Camelot's Date with Destiny

With some sentences drawn from “The Chance of Dual Triple Crowns”

September 15, 2012 will be a date with destiny for Camelot, a horse fittingly named to be the only one with a chance to become the first Thoroughbred since Nijinsky II in 1970 to take the English Triple Crown. Usually the question of “Can he do it?” would emerge in such a situation, but, rather, many are asking, “How much will he win by?”

Camelot is on his way to achieving a legendary status and many have already dubbed him an all-time great, despite the fact that the stunning bay has only contested five times throughout his career. However, it is completely understandable why this colt is so highly regarded. All five of those starts have been victories and four of them have been group ones, including three classic triumphs.

After winning a maiden special weight at Leopardstown Racecourse in Dublin, Ireland last July, the two-year-old version of Camelot took the Racing Post Trophy (GI) at Doncaster Racecourse by 2 ¼ lengths, becoming the winter book favorite for England’s premier race and second leg of its Triple Crown, the Epsom Derby (GI).

In just the third race of his career, Camelot contested in the 2,000 Guineas (GI), the first jewel of the English Triple Crown. As a field of eighteen three-year-old Thoroughbreds began their one-mile journey at Newmarket Racecourse, the highly-regarded Camelot found a position near the back of the pack with the young Joseph O’Brien aboard. The colt came from off the pace to overpower French Fifteen by a neck despite his distaste for the going and one-mile distance.

Camelot proceeded along the Triple Crown journey, starting next in the prestigious Epsom Derby. The Aidan O’Brien trainee again found a spot near the rear of the field as Joseph O’Brien coolly settled aboard him, appearing absolutely confident in his superb mount. The 2,000 Guineas victor remained several lengths off the lead as the nine horses continued their mile and one-half journey, relaxing beautifully beneath nineteen-year-old O’Brien. With urging from O’Brien, Camelot accelerated impressively, rapidly gaining ground on his stablemate Astrology in the long straightaway. In spite of the fact that it appeared Astrology would battle him to the wire, Camelot kicked clear under confident handling from O’Brien, winning by a remarkable five lengths. The scary part about his unbelievably impressive Epsom Derby victory? Joseph O’Brien yet again did not believe the colt relished the going.

Four weeks after capturing the Epsom Derby, Camelot contested in the Irish Derby (GI) at The Curragh. With his two-length triumph in the second leg of the Irish Triple Crown, Camelot not only gathered the third classic victory of his career, but became the first horse since High Chaparral ten years ago to win both the Epsom and Irish Derbies.

Should all go well, Camelot will in fact make a start in the St. Leger Stakes (GI), the final jewel, in attempt to become the first English Triple Crown victor in forty-two years. Luckily for him, his bloodlines hint that he will able to be triumphant at the grueling mile and three-quarters distances of the final leg of the Triple Crown.

The sire of Camelot is the late but brilliant Montjeu, who won multiple prestigious races at twelve furlongs, including the esteemed Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (GI). Montjeu has sired two St. Leger winners in Masked Marvel and Scorpion and is of course a son of the great sire Sadlers Wells, who produced the St. Leger victors Brian Boru and Milan. The dam of Montjeu, Floripedes, was a champion French filly who won the Prix de Lutèce (GIII), which covers approximately fifteen furlongs, or a mile and seven-eighths.

Kingmambo's memorial at Lane's End Farm
Photo by Terri Cage

Camelot’s dam, Tarfah, was a successful racehorse herself, winning three stakes races, including the Dahlia Stakes (GIII). Tarfah is a daughter of the great Kingmambo, who, despite being a tremendous miler on the track, sired 2004 St. Leger winner Rule of Law. Kingmambo has proven to be a top broodmare sire of distance horses, being the damsire of such horses as Duke of Marmalade, Midday, and Wiener Walzer.

