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Bred and owned by King Ranch, this son of King Ranch’s 1936 Kentucky Derby winner Bold Venture triumphed over archrival Hill Prince in the 1950 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. He is one of just two Texas-bred Kentucky Derby winners, with King Ranch’s Triple Crown winner Assault being the other.
Middleground was denied the Triple Crown by Hill Prince, who beat him in that and four other of their six meetings as 3-year-olds.
As a 2-year-old, Middleground won four of five starts, including the prestigious Hopeful Stakes. He was the highweighted juvenile on 1949’s Experimental Free Handicap, but with the Hopeful as his only stakes win at two, the 2-year-old championship was shared by Hill Prince and Oil Capital.
Overall, Middleground won six of 15 starts in a career cut short by injury. He finished second six times and third twice, only finishing out of the money once. In addition to the Preakness, Middleground’s stakes placings included the Wood Memorial, Withers Stakes, Derby Trial Stakes, Arlington Futurity, and Leonard Richards Stakes. He retired with total earnings of $237,725.
As a stallion, Middleground was unable to produce any offspring with his talent level. He sired 101 starters from 130 foals, with his best offspring being the stakes-winning fillies Chistosa and Resaca.
Bred and owned by King Ranch, this son of King Ranch’s 1936 Kentucky Derby winner Bold Venture triumphed over archrival Hill Prince in the 1950 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. He is one of just two Texas-bred Kentucky Derby winners, with King Ranch’s Triple Crown winner Assault being the other.
Middleground was denied the Triple Crown by Hill Prince, who beat him in that and four other of their six meetings as 3-year-olds.
As a 2-year-old, Middleground won four of five starts, including the prestigious Hopeful Stakes. He was the highweighted juvenile on 1949’s Experimental Free Handicap, but with the Hopeful as his only stakes win at two, the 2-year-old championship was shared by Hill Prince and Oil Capital.
Overall, Middleground won six of 15 starts in a career cut short by injury. He finished second six times and third twice, only finishing out of the money once. In addition to the Preakness, Middleground’s stakes placings included the Wood Memorial, Withers Stakes, Derby Trial Stakes, Arlington Futurity, and Leonard Richards Stakes. He retired with total earnings of $237,725.
As a stallion, Middleground was unable to produce any offspring with his talent level. He sired 101 starters from 130 foals, with his best offspring being the stakes-winning fillies Chistosa and Resaca.