Ort Wells


Ort Wells was an American Thoroughbred two-time Champion racehorse.

Background

Ort Wells was bred by Col. Kinzea Stone of Scott County, Kentucky. He was sired by Withers Stakes winner King Eric and out of the mare Tea's Over, a daughter of U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee, Hanover.

Racing career

Trained by Enoch Wishard for owner John Drake, Ort Wells was selected the retrospective American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse of 1904 when his wins included the Brighton Derby. He followed up the next year with performances that saw him named American Champion Older Male Horse of 1905.

Stud record

At stud, Ort Wells met with modest success due in part to the upheaval in the American racing/breeding industry caused by the New York State Legislature's passage of the Hart-Agnew anti-betting laws that resulted in the closure of horse racing tracks in the state. American Thoroughbred owners soon began racing in Europe and then sending and/or selling their horses to European breeding farms. After standing in Kentucky, in December 1912 Ort wells was one of a large number of horses sent overseas where he stood at stud in Germany.