Archworth
Archworth was a chestnut, male Thoroughbred racehorse born in 1936. He was owned by George McCullagh and bred by William H. Wright. His sire was Worthmore and his dam was Archipelago.[1]
His racing career began as a two-year-old in 1938, placing in the money, including four wins, in all but one of his nine races that year.[2] Two of these wins came in the Clarendon Plate at Thorncliffe Park in September and Mrs. Orpen’s Cup and Saucer at Long Branch Park in October.[3] In the Buzz Boll purse he won in the “fastest track time for the distance in four years” at one minute and two-fifths of a second.[4] Harry Gidding, who trained many King’s plate winners commented that the horse "looks to me like the 1939 King’s Plate winner.”[5] Archworth was the Champion two year old in Canada and won the most earnings in his age division; he had the third highest earnings overall, only behind Bunty Lawless and Mona Bell.[6]
In 1939, he went on to win, what is currently known as the Canadian Triple Crown, consisting of the King’s Plate (or Queen’s Plate, depending on the monarch at the time), the Prince of Wales Stakes, and the Breeders’ Stakes; however, it was not until 1959 that these three races were known as the Triple Crown.[7] In 1941, he retired from racing having raced a total of 47 times accumulating 15 wins, 9 seconds, and 7 thirds, earning $31,234 in winnings.[8]
He was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2014.
CBC Digital Archives has digitized the calling of the King's Plate. The broadcasters discuss the three favourites between 8:13 – 8:58 and the calling of the race occurs between 21:30 – 24:36.
[1] Douglas Eppes, “Hoof Beats,” The Globe and Mail, September 28, 1937, page 18; Douglas Eppes, “Hoof Beats,” The Globe and Mail, June 2, 1938, page 24.
[2] “Archworth,” Equibase, accessed March 11, 2019. URL: http://www.equibase.com/profiles/Results.cfm?type=Horse&refno=17372®istry=T.
[3] Don Cowie, “Archworth Captures Cup and Saucer Classic: Son of Worthmore Leads Sea General In Smashing Victory,” The Globe and Mail, October 13, 1938, page 17; Tommy Munns, “Scanning the Sport Field: Two Different Kinds of Racing Class,” The Globe and Mail, September 19, 1938, page 17.
[4]Douglas Eppes, “Hoof Beats,” The Globe and Mail, June 2, 1938, page 24.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Douglas Eppes, The Globe and Mail, February 21, 1939, page 16.
[7] "Archworth", Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, accessed February 28, 2019. URL: https://www.canadianhorseracinghalloffame.com/2014/05/29/archworth/.
[7] "Archworth", Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, accessed February 28, 2019. URL: https://www.canadianhorseracinghalloffame.com/2014/05/29/archworth/.
[8] “Archworth,” Equibase.
