Meridian (horse)

American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Meridian

Meridian with R.F. Carman and jockey Archibald at 1911 Kentucky Derby.

Sire| Broomstick
Grandsire| Ben Brush
Dam| Sue Smith
Damsire| Masetto
Sex| Stallion
Foaled| 1908
Country| United States
Colour| Bay
Breeder| Charles Leonard Harrison
Owner| 1\. Charles L. Harrison
2\. Richard F. Carman
3\. William M. Garth
Trainer| Albert Ewing
Record| 66: 20-15-10
Earnings| $26,491
Major wins
National Handicap (1911)
Frontier Stakes (1911)
Washington's Birthday Handicap (1912)
Argyle Hotel Handicap (1912)
Kentucky Stakes (1912)
Excelsior Handicap (1913)
American Classics wins:
Kentucky Derby (1911)
Awards
American Champion Three-Year-Old Colt (1911)
American Horse of the Year (1911)
Last updated on March 25, 2020

Meridian (1908–1935) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 1911 Kentucky Derby, setting a new record by running 11⁄4 miles in 2 minutes, 5 seconds.[1] The previous record of 2:061⁄4 had been set by Lieut. Gibson in the 1900 Derby. Meridian was determined to be the historical Champion Three-Year Old and Horse of the Year of 1911.

## Pedigree

[edit]

Meridian was foaled at Charles L. Harrison's farm in Bellevue, Kentucky in 1908. Charles Harrison (1856–1912) was a civil engineer by trade and was a designer of the Cincinnati and Eastern Railway.[2] Meridian's dam was Sue Smith, winner of the 1905 Astoria Stakes, who was sired by the imported British stallion Masetto.[3] Meridian's sire was Broomstick, son of 1896 Kentucky Derby winner Ben Brush, who was then standing at Samuel Brown's Senorita Stock Farm in Lexington, Kentucky.

## Racing career

[edit]

Meridian won three of his 12 starts as a two-year-old, gaining third place in the 1910 Foam Stakes and second place in the Sheepshead Bay Double Event Stakes while racing for Harrison in New York.[3] Harrison had consigned the Thoroughbred to be sold in a July 1910 sale at the Sheepshead Bay Race Track but withdrew him because the bidding was not high enough. Richard Carman was also at the auction and purchased a horse called The Turk.[4]

Meridian was bought by New Yorker Richard F. Carman as a three-year-old who was eligible to run in the May 13, 1911 Kentucky Derby. Up against a field of seven horses, Meridian started from the fifth post position. A steady contender for most of the race, he was able to outrun a rapidly advancing Governor Gray to earn the win.[1] Racing opportunities were very limited for owners as a result of the Hart–Agnew anti-betting legislation that led to a complete shutdown of racing in New York State in 1911 and 1912.[5][6] As such, Carman headed north to Canada where at Hamilton, Ontario he ran second in the June 17th Hamilton Derby to the August Belmont Jr. colt Whist.[7] One week later at the same track, Meridian won the National Handicap while setting a new track record for a mile and one-eighth on dirt.[8]

Meridian continued to race until he was six years old before being retired from racing to be used as a breeding stallion by Richard Carman.

## Stud career

[edit]

Richard Carman retired Meridian to his stud farm, called Carmandale, in Silver Spring, Maryland in 1915.[9] His most notable offspring for Carman was the colt Carmandale (b. 1917, out of Daruma) who won the 1919 Whirl Stakes and Wakefield Handicap. Carmandale was a fast runner, but was injured in the Climax Handicap at Havre de Grace Race Track in Maryland on April 21, 1923[10] and had to be euthanized.[11]

Carmandale Stud was destroyed by an October 3, 1922 fire in which Carman lost 15 pregnant broodmares and 10 foals, which amounted to $95,000. Meridian, The Turk and three mares survived the fire because they were housed in a separate barn. The fire was suspected to be arson, due to Richard Carman disrupting the activities of local rum runners.[9]

Carman sold Meridian in 1923 to horse trainer William Garth, who owned Inglecrest Farm in Charlottesville, Virginia.[12] Paul Jones, the winner of the 1920 Kentucky Derby, was also owned by Garth and was kept at the farm.[13] During the late 1920s, Meridian sired Glen Wild (b. 1926), who won the Riggs Handicap and North Shore Handicap. Meridian died in 1935.[14]

Pedigree of Meridian (bay, 1908)  Sire
Broomstick
b. 1901  | Ben Brush
b. 1893  | Bramble  | Bonnie Scotland

|
|
|

Ivy Leaf
Roseville  | Reform
Albia
Elf
ch. 1893  | Galliard  | Galopin
Mavis
Sylvabelle  | Bend Or
Saint Editha
Dam
Sue Smith
ch. 1903  | Masetto
b. 1888  | St. Simon | Galopin
Saint Angela
Lady Abbess  | Cathedral
Lady Sophie
Ethel Lee
b. 1894  | Whistle Jacket  | Hermit
Fortress
Marmora  | Falsetto
Marmoset

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b New York Times. "Meridian's Kentucky Derby." May 14, 1911.
2. ^ Biographical encyclopedia of the commonwealth of Kentucky. John M. Gresham Co. Publishers, Philadelphia. 1896. pg. 102 [1]
3. ^ a b Meridian Pedigree and Racing Stats
4. ^ New York Times. "The Turk Sold for $7,600." July 5, 1910.
5. ^ "Penalties in the New York Bills". Daily Racing Form. 1908-01-18. Retrieved 2018-10-26 – via University of Kentucky Archives.
6. ^ "Race Track Bill Defeated In Senate; Measure Modifying Directors' Liability for Gambling Fails of Passage". The New York Times. July 14, 1911. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
7. ^ "Whist Is Derby Winner: Belmont Colt Leads Meridian And Governor Gray To Finish At Hamilton". Daily Racing Form. 1911-06-18. Retrieved 2020-03-25 – via University of Kentucky Archives.
8. ^ "Meridian In Grand Form: Successfully Makes Weight Concessions To Good Opponents In Hamilton Stake". Daily Racing Form. 1911-06-25. Retrieved 2020-03-25 – via University of Kentucky Archives.
9. ^ a b The Washington Post. "Fire wipes out Carmandale farm." October 3, 1922.
10. ^ The Washington Post. "Results at Havre de Grace." April 22, 1923.
11. ^ The Washington Post. "Along the Rail with Harry Stringer." March 20, 1924.
12. ^ "Garth buys sire Meridian". Daily Racing Form. February 5, 1923. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
13. ^ Daily Racing Form. "1920 Derby Winner Dead." May 7, 1930.
14. ^ The American Stud Book. The Jockey Club. 1940. p. 979.

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Kentucky Derby winners

* 1875 Aristides
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* 1913 Donerail
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Legend – ₩ = Triple Crown winners, ♥ = Filly

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American Horse of the Year winners

DRF denotes Daily Racing Form, TSD denotes Turf & Sports Digest, and TRA denotes Thoroughbred Racing Associations

The Blood-Horse
retrospective winners
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