Calumet Farms Trophy Collection: Kentucky Horse Park

February 11th, 2013

Calumet Farm dominated horse racing during the first half of the 20th century and produced some of the greatest Thoroughbred horses of all time.

Calumet bred and raced horses which include two Triple Crown winners, Citation and Whirlaway, and in total includes eight Kentucky Derby winners, more than any other operation in U.S. racing history.

Calumet also is the leading breeder and owner of Preakness Stakes winners with seven each.

From the farm's many great foals, aside from the two colts becoming U.S. Triple Crown winners, three females won the Triple Crown for fillies.

Calumet’s horses won hundreds of trophies over five decades—an accomplishment of such magnitude it will never be repeated.

The Calumet trophy collection, considered to be the finest and most substantial trophy collection in all of sports history, was ultimately purchased by the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky.

The collection include 536 trophies, plates and julep cups amassed between 1934 and 1982, when Calumet horses were winning 148 stakes races and $26.4 million in purses.

A list of Calumet champions is as follows:

Two Triple Crown Winners: Whirlaway ('41), Citation ('48)

Eight Kentucky Derby Winners: Whirlaway ('41), Pensive ('44), Citation ('48), Ponder ('49), Hill Gail ('52), Iron Liege ('57), Tim Tam ('58), Forward Pass ('68)

Seven Preakness Stakes Winners: Whirlaway ('41), Pensive ('44), Faultless ('47), Citation ('48), Fabius ('56), Tim Tam ('58), Forward Pass ('68)

Three National Filly Triple Crown Winners: Wistful ('49), Real Delight ('52), Davon Dale ('79)

Eleven Horses in the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame: Alydar, Armed, Bewitch, Citation, Coaltown, Davona Dale, Real Delight, Twillight Year, Two Lea, Tim Tam, Whirlaway

Five Horses of the Year Titles: Whirlaway ('41 & '42), Twilight Tear ('44 *first filly voted horse of the year), Armed ('47), Citation ('48)

While most can only dream of winning a single Kentucky Derby, Calumet won 8. To have a Triple Crown winning horse is almost beyond imagination; Calumet had two. The exhibit is housed in the Museum of the Horse at the Kentucky Horse Park and is well worth a visit while in the Lexington area.