Nostalgic Horse

Alysheba- After finishing in the money in all but two of his starts, Alysheba burst onto the Kentucky Derby scene with his win in the Blue Grass. He then won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness and looked poised to avenge his sire’s Triple Crown loss (Alydar). He lost the Belmont to rival Bet Twice, but then won the Super Derby and lost the Breeders Cup Classic by a nose to eventual Horse of the Year, Ferdinand. He came back better and stronger as a four year old and won the Santa Anita Handicap, Iselin Handicap, Woodward, Meadowlands Cup Handicap and the Breeders Cup Classic.

Bold ‘n Determined- Although there were perhaps better fillies in the eighties, with two winning the coveted Kentucky Derby, this filly was as tough as they come and only finished out of the money twice in her career. She never faced the boys, but did defeat Derby darling, Genuine Risk by a nose in the Grade I Maskette. Her other Grade I wins include the Kentucky Oaks, Acorn, Coaching Club American Oaks, Spinster and the Fantasy. Always game, even in defeat she lost the Filly Triple Crown by her little head.

Easy Goer- Once compared to the great Secretariat, Easy Goer won the Gotham tying a track record set by the legendary Dr. Fager, and then went on to win the Wood Memorial in his final prep for the Kentucky Derby and immortality. The speedy colt lost the Derby to underdog, Sunday Silence and then went on to lose by a short nose to him in the Preakness. Easy Goer came back and denied his rival the Triple Crown by winning the Belmont by eight lengths. His time for the mile and a half race is second only to Secretariat. He then added the Whitney, Travers, Woodward and Jockey Club Gold Cup to his resume before finishing second again to Sunday Silence in the Breeders Cup Classic.

Ferdinand- The three year old crop of 1986 is perhaps one of the most evenly matched in history. Snow Chief and Ferdinand often took turns taking Grade Is. Snow Chief defeated Ferdinand in the Santa Anita Derby, but it was Ferdinand in front at Churchill Downs on that famous first Saturday in May. Snow Chief soundly defeated the Derby winner in the Preakness by four lengths, but Ferdinand evened the score later that year in the Grade 2 Malibu. 1987 started off and the rivalry continued with Snow Chief holding a narrow victory over Ferdinand in the Grade I Strub. Ferdinand had a few more disappointing efforts before coming into his own in June of that year. He won the Hollywood Gold Cup, Goodwood Handicap aand then bravely held off Alysheba in the Breeders Cup Classic. In 1988, Alysheba was even more intimidating and he wound up in front of Ferdinand three times. All in all Ferdinand ran 29 times, with 8 wins, 9 places and 6 shows.

Genuine Risk- This filly became the first filly since 1915 to wear the Derby roses. She won her first six starts all against fillies, and then ran third to the males in the Wood Memorial. She was given a chance to win the Derby and proved she had what it took. She led the whole way and finished in front by one length. She then lost the Preakness to Codex after being roughed up in the stretch, and finished second again in the Belmont to longshot Temperence Hill. She returned to face the fillies after that and finished off her career with three more wins, a second and a third. At the time trainer Leroy Jolley didn’t see the need to have her face the boys again because she did, after all, prove that she was better than all the three year old boys of 1980.

John Henry- Two time Horse of the Year, one award for Handicap Male, and four time Turf Champ, John Henry truly was a horse that dominated the eighties. All in all he ran a remarkable 83 times, winning almost half of them and earning well over six million dollars. His wins include three Hollywood Invitational Handicaps, three Oak Tree Invitational Handicaps, The Arlington Million, The Santa Anita Handicap, and The Turf Classic. He also won The 1981 Jockey Club Gold Cup as he was a champion over any surface, dirt or turf. His death this week left a void that no horse in recent memory will be able to fill. He was a gutsy claimer, that truly defied the odds and proved that greatness can come from anywhere.

Lady’s Secret- The 1986 Horse of the Year, Lady’s Secret is perhaps Secretariat’s greatest offspring. She was tough, sound and proved she could win over multiple surfaces and carry weight. Her wins included The Test, two Ruffian Handicaps, two Maskettes, two Beldames, The Shuvee Handicap and The Breeders Cup Distaff. She also defeated males in The Whitney.

Manila- This colt went on a nine race win streak between 1986 and 1987. He finished worse than second only once in his career and that was in his very first race. He won the Turf Classic, Breeders Cup Turf, United Nations Handicap and the Budweiser Arlington Million. He defeated Theatrical twice in his career and won 2.6 million dollars.

Personal Ensign- This mare ran thirteen times in her career and has the distinction of retiring undefeated. She won the Frizette as a two year old but had a fracture and did not return to the races until the fall of her three year old year. She added the Beldame, Shuvee Handicap, Hempstead Handicap and the Molly Pitcher to her resume before stepping it up and defeating the boys in the Whitney Handicap as a four year old. Her final race was a nail biter as she passed Derby Champ, Winning Colors in the stretch at the Breeders Cup Distaff and won by a short nose.

Princess Rooney- Yet another star filly of the eighties, Princess Rooney ran 21 times, winning 17 of them. She won in dominating fashion and faced some very tough challengers, including Life’s Magic. Her wins include the Ashland by 9 1/2 lengths, The Kentucky Oaks, Vanity Invitational Handicap, Spinster and the Grade I Breeders Cup Distaff by seven lengths.

Precisionist- He raced in maybe the toughest years of the eighties and faced Turkoman and Ladys Secret on numerous occasions. He also faced Slew O’ Gold, Greinton, Forty Niner, Cutlass Reality, and Smile. He defeated Smile in the 1985 Breeders Cup Sprint. He raced for five years, and won at distances of six furlongs to a mile and a quarter. He defeated Lady’s Secret in the Grade I Woodward in her HOTY year, and also won the Grade I Californian, Strub, San Fernando, and Malibu the previous year. Even when he didn’t come home first, he always gave his all and showed up gamely.

Safely Kept- This star filly ran 31 times, finishing in the money in all but two of them. She was a sprint specialist and won the Genuine Risk three times, The Prioress, and The Test. She also finished a game second in the Breeders Cup Sprint in 1989.

Slew O’ Gold- Slew won the Wood Memorial in 1983, but then finished a disappointing fourth in the Derby. He skipped the Preakness and came back to run second in the Belmont Stakes. Later that year he won The Woodward and Jockey Club Gold Cup, but as a four year old he was really something special. He won the Whitney, Woodward, Marlboro Cup and Jockey Club Gold Cup before finishing third (place second through a disqualification) in the inaugaral Breeders Cup Classic. Gate Dancer and Slew O’ Gold were involved in a blanket photo finish, and beating them all to the wire by a short nose, was virtual unknown, Wild Again.

Smile- Another sprint specialist, Smile’s wins include The Cantebury Cup Handicap, The Equipoise Mile Handicap, and The Breeders Cup Sprint in 1986. He ran 27 times and won 14 times, placed second 4 times and third 3 times.

Spectacular Bid- True, most people lump Bid in with the horses of the 70s, but his best year was actually his four year old year, 1980. As a four year old he was undefeated winning nine times including the Strub, San Fernando Handicap, Santa Anita Handicap, and Woodward in a walkover when no other trainer would face him.

Sunday Silence- In 1989 this colt really shined. He dethroned Triple Crown hopeful, Easy Goer, and beat him in three out of their four meetings (The Kentucky Derby, The Preakness, Breeders Cup Classic). Either one of these colts, could have been a Triple Crown winner if they had been born in any other year. The fact that two of the greatest three year olds of the eighties were born in the same year, just adds to the greatness of the other.

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