American Classics wins: Belmont Stakes (1929)Blue Larkspur (1926–1947) was a bay Kentucky-bred thoroughbred race horse.
He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1957,[1] and ranks Number 100 in The Blood-Horse's top 100 U.S. thoroughbred champions of the 20th Century.
Blue Larkspur was sired by Black Servant, who was second in the 1921 Kentucky Derby, just behind his Idle Hour stablemate Behave Yourself.
Blue Larkspur's dam was Blossom Time, by North Star III and out of Vaila, an influential mare imported by Bradley.
In Blue Larkspur's time, there was no Southern racing circuit to prepare for the Kentucky Derby, so he was trained hard all winter in Lexington.
Because Thompson was suffering from appendicitis, an apprentice trainer prepared Blue Larkspur for the race and neglected to have him shod in "stickers" (special shoes for slippery mud).
As a 4-year-old, Blue Larkspur raced three times (winning the Stars and Stripes Handicap and the Arlington Cup) before his leg again failed him.
Blue Larkspur made the broodmare sires list every year from 1944 through 1960, with his daughters producing 114 stakes winners and six champions.