Polynesian (horse)

American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Polynesian

Sire| Unbreakable
Grandsire| Sickle
Dam| Black Polly
Damsire| Polymelian
Sex| Stallion
Foaled| 8 March 1942
Country| United States
Colour| Brown
Breeder| Elmendorf Farm
Owner| Gertrude T. Widener
Trainer| Morris H. Dixon
Record| 58: 27-10-10
Earnings| $310,410
Major wins
Withers Stakes (1945)
Riggs Handicap (1946)
Roseben Handicap (1946)
Toboggan Handicap (1946)
Scarsdale Handicap (1946)
Long Branch Handicap (1947)
Camden Handicap (1947)
Oceanport Handicap (1947)

American Classic Race wins:
Preakness Stakes (1945)

Awards
American Champion Sprint Horse (1947)

Polynesian (March 8, 1942 – December 29, 1959) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse and sire.

## Background

[edit]

He was owned by Gertrude T. Widener, of the prominent Widener family of Philadelphia, and bred by her father-in-law Joseph E. Widener at his Elmendorf Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. He was trained by Morris H. Dixon.[1]

## Racing career

[edit]

### 1944: two-year-old season

[edit]

At age two, Polynesian lost his first three races, then bucked his shins.

### 1945: three-year-old season

[edit]

Back in training at age three, Polynesian won five of his next seven starts, one of which was a division of the Sagamore Stakes. In the Experimental Free Handicap he came in third to Jeep and Greek Warrior, and fourth in a division of the Wood Memorial won by Hoop Jr. He skipped the Kentucky Derby (won by Hoop Jr.), instead competing in one mile Withers Stakes where he defeated Pavot. Polynesian then took the mile and three sixteenths second leg of the U.S. Triple Crown series, the Preakness Stakes, in a front running victory.[2] Because of its demanding one and a half miles, Polynesian was not entered in the third leg of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes. Later that year he won the Saranac Handicap.

### Later career

[edit]

Polynesian developed into a champion sprinter, winning a number of important sprint races in 1946 and in 1947 and was named the U.S. Champion Sprint Horse.[3] In his last year of racing, he went through a streak of five wins, 10 seconds, and 10 thirds.

## Stud career

[edit]

Retired to stud duty, Polynesian sired 37 stakes winners including one of the greatest horses in American racing history, Native Dancer. Some of Polynesian's offspring were:

Foaled  | Name  | Sex  | Major Wins/Achievements

|
|
|

1950  | Imbros | Stallion  |
1950  | Native Dancer | Stallion  | Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes
1951  | Banquet Bell  | Mare  | Dam of Chateaugay and Primonetta
1953  | Polly's Jet  | Stallion  |
1954  | Alanesian | Mare  | Dam of Boldnesian
1954  | Barbizon  | Stallion  | American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt (1956)

At age seventeen, Polynesian Died on December 29, 1959, from colic and was buried at Gallaher Farm in Lexington, Kentucky.

## Breeding

[edit]

Pedigree of Polynesian  Sire
Unbreakable

black 1935

| Sickle

brown 1924

| Phalaris | Polymelus

|
|
|

Bromus
Selene | Chaucer
Serenissima
Blue Grass

bay 1917

| Prince Palatine | Persimmon
Lady Lightfoot
Hour Glass  | Rock Sand
Hautesse
Dam
Black Polly

bay 1936

| Polymelian

ch. 1914

| Polymelus | Cyllene
Maid Marian
Pasquita  | Sundridge
Pasquil
Black Queen

drk.brn. 1930

| Pompey | Sun Briar
Cleopatra
Black Maria  | Black Toney
Bird Loose (Family 14-a)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Philadelphia Inquirer: Search Results". nl.newsbank.com.
2. ^ "St. Petersburg Times - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
3. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-09-04. Retrieved 2009-11-25.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

* Polynesian's pedigree and partial racing stats

* v
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Preakness Stakes winners

