Tom Rolfe (April 14, 1962 – June 12, 1989) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing and sire. He was the leading colt of his generation in the United States, winning the Preakness Stakes and being voted American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse in 1965.
Background
Tom Rolfe was one of the best American sons of the undefeated Italian champion Ribot. His dam was Pocahontas, from whom he takes his name (the historical
Pocahontas's only child was named Thomas). His half-siblings include the talented racehorse and sire Chieftain (a son of
Bold Ruler).
A small horse, Tom Rolfe stood 15.2 hands and weighed less than 1,000 pounds.
Racing career
Tom Rolfe won 16 of his 31 starts, with total earnings of $671,297. Ridden by future Hall of Fame jockey
Ron Turcotte, he ran third to winner
Lucky Debonair in the 1965
Kentucky Derby. In May he won the
Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course, beating Dapper Dan by a neck, despite losing a
horseshoe in the race and sustaining a minor injury.
In the
Belmont Stakes in June he led in the straight but was caught close to the finish and beaten a neck by Hail To All.
He went on to record a notable hat-trick at
Arlington Park, winning the Citation Handicap
in July, the Arlington Classic in August,
and the
American Derby in September (breaking the track record).
His performances were enough to earn him American Champion 3-Year-Old Male Horse honors.
His sire, Ribot, won back-to-back runnings of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, and Tom Rolfe was shipped to Longchamp Racecourse in Paris, France to contest the 1965 Arc. He disputed the lead until the closing stages and finished sixth on the grass course to Sea-Bird, but that result remains one of the best by an American-trained entry in that championship race.
Tom Rolfe stayed in training as a four-year-old in 1966. His wins included carrying 127 pounds to victory in the Aqueduct Handicap in September.
Stud record
Retired to stud at
Claiborne Farm near Paris, Kentucky, Tom Rolfe proved a successful sire. He is largely known today as a sire of outstanding broodmares, but his best offspring on the track was 1970 American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt and 1987 leading broodmare sire Hoist The Flag. Tom Rolfe died in 1989 and was buried at Claiborne Farm's Marchmont cemetery.
Breeding
