06/23/2025
Parnell's Ben A. Jones with American Triple Crown winner Whirlaway.
This is an original 1941 photo from the Baltimore Sun which shows trainer Ben Jones leading Whirlaway out of his special stall equipped with screenings at Belmont Park so the flies wouldnβt bother him.
Whirlaway was known to his many fans as Mr. Longtail for his beautiful long tail which would billow out behind him in his races.
Trainer Ben Jones kept his tail purposely long so that other horses would not run up close behind him.
Whirlaway was also known for his quirky personality and numerous idiosyncrasies. One of which was a tendency to bear out in a race costing him the victory. So Ben Jones designed the famous one-eyed blinker which had a full cup over his right eye. Later Jones would cut a tiny hole in the blinker to provide Whirlaway with a limited field of vision.
Ben Jones tested his one-eyed blinker shortly before the Kentucky Derby by standing ten feet off the inner rail and instructing jockey Eddie Arcaro to ride Whirlaway through the gap he had created. Arcaro was able to keep Whirlaway on a straight path.
Whirlaway was owned and bred by Calumet Farm. Later in 1950, he was leased to Marcel Boussac and stood in France at Boussac's Haras le Fresnay-le-Buffard. In 1952, Boussac purchased Whirlaway outright. Sadly he died a year later in 1953 from a heart attack.
He was by Blenheim II, the winner of the 1930 Derby Stakes, out of the unraced Dustwhirl by Sweep, the winner of the 1910 Belmont Stakes.
Whirlaway was a full brother:
to Whirl Right: the dam of Right Bright, the winner of the 1953 Mariposa Handicap; and the fourth dam of Conquistador Cielo, the winner of the 1982 Belmont Stakes;
He was a half brother:
to Feudal Lord: the winner of the 1933 Marianao Handicap;
to Good Ending: the sire: of Furyvan, the winner of the 1958 Golden Gate Derby; and of Foreverett, the winner of the 1958 Honeymoon Stakes;
to Lost Horizon: the dam of Whirlabout, the winner of the 1944 Gazelle Handicap, who produced Spinning Top, the winner of the 1953 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes;
to Panoramic: the dam of Honeymoon, the winner of the 1947 Vanity Handicap, and who produced: Honeyβs Gem, the winner of the 1959 Milady Handicap; and Honeyβs Alibi, the winner of the 1956 San Diego Handicap, and the Broodmare Sire of Dahlia, the 1974 Champion Grass Horse, inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1981;
to Reaping Reward: the winner of the 1937 Latonia Derby.
Whirlaway made 60 starts with 32 wins 15 seconds 9 thirds earning: $561,161.
At two in 1940, he won: the Saratoga Special over New World, the winner of the 1940 Maryland Futurity, and Good Turn, the winner of the 1940 Sanford Stakes; the Walden Stakes over Magnificent, the winner of the 1940 Endurance Handicap, and Stimady, the winner of the 1940 Ardsley Handicap; the Breeders' Futurity over Blue Pair, the winner of the 1940 May Flower Stakes, and Our Boots, the 1940 Co-Champion Two Year Old C**t; and the Hopeful Stakes over Attention, the winner of the 1940 National Stallion Stakes.
Whirlaway was second: in the Grand Union Hotel Stakes to New World and ahead of Hy-Cop; and in the United States Hotel Stakes to Attention and Twinkippy.
He finished third: in the Futurity Stakes behind Our Boots and King Cole, the winner of the 1940 Babylon Handicap; in the Arlington Futurity behind Swain and Valdina Groom, the winner of the 1941 Col. Dan Hardt Handicap; and in the Pimlico Futurity behind Bold Irishman and Our Boots.
Whirlaway was named the 1940 Co-Champion Two Year Old C**t with Our Boots.
At three in 1941, Whirlaway won: the Kentucky Derby setting a new track record over Staretor, the winner of the 1941 Hollywood Derby, and Market Wise, the 1943 Co-Champion Handicap Horse; the Preakness Stakes over the King Cole and Our Boots; the Belmont Stakes over Robert Morris, the winner of the 1941 Peter Pan Handicap, and Yankee Chance, the winner of the Hibler Purse; the American Derby over Bushwacker, the winner of the 1944 Reigh Count Handicap, and Delray; the Dwyer Stakes over Market Wise and Robert Morris; the Lawrence Realization Stakes over Alaking and Time Counts; the Travers Stakes over Fairymant and Lord Kitchener; the Saranac Handicap over War Relic, the winner of the 1941 Massachusetts Handicap, and Omission, the winner of the 1941 Swift Stakes; and the Special Event over Daily Trouble, the winner of the 1942 and 1943 Hawthorne Handicap, and To a Tee, the winner of the 1941 Northwestern Handicap.