Camelot’s third dam, the stakes-winning Fickle, is a daughter of the outstanding sire Danehill, who sired multiple brilliant distance horses, such as Champs Elysees, North Light, Westerner, and many others. Camelot’s dam line provides him with many stamina influences, including his fifth dam, Seventh Bride, who won the ten-furlong Princess Royal Stakes. Interestingly, Camelot descends from the same female family – family four – as English Triple Crown winner Rock Sand.

Thousands of American racing fans mourned the loss of I’ll Have Another’s chance at our Triple Crown, but perhaps those fans can turn their attention to the magnificent Camelot. His date with destiny awaits and should he continue his brilliance like many expect him to and become just the sixteenth horse to win the English Triple Crown, he could leave the racing world cheering with joy.

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A Tall Jockey, a Magnificent Horse, and a Lily

Photo: Terri Cage

This year’s edition of the Breeders’ Cup Turf is considered by many to have the best story of the entire 2011 Breeders’ Cup World Championships. Many will look back and remember Joseph O’Brien’s incredible victory aboard St. Nicholas Abbey. Though I am riveted by that story, there is so much more than just that story to the 2011 Turf to me.

As the horses thundered down the lush green grass of the Churchill Downs turf course in the final yards of the Breeders’ Cup Turf, a brilliant mahogany bay with a long-legged jockey drew away from the field to cross the wire victoriously.

“St. Nicholas Abbey, history in the making! St. Nicholas Abbey! Joey O’Brien for his father, Aidan O’Brien! History is made!” Trevor Denman cried as the magnificent bay galloped towards the wire with the five-foot-eleven, eighteen-year-old jockey that rode him to the wire to become the tallest and youngest jockey to ever win a Breeders’ Cup race.

Photo: Terri Cage

When Joseph O’Brien rode up to the winner’s circle after the Turf, it was clear how joyous he and his family were. The young jockey’s face was lit up by a gigantic grin and the faces of his loved ones were no different.

It was also obvious how beautiful St. Nicholas Abbey was. I was riveted by the gleaming bay colt. As he stood in the winner’s circle, his head turned in the opposite direction of the cameras inside the winner’s enclosure. The veins on his sweaty neck were defined, the whites of his eyes showing slightly as he strained to look behind him. For a moment, it was almost as if the magnificent horse was gazing right at me.

Photo: Terri Cage

It was as if St. Nicholas Abbey was saying, “Hey, don’t forget about me. I know my humans have a great story, but I’m the one that galloped across that finish line.”

I won’t forget about his humans’ story or him. Nor will I forget about a small token I received after the victory. As a blissful man skipped away with the garland of flowers draped over his shoulders, I watched as a white lily dropped from the blanket, landing in the moist dirt of the track. It was so close, yet so far away.

That’s when my mom kindly asked someone to grab it for me. Before I knew it, I was holding a white lily from St. Nicholas Abbey’s blanket of flowers in my cold hands. Just moments before, this flower had been on a garland aboard a magnificent horse, with Aidan O’Brien’s son – the youngest and tallest jockey to ever win a Breeders’ Cup race – sitting just behind the blanket. The flower was now mine. I was forever tied to St. Nicholas Abbey’s and the O’Briens’ victory in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

Photo by Mary Cage

Not only did that one lily connect me to the 2011 Breeders’ Cup Turf, but it brought me even closer to the Breeders’ Cup, which I already held dear to my heart. As I stood there gazing at the flower, smiling ecstatically, I could almost picture myself on the other side of the winner’s circle wall, standing with my own Breeders’ Cup champion. It was a big dream – one I may only ever hope to achieve – but I could almost taste it. How could I not when I was holding a lily from a Breeders’ Cup winner’s garland of flowers with the winner’s circle just a few feet away?

The lily is long since dead. It is now crusty and brown, but I refuse to throw it away. It connects me to St. Nicholas Abbey’s triumph, to the Breeders’ Cup, and to my dream of someday standing inside the Breeders’ Cup winner’s circle. And if that dream ever does come true, I won’t keep every single flower on the garland. I will instead hand a few flowers to a few young fans to send their Breeders’ Cup dreams skyrocketing.

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