A Look Back: A Gleam Dominates 1952 Westerner

In conjunction with Tom Hall's Throwback Thursday features in BloodHorse Daily, BloodHorse.com each Thursday will present corresponding race stories from the pages of the magazine. This week is a staff report recap of the 1952 Westerner Stakes at Hollywood Park, from the July 19, 1952 issue; as well as added pedigree details on A Gleam that ran in the June 21, 1952 issue.

Westerner Stakes

A Gleam, challenging her stablemate Real Delight for 3-year-old filly honors, ran away with Hollywood Park's Westerner Stakees. It was the first time that the daughter of *Blenheim II had been asked to go a mile and a quarter, and she responded by running the distance in 2:01 1/5, leaving no doubt as to her superiority over the 3-year-olds in California.

Down De Lane went to the front soon after the start of the Westerner and set the pace accompanied by A Gleam's stablemate, Dixie Lad. A Gleam was in fourth place just behind Tonga. On the far turn, A Gleam went through on the inside of Dixie Lad and Tonga, and moved up with Down De Lane. Leading by five lengths at the head of the stretch, the top-weighted A Gleam coasted to an eight-length victory. Arrox and Stranglehold moved up from back in the field for second and third monies.

The Westerner was the fifth consecutive stakes win for A Gleam and was by far the richest. It's $36,550 first money upped her earnings for the year to $119,700. Besides earlier victories this year in the Hollywood Oaks, the Debonair Stakes, and the Milady and the Cinema Handicaps, A Gleam has placed second in the Los Cerritos Handicap, the Santa Ynez, and the San Gabriel Stakes. She was third in the Sea Breeze Stakes.

Pedigree: Foaled March 22, 1949 at Calumet Farm, Lexington, A Gleam is the only filly out of the famous race mare Twilight Tear. As a 2-year-old of 1951, A Gleam achieved prominence when she ended Princess Lygia's winning streak by scoring in the Princess Pat Stakes. She was third in the George Wolf Memorial Handicap and dead-heated with Landmark for third place in the Matron Stakes. In the Experimental Free Handicap, A Gleam was weighted with Princess Lygia at 113 pounds; with her sex allowance she was even with The Pimpernel and Put Out. ...

A Gleam is the first 1952 stakes winner for the 25-year-old *Blenheim II, sire of 32 stakes winners on the North American continent. Twilight Tear foaled a colt by *Alibhai on January 27 and was booked to Count Fleet. Her 2-year-old colt, a brother to A Gleam, has been named Prince Mike.

Follow-up: 1944 Horse of the Year Twilight Tear, by Bull Lea, would produce a total of three stakes winners—all bred by Calumet Farm. Coiner, by Whirlaway, born a year before A Gleam, won stakes in 1952, 1955, and 1957—when he was 9-years-old and won the Harvest Handicap at Playfair Race Course. 

The weanling colt mentioned in the story, by *Alibhai, was named Bardstown. He won 13 stakes and set track records at Randall Park and Tropical Park. Bardstown won the Widener Handicap in 1957 and 1959 at Hialeah Park and the 1957 Gulfstream Park Handicap. His stakes wins came at eight different tracks.

Prince Mike, also mentioned in the story and a full brother to A Gleam, failed to win in 13 tries. The story also mentions Twilight Tear being sent to Count Fleet. That mating produced the unraced filly Diamond Tear.