Myrtlewood

Myrtlewood (foaled 1932 in Kentucky) was a champion Thoroughbred race horse as well as an exceptional broodmare. Background Myrtlewood was by Blue Larkspur, himself by Black Servant by the great sire Black Toney, which means she went back to Ben Brush. Her dam was the French-bred Frizeur, by Sweeper, a son of another great sire, Broomstick by, again, Ben Brush. Frizeur’s dam was the racing mare Frizette (after whom the Frizette Stakes is named), by Hamburg, taking her back to Hanover, St. Simon, and Hindoo. Racing career Myrtlewood's best result at age two was a third-place finish in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes. She improved significantly at age three (when Seabiscuit was also racing but making little impact). She won the Francis S. Peabody Memorial Handicap at Lincoln Fields over a mile, and was even better at six furlongs. She set a new track record of 1:10 in the Hawthorne Sprint Handicap and a new world record of 1:09 in an allowance race at Arlington Park. At four in 1936, she made ten starts under jockey George South and won eight, seven of which were stakes races. In the Lakeside Handicap, she equaled the track record of 1:35 for a mile, which was a world record for a female. In the Cadillac Handicap, she set a track record at the Detroit Race Course for six furlongs in 1:10. In the Motor City Handicap, she stretched out to a distance of miles, and defeated Seabiscuit while setting another track record.