Leamington (1853–1878) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse and an influential sire in the United States during the second half of the nineteenth century.

Background Leamington was a brown horse bred in England by Mr. Halford. Leamington was by the top racehorse and sire Faugh-a-Ballagh (by Sir Hercules). His dam was an unnamed mare by Pantaloon who was bred by the Marquis of Westminster.Morris, Simon; Tesio Power 2000 - Stallions of the World, Syntax Software

Racing career 1855: Two-Year-Old Season Halford began racing him at age two, and then sold him to a Mr. Higgins. Leamington won the Woodcote Stakes at Warwick and the Chesterfield Stakes before retiring for the year.

1856: Three-Year-Old Season As a three-year-old, he was planning to run the colt in The Derby, but he contracted strangles, and this affected his whole three-year-old season. However, his owners and trainers appeared to have planned his losses to help keep his handicap weight down. After losing four small races and carrying little weight, he won the Wolverhampton, before losing several more. He was then "allowed" to win the Stewards' Cup carrying only .

1857: Four-Year-Old Season Leamington's four-year-old season began with the 2.25 mile Chester Cup. Leamington only carried , due to his poor reputation gained as a three-year-old, and he easily won the race. The colt then came fourth at the Ascot Gold Cup. He went on to the Goodwood Stakes, carrying only with odds of 100 to 3, and easily won the race by a length. His owners won quite a bit of money from wagering on him that day, after their longshot with 100 to 3 odds beat out a field of 19. However, his win earned him top weight of at his next race, the Chesterfield Cup, and he could not hold out.

1858: Five-Year-Old Season Leamington only made one start as a five-year-old, carrying as the handicapper realized how Leamington's owners had been manipulating his races. The weight was too much for Leamington to carry and he couldn't win.

1859: Six-Year-Old Season Leamigton had a successful start to his six-year-old season, easily winning the Chester Cup against a good field. He finished second in his next race, the Gold Vase at Ascot Racecourse.

In his final race of the season, the Goodwood Cup, Leamington injured his right foreleg.

1860: Seven-Year-Old Season Leamington trained up for The Whip Stakes, a strenuous four-mile race. He broke down while preparing for the race, and was retired to stud at Rawcliffe Paddocks.

Stud career Leamington sired 19 winners of 42 races while at Rawcliffe. He was then purchased by the Canadian Roderick W. Cameron for £1,575, and stood at General Abe Buford's Bosque Bonita Stud near Versailles, Kentucky for the 1866 season. He bred only thirteen mares, but produced an outstanding crop of foals, including Longfellow, Enquirer, Lyttleton, Lynchburg, Anna Mace, and Miss Alice.

Cameron then sent the stallion to his own Clifton Stud on Staten Island. He was then moved to New Jersey in 1868, before being shipped to Annieswood Farm in 1871. His offspring were now noted for their speed and included Aristides, the winner of the first Kentucky Derby.

Leamington was sold to Aristides Welch, who stood the stallion at his Erdenheim Stud, near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Leamington finished his life here, dying on May 6, 1878, at the age of 25. During his breeding career, he was the leading sire in North America four times, including leading Lexington in 1875 for the first time in 16 years. He also earned this title in 1877, 1879, and 1881.

Horses sired by Leamington included: Aristides (1872) won the first Kentucky Derby and Withers Stakes Harold (1876) won 1879 Preakness Stakes Iroquois (1878) the first American horse to win Epsom Derby and GB St. Leger Stakes Eolus (1868), sire of Knight of Ellerslie (1881), winner of the 1884 Preakness Stakes Longfellow (1867) a great sire himself Parole (1873) one of the three greatest runners in the 1870s Saunterer, won Belmont Stakes and Preakness Stakes

Sire line tree

LeamingtonSire Line: Pot-8-OsJumpers: Darley Arabian Sire LineDarley Arabian Sire Line: Whalebone BranchPortrait: LeamingtonStudbook: Early LAmerican Classic Pedigree: Leamington EnquirerPortrait: EnquirerAmerican Classic Pedigree: Enquirer FalsettoAmerican Classic Pedigree: Falsetto Patron ChantAmerican Classic Pedigree: Chant Bright Phoebus Counter Tenor His EminenceAmerican Classic Pedigree: His Eminence The Picket Sir HuonAmerican Classic Pedigree: Sir Huon Emperor Inspector BAmerican Classic Pedigree: Inspector B The Foreman LongfellowPortrait: LongfellowHall of Fame: LongfellowAmerican Classic Pedigree: LongfellowSmithsonian: LongfellowHistoric Horse Racing: Longfellow and Ten Broeck: The Pride of Old KentuckyAn Old Kentucky Legacy: The Mighty Longfellow and Ten Broeck Leonard Longtaw Sam Corey Passaic Freeland LeonatusAmerican Classic Pedigree: Leonatus Tillo Pink Coat Pink StarAmerican Classic Pedigree: Pink Star The Bard Gold Heels Long Dance Longstreet The Parader Stone StreetAmerican Classic Pedigree: Stone Street RileyAmerican Classic Pedigree: Riley Wadsworth Stonewood Lynchburg Lyttleton Eolus Eole Knight of EllersliePortrait: Knight of Ellerslie Henry of NavarreHall of Fame: Henry of NavarreBiography: Henry of NavarreAmerican Classic Pedigree: Henry of Navarre June Gayle Dick Turpin Don Diego St SaviourThe Shohola Accident Morello Reform Azra AristidesPortrait: AristidesHall of Fame: AristidesAmerican Classic Pedigree: AristidesAristides: The original Kentucky Derby Hero Hyder AliPortrait: Hyder Ali SpokaneAmerican Classic Pedigree: Spokane1889 Kentucky Derby Winner Spokane was bred in Macoupin County James A Rhadamanthus ParolePortrait: ParoleHall of Fame: Parole Stratford Foxford HaroldPortrait: Harold SensationPortrait: Sensation Refund Jean Beraud Donnie Democrat IroquoisPortrait #1: IroquoisPortrait #2: IroquoisAmerican Classic Pedigree: Iroquois Cayuga Parachute Pebbles Huron TammanyTammany: A Racehorse Worthy of His Own Castle G W Johnson Lieutenant GibsonAmerican Classic Pedigree: Lieut. Gibson Saunterer Onandaga Powhattan Burlington

Pedigree

References

Profile of Leamington at Thoroughbred Heritage New York Times obituary for Leamington