12/06/2023
Jay Bird - A Century Sire and Harness Racing Legend
AN IRREFUTABLE LEGACY FORGED IN THE KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS
In 1878, a legend was born on W.L. Simmons' Ash Grove Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. Jay Bird, a striking blue roan c**t, entered the world, destined to become one of harness racing's most enduring icons. Sired by the great George Wilkes, a son of the incomparable Hambletonian, and born to Lady Frank, a Mambrino Star mare, Jay Bird's pedigree was a testament to his racing lineage.
1878 - 1880: THE EARLY BEGINNINGS OF A HARNESS RACING PIONEER
Jay Bird's formative years were spent in the lush pastures of Ash Grove Farm, now a part of Darby Dan Farm, in Lexington, Kentucky. Here, among his peers, he began to reveal his raw talent and boundless potential. What set him apart was not just his remarkable racing prowess but also his striking steel gray coat, a feature that made him stand out. In 1880, Jay Bird's journey to harness racing greatness began when he secured victory in The Kentucky Stakes. At the time, it was a race for 2-year-olds, later transitioning to The Lexington Stakes for that age group, while The Kentucky Stakes would become the race for 3-year-olds beginning the following year. These races were held at The Red Mile in Lexington, the location of all Kentucky Trotting Horse Breeders Association sponsored stakes races.
1881 - 1906: THE MAKING OF A CENTURY SIRE
At the conclusion of his racing career, Jay Bird retired to the breeding shed at Ash Grove. It was here that Jay Bird's endurance as a sire began to manifest. During his time at Ash Grove, he sired over 70 standard performers, closely approaching the mark of 77, achieved by his sire, George Wilkes, already an impressive mark for that time. In 1898, after W.L. Simmons' passing, Jay Bird found a new home with Warren Adams Bacon, Jr., who, along with his partner John Brennan, acquired Jay Bird for $2,600 at the estate dispersal sale, with Bacon soon thereafter buying Brennan out. Under Bacon's ownership, Jay Bird became associated with his Maplehurst Stock Farm in Paris, Kentucky, where his enduring legacy truly took root. Bacon would popularize the phrase, "It is always a Jay Bird," using it as a slogan in print advertisements found in magazines and newspapers across the nation. It was during his time at Maplehurst that Jay Bird would achieve the prestigious title of Century Sire, awarded exclusively to sires whose offspring would attain or exceed one hundred standard performers. Jay Bird would be the fourteenth to join the esteemed Century Sire list. Notably, thanks to the mighty Allerton, Jay Bird became the first Century Sire in history to sire another Century Sire, with Allerton becoming the first Double Century Sire. Jay Bird would spend the remainder of his days at Maplehurst, where his impact on harness racing became undeniable, and his legend was immortalized.
DECEMBER 18, 1906: A FAREWELL TO A LEGEND
On December 18, 1906, Jay Bird passed away, but his legacy was far from over; it was only just beginning. News of Jay Bird's passing made the front pages of racing magazines and newspaper sports sections across the country. His final stallion ad, printed a week after his death in the Christmas 1906 issue of American Horse Breeder magazine, appeared to foreshadow that his influence would live on. His resting place at Maplehurst Stock Farm was marked by a marble headstone, bearing his epitaph, the slogan made famous by Bacon: "JAY BIRD, 5060, A CENTURY SIRE, 1878 - 1906, It is always a Jay Bird."
Bacon disclosed, in an interview reported in The Bourbon News, that Jay Bird had amassed $37,000 in stud fees from the time of Bacon's purchase in 1898 until the stallion's death in 1906. This amount did not include the sales of homebred offspring sired by Jay Bird, surely an equally lucrative sum. To provide some perspective, Bacon had acquired Maplehurst Farm, which included an eight-room house, three horse barns, several outbuildings, and 117 acres of the richest soil in the Bluegrass, for just $14,680 only a few short years earlier.
DESCENDANTS OF JAY BIRD: AN UNMATCHED LEGACY
While Allerton is certainly the most well-known son of Jay Bird, other sons such as Alconda Jay, Eagle Bird, Jaymore, The Tramp, and Jay Hawker also contributed to their sire's lineage in their own right, many of which also live on today. The premature death of the promising stallion Jay Hawker, who died at the age of only 8, left the question of what might have been had he lived longer. Another Allerton perhaps? We can only imagine. A grandson of Jay Bird, Locanda, a son of Allerton, was sold to Russia, where he played a crucial role in the development of the Russian Trotter breed, although it ultimately did not persist beyond 1949.
Jay Bird's profound influence on harness racing extends beyond his own achievements. He left an indelible mark on the sport, with his lineage, descending from Hambletonian, serving as a foundation for many notable names in harness racing history. His impact on the sport is immeasurable, with a lineage that stretches from Allerton to Billy Direct, Tar Heel, Bret Hanover, Meadow Skipper, Niatross, Cam Fella, No Nukes, and beyond, shaping the sport for nearly a century and a half since his birth and more than a century since his passing.
Notably, all ten winners of the Triple Crown for Pacers, the fastest 3-year-old pacer ever, Confederate, the fastest trotter ever, Homicide Hunter, and the highest-earning and fastest standardbred in history, Bulldog Hanover, all trace their lineage back to Jay Bird. A remarkable 69% of all current members of the Living Hall of Fame - Horses and 30% of all current members of the Hall of Immortals - Horses can also trace their heritage to Jay Bird.
Imagine Jay Bird, a stallion who lived over a century ago. He is a pivotal character in the story of today's standardbred horses. If Jay Bird had never existed, it's not just about one missing horse; it's about a ripple effect. The genetic roles he played in his descendants' heritage would be taken up by a cast of new stallions. Each of these replacements would bring their unique traits, creating a much different genetic landscape from the one we see today. So, Jay Bird's absence isn't just a gap in history; it's a rewrite of genetic destiny, shaping the standardbred lineage in ways we can't fully predict.
As the thread of Jay Bird's bloodline continues to weave through the tapestry of future champions, the sport of harness racing remains indebted to this remarkable Century Sire. His legacy endures not only in the records and victories of his descendants but also in the hearts and minds of those who cherish the rich history and tradition of harness racing. Jay Bird's story is one of greatness, perseverance, and an everlasting influence that continues to resonate through the sport to this day.
