King's Swan

King's Swan
Sire	King's Bishop
Dam	Royal Cygnet
Damsire	Sea-Bird
Sex	Gelding
Foaled	February 11, 1980 [1]
Country	United States
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Mrs. Dion K. Kerr
Owner	Alvin Akman, Richard E. Dutrow, Sr., Herb Kushner
Trainer	Richard E. Dutrow, Sr.
Record	107: 31-19-18
Earnings	$1,924,845
Major wins
	Vosburgh Stakes (1986); Maryland Sprint Handicap (1986); Westchester Handicap (1987); Aqueduct Handicap (1987 & 1990); Tom Fool Handicap (1988); Grey Lag Handicap (1988); Stymie Handicap (1988); Bold Ruler Stakes (1988)
Honours
	Retirement ceremony at Aqueduct Racetrack (1990)
	Last updated on February 7, 2007

Last updated April 15, 2019

King's Swan (February 11, 1980 – February 7, 2006) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse nicknamed "The King of Aqueduct" who was so popular with New York City area fans that on his retirement from racing at age ten, he was honored with a retirement ceremony at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The United States of America (USA), commonly known as the United States or America, is a country composed of 50 states, a federal district, five major self-governing territories, and various possessions. At 3.8 million square miles, the United States is the world's third or fourth largest country by total area and is slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe's 3.9 million square miles. With a population of over 327 million people, the U.S. is the third most populous country. The capital is Washington, D.C., and the largest city by population is New York City. Forty-eight states and the capital's federal district are contiguous in North America between Canada and Mexico. The State of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east and across the Bering Strait from Russia to the west. The State of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U.S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, stretching across nine official time zones. The extremely diverse geography, climate, and wildlife of the United States make it one of the world's 17 megadiverse countries.

The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are considered "hot-blooded" horses that are known for their agility, speed, and spirit.

Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic premise – to identify which of two or more horses is the fastest over a set course or distance – has been unchanged since at least classical antiquity.

Background

King's Swan was sired by King's Bishop, a son of U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee Round Table, and was out of the mare Royal Cygnet. His damsire, Sea-Bird, holds the record for the highest Timeform rating in history.

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1951 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American Thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers. In 1955, the museum moved to its current location on Union Avenue near Saratoga race course, at which time inductions into the hall of fame began. Each spring, following the tabulation of the final votes, the announcement of new inductees is made, usually during Kentucky Derby Week in early May. The actual inductions are held in mid-August during the Saratoga race meeting.

Round Table was an American Thoroughbred Hall of Fame racehorse. He is considered the greatest turf horse in American racing history.

Timeform publishing company in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England founded in 1948

Timeform is a sports data and content provider located in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England founded in 1948 to provide information to fans, bettors, and others involved in the horse racing industry. The company was purchased by the sports betting exchange Betfair in December 2006. Since 2 February 2016, it has been owned by Paddy Power Betfair.

Racing career

Despite his breeding, by age five King's Swan had accomplished little on the racetrack and was put up for sale in claiming races. Trainer Richard Dutrow, Sr., one of Maryland racing's Big Four trainers, recognized the gelding's racing potential and in mid December 1985 organized a partnership to purchase him. The horse soon began winning important graded stakes races in his first season under Dutrow.

A horse trainer is a person who tends to horses and teaches them different disciplines. Some of the responsibilities trainers have are caring for the animals’ physical needs, as well as teaching them submissive behaviors and/or coaching them for events, which may include contests and other riding purposes. The level of education and the yearly salary they can earn for this profession may differ depending on where the person is employed.

The Big Four of Maryland Thoroughbred racing were four American Thoroughbred horse trainers who dominated horse racing in the state of Maryland in the 1960 and 1970s and who helped modernize flat racing training.

A graded stakes race is a thoroughbred horse race in the United States or Canada that meets the criteria of the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA). A specific grade level is then assigned to the race, based on statistical analysis of the quality of the field in previous years, provided the race meets the minimum purse criteria for the grade in question. Graded stakes races are similar to Group races in Europe but the grading is more dynamic in North America.

King's Swan became one of the best-loved horses on the New York racing circuit. At age ten in 1990, he was still campaigning and winning stakes events, notably capturing his second Aqueduct Handicap.

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) is the not-for-profit corporation that operates the three largest Thoroughbred horse racing tracks in the state of New York, United States: Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, Queens; Belmont Park in Elmont; and Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs.

Retirement

As a gelding, King's Swan was not able to serve as a sire and following his December 22, 1990, retirement he was given to Jean Lazio, his longtime exercise rider. In early December 2005, he shattered a bone in his right front leg that was aggravated after treatment. On February 7, 2006, at the age of twenty-six, King's Swan was humanely euthanized at the Mid-Atlantic Equine Center in Ringoes, New Jersey.

A gelding is a castrated horse or other equine, such as a donkey or a mule. Castration, as well as the elimination of hormonally-driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male horse to be calmer and better-behaved, making the animal quieter, gentler and potentially more suitable as an everyday working animal. The gerund and participle "gelding" and the infinitive "to geld" refer to the castration procedure itself.

A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. An adoptive father is a male who has become the child's parent through the legal process of adoption. A biological father is the male genetic contributor to the creation of the infant, through sexual intercourse or sperm donation. A biological father may have legal obligations to a child not raised by him, such as an obligation of monetary support. A putative father is a man whose biological relationship to a child is alleged but has not been established. A stepfather is a male who is the husband of a child's mother and they may form a family unit, but who generally does not have the legal rights and responsibilities of a parent in relation to the child.

Animal euthanasia is the act of putting an animal to death or allowing it to die by withholding extreme medical measures. Reasons for euthanasia include incurable conditions or diseases, lack of resources to continue supporting the animal, or laboratory test procedures. Euthanasia methods are designed to cause minimal pain and distress. Euthanasia is distinct from animal slaughter and pest control although in some cases the procedure is the same.

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References

↑ Horse Profile: King's Swan (KY)

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[1] Horse Profile: King's Swan (KY)