Luke McLuke

Luke McLuke's sire was Ultimus, and his dam was an imported mare named Midge, a daughter of the English Thoroughbred Trenton. Midge's dam was another imported mare named Sandfly by the English stallion Isonomy. Ultimus was inbred to Commando, as both his sire and dam were sired by Domino. Ultimus never raced, however. at Castleton Stud, but was sold, along with the entire stock of the 1911 foal crop, in 1912 as yearlings. He was initially bought as part of a group lot of all 16 of the colts, purchased by William A. Prime for $25,000 (), Although unraced as a two-year-old, Luke McLuke raced as a three-year-old for Schorr. In Schorr's ownership, the stallion won the Belmont Stakes. Luke McLuke was expected to be a sprinter, as his breeding, especially on his sire's side, mainly was raced at shorter distances. ==Racing career==

Luke McLuke won the Belmont on June 20, 1914, carrying and with Merritt Buxton as his jockey. He earned a total of $3025 () for the win. On June 30, 1914, he ran in the Carleton Stakes, which was a -long race for three-year-olds. He earned $5,125 () for the win, He also won the Kentucky Handicap and Grainger Memorial Handicap that year. Luke McLuke was trained by Schorr's son, John F. Schorr. Luke McLuke's race wins in 1914 helped make the elder Schorr the leading owner for 1914, the second time he had earned that title. The stallion's overall racing record was four wins in six starts with one second and one third. His total earnings on the racetrack were $22,050 (). ==Breeding career and legacy==

In 1925, Luke McLuke was owned by J. Oliver Keene and stood at stud at Keeneland Stud in Lexington, Kentucky. Nellie Morse won the 1924 Preakness Stakes and was named the 1924 Champion Three-Year-Old-Filly. Anita Peabody won the Futurity Stakes and the Debutante Stakes and was named 1927 Champion Two-Year-Old Filly. In all, Luke McLuke sired 85 foals in 13 foal crops; 55 of his foals started races, with 40 of those starters winning races for a total of $449,783. His daughter Nellie Morse was the dam of Nellie Flag, the 1934 Champion Two-Year-Old Filly. A grandson was Three Bars, out of a Luke McLuke daughter named Myrtle Dee. Three Bars went on to become an influential sire of Quarter Horses, and was named to the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 1989. Another daughter, Nursemaid, produced the 1966 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year, Juliet's Nurse. Luke McLuke's granddaughter Nellie Flag was, in turn, the dam of Mar-Kell, the 1943 Champion Handicap Mare. The Chicago Tribune reported the death of Luke McLuke in February 1929, but noted the horse had died suddenly in his exercise paddock at the farm of John Hertz many weeks before the press release. He was recorded as dead in the 1932 edition of the American Racing Manual. ==Pedigree==

Luke McLuke is inbred 3S x 3S to the stallion Domino, meaning that he appears third generation twice on the sire side of his pedigree. Luke McLuke is inbred 4S x 3D to the stallion Isonomy, meaning that he appears fourth generation (via Dancing Water) on the sire side of his pedigree, and third generation on the dam side of his pedigree. Luke McLuke is inbred 5S x 4D to the stallion Doncaster, meaning that he appears fifth generation (via Dancing Water) on the sire side of his pedigree, and fourth generation (via Sandiway) on the dam side of his pedigree. ==Citations==