The Tragedy of Swale

Claiborne Farm
Photo by Terri Cage

My eyes took in the rolling hills, the black wooden fences, and the quaint barns ahead of me. I could almost feel the history surrounding me. These were the grounds on which the great Secretariat had spent his last days, the land on which his noble sire Bold Ruler had created his dynasty, the place where so many champions had been bred, born, and raised. It was the historic Claiborne Farm – among the most renowned Thoroughbred farms in the industry.

Just a short distance away from the stallion barns is a small area overwhelming with history. One step into the area walled by hedges and you will read the names of some of the greatest Thoroughbreds to ever live on rugged stone headstones. Of course, Secretariat’s gravestone is the most popular one in the cemetery, but across the small sidewalk is a similar gravestone displaying the name of a horse that the world tragically only got to enjoy for a short moment in time: Swale.

The first time I visited Claiborne Farm, I had no idea who Swale was. But the fact that the years under his name only spanned from 1981-1984 instilled me with sorrow – not only for the fact that the horse had only lived for three years, but also that I did not know who this star-crossed champion was. When I visited the celebrated farm three years later, I paid my visit to Swale’s grave, for I had learned the colt’s heartbreaking tale.

The story of Swale begins with his dam, Tuerta. A mare who descended from a long line of great mares, Tuerta was a direct descendant of the great mare Chelandry, the foundation mare of family 1n. The daughter of the Argentinian Horse of the Year Forli and the track record-equaling Continue was born with just one eye, thus being dubbed with a name that meant “one-eyed” in Spanish. Despite her impairment, Tuerta became a very successful racehorse, capturing three stakes victories – two of which were graded – before retiring with earnings of $125,912. A Claiborne homebred, Tuerta visited several different stallions, foaling the multiple graded stakes-placed Illuminate and the multiple stakes-placed Sight within her first four foals.

But it was her fifth foal that made the greatest impact. Sent to the Triple Crown-winning Seattle Slew in April of 1980, Tuerta foaled a nearly-black colt sired by the great Slew, who was the only undefeated horse to ever capture the Triple Crown. A horse who had a particular affinity for sleeping, one day he appeared to have disappeared from his paddock. Fortunately, he was not gone. Rather, he was sound asleep in a low spot in the land – a swale. And thus, a champion was named.

Swale made his racing debut for legendary trainer Woody Stephens in July of his juvenile career at Belmont Park, setting a blistering pace before finishing a good second. He broke his maiden next out two weeks later at the same expansive track by 1 ¼ lengths before shipping to the prestigious Saratoga Racecourse for the Saratoga Special (GII), a race that had seen many greats win early on in their careers, including Colin, Native Dancer, Nearctic, Regret, and Whirlaway. In the Saratoga Special, the dark colt faced a muddy track but handled it well, capturing the grade two by ¾ of a length over Shuttle Jet, the colt who had defeated Swale in his debut.

But in the Hopeful Stakes (GI) twenty days later, Swale finished third behind Capitol South, beaten 4 ¼ lengths. Swale made three more starts as a two-year-old, all of which were victories. Following a pair of tough photo finishes that resulted in wins in the Futurity Stakes (GI) at Belmont and the Breeders’ Futurity (GII) at Keeneland, Swale went to post in the Young America Stakes (GI) at the Meadowlands, in which Swale faced a large field of fifteen other rivals. Like his previous two races, Swale found himself locked in a duel throughout the race, but despite the fatigue from the battle he had fought within the race, Swale rallied from mid-pack, digging in deep in spite of his exhaustion to cross the wire in a thrilling photo finish with Disastrous Night. Moments later, the photo revealed that Swale had triumphed by a nose – his third consecutive tight photo finish victory.

Despite his four graded stakes victories, three of which were grade ones, Swale lost the Eclipse Award for Champion Two-Year-Old Male to stablemate Devil’s Bag, who had won one less grade one that Swale. But Swale had displayed true brilliance during his juvenile campaign and one significant characteristic in particular; Swale had shown a great amount of heart.

Swale made his three-year-old debut in early March of 1984 in the Hutcheson Handicap (GIII) at Gulfstream Park, galloping his way to an effortless 8-length victory. It appeared Claiborne Farm had a serious Kentucky Derby (GI) contender on their hands, and not just a horse that could bring them to the Run for the Roses, but a horse that could gallop their yellow silks across the finish line at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday of May in front.

