BROOMSTICK
By Ben Brush out of Elf, Broomstick, 1901, was “small” in stature like his sire, about 15 hands tall with the same substantial conformation, beautiful shoulder and big hindquarters. In 39 career starts, he logged 14 wins. He was leading American sire 1913 to 1915 and among the top 10 sires for 17 years, from 1910 to 1927. At stud he produced 25 percent stakes winners. He sired 1911 Kentucky Derby winner Meridian and Regret, the first filly to win that classic-distance race. Of all his champion get, probably the most remarkable was Tippity Witchet, 1915, with an incredible 266 career starts over 13 seasons, logging 78 wins over distances from 6 furlongs to 1.5 miles. A so-called “tiny” horse standing 14:3, like his sire he lived past the age of 30. Tippity Witchet’s female ancestry is similar to that of other highly durable “stayers” John Henry and Kelso, with a 12 percent contribution from Herod plus 6 percent from Matchem for a total of 18 percent as against 7 percent from Eclipse.