Bimelech
The racehorse Bimelech was foaled on 27 February 1937 conceived from the mare La Troienne and sired by Black Toney. La Troienne was the most famous and sought after brood mare of her time, giving birth to noteworthy race winners such as Black Helen, Big Hurry, Bridal Flower and Baby League. Bimelech was owned by Colonel E.R. Bradley who wanted to name his new colt, as a tribute, after a close friend. Bradleys’ friend, John Harris, was nicknamed Abimelech, and as tradition goes, his colts’ name had to start with a B. The A in Abimelech was taken away, and the name Bimelech came into being. Bimelech was the last foal to be sired by Bradley’s equally famous stallion, Black Toney.
Bimelech started his racing career at the age of two, and was
undefeated
by winning at Suffolk Downs, Empire City and Saratoga Race Course.
After
winning his first stakes race, Bimelech showed his worth as a racehorse
by winning the Saratoga Special Stakes and the Hopeful Stakes. He finished
off
his first racing season by being victorious at the Pimlico Futurity.
Named
the U.S. Champion Two-Year Old Colt, made Bimelech the favorite to win
the
Kentucky Derby in 1940 with three to one odds.
His second season, as a three-year old, was as exciting as his
first.
Bimelech entered the new season undefeated and won both the Blue Grass
Stakes and the Derby Trial. In the Derby, Bimelech was going to be up
against Gallahadion, which was owned by Charles S. Howard. Howard raced
and
owned the world famous racehorse, Seabiscuit. Bimelechs’ jockey, Fred
Smith,
was blamed for Gallahadion’s win over Bimelech, as the jockey had run
Bimelech wide throughout the race, meaning that Bimelech ran a longer
distance then the other horses, and was completely exhausted by the end
of
the race. In the Preakness Stakes, Bimelech proved to be the superior
horse
by beating Gallahadion and due to the lack of proper training, he took
a
second place in the Withers Stakes. Bradley bettered Bimelech’s
training and
he won the Belmont Stakes. During the race that followed the Belmont
Stakes
race, it was obvious that Bimelech raced under great strain, and it was
discovered after the race, that Bimelech had been running with an
injured
foot. Bimelech had deserved to win the Triple Crown, but it wasn’t
meant to
be. Even though his season was cut short due to his injury, he still
took
the award for U.S. Champion Three-Year Old.
When Bimelech started racing again, after healing from his injury,
new
starting gates had been installed, and Bimelech did not like them at
all. He
acted up when being loaded, and after his second race, Bradley feared
that
his beloved horse might seriously injure himself at the gates, and took
the
decision to retire him. Colonel Bradley passed away in 1946 and
Bimelech was
bought by a syndicate, consisting of Ogden Phipps, Greentree Stud and
King
Ranch. While standing on stud, Bimelech sired thirty stakes winners
that
included Better Self and Be Faithful. His daughters went on to foal
fifty
stake winners. Bimelech was 29 when he passed away in 1966, and in
1990, he
was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.