Sir Barton

{{Infobox racehorse | horsename = Sir Barton | image = | caption = Sir Barton & jockey Johnny Loftus, 1919 | sire = Star Shoot | grandsire = Isinglass | dam = Lady Sterling | damsire = Hanover | sex = Stallion | foaled = 1916 | country = United States | color = Chestnut | breeder = John E. Madden | owner = John E. MaddenJ. K. L. Ross | trainer = Billy WalkerH. Guy Bedwell | record = 31: 13–6–5 | earnings= $116,857 | race = Potomac Handicap (1919)Withers Stakes (1919)Climax Handicap (1920)Maryland Handicap (1919)Saratoga Handicap (1920)Dominion Handicap (1920)Merchants and Citizens Handicap (1920)Rennert Handicap (1920)Triple Crown race wins:Kentucky Derby (1919)Preakness Stakes (1919)Belmont Stakes (1919) | awards= 1st US Triple Crown Champion (1919)United States Champion 3-Yr-Old Colt (1919)[[Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year|United States Horse of the Year]] (1919) | honors= US Racing Hall of Fame (1957)Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame (1976)#49 – Top 100 US Racehorses of the 20th CenturySir Barton Stakes at Woodbine RacetrackSir Barton Way in Lexington, Kentucky |updated= }}Sir Barton' (April 26, 1916 – October 30, 1937) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who is the first winner of the American Triple Crown. Background Sir Barton was a chestnut colt bred in 1916, in Kentucky, by John E. Madden at Hamburg Place Farm near Lexington. An Englishman, Vivian A. Gooch, who judged the 1918 National Horse, was co-listed as breeder with Madden, but Gooch had actually served as the agent who purchased Sir Martin, Sir Barton's half-brother, from Madden for Louis Winans. As a favor to Gooch, Madden listed his friend as co-breeder and then Madden purchased Gooch's gifted share of Sir Barton when Madden decided to keep the colt and race him under his own colors. Sir Barton was sired by the British stallion Star Shoot out of the mare Lady Sterling, by Hanover. Sir Barton's paternal grandsire was the 1893 English Triple Crown winner Isinglass. His half-brother was 1908 juvenile champion Sir Martin. Sir Barton was known for being a "grouchy" horse, and it was said that the only human he didn't hate was his groom, Toots Thompson.