Pensive

This article is about the racehorse Pensive. For the magical item in the Harry Potter stories, see Pensieve. For the word refer to Wiktionary.

Pensive
Sire	Hyperion
Grandsire	Gainsborough
Dam	Penicuik
Damsire	Buchan
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1941
Country	US
Colour	Chestnut
Breeder	Calumet Farm
Owner	Calumet Farm
Trainer	Ben A. Jones
Record	22:7-5-4
Earnings	$167,715
Major wins
Champagne Stakes (1943) Oden Bowie Stakes (1943) Chesapeake Stakes (1944) Bowie Handicap (1944) Rowe Memorial Handicap (1944) American Classic Race wins: Kentucky Derby (1944) Preakness Stakes (1944)
Last updated on September 22, 2006

Pensive (February 5, 1941 – May 20, 1949) was a bright chestnut Thoroughbred racehorse that in 1944 came closer than any other horse at the time to winning the U.S. Triple Crown. He was also the first to win the first two legs and then lose the third.

Background

He was sired by Hyperion, out of Penicuik II (by Buchan). Pensive was brought to the United States still in utero by Arthur B. Hancock, who then sold the mare to the owner of Calumet Farm, Warren Wright. Wright had inherited Calumet from his father, William Monroe Wright, president of the Calumet Baking Powder Company. Pensive began his training under Calumet's future Hall of Fame trainer Ben A. Jones.

Racing career

At two, Pensive raced five times, winning twice. His three losses all came in stakes races. At three, he ran a checkered season, winning and losing fairly equally. He beat older horses in the Rowe Memorial Handicap, but lost to an older horse, Tola Rose, in the Bowie Handicap. Tola Rose had defeated Whirlaway.

Pensive, ridden by Conn McCreary, won the Kentucky Derby going away by four and a half lengths. A week later, he took the Preakness. That year, the Belmont (at the time the least of the three races), had upped its purse to $50,000. Pensive was in the lead when Bounding Home inched by to take the race by less than half a length.

Following his loss in the Belmont, Pensive lost all eight of his final starts.

Stud record

Pensive was retired to stud, producing the winner of the 1949 Kentucky Derby, Ponder. He died in 1949, just after his son won the Derby. Pensive is buried at Calumet Farm.

Breeding

Pedigree of Pensive

Sire Hyperion ch. 1930	Gainsborough bay 1915	Bayardo	Bay Ronald
			Galicia
		Rosedrop	St. Frusquin
			Rosaline
	Selene bay 1919	Chaucer	St.Simon
			Canterbury Pilgrim
		Serenissima	Minoru
			Gondolette
Dam Penicuik ch. 1934	Buchan bay 1916	Sunstar	Sundridge
			Doris
		Hamoaze	Torpoint
			Maid of the Mist
	Pennycomequick brown 1926	Hurry On	Marcovil
			Tout Suite
		Plymstock	Polymelus
			Winkipop

References

• Pensive's pedigree with photo
• Pensive's Kentucky Derby