Water Pearl

American Thoroughbred racehorse

Water Pearl

Sire| Watercress
Grandsire| Springfield
Dam| Pearl V.
Damsire| Salvator
Sex| Stallion
Foaled| 1904
Country| United States
Color| Chestnut
Breeder| James B. A. Haggin
Owner| Sydney Paget
Sydney Paget & Edward R. Thomas (1906-07-10)
Trainer| A. Jack Joyner
Record| 10: 5-2-0
Earnings| US$42,560
Major wins
Double Event Stakes (1906)
Eclipse Stakes (1906)
Great American Stakes (1906)
Tremont Stakes (1909)

Water Pearl (1904 - 1907) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse that won four important stakes races as a two-year-old in 1906 but whose promising career came to an end when he died from an illness on March 10, 1907, in his stall at Sheepshead Bay Race Track.

## Background

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Water Pearl was a well bred colt sired by the English stallion Watercress, a winner of top races including the 1892 Prince of Wales's Stakes and the 1893 Hardwicke Stakes for trainer John Porter. Watercress was purchased by the prominent American horseman James B. A. Haggin who brought him to the United States in 1894 to stand at his breeding operations in California and later in Kentucky.[1] Among his other progeny, Watercress sired the 1903 U.S. Champion Older Male Horse Waterboy who set a World Record of 2:03 1/5 for 1+1⁄4 miles on dirt in the Brighton Handicap.[2]

Springfield was the sire of Watercress.[3] He was a successful runner in England who won 14 consecutive races and at stud would become the grandsire of two English Triple Crown winners: Galtee More and Rock Sand, the latter brought to the United States where he became the grandsire of the legendary Man o' War.[4]

Water Pearl's dam was Pearl V., a daughter of Salvator who was a two-time American Horse of the Year and U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee.[5] Pearl V.'s dam was the great Firenze, a four-time National Champion racemare and a Hall of Fame inductee.[6]

## Racing career

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Race conditioned by future Hall of Fame trainer Jack Joyner, Water Pearl made his first start on May 16, 1906, at Belmont Park, finishing unplaced. He won his next start in a Belmont purse race on May 28. He then won that track's June 6 Eclipse Stakes and followed up with two wins at Gravesend Race Track, taking the Great American Stakes and the Tremont Stakes.[7] He then ran second to Ballot in Part 1 of the Double Event Stakes.[8]

On July 10, 1906, New York businessman Edward R. Thomas paid Sidney Paget $50,000 for a half-interest in Water Pearl and another successful two-year-old, Paget's very speedy Charles Edward.[9] The next day the new racing partnership watched Water Pearl win Part 2 of the Double Event Stakes.[10] In his next outing on June 30 Water Pearl ran second to Oran in the Great Trial Stakes with Ballot in third.[11] Oran was a horse that Water Pearl had defeated in winning Part 2 of the Double Event Stakes.[10]

Illness then kept Water Pearl from racing and he did not run in the rich Belmont Futurity Stakes at Sheepshead Bay.[12] In early September his trainer reported he was training satisfactorily after returning from the long layoff.[13] On his return to racing, Water Pearl ran unplaced in two outings and was returned to rest until the racing beginning of the 1907 racing season.[7]

Three-year-old Water Pearl did not return to racing and died from acute inflammation of the bowels on March 10, 1907.[14]

## Pedigree

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Pedigree of Water Pearl, chestnut colt, 1904  Sire
Watercress  | Springfield | St. Albans  | Stockwell

|
|
|

Bribery
Viridis  | Marsyas
Maid of Palmyra
Wharfedale  | Hermit | Newminster
Seclusion
Bonnie Doon  | Rapid Rhone
Queen Mary
Dam
Pearl V.  | Salvator | Prince Charlie  | Blair Athol
Eastern Princess
Salina  | Lexington
Lightsome
Firenze | Glenelg | Citadel
Babta
Florida  | Virgil
Florence (family: 10-c)

## References

[edit]

* Horses portal
* Sports portal

1. ^ "Famous Thoroughbreds at Elmendorf Stud; Watercress, Waterboy, and McChesney Among the Sires". New York Times, page 5. 1905-12-25. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
2. ^ "Waterboy in 203 1-5". Indianapolis Journal, Volume 53, Number 190. 1903-07-09. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
3. ^ Erigero, Patricia. "Springfield". Thoroughbred Heritage. Thoroughbred Heritage. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
4. ^ Morris, Simon; Tesio Power 2000 - Stallions of the World, Syntax Software
5. ^ "Salvator". National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. 1988-01-01. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
6. ^ "Firenze | National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame". www.racingmuseum.org. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
7. ^ a b "Five Leading Two-Year-Olds". Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives. 1906-11-22. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
8. ^ "Condensed History of the Double Event (First Half)". Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives. 1907-06-21. Retrieved 2020-08-02.
9. ^ "Crack Two-Year-Olds Sold". New York Times, page 8. 1906-07-11. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
10. ^ a b "Accountant Wins The Realization". Los Angeles Herald, Volume 33, Number 284. 1906-07-11. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
11. ^ "Flip Flap a Winner". Newport News Daily Press, (Library of Virginia). 1906-07-01. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
12. ^ "Notes of the Turf". Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives. 1906-08-23. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
13. ^ "Notes of the Turf". Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives. 1906-09-07. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
14. ^ "Water Pearl Dies at the Bay". Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives. 1907-03-12. Retrieved 2020-11-12.