Galgo Jr.

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Galgo Jr. (March 17, 1928 – December 21, 1936) was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse that was raised and raced in Puerto Rico notable for being one of the first champions of Puerto Rico and for being the former record holder for most wins by a racehorse and joined former record holder for most wins in a single season with Jorrocks.[1]

Galgo Jr.
SireGalgo
GrandsireFair Play
DamWar Relief
DamsireGranite
SexStallion
Foaled1928
DiedDecember 21, 1936
CountryPuerto Rico
ColorBay
Record159: 137-17-1
Earnings$31,738
Major wins
Clásico Luis Muñoz Rivera (1930)
Governor's Cup (1931)
Honors
Puerto Rico Horse Racing Hall of Fame (1958)

Background

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Galgo Jr. was a bay colt named after his sire, Galgo. Galgo was originally named Check when he raced in America, but he was claimed at old Aqueduct Racetrack by Ramon Garcia in 1924. He won once in 8 starts. Once in Puerto Rico, he was renamed Galgo, the Spanish word for Greyhound, and produced multiple Puerto Rican champions like the white horse Nevado. His best offspring was Galgo Jr.[2] His grandsire was Fair Play, who sired Man o' War.[3]

Racing career

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Galgo Jr. was born on Vieques Island, and both of his parents were imported from America. Throughout his career, he raced at two racetracks in Puerto Rico: Quintana Hippodrome and Las Monjas Hippodrome.[1] His first race (and victory) came on July 17, 1930, in the Clásico Luis Muñoz Rivera.[4] In the race, he set a stakes record running the 6-furlong race in 1:19.00 — at the time, the record was hard to break (Sirena broke it 9 years later with the time of 1:18.60). By the end of his two-year-old season, he had racked up 21 wins in 22 starts. His three-year-old season, however, was by far his best. His wins included the Governor's Cup, the second jewel of the Puerto Rican Triple Crown. [5] At his peak he won 39 straight races, which at the time was a record. However, in the latter half of the 1930s, Cofresi reset the record with 49 straight victories.[6] but, in 1931, he tied a record for most wins in a single season, sharing it with the Australian "iron-gelding" Jorrocks, although other horses such as Chorsibar, Yaucano and Lenoxbar surpassed this as well. Just like in his two-year-old season, Galgo Jr. only lost a single time. By the end of his three-year-old season, he had raced 63 times, winning 61 of them.

At seven, he won 25 races. He also established other smaller winning streaks such as a 15 race, 13 race (twice), and 10 race winning streaks over the course of his career.[7] He set or equalled 16 track records at Quintana Hippodrome and Las Monjas Hippodrome that ranged from 5+12 furlongs to 9 furlongs, sometimes breaking his own records. By the end of his six-year-old season, he became the first horse in history to break 100 career wins — since then, six other horses have broken 100 victories, and three have won more races than Galgo Jr: Chorisbar, Condado, and Yaucano.

Year Starts Won Earnings
1930 22 21 $7,757
1931 31 30 $9,244
1932 28 19 $6,109
1933 16 14 $2,209
1934 21 18 $2,771
1935 29 25 $2,270
1936 11 9 $949

Later career and death

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Galgo Jr. raced well into his eight-year-old season. By the end of that year, he had racked up 9 victories in 11 starts. On December 21, 1936, while he was in his training box at Las Monjas Hippodrome, he collapsed and died of a heart attack.[1] By then, he had raced 158 times, winning 136 times, finishing second 17 times and finishing third once, with $31,738 in earnings, a record at the time.

In 1958, he one of six inaugural racehorses to be inducted into the Puerto Rico Racing Hall Of Fame, [7] alongside Camarero, Yaucono, Perla Fina, Condado, and Bachiller.

Pedigree

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Pedigree of Galgo Jr, bay colt, 1928
Sire
Galgo
1921
Fair Play
1905
Hastings
1893
Spendthrift
1873
Cinderella
1885
Fairy Gold
1896
Bend Or
1877
Dame Masham
1889
Chit Chat
1913
Rock Sand
1900
Sainfoin
1887
Chinkara
1893
Galopin
1872
Raker
1881
Dam
War Relief
1919
Granite
1908
Rockton
1897
Meddler
1890
Brown Princess
1886
Adriutha
1901
Clifford
1890
Aranza II
1895
Kopje
1912
Kroonstad
1900
Kilwarlin
1884
Sabra
1888
Gironde
1899
Clover
1886
Georgette
1887

References

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  1. ^ a b c Randall, John (1990). Horse Racing: Records, Facts, and Champions. Guinness Publishing Ltd. p. 14.
  2. ^ "Galgo Pedigree".
  3. ^ "pedigreequery Galgo Jr". pedigreequery.
  4. ^ "CLÁSICOS LUIS MUÑOZ RIVERA (1925-2016)". PUERTO RICO HIPISMO.
  5. ^ "COPA GOBERNADOR (1924-2018)". PUERTO RICO HIPISMO.
  6. ^ "LIDERES EN VICTORIAS CONSECUTIVAS". PUERTO RICO HIPISMO.
  7. ^ a b "Galgo Jr Nativas".