Royal Tourist (1905–1909) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the American Classic Preakness Stakes in 1908 and who later that year set a World Record time in winning the Winters Handicap at Emeryville Race Track in Oakland, California.

Royal Tourist
SireSandringham
GrandsireSt. Simon
DamLeisure
DamsireMeddler
SexStallion
Foaled1905
CountryUnited States
ColorBay
BreederHarry Payne Whitney
Owner1) Harry Payne Whitney
2) Charles R. Ellison
3) H. Guy Bedwell
4) G. F. Calmbach
Trainer1) John W. Rogers
2) A. Jack Joyner
EarningsUS$ not found
Major wins
Autumn Stakes (1907)
Oakdale Handicap (1907)
Loantaka Stakes (1908)
Winters Handicap (1908)

American Classics wins:
Preakness Stakes (1908)

Background

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Bred and raced by Harry Payne Whitney, Royal Tourist's sire was the unraced British import, Sandringham, a son of the outstanding runner and nine-time Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland, St. Simon. His dam was Leisure, who was also the dam of the 1914 Preakness Stakes winner, Holiday. Leisure's sire was Meddler, the leading sire in North America in 1904 and 1906.[1]

Racing career

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Racing at age two under trainer John Rogers, on September 10, 1907 Royal Tourist earned his first win in the Autumn Stakes at Sheepshead Bay Race Track with a stakes record time of 1:11 flat for six furlongs.[2] He went on that year to win the Oakdale Handicap at Aqueduct Racetrack. As a three-year-old in 1908, Royal Tourist's race conditioning was handled by Jack Joyner who took over as trainer of the Whitney racing stable on the death of John Rogers in February. In the pre U.S. Triple Crown era, Royal Tourist was not entered in the Kentucky Derby but on June 2, 1908, under jockey Eddie Dugan, he won what is now the second leg of the Triple Crown series, the Preakness Stakes,[3] contested at the time at a distance of 11/16 miles at Gravesend Race Track.

Harry Whitney sold Royal Tourist in the early fall of 1908 to Chicagoan Charles R. Ellison. The owner of a number of successful horses, Ellison had won the 1903 Kentucky Derby with Judge Himes and finished second in 1906 with the very good filly, Lady Navarre. Ellison sent Royal Tourist to race in California where in November he set a new World Record of 1:44 1/5 for 11/16 miles on dirt in the Winters Handicap at Emeryville Race Track in Oakland, California.[4] The colt wintered in California and continued to race there in 1909.

Royal Tourist died of a fever while still in training at the Hamilton (Ont.) racetrack stables on September 27, 1909.[5]

Pedigree

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Pedigree of Royal Tourist (USA), bay stallion, 1905
Sire
Sandringham (GB)
1896
St Simon (GB)
1881
Galopin Vedette
Flying Duchess
St Angela King Tom
Adeline
Perdita (GB)
1881
Hampton Lord Clifden
Lady Langden
Hermione Young Melbourne
La Belle Helene
Dam
Leisure (USA)
1900
Meddler (GB)
1890
St. Gatien The Rover
Saint Editha
Busybody Petrarch
Spinaway
Yorkville Belle (USA)
1889
Miser Australian (GB)
Aerolite
Thora Longfellow
Susan Ann

References

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  1. ^ "Royal Tourist pedigree". equineline.com. 2012-05-08. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
  2. ^ "ROYAL TOURIST'S AUTUMN STAKES". New York Times. 2012-06-10. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
  3. ^ "ROYAL TOURIST LED ALL THE WAY". New York Times. 2012-06-10. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
  4. ^ "NEW WORLD'S TURF RECORD". New York Times. 2012-06-10. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
  5. ^ "The San Francisco call. (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, October 02, 1909, Page 19, Image 19 -". Chronicling America (The Library of Congress). Retrieved 2012-08-04.