Iron Liege | |
---|---|
Sire | Bull Lea |
Grandsire | Bull Dog |
Dam | Iron Maiden |
Damsire | War Admiral |
Sex | Stallion |
Foaled | Mrch 11, 1954 |
Country | United States |
Colour | Bay |
Breeder | Calumet Farm |
Owner | Calumet Farm |
Trainer | Horace A. Jones |
Record | 33: 11-9-5 |
Earnings | $404,169 |
Major wins | |
Forerunner Stakes (1957) Kentucky Derby (1957) Preakness Stakes 2nd (1957) |
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Last updated on August 6, 2007 |
Forerunner Stakes (1957)
Sheridan Handicap (1957)
Jersey Stakes (1957)
Laurance Armour Memorial Handicap (1957)
McLennan Handicap (1958)
Iron Liege (March 11, 1954 – December 14, 1972) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 1957 Kentucky Derby.
Iron Liege was a bay horse bred and owned by Calumet Farm. He was sired by Calumet's leading sire Bull Lea, out of the mare Iron Maiden a daughter of the 1937 U.S. Triple Crown champion, War Admiral. Iron Maiden also produced Iron Reward, the dam of Swaps.
He was trained throughout his racing career by Hall of Fame trainer Jimmy Jones.
As a three-year-old colt in 1957 leading up to the Kentucky Derby, Jones frequently ran his stablemates Iron Liege and the more highly regarded Gen. Duke coupled. These races included an Allowance win by Iron Liege over Gen. Duke at Hialeah, and a third-place finish to victorious Gen. Duke and Bold Ruler in the Florida Derby. Both were entered in the Derby Trial preceding the Kentucky Derby, with Gen. Duke finishing second and Iron Liege fifth. After the race Jones determined that Gen. Duke was not fit to run in the Derby, which left Iron Liege his sole entrant against perhaps the greatest field ever assembled for the race, including: Bold Ruler, Round Table, and Gallant Man. Future Hall of Fame jockey Bill Hartack, who was Gen. Duke's regular rider, was assigned to ride Iron Liege in the Derby.