Cornelius Vanderbilt (c.v.) "Sonny" Whitney at the Prestigious Prix De l'Arc De Triomphe at Longchamp Watercolor by Pierre Bellocq Aka "Peb"

Details

Description

Art Sz: 17 1/4"H x 26 3/4"W

Frame Sz: 18 7/8"H x 28 3/8"W

Cornelius Vanderbilt (C.V.) "Sonny" Whitney made … Read more Art Sz: 17 1/4"H x 26 3/4"W

Frame Sz: 18 7/8"H x 28 3/8"W

Cornelius Vanderbilt (C.V.) "Sonny" Whitney made international horse racing history by sending two of his horses Career Boy and Fisherman to France to compete in the prestigious Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp.

Provenance: This painting was done for C.V. Whitney and hung in his summer residence Deerland at Whitney Park in the Adirondacks

Pierre Camille Lucien Hilaire Jean Bellocq (born November 25, 1926) is a French-American artist and horse racing cartoonist known as "Peb". As a small boy, his family moved to Maisons-Laffitte where his father worked at the local race track. There, at a young age Pierre Bellocq used his natural talent to begin creating caricatures of horses and horse people. At age 19, the French racing journal France Courses gave him national exposure when they published one of his cartoons of a jockey. Bellocq signed the drawing as "Peb", a signature which would become his lifelong moniker. Within a few years Peb was widely known and an emerging artist who also gained recognition for his caricatures on sports advertising posters.

In October 1956, prominent American owner and breeder Cornelius Vanderbilt "Sonny" Whitney made international horse racing history by sending Career Boy and Fisherman to France to compete in the prestigious Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Paris Longchamp. This bold move marked the first time American-based horses crossed the Atlantic to challenge Europe's elite turf runners since Triple Crown winner Omaha contested the Ascot Gold Cup in 1936.The Historic 1956 Race Breakdown

The Vision: Whitney aimed to "return the courtesy" after European horses traveled to race in the United States. He leveraged his top two turf stars: Fisherman, who won the 1954 Washington D.C. International, and Career Boy, who won the 1956 United Nations Handicap.

The Strategy: Fisherman was utilized to set a quick early pace to tire out the European front-runners, while the legendary jockey Eddie Arcaro sat back on Career Boy to wait for a late-stretch run.

The Result: The tactical plan was thwarted by the legendary Italian "wonder horse" Ribot, who easily dominated the field to secure his 16th consecutive victory. Career Boy finished a formidable fourth, while Fisherman fell back out of the money.

Despite missing out on the victory, the venture was a major success for the American stable. Career Boy's brave fourth-place finish secured him American Champion Male Turf Horse honors for 1956, and the trip paved the way for modern international horse racing campaigns See less