Pensive
This article is about the racehorse Pensive. For the magical item in the Harry Potter stories see Pensieve. For the word refer to Wiktionary.
Pensive
Sire
Hyperion
Grandsire
Gainsborough
Dam
Penicuik
Damsire
Buchan
Sex
Stallion
Foaled
1941
Country
US
Colour
Chestnut
Breeder
Calumet Farm
Owner
Calumet Farm
Trainer
Ben A. Jones
Record
22:7-5-4
Earnings
$167,715
Major wins
Champagne Stakes (1943),
Oden Bowie Stakes (1943),
Chesapeake Stakes (1944),
Bowie Handicap (1944),
Rowe Memorial Handicap (1944),
American Classic Race wins:, Kentucky Derby (1944), Preakness Stakes (1944)
Last updated on September 22, 2006
Pensive (1941-49) was a bright chestnut thoroughbred racehorse who in 1944 came closer than any other horse at the time to winning the U.S. Triple Crown. He was also the first to win the first two legs and then lose the third.
A son of England's Hyperion (who himself had won two thirds of England's Triple Crown), out of Penicuik II (by Buchan), Pensive, ridden by Conn McCreary, won the Kentucky Derby going away by four and a half lengths. A week later, he took the Preakness. That year, the Belmont (at the time the least of the three races), had upped its purse to $50,000. Pensive was in the lead when Bounding Home inched by to take the race by less than half a length.
Pensive was brought to the United States still forming in his mother's womb by Arthur B. Hancock, who then sold the mare to the owner of Calumet Farm, Warren Wright. Wright had inherited Calumet from his father, William Monroe Wright, president of the Calumet Baking Powder Company. In time, Warren Wright was also president of the baking powder company, and he took it to the financial heights of the business world. When he also took over Calumet in 1931, he sold off the trotters his father favored and began buying Thoroughbreds for flat racing. Under Wright, Calumet enjoyed years of racing dominance.
Pensive began his training under Calumet's future Hall of Fame trainer Ben A. Jones.
At two, Pensive raced five times, winning twice. His three losses all came in stakes races. At three, he ran a checkered season, winning and losing fairly equally. He beat older horses in the Rowe Memorial Handicap, but lost to an older horse, Tola Rose, in the Bowie Handicap. Tola Rose had defeated Whirlaway.
Following his loss in the Belmont, Pensive lost all eight of his final starts.
At this point he was retired to stud, producing the winner of the 1949 Kentucky Derby, Ponder. He died in 1949, just after his son won the Derby. Pensive is buried at Calumet Farm.
Breeding:
Pedigree of Pensive
Sire, Hyperion
ch. 1930
Gainsborough
bay 1915
Bayardo
Bay Ronald
Galicia
Rosedrop
St. Frusquin
Rosaline
Selene
bay 1919
Chaucer
St.Simon
Canterbury Pilgrim
Serenissima
Minoru
Gondolette
Dam,
Penicuik
ch. 1934
Buchan
bay 1916
Sunstar
Sundridge
Doris
Hamoaze
Torpoint
Maid of the Mist
Pennycomequick
brown 1926
Hurry On
Marcovil
Tout Suite
Plymstock
Polymelus
Winkipop
Pensive
Sire
Hyperion
Grandsire
Gainsborough
Dam
Penicuik
Damsire
Buchan
Sex
Stallion
Foaled
1941
Country
US
Colour
Chestnut
Breeder
Calumet Farm
Owner
Calumet Farm
Trainer
Ben A. Jones
Record
22:7-5-4
Earnings
$167,715
Major wins
Champagne Stakes (1943),
Oden Bowie Stakes (1943),
Chesapeake Stakes (1944),
Bowie Handicap (1944),
Rowe Memorial Handicap (1944),
American Classic Race wins:, Kentucky Derby (1944), Preakness Stakes (1944)
Last updated on September 22, 2006
Pensive (1941-49) was a bright chestnut thoroughbred racehorse who in 1944 came closer than any other horse at the time to winning the U.S. Triple Crown. He was also the first to win the first two legs and then lose the third.
A son of England's Hyperion (who himself had won two thirds of England's Triple Crown), out of Penicuik II (by Buchan), Pensive, ridden by Conn McCreary, won the Kentucky Derby going away by four and a half lengths. A week later, he took the Preakness. That year, the Belmont (at the time the least of the three races), had upped its purse to $50,000. Pensive was in the lead when Bounding Home inched by to take the race by less than half a length.
Pensive was brought to the United States still forming in his mother's womb by Arthur B. Hancock, who then sold the mare to the owner of Calumet Farm, Warren Wright. Wright had inherited Calumet from his father, William Monroe Wright, president of the Calumet Baking Powder Company. In time, Warren Wright was also president of the baking powder company, and he took it to the financial heights of the business world. When he also took over Calumet in 1931, he sold off the trotters his father favored and began buying Thoroughbreds for flat racing. Under Wright, Calumet enjoyed years of racing dominance.
Pensive began his training under Calumet's future Hall of Fame trainer Ben A. Jones.
At two, Pensive raced five times, winning twice. His three losses all came in stakes races. At three, he ran a checkered season, winning and losing fairly equally. He beat older horses in the Rowe Memorial Handicap, but lost to an older horse, Tola Rose, in the Bowie Handicap. Tola Rose had defeated Whirlaway.
Following his loss in the Belmont, Pensive lost all eight of his final starts.
At this point he was retired to stud, producing the winner of the 1949 Kentucky Derby, Ponder. He died in 1949, just after his son won the Derby. Pensive is buried at Calumet Farm.
Breeding:
Pedigree of Pensive
Sire, Hyperion
ch. 1930
Gainsborough
bay 1915
Bayardo
Bay Ronald
Galicia
Rosedrop
St. Frusquin
Rosaline
Selene
bay 1919
Chaucer
St.Simon
Canterbury Pilgrim
Serenissima
Minoru
Gondolette
Dam,
Penicuik
ch. 1934
Buchan
bay 1916
Sunstar
Sundridge
Doris
Hamoaze
Torpoint
Maid of the Mist
Pennycomequick
brown 1926
Hurry On
Marcovil
Tout Suite
Plymstock
Polymelus
Winkipop
