Description:

Oil on canvas Signed, inscribed "Old Bones" on the stretcher Exterminator was foaled at Almahurst Farm, but there is great speculation as to which member of the Knight family was his breeder. Exterminator was never considered a great beauty. He passed through the Saratoga yearling sales with little fanfare and was described by his buyer, trainer J. Calvin Milam, as "too lean and growthy." Even though his sire, McGee, had sired the Kentucky Derby winner Donerail just two years before Exterminator's birth, Exterminator was so lanky and coarse as a 2-year-old that he was gelded. Despite this, the horse formed the basis of Milam's success at Merrick Place Farm (his manor house still stands today as Lexington's Merrick Inn). By the end of his eight-year career, Exterminator had earned the nickname "Old Bones" because of his bony, aged appearance. But beauty is as beauty does, and Exterminator won 50 of his 99 starts, including the 1918 Kentucky Derby. Exterminator was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1957, the first gelding to receive the honor. Milton Menasco (American, 1890-1974) Born in California, Menasco had a rich and full career as an artist before he devoted his rare genius to equestrian art. In 1948 he left his position with a large New York advertising agency and moved to Kentucky. His work is characterized by a sound understanding of anatomy. Many prominent names in American horse racing were among his clients.

  • Dimensions: 16 " x 20 "

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November 18, 2023 12:00 PM EST
Lexington, KY, US

Cross Gate Gallery

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