Baden-Baden (horse)

Thoroughbred racehorse infobox
horsename = Baden-Baden


caption =
sire = Australian
grandsire = West Australian
dam = Lavender
damsire = Wagner
sex = Stallion
foaled = 1874
country = United States flagicon|USA
colour = Chestnut
breeder = A.J. Alexander
owner = Daniel Swigert
William B.Astor, Jr.
trainer = Edward D. Brown
record = 10: 4-3-1
earnings = $12,425
race = Young America Stakes (1876)
Jersey Derby (1877)
Travers Stakes (1877)
American Classic Race wins:
Kentucky Derby (1877)
awards=
honours =
updated= May 16, 2007

Baden-Baden (1874-1877) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 1877 Kentucky Derby. He was bred by A. J. Alexander at his renowned Woodburn Stud in Woodford County, Kentucky. Sired by Australian and out of the Mare Lavender, his damsire was West Australian who in 1853 became the first horse to win the English Triple Crown.

Baden-Baden was purchased at Woodburn's yearling sale by another prominent Kentucky horseman, Daniel Swigert of Elmendorf Farm. He was trained by future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee, Edward D. Brown, and in his debut race, jockey William Walker rode him to victory in the fledgling Kentucky Derby. He was then sold for a considerable profit to the extremely wealthy New York businessman, William Backhouse Astor, Jr.

1877 Kentucky Derby

The day was bright and sunny, and the track, though dry, was not in the best shape. It had more than an occasional pockmark from an assault by recent rains. Delays occurred as they tried to line up the horses evenly, with various horses acting up, but when they were even, the flag plunged, the drum roll sounded, and the crowd bellowed: "They're off!"

There was an immediate near disaster, Vera Cruz, the horse Isaac Murphy was on, reared, then stumbled, and it took all the young but masterful Murphy could do to right it. However, by the time he did, there was a lot of track between him and the other horses. It seemed obvious to the crowd that Murphy was out of the race. But not so fast.

Most of the horses, except for Vera Cruz and a couple of others, were bunched together in one of those scary, fast-moving clusters where everyone had to do the exact right thing or risk disaster. Then, gradually, the cluster started to break up, with horses dropping back or going ahead of the pack, and soon Robert Swim on Leonard broke into the lead.

Positions remained that way until the backstretch, when Baden-Baden, who had been in fourth place, started getting closer to closer to Leonard, the crowd noise rising in volume as he did. At the three-quarter-mile pole, the bobbling nose of Baden-Baden moved past Leonard just as they turned into the stretch, and they pounded down it together, Baden-Baden maintaining his lead.

Murphy was known for coming from way behind to win, and that was what he tried here. He had commenced his drive well before the stretch, and with the crowd cheering him on, he started to pass one horse after another until soon only Baden-Baden and Leonard were ahead of him, and he was closing. But on this day his mount didn't have enough, and he eventually finished fourth, with Baden-Baden grabbing the win and Leonard behind him. The time for the mile-and-a-half run was 2:38, quite unremarkable.

After The Derby

Racing for Astor at New York area tracks, Baden-Baden finished third in the Belmont Stakes then later won what was at the time one of the most prestigious races in the United States, the Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. Baden-Baden made his last start in the Kenner Stakes at three, in which he broke a sesamoid bone. Because there are no records of any offspring, it is believed the injury resulted in the colt being euthanized.

References

* [http://www.pedigreequery.com/baden-baden Baden-Baden's pedigree and racing stats]
* [http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2006/derby_history/derby_charts/years/1877.html Baden-Baden's Kentucky Derby charts]
* [http://www.tbcprojects.com/career.php?search=915 Baden-Baden's offspring at the Triple Crown database by Kathleen Irwin and Joy Reeves]