Ten days later, Swale suffered a defeat in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (GII), winding up 1 ½ lengths behind Darn That Alarm and Counterfeit Money. But he rebounded in the Florida Derby (GI) at the end of March, defeating the grade one-winning Dr. Carter by ¾ of a length.

Swale’s final prep for the Derby came in the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland, in which the almost-black colt was surprisingly annihilated by He is a Great Deal, who captured the race by a stunning 8 lengths over a sloppy track. Nonetheless, Swale continued on to Churchill Downs for the world’s greatest race, the Kentucky Derby.

Sent off as the second choice, Swale found a good position in third as the field raced around the clubhouse turn, travelling wide. Down the backstretch, he settled in second behind the eventual champion filly Althea, pressuring her as the daughter of Alydar completed the initial half-mile in 47 2/5 seconds. As the track began to arc, turning into the final curve, Swale stuck his black head in front, opening up on the twenty-horse field midway through the turn. He never looked back after taking the lead, holding a substantial advantage on the others as he led the talented Thoroughbreds into the homestretch beneath the Twin Spires. Swale – quite reminiscent of his sire down the stretch – won with overwhelming ease, capturing the Kentucky Derby by an effortless 3 ¼ lengths.

With his win, Swale had given Claiborne Farm and Hall of Fame jockey Laffit Pincay, Jr. their first victories in the Kentucky Derby, and Woody Stephens his second. But they were forced to push the Derby behind them, as the pursuit of the Triple Crown was upon them.

But it was not meant to be. In the Preakness Stakes (GI), Swale raced over a very hard track that he never seemed to relish. Despite a perfect position throughout the race, Swale began to falter due to the difficult track and finished a disappointing seventh – his first out-of-the-money finish – behind Gate Dancer. Though he finished near the back of the pack, he was only beaten by 7 lengths.

Swale proceeded to Belmont for the grueling twelve-furlong Belmont Stakes (GI), the race in which his sire had claimed the Triple Crown. This time, no Triple Crown was on the line – only the confirmation of Swale’s greatness. A win in the race that had been labeled the “Test of the Champion” would prove that Swale was the best of his generation, and among the greatest of any Claiborne homebred in history.

A fairly large field of eleven sophomore Thoroughbreds gathered in the sweltering heat for the mile and one-half contest on June 9, 1984. As the young horses stood serenely in the starting gate, the crowd at Belmont Park was completely unaware that they would soon witness one of the greatest performances a Belmont victor ever executed.

Swale broke sharply from the sixth gate, going straight to the lead as Pincay guided him closer to the rail as the field galloped into the wide, sweeping clubhouse turn at Belmont. Leading the ten others by a half-length around the initial curve, Swale relaxed beautifully, completing the first of six quarter-miles in 24 4/5 seconds. A gorgeous dark athlete in yellow silks, Swale lengthened his advantage on the field to about a length midway down the backstretch. The pace remained moderate as the Claiborne homebred entered the final turn, beginning to open up on the field as Pincay started urging the Derby winner. The others were attempting rallies, but Swale was gradually turning the race into a one-horse contest. Gate Dancer and Play On loomed on the near-black colt’s outside as the final turn reached its end, but as the curve phased into the straightaway, Swale accelerated, propelling himself forward as Pincay mildly urged the colt.

Swale didn’t need much asking. The race was his. The others attempted to chase after him, but Swale readily galloped towards the wire, striding away to an effortless 4-length victory in what was, at the time, the fourth-fastest final clocking of the Belmont: 2:27.20. Swale had completed the race 2.40 seconds faster than his sire despite the suffocating heat. As his almost-black flame flashed under the finish line, Swale sanctioned his greatness, broadened his farm’s and fans' love for him, and stamped himself as the champion of his division, though that honor would not be awarded for months. Most of all, Swale had further demonstrated his tremendous will to win.

Fans eagerly awaited Swale’s next start, enthusiastic about seeing the tremendous horse compete again, though his next start was not expected to come until the fall. He remained in training after the Belmont, and within just a few days after his victory in the great race, the colt returned to light, routine gallops in the morning. One of those gallops came on the morning of June 17, 1984 – just eight days after his Belmont triumph.

