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Virgil (1864–1886) was an American thoroughbred racehorse that was bred in Kentucky by Hyman C. Gratz. He was a brown to dark bay stallion, was approximately 16 hands high and had a prominent white star on his forehead. His sire, Vandal, was the second leading sire of the time, behind the great Lexington. Virgil was a direct descendant of the thoroughbred foundation sire Herod and was the leading sire in the United States in 1885.

Virgil was trained as a flat-racer, buggy racer and jumper. He had a total of 8 starts on the flat racing circuit, netting 6 wins. Virgil tended to run his best in races less than 1½ miles. In 1869, Virgil was bought by R.W. Simmons, who trained him for steeple chasing.

After his racing and jumping career, he was briefly contracted as a logging horse, which took its toll on his joints and appearance.

He was eventually bought in the 1870s by Milton Sanford. His stud career at Sanford's Elmendorf Farm was started by accident when Virgil was allowed to stand in for Sanford's regular stallion, Glenelg. Sanford briefly sold Virgil to B.G. Bruce but bought him back for $2500 after Vagrant won the Kentucky Derby in 1876. Virgil remained at Elmendorf Stud until his death at the age of 22 in September 1886.

He is the sire of three Kentucky Derby winners: Vagrant (1876), Hindoo (1881) and Ben Ali (1886). He also sired other successful flat-racers Tremont, Virgilian and Carley B., winner of the 1882 Travers Stakes.

Sire line tree

• Virgil
  • Vagrant
  • Vigil
  • Virginius
  • Hindoo
    • Hanover
      • Buck Massie
        • Jake
        • Buckleya
      • Halma
        • Alan-a-Dale
        • Smart Set
        • Acacia
        • Oversight
      • Hammon
      • Handsome
      • The Commoner
        • Simon D
        • Johnnie Blake
        • Doctor Boots
        • Countless
        • Parmer
        • Great Britain
      • Ben Holladay
      • Handspring
        • Major Daingerfield
        • Handout
      • Heywood
        • Palo Alto
      • Hamburg
        • Inflexible
        • Strephon
        • Dandelion
        • Battleaxe
        • Burgomaster
        • Orison
        • Pegasus
        • The Irishman
        • Baby Wolf
        • Hillside
        • Borrow
        • Buskin
        • Prince Eugene
        • Happy Go Lucky
      • Handball
      • Handsel
        • Grover Hughes
        • Colonel Livingstone
      • Sanders
      • Half Time
      • Handcuff
      • David Garrick
      • Star of Hanover
      • Withers
      • Admonition
      • Holstein
      • Abe Frank
      • Blackstock
        • Mentor
      • Kaffir
        • Kaffir Boy
      • King Hanover
        • Prince Ahmed
      • Luck and Charity
      • Serpent
      • Yankee
        • Dinna Ken
        • Yankee Gun
        • Joe Madden
        • Marse Abe
        • Naushon
        • Nonpareil
        • Penobscot
    • Jim Gore
      • Beau Gallant
      • Gorman
      • Merry Lark
    • Buddhist
    • Dungarvan
      • J H Houghton
    • Merry Monarch
    • Aryan
    • Macy
    • Benroe
    • Howland
    • Miller
    • Alard Scheck
  • Van Buren
  • Carley B
  • Vanguard
  • Isaac Murphy
  • Ben Ali
    • Arcade
  • Tremont
    • Dagonet
    • Fremont
    • Tremor

Pedigree

* Virgil is inbred 4S x 4D to the stallion Tramp, meaning that he appears fourth generation on the sire side of his pedigree and fourth generation on the dam side of his pedigree.

References

1. Avalyn Hunter, American Classic Pedigrees: 1914–2003, Blood Horse Publications, 2003.
2. NY Times. Sep. 12, 1886
3. Virgil Pedigree
4. Sanders Dewees Bruce, The horse-breeder's guide and hand book, 1883.
5. Byerley Turk Line
6. Selim Sire Line
7. Chart: Virgil
8. American Classic Pedigree: Virgil
9. Studbook: Early UV
10. American Classic Pedigree: Vagrant
11. Portrait: Hindoo
12. American Classic Pedigree: Hindoo
13. Hall of Fame: Hindoo
14. HINDOO BEFORE AND BEYOND THE KENTUCKY DERBY
15. Hindoo, the hall of fame horse that raced on avenue x in Sheapshead Bay
16. Portrait: Hanover
17. American Classic Pedigree: Hanover
18. Studbook: Early H
19. American Classic Pedigree: Halma
20. American Classic Pedigree: Alan-A-Dale
21. American Classic Pedigree: The Commoner
22. Portrait: Hamburg
23. Hall of Fame: Hamburg
24. American Classic Pedigree: Hamburg
25. American Classic Pedigree: Burgomaster
26. American Classic Pedigree: Ben Ali
27. Tremont, unbeaten here of thirteen races...

• 1864 racehorse births
• 1886 racehorse deaths
• Racehorses bred in Kentucky
• Racehorses trained in the United States
• United States Champion Thoroughbred Sires
• Byerley Turk sire line
• Thoroughbred family 20