He was second: in the Arlington Classic Stakes to Attention and ahead of Bushwacker; in the Narragansett Special to War Relic and ahead of Equifox, the winner of the 1941 Arlington Handicap; in the Blue Grass Stakes to Our Boots and ahead of Valdina Paul; in the Jockey Club Gold Cup to Market Wise and ahead of Fenelon, the winner of the 1940 Travers Stakes; and in the Derby Trial Stakes to Blue Pair and Cadmium.
Whirlaway was named the 1941 Horse of the Year and the 1941 Champion Three Year Old C**t.
At four in 1942, Whirlaway won: the Massachusetts Handicap setting a new track record over Rounders, the winner of the 1943 Stars and Stripes Handicap, and Attention; the Brooklyn Handicap setting a new stakes record over Swing and Sway, the winner of the 1942 Whitney Stakes, and Attention; the Jockey Club Gold Cup over Alsab, the 1941 Champion Two Year Old C**t and the 1942 Champion Three Year Old C**t, and Bolingbroke, the winner of the 1942 Saratoga Cup; the Narragansett Special over Boysy, the winner of the 1941 and 1942 Scarsdale Handicap, and Valdina Orphan, the winner of the 1942 Dwyer Stakes; the Dixie Handicap over Attention and Mioland, the 1941 Champion Handicap Horse, with Challedon, the 1939 and 1940 Horse of the Year, fourth; the Louisiana Handicap over Heartman and Riverland, the winner of the 1942 Westchester Handicap; the Washington Handicap over Thumbs Up, the winner of the 1945 Santa Anita Handicap, and Riverland; the Governor Bowie Handicap over Dark Discovery, the winner of the 1942 Gallant Fox Handicap, and Equifox; the Trenton Handicap over Rosetown, the winner of the 1941 Diana Handicap, and Aonbarr, the winner of the 1942 Kentucky Handicap; the Clark Handicap over Aonbarr and Fairmond, the winner of the Stagehand Purse; the Pimlico Special in a walkover.
He was second: in the Butler Handicap to Tola Rose and ahead of Swing and Sway; in the Suburban Handicap to Market Wise and ahead of Attention; in the Arlington Handicap to Rounders and ahead of Staretor; in the Manhattan Handicap to Bolingbroke and ahead of Kingβs Abbey, the winner of the 1942 Jerome Handicap; in the Riggs Handicap to Riverland and ahead of Pictor, the winner of the 1942 Aqueduct Handicap; in the Phoenix Handicap to Devil Diver and ahead of Sun Again, the winner of the 1944 Equipoise Mile Handicap; and in the Match Race at Narragansett Park with Alsab.
Whirlaway finished third in the New York Handicap behind Alsab and Obash, the winner of the 1941 Tarrytown Claiming Stakes; and in the Carter Handicap behind Doublrab and Swing and Sway.
Whirlaway was named the 1942 Horse of the Year and the 1942 Champion Handicap Horse.
He was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1959. On the Bloodhorse List of the 100 Top Champions of the 20th Century, Whirlaway comes in at number 26.
At stud his best were:
Away Away: the winner of the 1950 Cowdin Stakes.
Dart By: the winner of the 1950 Ocean City Handicap.
Easy Whirl: was second in the 1952 Hornung Handicap.
Duchess Peg: the winner of the 1949 Arlington Lassie Stakes. The second dam of Dunce Cap, the winner of the 1962 Lowther Stakes.
Going Away: the winner of the 1949 Yankee Handicap.
Risk a Whirl: the winner of the 1950 Plymouth Rock Handicap.
Whirling Bat: the winner of the 1951 Louisiana Derby.
Whirling Girl: the third dam of Forego: 1974-1976 Horse of the Year; 1977 Champion Handicap Horse; 1974 Champion Sprinter; and inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979.
Scattered: the winner of the 1948 Coaching Club American Oaks. The dam of: Here and There, the winner of the 1957 Alabama Stakes; and Disperse, the winner of the 1961 Hempstead Handicap.
Rock Drill: the winner of the 1953 Susan Stakes. The dam of Lady Pitt, the 1966 Champion Three Year Old Filly; the second dam of Blitey, a Reine-de-Course, and the winner of the 1979 Test Stakes. This is the family of: Dancing Spree, the winner of the 1989 Suburban Handicap; Fantastic Find, the winner of the 1990 Hempstead Handicap; and Furlough, the winner of the 1998 Honorable Miss Stakes; etc.