Following the gallop, Swale returned to Woody Stephens’ barn, still on routine. Like all other racehorses, Swale was cooled off and given a bath. Everything was normal. Then, out of the blue, the normally laid-back colt reared and fell to the ground. 

The fight for his life was a short one – the brilliant colt was dead in moments. The horse that had made Claiborne Farm’s dreams come true was gone. America’s beloved racehorse was to never race again, to never produce offspring, to never breathe another breath. Swale was gone forever.

The necropsy disclosed that despite the fact that he appeared to have died from cardiac arrest, Swale’s cause of death was unknown. His organs were just fine. After several studies, the reason why the great horse had died was still a mystery. But eventually, it was discovered that Swale had died because of a heart abnormality. Nothing could have been done to save him. It had just taken seconds to tear the beloved champion away from the world – seconds that never could have been prevented.

His life was short – much too short. But during the small amount of time that the world was able to enjoy Swale, he provided the racing world with joy, awing fans with his brilliance. Swale’s story is truly a tragedy – a champion that left us too soon, that never was able to give us a dynasty like his great sire, that was buried at Claiborne Farm at the tender age of three. The story of Swale is one that reminds us of the amazing highs and lows of the sport of horse racing, but it is also one that awakens the soul, that reminds you how much we should appreciate our athletes. I was not alive during the short amount of time Swale was, but I will forever remember him, just as the rest of the racing world will. Swale will never be forgotten.

Photo by Terri Cage

Shackleford: A Charismatic Superstar

Shackleford
Photo by Terri Cage

With his energetic parade before the gathered crowd, his big white blaze, his shining copper coat, and his charismatic personality and presence, it is easy to fall in love with Shackleford. A colt I have followed since his maiden victory, the 2011 Preakness Stakes (GI) victor has certainly made a name for himself, and not just for his racing talent, but for his appeal and the energy he displays on the track. Due to his compelling characteristics and racing brilliance, Shackleford has garnered a large fan base, which affectionately refers to him as “Shack.”

After Shackleford captured the Preakness in a stirring victory over Kentucky Derby (GI) winner Animal Kingdom, however, it began to seem impossible for the lovable chestnut colt to find the winner’s circle again. Between his Preakness triumph and the Breeders’ Cup six months later, Shackleford raced four times, finishing off the board twice and crossing the wire second in two graded stakes races, including the Haskell Invitational Stakes (GI).

In the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (GI), Shackleford helped set the pace with The Factor and as the horses turned for home, Shackleford held a 2 ½-length advantage on the others. He ran very well down the stretch, but was outrun by Caleb’s Posse, a colt he had finished in front of in the Indiana Derby (GII) when the two ran behind Wilburn.

Shackleford began 2012 on a sour note, finishing seventh in the Donn Handicap (GI) prior to a third-place result behind Jackson Bend and Caleb’s Posse in the Carter Handicap (GI). “Shack” finally returned to his winning ways a year after he contested in the Kentucky Derby, gamely battling champion sprinter Amazombie down the stretch in the Churchill Downs Stakes (GII) before prevailing by a length.

Following Shackleford’s gutsy return to the winner’s circle, trainer Dale Romans prepared the classic-winning colt for a start in the legendary Metropolitan Handicap (GI) – better known as the Met Mile – at Belmont Park on Memorial Day. The colt was slated to run against three other grade one winners, including his rival Caleb’s Posse. The field was sure to make the race one of the best of the year, but no one could predict just how thrilling it would be.

Shackleford broke very sharply, going straight to the lead down Belmont’s backstretch to set a brisk first quarter of 22.77. Extending his advantage on the others to 1 ½ lengths as the field began their journey into the wide, sweeping turn at Belmont, Shackleford completed the initial half-mile in a blistering 44.73, meaning he had completed the second quarter-mile .81 seconds faster than the first one. With John Velazquez aboard for the first time due to an injury suffered by regular rider Jesus Castanon ten days earlier, Shackleford proceeded to hold the lead as the field turned for home. His white blaze leading the charge of six talented Thoroughbreds into the long Belmont homestretch, Shackleford began to open up on the others, but Caleb’s Posse was charging on the outside, growing closer to Shackleford with each and every stride. However, Shackleford dug in to hold off Caleb’s Posse, who appeared to have hung just slightly, to win by a nose before galloping out well ahead of the others. The final time for eight furlongs was a spectacular 1:33.30, just over a second off the track record.

