Foaled in 1875 at the Woodburn Stud near Lexington, Kentucky, he was owned by New York City tobacco tycoon George L. Lorillard and trained by Hall of Famer R. Wyndham Walden.
Excluding the Withers, he is also one of only seven horses to have won the Preakness, Belmont, and Travers.
In Duke of Magenta's day, the Derby was a recently established race not yet considered important by East Coast breeders.
Duke of Magenta died on September 20, 1899, at the farm of J. McCloud in Brookline, Massachusetts.
[1] In 2011, Duke of Magenta was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.