X – #1 – Round Table – horseracing20thcentury99.com

Top Ten Turf Males Twentieth Century

#1

Round Table

(1956 - 1959)

Round Table, who was bred at Claiborne Farm in Kentucky, at one point in his career won an incredible 19 0f 20 starts while racing on both dirt and turf. This son of Princequillo x Knight’s Daughter was voted America’s top turf horse three years in a row, 1957, 1958, and 1959.

Photo: J.C. Meadors Collection – Keeneland Library

PEDIGREE

Bay C

OWNER

A.B. Hancock/Travis Kerr

TRAINER

Moody Jolley/William Molter

BREEDER

Claiborne

Some Facts

Round Table was foaled at Claiborne Farm on April 6th, 1954, at 8:15 a.m. Ironically, the great Bold Ruler was born at Claiborne on the same night and in the same barn eight hours earlier at 1:15 a.m. What are the odds that two of America’s greatest-ever horses would be foaled in the same year, in the same barn, on the same night, and both would eventually be crowned Horse of the Year in consecutive years – Bold Ruler won it in 1957 and Round Table in 1958? They were both part of the fabulous three-year-old crop of 1957, which many consider the best ever, a crop that included the ill-fated Gen. Duke and his Calumet Farm stablemate and Kentucky Derby winner Iron Liege, Belmont Stakes winner Gallant Man, Clem, Promised Land, Federal Hill, Cohoes, and Vertex.
Round Table was sired by Irish-bred Princequillo, who would eventually be classified Chef-de-Race in both the Dominant and Solid Princequillo, though bred to run on turf, never raced in Great Britain and was imported to America in 1941 while still a yearling. Not showing much as a two-year-old, he was entered in a $2,500 claiming race and was promptly haltered by Horatio Luro to race in the colors of Boone Hill Racing Stable. Luro, one of the sport’s best trainers and who would eventually train the great Northern Dancer, worked wonders with Princequillo. During the next two years, the colt would show his prowess on dirt, winning five important stakes: the 9.5-furlong Merchants and Citizens Handicap, ten-furlong Saratoga Handicap, ten-furlong Whitney Stakes, thirteen-furlong Questionnaire Handicap, and the two-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup. The authority with which Princequillo won these races and his ability to handle long distances would lead to his being considered one of America’s greatest long-distance runners, on a par with Exterminator and Kelso.
After his racing career, Princequillo was sold to Arthur Hancock and stood at his Claiborne Farm. He was the leading sire in North America in 1957 and 1958 and was the leading broodmare sire ten times in North America and once in Great Britain. At stud, Princequillo proved to be a very influential stallion and is considered the most important large heart producer. Among his progeny are Mill Reef, Fort Marcy, and High Echelon. His descendants include Secretariat, Seattle Slew, A. P. Indy, Cigar, California Chrome, American Pharoah, and Zenyatta. Round Table was the stallion’s greatest money earner, winning a total of $1,749,869, a North American record.
Round Table was foaled by British-bred Knight’s Daughter, who was bred by Queen Elizabeth II’s father, King George VI. Knight’s Daughter was sired by Sir Cosmo, which won stakes at six and twelve furlongs, and she was produced by Feola, a daughter of Friar Marcus, who was best when running in sprints. Knight’s Daughter started four times and won three but never competed in stake races.
Round Table was a small horse standing at just 15.2 hands compared to Bold Ruler’s 16. 2 ½ hands. Despite his small stature, he became one of the sport’s great weight carriers, toting 130 or more pounds in twenty-five of his sixty-six career starts, which included nine of his sixteen career starts on turf. He won seventeen of them.
The highest weight Round Table ever carried was 136 pounds in the 9.5-furlong United Nations Handicap in 1959, which he won by 1-1/4 lengths over Noureddin, who carried just 117. This was the most weight ever carried by a winner of this race.
Round Table raced as a two-year-old under the ownership of Arthur Hancock and was trained by Moody Jolley. After his second start at three, both of which he lost and finished well out of the money, Hancock sold a majority interest in him to Oklahoma oilman Travis Kerr on February 9th, 1957, for $145,000, with an agreement that Hancock would retain twenty percent of whatever the colt earned at stud (he would also stand at Claiborne). This sale actually saved the farm, which was in financial difficulty due to a lower-than-expected cash flow and the eventual estate taxes that would be owed upon the death of Arthur Hancock’s father, Bull Hancock, who died on April 7^th that year.
After Mr. Kerr took ownership, Moody Jolley was retained to train him for one start, a six-length victory in a seven-furlong allowance at Hialeah in February. After that, William Molter assumed the colt’s training duties for the balance of his career.
Round Table made his first twenty-four career starts on dirt. He won the last five, all stakes, including the 1957 Hollywood Gold Cup over multiple stake winners Porterhouse and Find. His twenty-fifth start, and first on turf, was in an exhibition allowance race at Washington Park. He took to turf immediately and won his first eight starts, including five stakes.
Round Table made sixteen career starts on turf (in both stakes and non-stakes events) and won fourteen with one second-place finish. In his only out-of-the-money finish, the 1959 Washington’s Birthday Handicap, he suffered a foot injury and finished last, the injury keeping him out of action for four months.
Round Table carried 130 pounds or more nine times in stakes races on the turf and lost just once (the 1959 Washington’s Birthday Handicap). He set or tied four track records on turf: Arlington Park – Laurance Armour Handicap 9-F in 1:48 2/5, 130 lbs.; Santa Anita – San Marcos Handicap 10F in 1:58 2/5, 132 lbs.; Washington Park – Stars & Stripes Handicap 9F in 1:47 1/5, 132 lbs.; Arlington Park – Arlington Handicap 9.5-F in 1:53 2/5, 132 lbs.
In his lone second-place finish on turf, Round Table lost by a diminishing half-length to Clem in the 1958 United Nations Handicap. In a losing effort, he still managed to better the Atlantic City track record by a full second.
To show his versatility, Round Table tied Swaps’ ten-furlong track record on dirt at Hollywood Park when he won the Hollywood Gold Cup in 1:58 3/5, making him the fastest three-year-old at the distance.
Racing on both dirt and turf, Round Table won ten races in a row in 1957 (seven in stakes), finished third in the Trenton Handicap to Bold Ruler and Gallant Man, then won eight in a row (seven in stakes), carrying over into 1958.
Round Table was named champion turf horse three times, tying for second most with Fort Marcy and one less than John Henry. He is the only horse (either sex) to be voted this honor for three consecutive years.
He retired with record earnings of $1,749,869, making him the third horse, behind only Citation and Nashua, to surpass $1 million in career earnings. He started sixty-six times and had a 43-8-5 record.
When Round Table and Bold Ruler retired, they occupied stalls directly across from each other and had adjoining paddocks.
Although Round Table was not as successful at stud as Bold Ruler, still managed to sire eighty-three stake winners and was the leading sire in America in 1972. He was considered a kind horse who loved treats, especially carrots. He lived to an advanced age of thirty-three and died on June 13th, 1987. He is buried in the equine cemetery at Claiborne Farm.