Armed | Horse Profile

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Armed

Bred and owned by Calumet Farm, Armed was foaled in 1941 and raced for Hall of Fame trainer Ben Jones. Early on, the son from the first crop of Bull Lea was difficult to train, and was gelded.

Unraced at two, Armed won his first two starts as a 3-year-old, but injury meant he raced only five more times at three, for one victory.

Armed won 10 races as a 4-year-old, the most notable being the Pimlico Special, in which he beat handicap champion Stymie, Preakness winner Polynesian, and the top filly Gallorette. He also won the Washington Handicap.

He improved further as a 5-year-old in 1946, winning 11 of his 18 starts, including the Suburban Handicap, Widener Handicap, and Washington Handicap, earning the Champion Older Male title, but his best was still to come.

In 1947 Armed won 11 races from 17 starts, including the Widener Handicap, Gulfstream Park Handicap, Stars and Stripes Handicap, Arlington Handicap, McLennan Memorial Handicap, and his third Washington Handicap.

His most notable victory, however, came against the previous season’s Triple Crown winner Assault in a head-to-head match race hosted by Belmont Park. It helped Armed to not only his second Champion Older Male title, but also to Horse of the Year.

Armed raced for three more seasons but was not the same horse; he won six of his remaining 24 starts, but no more stakes races. He was retired with 41 wins from 81 starts, and earnings of $817,475, the highest-earning gelding at that time.

Armed was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1963.