Black Toney

Black Toney (1911–1938) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse and sire, owned and raced by Edward R. Bradley

Black Toney
Black Toney
Sire	Peter Pan
Grandsire	Commando
Dam	Belgravia
Damsire	Ben Brush
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1911
Country	United States
Colour	Brown
Breeder	James R. Keene
Owner	Colonel Edward R. Bradley
Trainer	Herbert J. Thompson
Record	40: 13-11-7
Earnings	$13,565
Major wins
Valuation Stakes (1913) Latonia Independence Handicap (1914)
Honours
Leading Juvenile Sire in 1939 Among the top 20 American sires by earnings ten times. The Black Toney Purse once run at Latonia Race Track
Last updated on December 6, 2007

Background

Black Toney was bred by James R. Keene's Castleton Lyons Farm. Keene, whose health was failing (he died in 1913), sold all his holdings in 1912 to Colonel Edward R. Bradley's Idle Hour Stock Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. Some confusion occurred over this sale, and Bradley resold most of the lot, but one of those he kept was a very dark brown yearling he named Black Toney. The price tag for the son of future Hall of Famer Peter Pan, whose own sire was another future Hall of Famer, Commando, by the great Domino, was $1,600. Black Toney's dam was Belgravia, the best daughter of future Hall of Famer Ben Brush. This meant that the almost black yearling with no white markings and a fine head and body was a member of the last crop bred by Keene from his famous Domino/Ben Brush cross.

Racing career

Black Toney was a good racehorse but far from a great one. He raced for four years, coming in the money in 31 of his 40 starts.

Stud record

Black Toney became a very successful breeding stallion, siring many of the horses for which the Idle Hour Stock Farm became famous. The names of Bradley’s horses all began with a "B," a quirk of Bradley's, often attributed to his first stakes winner, Bad News. Bad News earned his name because, according to Bradley, "bad news travels fast."

Bradley bred him sparingly and yet, even from 21 small crops and a total of 221 foals, the quality of his get was very high. Overall, he sired 40 stakes winners, which amounts to 18 percent of his foals. Black Toney was 10 times among the top 20 American sires by earnings. He was second on the general sire list in 1933 and fifth in 1939.

Black Toney spent his whole stud career at Idle Hour, producing many fine broodmares as well as winners. He died there on September 19, 1938, at the age of 27 of an apparent heart attack. Colonel Bradley commissioned a bronze statue that he placed over his greatest stallion's grave. It is still there today, on a part of the Darby Dan Farm.

The best of his offspring included:

• Miss Jemima - American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly, 1919
• Black Servant - Second in the 1921 Kentucky Derby, sire of Blue Larkspur, Big Pebble, Baba Kenny Champion Two-Year-Old Filly of 1930, Barn Swallow won 1933 Kentucky Oaks
• Black Gold - U. S. Racing Hall of Fame
• Bimelech - American Champion Colt at two and three, U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee
• Brokers Tip - 1933 Kentucky Derby winner
• Balladier- American Champion Two-Year-Colt of 1934, sire of Spy Song
• Black Maria - 1926 American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly, 1927 and 1928 American Champion Older Female Horse
• Black Helen - 1935 American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly, U.S. Racing Hall of Fame
• Big Hurry - the dam of Searching and Bridal Flower Champion Three-Year-Old Filly of 1946
• Bridal Colors - dam of Relic
• Crotala - dam of the leading broodmare Boat

Pedigree

Pedigree of Black Toney, brown stallion, 1911

Sire Peter Pan	Commando	Domino	Himyar
			Mannie Gray
		Emma C.	Darebin
			Guenn
	Cinderella	Hermit	Newminster
			Seclusion
		Mazurka	See Saw
			Mabille
Dam Belgravia	Ben Brush	Bramble	Bonnie Scotland
			Ivy Leaf
		Roseville	Reform
			Albia
	Bonnie Gal	Galopin	Vedette
			Flying Duchess
		Bonnie Doon	Rapid Rhone
			Queen Mary (family: 10-c)

External links

• Black Toney’s pedigree
• Extensive view of pedigree from Influential Sires
• Bradley's statue of Black Toney at Darby Dan