In his past two victories, Shackleford has conquered two Breeders’ Cup winners, Sprint victor Amazombie and Dirt Mile champ Caleb’s Posse. In addition, he has defeated two Eclipse Award champions – Amazombie and Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom.

The Met Mile has long since been considered a “stallion-making” race, producing several victors that went on to be very successful sires, including Langfuhr, In Excess, Gulch, Conquistador Cielo, Fappiano, In Reality, Buckpasser, and Native Dancer. Not only does a victory in the Met Mile bode well for Shackleford’s chances at becoming a lucrative sire when he stands stud at Darby Dan Farm, but so does his pedigree.

Both of his parents have been very successful producers themselves. His sire, Forestry, has sired such grade one winners as Diplomat Lady, Discreet Cat, and Forest Danger. His dam, Oatsee, was voted 2011 Broodmare of the Year and has produced the graded stakes winners Baghdaria and Lady Joanne.  

Notably, Forestry’s sire – Shackleford’s grandsire – is Storm Cat, one of the greatest sires to ever live. The very successful stallion was also very productive as a sire of sires, producing such studs as Bluegrass Cat, Giant’s Causeway, and Hennessy. This certainly augurs well for Shackleford, as Storm Cat is the grandsire of such productive stallions as Johannesburg and Shamardal.

Shackleford’s damsire, Unbridled, sired the dam of Tapit, who was the third-leading North American sire of 2011. Unbridled himself was a very effective sire of sires, producing the successful sires Broken Vow, Empire Maker, and Unbridled’s Song. Shackleford’s fifth dam, Tamerett, could also serve as a catalyst in Shackleford’s stud career, as another direct descendant of the dam of the great racehorse and sire Known Fact is the legendary sire Gone West.

Shackleford, a fan favorite at the racetrack, is a horse that will not soon be forgotten, as we have not yet heard the last from him – on the track or in the breeding shed. With a win in the Met Mile, Shackleford earned a position in the starting gate in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita Park this fall – a race in which he will be seeking revenge. Racing fans will eagerly follow the stunning colt throughout the rest of 2012, reflecting on his outstanding victories in not only the Preakness, but the Met Mile as well. And when the popular chestnut retires to the breeding shed, fans will await his foals, which will grace racetracks as spectators flock to see them, ready to see them carry on Shack’s charisma and brilliance.

Shackleford
Photo by Terri Cage

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Nates Mineshaft: A Cinderella Story

Rags to riches stories often capture the hearts of racing fans, leading them to frequently cheer for Thoroughbreds with Cinderella stories. Many famous racehorses have ascended from claiming ranks and onto the national racing scene, such as the Hall of Famers Stymie and John Henry, as well as the multiple grade one-winning Californian champion Lava Man. During the most recent Fair Grounds meet in New Orleans, Louisiana, a five-year-old bay emerged from the claiming ranks to astonish many in graded stakes company, and in impressive fashion.

Nates Mineshaft
Photo by Mary Cage

It took many by surprise when Nates Mineshaft captured the Mineshaft Handicap (GIII) – named after his sire – in February of 2012. As the longest shot on the board at nearly 14-1, few expected him to win. It was plausible to believe he would lose. The bay ridgling took four tries to break his maiden, had never finished better than fourth in a stakes race, and in his past two starts, both of which were victories, he had raced for a claiming tag. Against the odds, Nates Mineshaft led from start to finish to win the grade three stakes by 2 ¾ lengths.

Believing that Nates Mineshaft’s victory in the Mineshaft was a fluke, bettors sent him off at odds of 9-1 next out in the New Orleans Handicap (GII) at the same track. Yet again, however, it was understandable that handicappers allowed his odds to inflate. He was facing a much tougher field; five of the seven horses he was up against were graded stakes winners. Yet Nates Mineshaft emphatically proved his doubters wrong, leading from start to finish again, but this time triumphing by an imposing 7 ¼ lengths while setting a new track record for nine furlongs in 1:47.64.

