Gallant Fox

1930 Triple Crown Winner Profile

Sire: Sir Gallahad III
Dam: Marguerite

Owner: Belair Stud Stable
Breeder: Belair Stud
Trainer: James “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons
Primary Jockey: Earl Sande

Race record: 17 starts, 11 wins, 3 seconds, 2 thirds
Earnings: $328,165

Few 3-year-olds have ever compiled as thorough a record of domination as Gallant Fox, whose triumphs in the 1930 Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes first prompted the three-race series to be described as the “Triple Crown” of U.S. racing.

It was the goal of William Woodward Sr. of Belair Stud to breed horses with the stamina to excel over classic distances, and with Gallant Fox he struck the jackpot. Sprinting was never the forte of the bay colt, a powerful 1,200-pound specimen who lost five of his first six starts as a juvenile. But once he stretched out in distance, Gallant Fox was virtually unstoppable, wrapping up his 2-year-old season with a decisive score in the Junior Champion S. that foreshadowed his impending success as a sophomore.

When Gallant Fox emerged under colors for his 1930 debut, he had a new rider in the saddle. Veteran jockey Earl Sande was back from retirement to guide Gallant Fox, and their first partnership together yielded a powerful four-length romp in the Wood Memorial.

Thereafter, “the Fox of Belair” embarked on an extraordinary winning streak. In the Preakness, then held before the Kentucky Derby, Gallant Fox overcame traffic in the early going to record a narrow victory. He was more dominant eight days later in the Derby, seizing command on the backstretch to win by two lengths, and in the Belmont Stakes he led from the start to record an easy triumph.

Gallant Fox continued to impress for the rest of the season, with a defeat in the Travers (conducted over a wet, heavy track) the only blemish on his record. Victories over fellow 3-year-olds in the Dwyer, Arlington Classic, and Lawrence Realization were sandwiched among tranquil wins against older rivals in the 1 3/4-mile Saratoga Cup and 2-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup. By the time Gallant Fox’s racing days were over he had accumulated earnings of $328,165, a new record.

Retired to stud at Claiborne Farm, Gallant Fox was an immediate success. From his first crop of foals came Omaha, who emulated his sire with a sweep of the 1935 Triple Crown. Another son, Granville, won the 1936 Belmont Stakes during a Horse of the Year campaign.

Gallant Fox passed away in 1954, and three years later he was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, cementing his status as one of racing’s legends.