Calumet Farm is a 762 acre (3.1 km²)
ThoroughbredThe Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word "thoroughbred" is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
breeding and training farm established in 1924 in
Lexington, KentuckyLexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 65th largest in the United States. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by William Monroe Wright, founding owner of the
Calumet Baking Powder CompanyCalumet Baking Powder Company was an American food company established in 1889 in Chicago, Illinois, by baking powder salesman, William Monroe Wright. His newly formulated double-acting baking powder took its name from the Native American name for a peace pipe given to the lands now known as...
.
Initially based in
Libertyville, IllinoisLibertyville is a northern suburb of Chicago in Lake County, Illinois, United States. It is located 5 miles west of Lake Michigan on the Des Plaines River. The 2000 census population was 20,742; the 2005 estimate was 21,760...
, the more favorable climate of Kentucky made it a better place for a horse farm and led to W. M. Wright acquiring the land and relocating his standardbred breeding operation. At a time in American history when
harness racingHarness racing is a form of horse-racing in which the horses race in a specified gait. They usually pull two-wheeled carts called sulkies, although races to saddle are still occasionally conducted, especially in Europe....
was the most popular type of
horse racingHorse racing is an equestrian sport that has been practiced over the centuries; the chariot races of Roman times are an early example, as is the contest of the steeds of the god Odin and the giant Hrungnir in Norse mythology. It is inextricably associated with gambling...
, in 1931 the farm's trotter "Calumet Butler" won the most prestigious event of the day, the
HambletonianHambletonian, or Hambletonian 10, was an American race and stud horse who profoundly influenced the sport of harness racing. The stallion was born in Sugar Loaf, NY on May 5 1849. Hambletonian has been inducted into the Immortals category of the Harness Racing Hall of Fame.-Origin and early years...
.
Following the death of W.
Calumet Farm is a 762 acre (3.1 km²)
ThoroughbredThe Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word "thoroughbred" is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
breeding and training farm established in 1924 in
Lexington, KentuckyLexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 65th largest in the United States. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by William Monroe Wright, founding owner of the
Calumet Baking Powder CompanyCalumet Baking Powder Company was an American food company established in 1889 in Chicago, Illinois, by baking powder salesman, William Monroe Wright. His newly formulated double-acting baking powder took its name from the Native American name for a peace pipe given to the lands now known as...
.
Initially based in
Libertyville, IllinoisLibertyville is a northern suburb of Chicago in Lake County, Illinois, United States. It is located 5 miles west of Lake Michigan on the Des Plaines River. The 2000 census population was 20,742; the 2005 estimate was 21,760...
, the more favorable climate of Kentucky made it a better place for a horse farm and led to W. M. Wright acquiring the land and relocating his standardbred breeding operation. At a time in American history when
harness racingHarness racing is a form of horse-racing in which the horses race in a specified gait. They usually pull two-wheeled carts called sulkies, although races to saddle are still occasionally conducted, especially in Europe....
was the most popular type of
horse racingHorse racing is an equestrian sport that has been practiced over the centuries; the chariot races of Roman times are an early example, as is the contest of the steeds of the god Odin and the giant Hrungnir in Norse mythology. It is inextricably associated with gambling...
, in 1931 the farm's trotter "Calumet Butler" won the most prestigious event of the day, the
HambletonianHambletonian, or Hambletonian 10, was an American race and stud horse who profoundly influenced the sport of harness racing. The stallion was born in Sugar Loaf, NY on May 5 1849. Hambletonian has been inducted into the Immortals category of the Harness Racing Hall of Fame.-Origin and early years...
.
Following the death of W. M. Wright, in 1932 his son Warren Wright, Sr. took over the business and began converting it to
ThoroughbredThe Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word "thoroughbred" is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
breeding and training. His acquisition of quality breeding stock saw Calumet Farm develop into one of
North America'sNorth America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and in the western hemisphere. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific...
most successful in Thoroughbred racing history. The
Pennsylvania RailroadThe Pennsylvania Railroad was an American railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
named its baggage car #5868 the "Calumet Farm."
The farm's breeding success was notably anchored by a part ownership in
Blenheim IIBlenheim II was a British-bred Thoroughbred race horse who won the prestigious Epsom Derby in 1930. Retired at the end of that year, he entered stud in 1931 at the Aga Khan's Haras Marly-la-Ville in Val-d'Oise, France...
, a stallion imported from
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and its Foundation Sire,
Bull LeaBull Lea was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who is best known as the foundation sire responsible for making Calumet Farm one of the most successful racing stables in American history...
. Calumet Farm produced eight
Kentucky DerbyThe Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter miles at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ...
winners, more than any other operation in U.S. racing history. As well, Calumet Farm is both the leading breeder and owner of
Preakness StakesThe Preakness Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race 1-3/16 mile thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses, held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
winners with seven each. From the farm's many great foals, two
coltThe horse is a hoofed mammal, a subspecies of one of seven extant species of the family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s became
U. S. Triple CrownIn the United States, the "Triple Crown" is usually the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a series of three Thoroughbred horse races for three-year-old horses run in May and early June of each year consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes.While Daily Racing Form...
winners and three females won the Triple Crown for
filliesA filly is a young female horse too young to be called a mare. There are several specific definitions in use.*In most cases filly is a female horse under the age of four years old....
.
Under Warren Wright, Sr. and his wife
Lucille Parker WrightLucille Parker Wright Markey was an American businesswoman and philanthropist who owned Calumet Farm, the most prestigious Thoroughbred horse farm in the United States....
who inherited the property on his death in 1950, Calumet was the number one money-earning farm in racing for twelve years and among the farm's great horses are Nellie Flag,
WhirlawayWhirlaway was an American champion thoroughbred racehorse.The chestnut horse was sired by English Derby winner Blenheim II, out of the broodmare Dustwhirl. Whirlaway was bred at Calumet Farm in Lexington, Kentucky....