Following his breathtaking graded stakes victories at the Fair Grounds, Windy Hill Farm and trainer Austin Smith sent the ridgling to the historic Churchill Downs for the Alysheba Stakes (GII) on Kentucky Oaks Day. But his success was not meant to continue that day; Nates Mineshaft finished sixth of eight. Breaking from the inside post, the son of Mineshaft made contact with eventual winner Successful Dan coming out of the gate. Rather than going to the lead like usual, Nates Mineshaft was rated off the pace and remained uncomfortable throughout the race. Gradually, the son of Mineshaft drifted back.

Nates Mineshaft redeemed himself on Memorial Day, however, when he contested in the Lone Star Park Handicap (GIII). In a race that featured the grade one winners Awesome Gem, Flat Out, and Game on Dude last year, Nates Mineshaft faced a field of seven other horses that included the graded stakes winners Apart and Marilyn’s Guy.

The race was over as soon as the horses broke from the gate. Much pace was expected to be in the race, but when Nates Mineshaft broke very sharply whereas the horse that was viewed as his stiffest competition – Marilyn’s Guy – broke slowly, the son of Mineshaft scored an easy lead under Campbell. I knew he had the race won when he completed the initial quarter-mile in an easy 25.11 seconds.

Effortlessly, the five-year-old ridgling galloped down the backstretch without much pressure at all. Despite attempted rallies from Get in Da House, Night Party, and Marilyn’s Guy, Nates Mineshaft readily opened up on the field, drawing away under confident handling from Campbell en route to an impressive 7 ¼-length victory.

Jesse Campbell blowing kisses aboard Nates Mineshaft while winning
the Lone Star Park Handicap
Photo by Terri Cage

“I had a big smile going into the first turn,” Campbell, who gave Nates Mineshaft a textbook ride, told Lone Star Park paddock host and 1988 World Champion All-Around Cowboy Dave Appleton. “But I had a bigger one at the sixteenth pole.”

Nates Mineshaft’s journey is certainly a rags to riches story in every way. He only cost $8,000 as a yearling at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale prior to briefly ending up in the claiming ranks, but yet he has emerged as a leading handicap horse, which was further proven when he ruled the Lone Star ‘Cap. He was clearly an auspicious purchase for father and son Pete Reiman and Peter Scott Reiman of Windy Hill Farm and has since brought them along on the ride of a lifetime. One can’t help but cheer for the magnificent horse and his team.

Nates Mineshaft and his connections in the winner's circle after the
Lone Star Park Handicap
Photo by Mary Cage

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Dover Heights: Love at First Sight

Standing along the rail of the saddling paddock as the fourth race approached at Lone Star Park on May 12, 2012, I focused my attention on the horses strolling into the paddock for the approaching allowance race. I was completely unaware of the fact that the horse that would impress me most would not be one of the entrants, but rather one of the schooling horses. As I watched the horses file into the ring, my eyes took in a breathtaking gray colt. It was love at first sight.

Dover Heights
Photo by Mary Cage

With his neck arched, the charcoal-colored Thoroughbred pranced into the saddling paddock beneath the cloudy sky, immediately drawing my attention to him. My eyes were glued to him as he marched around the paddock with magnificence, outshining every other horse in the paddock. A well-balanced athlete, the gray Thoroughbred possessed a long, beautiful neck that tied in well to his robust shoulder. He was a stunning individual.

Fortunately, alongside my mom and my best friend as I stood watching the beautiful colt were Dallas and Donna Keen. Donna knew the trainer of the horse – Cash Asmussen, brother of champion trainer Steve Asmussen who was the champion apprentice jockey of 1979 – and contacted him so that I could know the horse’s name. Once she informed me that his name was Dover Heights, his name – which he shares with a beautiful coastal suburb in Sydney, Australia – was etched in my mind.

With the knowledge that Dover Heights would make his first start the following week, I researched his pedigree. Much to my surprise, the colt had the same birthday, April 18, as my beloved Miss Fifty. It was as if I was meant to fall in love with the colt.

