Traffic Judge (1952–1972) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was owned by Clifford Mooers, proprietor of Walnut Springs Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, and trained by future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee, Woody Stephens. On November 13, 1956, Clifford Mooers died of a heart attack at New York City's LaGuardia Airport while en route to see Traffic Judge compete in the Narragansett Special.Miami News - November 14, 1956 His estate auctioned the horse and on December 24 he was purchased for $362,345.70 by Louis P. Doherty, owner of The Stallion Station on Muir Station Road in Lexington, Kentucky.New York Times – December 25, 1956 Traffic Judge's race conditioning was then taken over by another Hall of Fame inductee, James W. Maloney.
Traffic Judge showed some promise at age two when he won the 1954 Prairie State Stakes at Washington Park Race Track in Chicago.New York Times – August 19, 1954 In the 1955 U.S. Triple Crown series, Traffic Judge did not run in the Kentucky Derby or Belmont Stakes but did compete in the Preakness Stakes and finished third to winner Nashua.Miami News – May 29, 1955 Traffic Judge did however win several important races that year including the Ohio DerbyReading Eagle – June 26, 1955 the Ventnor Turf HandicapNew York Times – September 4, 1955 and the Jerome HandicapModesto Bee – September 30, 1955 for three-year-olds as well as the Woodward Stakes, a major weight-for-age race against older horses.New York Times – October 2, 1955
Traffic Judge won the Laurel Turf Cup Handicap at age four and at age five won two major races for older horses, the Metropolitan and Suburban Handicaps.
Retired to stud, Traffic Judge was the sire of Traffic, the 1963 Hopeful Stakes winner in the United States who went on to stand at stud in France where he was the 1971 Leading sire. Other of Traffic Judge's progeny who were successful in racing included multiple stakes winners Green Ticket (1959), Traffic Mark (1966), Judgeable (1969) and Grade 1 winner Court Ruling (1970). In addition, he sired Best In Show (1965) who was voted Kentucky Broodmare of the Year in 1982.
Traffic Judge died at age twenty in 1972 and was buried at The Stallion Station now known as 505 Farm.Grave Matters, Thoroughbred Heritage
Sire line tree
Traffic JudgeJumpers: Darley Arabian Sire LineSire Line: Camel Darley Arabian Sire Line: Newminster BranchAmerican Classic Pedigree: Traffic Judge Green Ticket Delta Judge Traffic Rheffic Dom Pasquini Dom Alco Neptune Collonges Silviniaco Conti Traffic Bridge Branch CountyPush to Get Show Jumper Branch County Into Hall of Fame Court Recess Traffic Mark Judgeable Rest Your Case Traffic Cop Deputed TestamonyAmerican Classic Pedigree: Deputed TestamonyMaryland Thoroughbred Hall of Fame: Deputed TestamonyPreakness memories: Deputed Testamony boosted Catholic family’s racing business, teen jockey’s careerMaryland Catholic family recalls horse that boosted its livelihood, teen jockey’s career in ‘83 PreaknessLegendary trainer Bill Boniface reflects on training last Maryland-bred horse to win Preakness Testafly Court Ruling
Pedigree
Traffic Judge is inbred 3S x 4D to the stallion Tracery, meaning that he appears third generation on the sire side of his pedigree, and fourth generation on the dam side of his pedigree.
References
External links Traffic Judge's pedigree and partial racing stats