Hawaii – by painter Richard Stone Reeves
One of the Turffontein features today is named in honour of the Platberg Stud bred Hawaii, a champion at age two and three in South Africa after which he was sent to race in the United States by owner Charles W. Engelhard, Jr. where he was voted the 1969 American Champion Turf Horse.
Among his wins in the United States was a track record setting performance in the mile-and-a-half Man o’ War Stakes on turf at Belmont Park.
Hawaii retired from racing after the 1969 racing season having won 21 of 28 career starts with earnings of US$371 292.
In his career his major awards included South African Champion Two-Year Old (1966), South African Champion Three-Year Old (1967) and American Champion Turf Horse (1969)
He stood at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentuck and famously sired Henbit, who raced in England and won the 1980 Epsom Derby.
Hawaii died at Claiborne Farm in 1990 at age twenty-six and was buried in their Marchmont division equine cemetery.
In an illustrious career, Hawaii’s Major wins included such races as the African Breeders’ Plate (1966), the Chairman’s Handicap (1967), the South African Guineas (1967), the Clairwood Winter Handicap (1967) the Cape Mellow-Good Guineas (1967) and the Transvaal Spring Champion Stakes (1968)