Though an official Kentucky-bred, Dover Heights was bred and owned by La Bahia Stud, Inc., a Texas-based breeding farm that produced the only two Texas-bred early 2012 Triple Crown nominations. Sired by The Cliff’s Edge and out of a daughter of Fastness, Fast Goat, Dover Heights is an outcross, as he has no inbreeding in his first five generations. This is believed by many to produce sounder horses and has been effective in producing such grade one winners as Alphabet Soup, Giacomo, and Lite the Fuse.

The Cliff’s Edge, a son of champion sprinter Gulch, was a multiple graded stakes-winning juvenile who won the Blue Grass Stakes (GI) and placed second in the Travers Stakes (GI) as a three-year-old. Since entering stud in 2005, The Cliff’s Edge has sired the graded stakes-winning Our Edge, the stakes-winning Cliffy’s Future, and Dave’s Revenge – an earner of over $245,000 who ran fourth in the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI).

Fast Goat, the dam of Dover Heights, though a Kentucky-bred mare, descends from primarily Irish and English bloodlines. Her sire is the multiple grade one-winning Irish-bred Fastness, a son of the champion miler Rousillon. The dam of Fast Goat is the stakes-winning Irish-bred mare Capracotta, who ran in twelve stakes races out of the seventeen starts she made. To date, Fast Goat has produced the stakes-placed gelding Fast Track.

Notably, Dover Heights’ fifth dam is the group three-winning Caprera, who produced the group one-winning Romildo, the group three-winning Pevero, and the stakes-winning Starina. Being a direct descendant of Caprera certainly bodes well for Dover Heights, as other direct descendants of the lucrative mare include the group one-winning Albisola, the group two-winning Arbatax, and the group three-winning Stagelight.

Dover Heights
Photo by Mary Cage

Dover Heights was slated to make his debut on May 19, 2012 – Preakness Day – at Lone Star Park in a one-mile maiden special weight over the main track for three, four, and five-year-olds. However, he lost his jockey and ran off prior to the race and was a late scratch.

Rather, his first start came eight days later, on May 27. Present at the track, I watched as Dover Heights warmed up in front of the crowd under the hot sun, fluidly trotting before the grandstand, his coat a more rosy-gray than charcoal under the bright sun rather than a cloudy sky. He loaded easily into the starting gate for the six and one-half-furlong maiden special weight prior to breaking a bit poorly. Dismissed at odds of 8-1, the impressive-looking gray colt found a position mid-pack along the rail under Tony McNeil, settling several lengths off the leader. The pace-setter, Lac Seul’s Dream, began opening up on the field, instilling me with worry that Dover Heights would not be able to win the race.

Lac Seul’s Dream had a five-length advantage on the field as the Thoroughbreds galloped around the far turn, but Dover Heights began making his move, angling to the outside. However, as the horses turned for home, Lac Seul’s Dream appeared home-free, leaving the other six horses behind. But the five-year-old began to falter as the others began to rally, most notably Dover Heights. My excitement surged as the stunning gray colt I had fallen in love with two weeks earlier accelerated, cutting into Lac Seul’s Dream’s lead. With elation, I watched as Dover Heights crossed the wire a neck in front of the closing Konko Jones.

Dover Heights winning his debut
Photo by Terri Cage

Standing along the rail, I watched with bright eyes as the rosy gray colt jogged up to the winner’s circle to greet his connections. A roar arose from the crowd as the striking colt sauntered into the winner’s enclosure, holding his attractive head up high as cameras clicked. I couldn’t help but grin as the triumphant colt marched back to the barns, ready for the rest of his racing career.

Dover Heights further showed me how exhilarating it is to follow a horse from the beginning of its career, most notably before the horse even makes its debut. So go out there and fall in love with a horse like Miss Fifty, Hy Lime Time, or Dover Heights and relish the excitement of following that Thoroughbred throughout its career. I hope that Dover Heights’ debut was only the beginning of a thrilling journey.

Dover Heights
Photo by Terri Cage

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Agave Kiss Remains Undefeated

Agave Kiss has raced six times. She has visited the winner’s circle in just as many occurrences. Having followed her since her breathtaking 6 ¼-length maiden victory, I relished the filly’s accumulated next five wins, which came by a combined winning margin of 30 lengths. With plans of contesting in prestigious grade one sprint races at Saratoga this summer, the owner of Agave Kiss, Flying Zee Racing Stables, and her trainer, Rudy Rodriguez, have campaigned the daughter of Lion Heart methodically throughout her career.

