Hail To Reason

Hail to Reason was bred in Kentucky by the Bieber-Jacobs Stable, a partnership of prominent horsemen, Isadore Bieber and Hirsch Jacobs. He was sired by the English stakes winner Turn-To, a grandson of the very influential sire Nearco. Hail to Reason was out of the mare Nothirdchance, a stakes winning daughter of Blue Swords. She was named by Jacobs as a warning to the Allies to not allow Germany to start another war. Hail to Reason was named in response to his fulfilled hopes.

Starting in January 1958, Hail to Reason raced 18 times as a two-year-old in nine months, winning nine times. He set a track record of :581⁄5 for 5 furlongs in his debut at Aqueduct, followed up by wins in the Youthful, Great American and Tremont at the same track. He also won the Sapling Stakes at Monmouth, the World's Playground Stakes at Atlantic City and the Sanford Stakes at Saratoga. The highlight of his campaign was winning the prestigious Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga while setting a new track record of 1:16 for 6+1⁄2 furlongs.

During a morning workout on September 18, he lost a shoe and broke both sesamoid bones in his left front leg, ending his career. However, he was still named 1960 American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt.

Retired to stud at Hagyard Farm near Lexington, Kentucky, Hail to Reason earned Leading sire in North America honors for 1970. Known as a source of soundness, bone and stamina among his progeny, Hail to Reason sired 218 winners (68.3%) and 43 stakes winners (13.5%) from 319 named foals. Hail to Reason is a Classic chef-de-race in the Roman-Miller dosage system. His progeny includes:

Hail to Reason was also a broodmare sire whose daughters have produced more than 100 stakes winners, including Allez France and Triptych. Another daughter, Reason to Earn, is the dam of Bold Reasoning, sire of 1977 U.S. Triple Crown Champion Seattle Slew.

At 18, Hail to Reason was humanely put down on February 24, 1976, and is buried at Hagyard Farm.