[1][2] Tim Tam was a dark bay horse sired by Tom Fool and out of Two Lea (both sire and dam listed on the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century; Tom Fool at #11 and Two Lea at #77), the dark bay colt was owned and bred by Calumet Farm.
After winning the Preakness Stakes, Tim Tam was considered to have a strong chance to capture the American Triple Crown.
[5] However, in the Belmont Stakes, coming down the home stretch toward the lead that seemed to assure victory, Tim Tam fractured a sesamoid bone and hobbled the last yards across the finish line in second place.
[6][7][8] At stud Tim Tam sired 14 stakes race winners, among them the Hall of Fame filly Tosmah.
[9] Although his racing season was cut short, Tim Tam still was elected American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse.