Stymie

Stymie was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Stymie was bred by Max Hirsch, and was born on King Ranch, in Texas.

As a young horse, Stymie possessed so terrible a disposition that his ability to race was hampered; his trainer did not see much in him. Therefore, two of Stymie's first three starts were claiming races.

On June 2, 1943, Stymie was bought by Hirsch Jacobs, one of the time's leading trainers. Jacobs bagged the horse for $1,500 for his wife Ethel Jacobs.

Stymie was to race ten more times before being led to the winner's circle. However, even then his racing record was still unimpressive; seven wins out of fifty starts.

Racing Career and Wins

At age two, Stymie lost every race he ran save one. The best he could do in better company at two was place in the Ardsley Handicap and show in the Thomas K. Lynch Memorial Handicap. He also lost most of his three-year-old races. At three, he came in second in the Wood Memorial Stakes, and third in the Gallant Fox Handicap, Westchester Handicap, Riggs Handicap, Pimlico Cup Handicap, Flamingo Stakes, and the Shevlin Stakes.

In 1945, the US government shut down racing for four months. Stymie, meanwhile, enjoyed a seven month rest, which did infinite good to him. As the ban was lifted from the racetracks, he reappeared eager and refreshed.

Stymie won the Brooklyn Handicap, Butler Handicap, Westchester Handicap, Pimlico Cup Handicap, Riggs Handicap, Saratoga Cup, Continental Handicap, Grey Lag Handicap, came in second in the Suburban Handicap, the Queens County Handicap and Yonkers Handicap, and third in the Pimlico Special, Jockey Club Gold Cup, Merchants' and Citizens' Handicap, and the Whitney Stakes. At age five, he won the Gallant Fox Handicap (beating the winner of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, Assault), New York Handicap, Grey Lag Handicap, Manhattan Handicap, Edgemere Handicap, Whitney Stakes, and the Saratoga Cup, placed in the Brooklyn Handicap, Dixie Handicap, Jockey Club Gold Cup, Monmouth Handicap, and the Pimlico Special, and showed in the Suburban Handicap, Butler Handicap, Saratoga Handicap and Sussex Handicap. At six years of age, Stymie won the Gold Cup, Gallant Fox Handicap, Massachusetts Handicap, Aqueduct Handicap, Metropolitan Handicap, Sussex Handicap, Questionnaire Handicap, placed in the Brooklyn Handicap, Butler Handicap, Edgemere Handicap, Manhattan Handicap, and Queens County Handicap, and came home third in the Jockey Club Gold Cup and Whitney Stakes. When he was seven, he won the Aqueduct Handicap, Metropolitan Handicap, Sussex Handicap, took second in the Suburban Handicap, Dixie Handicap, Queens County Handicap, and third in the Brooklyn Handicap and Excelsior Handicap. In his last year at eight, he was second in the New York Handicap.

In 1947, His racing career came to an abrupt end in the Monmouth Handicap when he suffered a fractured a sesamoid bone in his right forefoot.

Career Starts and Wins

Out of 131 lifetime starts, he won 35, placed in 33, and showed in 28. Stymie's career winnings added up to $918,485. That made him, at the time, the richest race horse in America. At Suffolk Downs on July 7, 1947, Stymie became the first horse ever to eclipse the $700,000 earnings mark. Stymie was so heavily bet that a minus show pool of $25,887 was created that day, and the tote board briefly, jammed due to the flood of money wagered on him.

Legacy

A grandson of Equipoise and inbred to Man O' War, in 1975, he was elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. In the Blood-Horse magazine ranking of the top 100 U.S. thoroughbred champions of the 20th Century, Stymie is ranked #41.

Jacobs, who died in 1970, was elected as a trainer to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1958. He and his wife named their Sparks, Maryland breeding operation Stymie Manor.

Stymie died in 1962.