Print size 17″ X 22″, Image Size 11″ X 14″

This print has been in storage since 1967 and has slight discolorations around the print border which does not distract from the beauty of the print and would be easily covered up when matted and framed.

BATTLEFIELD a Chestnut Horse, Foaled May 8, 1948

Battlefield is one of the great bargains to come out of a thoroughbred yearling sale. The well-made son of War Relic was purchased by Trainer W. F. Mulholland, acting for George D. Widener, at Saratoga in August, 1949, for $4,500. His earnings had already exceed $400,000, boosting them past the half-million dollar mark before his scheduled retirement to stud in 1954.
The purchase of the War Relic colt was a rare stroke of luck for Mr. Widener, particularly since the Chairman of the Jockey Club makes few acquisitions at the yearling auctions due to his own breeding operations. But he bought Battlefield because most of his own homebred yearlings that season were fillies.

The chestnut racer became a highly profitable investment within eight months of his purchase. By early March his two victories in his first two starts netted more than three times his cost. One of his wins was in the $10,000-added Hialeah Juvenile Stakes.

However, that was merely the beginning – for at year’s end he had earned $198,677 – the most money ever won by a two-year-old colt up to that time. Native Dancer exceeded it in 1952. Included in Battlefield’s 10 wins in 13 starts, besides the Hialeah Juvenile, were the Youthful, Tremont, Sapling, Hopeful and Futurity Stakes. He also was second in the Juvenile and Great American Stakes, and third in the east View Stakes.

His three-year-old season, though profitable, was less successful that first-year campaign. In 12 starts, he won six and was second six times, earning $153,300. Five of his victories were in stakes – the Withers, Shevlin, Dwyer, Choice and Travers. His seconds included placing in the Swift and Belmont Stakes, Arlington Classic, and the Peter Pan and Discovery Handicaps.
For Battlefield, who hadn’t finished worse than third in his 25 starts at two and three; his four-year-old form was a little disappointing. It wasn’t until his eights start of the year that he was able to win a stakes when late in September he defeated General Staff and Combat Boots in the New York Handicap. He had been unplaced in four of his previous efforts and had earned only one stakes placing, a second in the Metropolitan Handicap.

Two more “out-of-the-money” efforts followed his New York success. But the Widener colt came back to wind up his third season in glorious fashion by staging two long-to-be-remembered duels with Tom Fool. He lost the first, a nose decision to the doughty son of Menow in the Grey Lag Handicap. But two weeks later he turned the tables, getting the photo verdict in the $50,000-added Westchester Handicap.

Much of Battlefield’s inconsistency last season was attributed to his temperament which made him very difficult to train. As a remedy, he spent a good deal of his time between races at Widener’s Erdenheim Farm in Pennsylvania. This was similar to the treatment given Polynesian during his racing days. Part, if not all, of Battlefield’s contrariness is said to be due to his inbreeding to Fair Play, who is his great-grandsire on both sides of his pedigree. Fair Play and many of his offspring were noted for their roguishness.