His breeder was D D Streeter at the Oaklands, Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Two-years-old he was developed by Peter V Johnston. Stableman Jud Graine states that Peter the Great where: "spirited and gentle as a kitten…He was wise…That is one reason his get where such great horses." No name had Peter the Great until the last hours before The Kentucky Futurity's posting time. As D D Streeter had traveled in Russia, the given name seems less strange.
In 1898 sold to J Malcolm Forbes, Boston, Massachusetts. Peter The Great was directly put to service at Forbes Farm in Massachusetts. There Henry Titer also trained him for racing.
From 1901 and on he was solely used at stud.
Peter the Great entered the sale ring at Madison Square Garden, New York in 1903. Peter Duryea, New York and E D Stokes bought him. They sent him to serve on Patchen Wilkes Farm, Lexington, Kentucky.
From 1908 Peter Duryea owned him alone.
In 1916 he changed owner again. Now he went to Stoughton Fletcher, Indianapolis, Indiana and Tom Taggart. They at first placed him at Forkland Farm, Kentucky for two seasons. Thereafter he was brought to Laurel Hall Farm, Indianapolis.
Peter the Great lived here to the end in a special barn. It looked more like a summer cottage, with its padded floor. He is buried at Tom Taggart's residence near French Lick, Indiana. Upon his grave have the ashes of his groom Jacob Councilman been spread out in 1928.
In honor to Peter the Great a monument was erected. In 1997 it was revitalized and later relocated to a wooded area near the West Baden Hotel, West Baden, Indiana.
The inscription read: "By sheer merit he lifted his name to the head of all trotting progenitors. Death left him unrivalled by one of his own breed regardless of era, age, or breeding."
During all Peter the Great's years he covered thousands of mares. It could not be said anything about his number of offspring's.
He was 1,6 m (15,3 hands) at the withers and 1,57 m (15,2 hands) at the hips. He was 1,65 m (16,1 hands) long.
His nose had a slightly Roman tendency. His ears were wide at the base, the eye large and full of expression. The neck was long, the shoulders were somewhat upright. His croup was long, wide and well muscled.
His color was chestnut. On his forehead he had a white star and on the left hind leg a white sock.
London: Thomas Yoseloff Ltd.
Trav och Galoppronden (Swedish edition), Vinternummer 1983,
s. 64-79.
Kalamazoo Gazette, June 1st 1975
<http://www.ustrotting.com/newsroom/peterthegreat721.htm>
2000-01-17
Kalamazoo Gazette, October 1st 1944
2nd edition. London: J. A. Allen & Co Ltd.
Vol. 1. Stockholm: Svenska Travsportens Centralförbund.