* 1873 Survivor
* 1874 Culpepper
* 1875 Tom Ochiltree
* 1876 Shirley
* 1877 Cloverbrook
* 1878 Duke of Magenta
* 1879 Harold
* 1880 Grenada
* 1881 Saunterer
* 1882 Vanguard
* 1883 Jacobus
* 1884 Knight of Ellerslie
* 1885 Tecumseh
* 1886 The Bard
* 1887 Dunboyne
* 1888 Refund
* 1889 Buddhist
* 1890 Montague
* 1894 Assignee
* 1895 Belmar
* 1896 Margrave
* 1897 Paul Kauvar
* 1898 Sly Fox
* 1899 Half Time
* 1900 Hindus
* 1901 The Parader
* 1902 Old England
* 1903 Flocarline ♥
* 1904 Bryn Mawr
* 1905 Cairngorm
* 1906 Whimsical ♥
* 1907 Don Enrique
* 1908 Royal Tourist
* 1909 Effendi
* 1910 Layminster
* 1911 Watervale
* 1912 Colonel Holloway
* 1913 Buskin
* 1914 Holiday
* 1915 Rhine Maiden ♥
* 1916 Damrosch
* 1917 Kalitan
* 1918 War Cloud
* 1918 Jack Hare Jr.
* 1919 Sir Barton ₩
* 1920 Man o' War
* 1921 Broomspun
* 1922 Pillory
* 1923 Vigil
* 1924 Nellie Morse ♥
* 1925 Coventry
* 1926 Display
* 1927 Bostonian
* 1928 Victorian
* 1929 Dr. Freeland
* 1930 Gallant Fox ₩
* 1931 Mate
* 1932 Burgoo King
* 1933 Head Play
* 1934 High Quest
* 1935 Omaha ₩
* 1936 Bold Venture
* 1937 War Admiral ₩
* 1938 Dauber
* 1939 Challedon
* 1940 Bimelech
* 1941 Whirlaway ₩
* 1942 Alsab
* 1943 Count Fleet ₩
* 1944 Pensive
* 1945 Polynesian
* 1946 Assault ₩
* 1947 Faultless
* 1948 Citation ₩
* 1949 Capot
* 1950 Hill Prince
* 1951 Bold
* 1952 Blue Man
* 1953 Native Dancer
* 1954 Hasty Road
* 1955 Nashua
* 1956 Fabius
* 1957 Bold Ruler
* 1958 Tim Tam
* 1959 Royal Orbit
* 1960 Bally Ache
* 1961 Carry Back
* 1962 Greek Money
* 1963 Candy Spots
* 1964 Northern Dancer
* 1965 Tom Rolfe
* 1966 Kauai King
* 1967 Damascus
* 1968 Forward Pass
* 1969 Majestic Prince
* 1970 Personality
* 1971 Canonero II
* 1972 Bee Bee Bee
* 1973 Secretariat ₩
* 1974 Little Current
* 1975 Master Derby
* 1976 Elocutionist
* 1977 Seattle Slew ₩
* 1978 Affirmed ₩
* 1979 Spectacular Bid
* 1980 Codex
* 1981 Pleasant Colony
* 1982 Aloma's Ruler
* 1983 Deputed Testamony
* 1984 Gate Dancer
* 1985 Tank's Prospect
* 1986 Snow Chief
* 1987 Alysheba
* 1988 Risen Star
* 1989 Sunday Silence
* 1990 Summer Squall
* 1991 Hansel
* 1992 Pine Bluff
* 1993 Prairie Bayou
* 1994 Tabasco Cat
* 1995 Timber Country
* 1996 Louis Quatorze
* 1997 Silver Charm
* 1998 Real Quiet
* 1999 Charismatic
* 2000 Red Bullet
* 2001 Point Given
* 2002 War Emblem
* 2003 Funny Cide
* 2004 Smarty Jones
* 2005 Afleet Alex
* 2006 Bernardini
* 2007 Curlin
* 2008 Big Brown
* 2009 Rachel Alexandra ♥
* 2010 Lookin At Lucky
* 2011 Shackleford
* 2012 I'll Have Another
* 2013 Oxbow
* 2014 California Chrome
* 2015 American Pharoah ₩
* 2016 Exaggerator
* 2017 Cloud Computing
* 2018 Justify ₩
* 2019 War of Will
* 2020 Swiss Skydiver ♥
* 2021 Rombauer
* 2022 Early Voting
* 2023 National Treasure
* 2024 Seize the Grey
* 2025 Journalism

Legend – ₩ = Triple Crown Winners, ♥ = Filly
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