Sir Walter was bred by [[James Ben Ali Haggin]] at his [[Rancho Del Paso]] near [[Sacramento, California]] who had imported his sire, Midlothian, from [[Great Britain]]. His dam was La Scala, a daughter of the important [[Nevada]]/California sire, [[Joe Hooker (horse)|Joe Hooker]].<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=http://www.tbheritage.com/Portraits/JoeHooker.html|title=Joe Hooker|first=Patricia Erigero Thoroughbred|last=Heritage|website=www.tbheritage.com|access-date=2009-03-20|archive-date=2009-05-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090530162434/http://www.tbheritage.com/Portraits/JoeHooker.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Sir Walter was purchased as a yearling by the Oneck Stable of [[Harry K. Knapp]] and his brother, Dr. Gideon Lee Knapp, who raced him throughout his career. He was trained by [[Walter C. Rollins|Walter Rollins]], about whom the ''[[New York Times]]'' would write that he "was for thirty years one of the most successful trainers of thoroughbred racers in America."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9C0CE5DC1F3EE233A2575AC1A9679C946997D6CF|title=WALTER C. ROLLINS SHOOTS HIMSELF; One of the Best-Known Horsemen in the Country and Grew Rich as a Trainer. OWNED THE RACER HERBERT Trained General Monroe, Winner of the First Suburban Handicap -- Grieved Over Wife's Death.|date=19 January 1908 |publisher=|access-date=2017-02-12|archive-date=2016-03-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304200606/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9C0CE5DC1F3EE233A2575AC1A9679C946997D6CF|url-status=live}}</ref>

The decade of the 1890s was a time in American Thoroughbred racing when the [[Kentucky Derby]] had lost much of its earlier importance and was often drawing a field of just three or four horses. Although there were important races in the state of [[Maryland]], it was the [[New York (state)|New York]]/[[New Jersey]] circuit which attracted the best horses from across the United States and the [[Metropolitan Handicap|Metropolitan]], [[Brooklyn Handicap|Brooklyn]] and [[Suburban Handicap]]s were among the top events of the racing season. There were also a number of significant stakes and handicaps on the New York racing calendar at what are today long defunct racing venues such as [[Morris Park Racecourse]], [[Sheepshead Bay Race Track]] and [[Gravesend Race Track]]. In addition to his [[Brooklyn Handicap]] victory, Sir Walter won numerous important races which are now all but forgotten as a result of those track's closure in the early 1900s. His racing career was such that on his retirement in 1898, the ''New York Times'' called Sir Walter a "great race horse."

==Racing career== In his first few years of racing, Sir Walter was most often ridden by jockey [[Samuel Doggett]]. As a two-year-old, the [[Colt (horse)|colt]] won five of his eight starts and at age three won nine of twenty outings and notably running third in the 1893 [[Withers Stakes]] and fourth in the 1893 [[Lawrence Realization Stakes|Realization Stakes]]. At four, he won thirteen of twenty-two starts and was second in the [[Manhattan Handicap]]. At ages five and six he won just three times but most significantly was ridden to victory by [[Fred Taral]] in the 1896 [[Brooklyn Handicap]].

Already having beaten [[James R. Keene|Keene Stables']] great [[American Horse of the Year|Champion]], [[Domino (horse)|Domino]], on October 29, 1897, a seven-year-old Sir Walter beat the four-year-old [[Hastings (horse)|Hastings]] in a handicap race at Morris Park Racetrack.

At age eight, Sir Walter returned to racing but was retired in early July 1898. However, before long he returned to the track and won three more races in September and October.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9904E6D7143CE433A25751C1A9669D94699ED7CF|title=THE MORRIS PARK RACES; Sir Walter Added Another to His Long List of Close Victories. BRIAR SWEET ALSO A WINNER She Led All the Way, but When Bangle Became Dangerous Maher Sent Her Along Under the Whip.|date=1898 |publisher=|access-date=2017-02-12|archive-date=2016-03-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304072255/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9904E6D7143CE433A25751C1A9669D94699ED7CF|url-status=live}}</ref> His career record stood as follows: {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Age ! Starts ! 1st ! 2nd ! 3rd |- |'''1892''' |2 |8 |5 |0 |1 |- |'''1893''' |3 |20 |9 |4 |4 |- |'''1894''' |4 |22 |13 |5 |2 |- |'''1895''' |5 |12 |1 |5 |4 |- |'''1896''' |6 |7 |2 |0 |3 |- |'''1897''' |7 |17 |5 |5 |1 |- |'''1898''' |8 |not found |3 |nf |nf |- |}

==Stud record== In 1899, Sir Walter's owner planned to race him again but he fell ill and in September the decision was made to retire him. He was sent to stand at [[stud (animal)|stud]] at [[Hal Price Headley|Hal Price Headley's]] Beaumont Farm in [[Lexington, Kentucky]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1899/09/29/105972453.pdf |title=Sir Walter back in Kentucky |date=September 29, 1899 |website=timesmachine.nytimes.com |access-date=June 14, 2018 |archive-date=January 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230104142352/https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1899/09/29/105972453.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> According to [[Thoroughbred Heritage]], he was moderately successful as a stallion.<ref name="auto"/>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.pedigreequery.com/sir+walter6 Sir Walter's pedigree and partial racing stats] * [http://www.tbheritage.com/Portraits/JoeHooker.html Sir Walter information at ''Thoroughbred Heritage''] * [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E00EFD61331E533A65756C0A9609C94679ED7CF June 5, 1896 ''New York Times'' article on Sir Walter's win in the Brooklyn Handicap] * [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9A00E3DB1139E433A25750C0A9619C94699ED7CF July 3, 1898 ''New York Times'' article on the retirement from racing of Sir Walter] * [http://gallery.pictopia.com/bloodhorse/gallery/53616/photo/bloodhorse:5582877/?o=19 Photo of Sir Walter and jockey Samuel Doggett]

[[Category:1890 racehorse births]] [[Category:Racehorses bred in California]] [[Category:Racehorses trained in the United States]] [[Category:Thoroughbred family 4-r]]