RomanBrother_MightyMite.qxp_Florida Horse_template 11/21/18 12:00 PM Page 52
Mighty Mite
Roman Brother, who was reported as weighing 871 pounds as a two year old, broke his maiden at first asking on July 25, 1963, at Aqueduct. He came up lame after the race and then it was discovered he was a ridgling. After being gelded, Roman Brother won two allowance races before finishing second to Hurry to Market in the Garden State Stakes. That September, Roman Brother was supplemented to the Champagne Stakes at Aqueduct. He won by four and a half lengths, beating Traffic with Bupers finishing third. Wolfson's colorbearer closed out his season with $228,333, the most earned by any two year old in the country. What about Gray Leader? He never made a start, ever. STELLAR SOPHOMORE
Roman Brother was the little engine who could in 1964, winning six stakes and being stakes-placed eight times in 20 starts. His victories included ROMAN BROTHER the inaugural $125,000 New Hampshire 1961 bay gelding by Third Brother Sweepstakes at Rockingham Park, where —Roman Zephyr, by Roman Breeder: Ocala Stud he set a track record of 1:55.80 for the mile Owner: Harbor View Farm (Louis Wolfson) and one-sixteenth. Roman Brother also Trainer: Burley Parke visited the winner's circle in the $100,000 American Derby, $100,000 Jersey Derby HIGHEST HONORS 1965 North American Horse of the Year at Garden State Park, Bahamas Stakes at 1965 Champion Older Horse Hialeah Park, Discovery Handicap at Aqueduct and Everglades Stakes at CAREER RACE RECORD/EARNINGS Hialeah Park. 42-16-10-5/$943,473 Trained by Burley Parke, Roman CAREER STAKES RECORD Brother was fourth in the Kentucky Derby 1st and fifth in the Preakness Stakes to North1965 Jockey Club Gold Cup 1965 Woodward Stakes ern Dancer. In the Belmont Stakes, he was 1965 Manhattan Handicap second to Quadrangle with Northern 1964 Jersey Derby Dancer third. He closed out the season 1964 American Derby with a second to the great Kelso in the 1964 New Hampshire Sweepstakes 1964 Bahamas Stakes $100,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup, raced 1964 Discovery Handicap then at the distance of two miles. 1964 Everglades Stakes He also posted seconds in the 1963 Champagne Stakes Lawrence Realization Stakes, Chicagoan 2nd Stakes, Derby Trial and Fountain of 1964 Belmont Stakes Youth. Additionally, there were thirds in 1964 Jockey Club Gold Cup the Dwyer Handicap and Wood Memo1965 Brooklyn Handicap 1965 Michigan Mile and One-Eighth rial. Roman Brother banked $449,350 on 1963 Garden State Stakes the season. 1964 Lawrence Realization Stakes 1964 Chicagoan Stakes EARNING DUAL CROWNS 1964 Derby Trial Stakes 1964 Fountain of Youth Stakes After several poor performances to start the 1965 season, Roman Brother was 3rd discovered to have a serious hoof infection 1965 Washington D.C. International and given time off to heal. He returned in 1965 Aqueduct Stakes 1964 Dwyer Stakes mid-summer to the races healthy and at his 1964 Wood Memorial Stakes top fighting weight of 925 pounds. 52 THE FLORIDA HORSE • DECEMBER 2018
In the $100,000 Brooklyn Handicap on July 24 at Aqueduct, Roman Brother was second to Pia Star with Kelso third. That effort was followed by a third in the $100,000 Aqueduct Stakes on September 6 and a second in the $75,000 Michigan Mile and One-Eighth Handicap on September 18 at Detroit Race Course. Back at Aqueduct in October, Roman Brother put together a three-race, season-defining winning skein. On October 2, he won the $100,000 Woodward Stakes by 10 lengths over Royal Gunner with *Malicious third. Next up was an eight-length victory over Hill Rise in the $50,000 Manhattan Handicap on October 12. Roman Brother put an exclamation mark on the month, capturing the $100,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup by five lengths over *Berenjenal. His winning time for the two miles was 3:22.60. Despite not being a turf horse, Roman Brother closed out his season with a third to *Diatome in the $150,000 Washington D.C. International at Laurel Park. He banked $257,520 on five wins, two seconds and two thirds in five starts. Prior to the advent of the Eclipse Awards in 1971, season championships were determined by several polls. The Triangle Publications poll was organized by the Daily Racing Form. There were also the Thoroughbred Racing Association and Turf and Sports Digest polls. Roman Brother was named the country's champion older horse in all three polls. He was named 1965 North American Horse of the Year by the Triangle Publications poll. But the TRA and the Turf and Sports Digest poll tabbed the 2-year-old filly Moccasin as their Horse of the Year. Roman Brother became the first Florida-bred to be named a North American Horse of the Year. And the little gelding bought for $23,500 also became the first horse sold at public auction to be so honored. OFF TO THE FARM
Roman Brother made but two starts in 1966, winning a seven-furlong allowance race at Hialeah Park on Jan. 25. In the Seminole Handicap on Feb. 5 at Hialeah, he injured an ankle and was subsequently retired to Wolfson's Harbor View Farm. When the latter was sold in the late 1970s, Roman Brother was moved to Ocala-based Happy Valley Farm, which was owned by Steve and Gary Wolfson. Roman Brother died on March 8, 1991, from a severe bout of colic. He was three months shy of his 30th birthday. ■ Editor's Note: Burley Parke, who trained Roman Brother, was inducted to the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame in 1986.