Gallant Man was part of one of the best American crops of all time according to most Turf Writers. This crop included Round Table, Bold Ruler, Iron Liege, Promised Land, Gen. Duke, Clem and several other talented runners.
He was bred in England by the Aga Khan and Prince Aly Khan. Ralph Lowe took Bloodstock Agent Humphrey Finney’s advice and included the scrawny youngster with bad feet and ankles in the group of horses he was purchasing from the Aga Khan. Needless to say the colt in question was Gallant Man.
Gallant Man was by Migoli, the winner of the 1948 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, out of Majideh, the 1942 English and Irish Champion Three Year Old Filly, by Mahmoud, the winner of the 1936 Derby Stakes.
He was a half brother:
to Masaka: the 1948 English Champion Three Year Old Filly; and the dam: of Bara Bibi, the winner of the 1954 Park Hill Stakes; and of Aquitania: the winner of the 1967 International Gold Cup Steeplechase;
to Malekeh: the dam: of Beigler Bey, the winner of the 1953 Prix Saint-Roman; and of The Scoundrel, the winner of the 1963 Haggin Stakes;
to Monkeyaires: the dam of Dapper Delegate, the winner of the 1965 Louisiana Derby;
Gallant Man was a full brother:
to Mehrabi, the second dam: of Top Knight, the 1968 Champion Two Year Old Colt; and of Bold Bikini, the winner of the 1972 Jersey Belle Handicap. Bold Bikini is the dam: of Law Society, the 1984 Irish Champion Two Year Old Colt, and the 1985 Champion Three Year Old Colt; of Legal Bid, the winner of the 1987 Feilden Stakes; of Strike Your Colors, the winner of the 1978 Breeders Futurity.
Gallant Man made 26 starts with 14 wins 4 seconds 1 third earning $510,355.
At two in 1956, he made seven starts in either Maiden or Allowance company, winning three races.
At three in 1957, Gallant Man won: the Hibiscus Stakes over Missile, the winner of the 1956 Pimlico Futurity, and King Hairan, the winner of the 1956 Hopful Stakes; the Belmont Stakes by eight lengths and setting a new American Record over Inside Tract, the winner of the 1958 Jockey Club Gold Cup, and Bold Ruler; the Jockey Club Gold Cup over Third Brother, the winner of the 1956 Roamer Handicap, and Reneged, the winner of the 1957 Saratoga Handicap; the Travers Stakes over Bureaucracy, the winner of the 1957 Dwyer Stakes and a half brother to Buckpasser, and Field of Honor; the Peter Pan Handicap over Promised Land, the winner of the 1957 Lawrence Realization Stakes, Nah Hiss; and the Nassau County Handicap setting a new track record over Dedicate, the 1957 Co-Horse of the Year, and Reneged.
He was second: in the Trenton Handicap to Bold Ruler and ahead of Round Table; in the Wood Memorial Stakes to Bold Ruler and ahead of Promised Land; in the Woodward Stakes to Dedicate and ahead of Bold Ruler; and in the Kentucky Derby to Iron Liege and ahead of Round Table with Bold Ruler fourth.
The 1957 Kentucky Derby was nicknamed the Bad Dream Derby because supposedly Gallant Man’s owner, Ralph Lowe, had dreamed that Shoemaker would lose the Derby by mistaking the finish line. Which was exactly what happened that day.
Gallant Man and Iron Liege were battling down the stretch at Churchill Downs when suddenly Shoemaker stood up in the irons. He had misjudged the finish line and Bill Hartack took advantage of this mistake and put Iron Liege’s head in front to win.
At four in 1958, Gallant Man won: the Hollywood Gold Cup over Eddie Schmidt, the winner of the 1957 Gallant Fox Handicap, and Seaneen, the winner of the 1958 Californian Stakes; the Sunset Handicap over Eddie Schmidt and St. Vincent, the 1955 Champion Grass Horse; and the Metropolitan Handicap over Bold Ruler and Clem, the winner of the 1957 Arlington Classic.
He finished third in the Carter Handicap behind Bold Ruler and Tick Tock, the winner of the 1958 Vosburgh Handicap.
Although Gallant Man never won year-end honors, still he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987.
He was fifth on the 1970 Leading Sire List; eighth in 1968; and ninth in 1967. Gallant Man was fifth on the 1980 Broodmare Sire List; eighth in 1979; and tenth in 1984.
At stud some of his best were:
Gallant Bloom: the 1968 Co-Champion Two Year Old Filly, the 1969 Champion Three Year Old Filly, and the 1969 Champion Handicap Mare. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1977.
Pattee Canyon: the winner of the 1970 Arlington Matron Handicap.
Spicy Living: the winner of the 1963 Mother Goose Stakes.
Gallant Romeo: the winner of the 1966 Vosburgh Handicap and the sire of: Elocutionist, the winner of the 1976 Preakness; Gallant Bob, the 1975 Champion Sprinter; My Juliet, the 1976 Champion Sprinter and inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019.
Coraggioso: the winner of the 1974 Ladies Handicap.
Virtuous: the winner of the 1973 Prix de la Vallee d’Auge and the dam of Genuine Risk, the winner of the 1980 Kentucky Derby and second in the Preakness and in the Belmont Stakes. The 1980 Champion Three Year Old Filly and inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986.
Avie: the dam of Lord Avie, the 1980 Champion Two Year Old Colt.
Kennelot: the dam of: Lotka, the winner of the 1986 Acorn Stakes; and Stephens Odyssey, the winner of the 1985 Dwyer Stakes.
Courteous Lady: the dam of Habitony, the winner of the 1977 Santa Anita Derby.
Gaebale: the dam of Pine Circle, the winner of the 1985 Widener Handicap.
Gracefully: the dam of Guilty Conscience, the winner of the 1981 Vosburgh Handicap.
War Censor: the winner of the 1967 Hialeah Turf Cup Handicap.
April Dawn: the winner of the 1966 Honeymoon Stakes.
Moss Vale: the winner of the 1965 Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap.
Road Princess: the winner of the 1977 Mother Goose Stakes.