,
ArmedArmed was an American Thoroughbred gelding race horse. He was sired by the great stakes winner Bull Lea, which made him a half-brother to Citation...
,
CitationCitation was the eighth American thoroughbred horse-racing Triple Crown champion, and one of two major North American thoroughbreds to win 16 races in a row in major stakes competition....
,
Two LeaTwo Lea was an American Thoroughbred Champion racehorse. Born at Calumet Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, her sire was Bull Lea whose progeny were already successful. Her dam was Two Bob, winner of the 1936 Kentucky Oaks....
,
Mar-KellMar-Kell was an American Champion Thoroughbred filly racehorse. Her dam was the 1934 American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly, Nellie Flag, and her sire was the 1930 Epsom Derby winner Blenheim who had been imported to the United States in 1937 by a syndicate which included Mar-Kell's breeder, Calumet...
, A Gleam,
Twilight TearTwilight Tear was an American Hall of Fame Thoroughbred filly racehorse. At age two, she won four of her six starts, finishing second and third in her other two starts. Her performances earned her a share of 2-year-old filly honors....
,
Mark-Ye-WellMark-Ye-Well was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred and raced by Calumet Farm, he was sired by their five-time North American Champion Sire, Bull Lea...
, A Glitter,
BewitchBewitch was a Thoroughbred race horse born in 1945 at Calumet Farm, Kentucky, United States in the same crop in which the stallion Bull Lea produced Citation and Coaltown. Each of these exceptional Bull Lea foals were, in time, inaugurated into the Thoroughbred Hall of Fame...
,
PonderPonder , an American Thoroughbred racehorse, was the son of the 1944 Kentucky Derby winner, Pensive and sire of the winner of the 1956 Kentucky Derby, Needles. Ponder, himself, won the Derby in 1949...
,
CoaltownCoaltown was an American Hall of Fame Champion Thoroughbred racehorse of whom the New York Times said "was probably the most underrated Thoroughbred of the 20th Century."...
,
Hill GailHill Gail was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred and raced by the renowned Calumet Farm of Lexington, Kentucky, the son of Champion sire, Bull Lea, Hill Gail is best known as the winner of the 1952 Kentucky Derby....
,
Real DelightReal Delight , was an American Thoroughbred race horse bred by the famous Calumet Farm of Lexington, Kentucky.A filly sired by one of America’s foundation stallions, the influential Bull Lea , Real Delight’s dam was the stakes winning Blue Delight Real Delight (1949-1969), was an American...
,
Tim TamTim Tam was an American thoroughbred racehorse. Sired by Tom Fool and out of the great racing mare Two Lea , the dark bay colt was owned and bred by Calumet Farm...
,
Forward PassForward Pass was an American Thoroughbred Champion racehorse who is the only horse in the history of the Kentucky Derby to have been declared the winner as the result of a disqualification....
,
Our MimsOur Mims was a champion Thoroughbred racing mare and broodmare, and yet she came very close to dying abandoned in a field of cattle.-A grand beginning:...
,
Davona DaleDavona Dale is an American Hall of Fame Champion Thoroughbred filly racehorse. Owned and bred by Calumet Farm, her sire descends from Nearco and her damsire is Hall of Famer Tim Tam who won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes....
,
AlydarAlydar was a chestnut colt and an American thoroughbred race horse who was most famous for finishing a close second to Affirmed in all three races of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a feat not repeated before or since.Trained by John M...
, and
Before DawnBefore Dawn was a drama series produced and broadcast by Hong Kong's TVB Jade station. The show mainly revolves around the trials and tribulations of a pair of lovers, who battle against a corrupt police force....
. In all, the farm produced eleven horses that have been inducted into the
National Museum of Racing and Hall of FameThe National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
.
Lucille Wright died in 1982 and according to the terms of her husband's will, the farm went to the heirs of their only child Warren Wright, Jr. (1920-1978). Son-in-law John Thomas Lundy (J.T.), married to Lucille "Cindy" Wright, took over as head of operations and president.
Calumet Farm won the 1990
Eclipse Award for Outstanding BreederEclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor for breeders. Created in 1971, it is part of the Eclipse Awards program and is awarded annually.Its Canadian counterpart is the Sovereign Award for Outstanding Breeder....
. In November of that year, details surrounding the death of
AlydarAlydar was a chestnut colt and an American thoroughbred race horse who was most famous for finishing a close second to Affirmed in all three races of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a feat not repeated before or since.Trained by John M...
and the collection of a $36 million insurance policy, brought a cloud of suspicion over the business. Under Calumet president J.T. Lundy, mismanagement and fraud had left the farm with a massive debt load that forced Calumet Farms to file for
bankruptcyBankruptcy is a legally declared inability or impairment of ability of an individual or organization to pay its creditors. Creditors may file a bankruptcy petition against a debtor in an effort to recoup a portion of what they are owed or initiate a restructuring...
protection in 1991. After years of legal proceedings, in 2000, J.T. Lundy along with Gary Matthews, the farm's former
attorneyA lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person licensed to practice law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain stability, and deliver...
and chief financial officer, were convicted of fraud and bribery and sent to prison.
In 1992, a trust established by
Henryk de KwiatkowskiHenryk Richard de Kwiatkowski was a Polish-born member of the Royal Air Force who became an aeronautical engineer and made a fortune in business in North America and who owned Calumet Farm, one of the most prestigious Thoroughbred horse breeding and racing farms in the United States.Born in...
, a
PolishPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
-born
CanadianCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
citizen and owner of "Kennelot Stables", purchased Calumet Farm for $17M, saving it from possible liquidation by the bankruptcy trustees.
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