After easily winning her debut, Agave Kiss crushed allowance foes at Aqueduct prior to capturing her first stakes win in the Ruthless Stakes. Following a victory in the Cicada Stakes (GIII), the three-year-old chestnut filly captured the Trevose Stakes at Parx Racing in her first race outside the confines of the Empire State.

The daughter of Lion Heart continued her winning ways on Black-Eyed Susan Day at Pimlico Racecourse (May 18) in the Miss Preakness Stakes, going six furlongs – the only distance at which she has ever contested. As usual, Agave Kiss set the pace, breaking very sharply to attain the lead, never allowing the others to come near her. With Ramon Dominguez aboard for the first time, Agave Kiss constantly drew away from the field as the champion rider remained motionless. At the top of the stretch, the striking chestnut filly had a 5 ½-length advantage on the field, which remained the same as she swept under the wire effortlessly without being asked by Dominguez in the final yards.

Among the six fillies Agave Kiss defeated in the Miss Preakness was Millionreasonswhy, a highly-touted Sagamore Farm-owned filly. The daughter of Grand Slam was a graded stakes winner at two who ran second behind eventual champion My Miss Aurelia in the Adirondack Stakes (GII), becoming the filly who came closest to defeating My Miss Aurelia. Prior to the Miss Preakness, Millionreasonswhy had won an ungraded stakes and placed in a graded stakes as a sophomore. However, Agave Kiss easily defeated her in the Miss Preakness.

Clearly, Agave Kiss’ niche is sprinting, considering each of her races – and victories for that matter – have come at three-quarters of a mile. Her main goal has been made the prestigious seven-furlong Test Stakes (GI), which is scheduled for August 4 at Saratoga Racecourse. This race has produced such victors as the champions Go For Wand, Indian Blessing, and Lady’s Secret.

Only one of Agave Kiss’ four stakes wins is a graded stakes victory – her win in the Cicada Stakes. However, the dominance with which she has won implies that she will be competitive in higher company. But it is not just her racing performances that suggest she will be a lucrative graded stakes performer, but her pedigree as well.

Her sire, Lion Heart, is famous for running second behind Smarty Jones in the 2004 Kentucky Derby (GI) and winning that year’s Haskell Invitational (GI). Though Agave Kiss is a sprinter, Lion Heart has sired successful routers in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (GI)-winning Dangerous Midge and the Arkansas Derby (GI)-winning Line of David. However, the son of Tale of the Cat has been primarily successful with one-turn horses, such as the multiple graded stakes-winning Kantharos and the multiple stakes-winning Gran Lioness. He has also been very profitable with fillies following a path similar to that of Agave Kiss, as he is also the sire of the Cicada Stakes- and Miss Preakness-winning Heart Ashley and the runner-up in the 2009 Test, Pretty Prolific. Agave Kiss’ dam, Salty Romance, was a stakes winner and graded stakes-placed runner who has also produced Luxury Appeal – a black-type winner around one turn.

Considering I have followed Agave Kiss since her astounding maiden victory, the undefeated filly’s campaign has been a fine example of how rewarding it is to follow a racehorse from the beginning of its career. Though incredibly exciting for me, I believe the rest of Agave Kiss’ campaign can be quite exhilarating for other racing fans, too, as she looks to extend her undefeated record. Winning streaks have proven to be very effective in building a horse’s fan base, such as in the case of Black Caviar, Cigar, Rapid Redux, and Zenyatta. Of course, Agave Kiss’ name is unlikely to ever be mentioned in the same breath as many of the aforementioned horses, other than when winning streaks are discussed perhaps. And despite the fact that racing is often focused on middle- or classic-distance races, sprinters can capture the hearts of racing fans as well. The brilliant Agave Kiss has the potential to become a very popular filly.




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I'll Have Another Showing Shades of Affirmed

Among the most well-known stretch duels in the history of racing, most racing fans can easily picture the image of Affirmed and Alydar deadlocked at the eighth pole at Belmont Park as the pair of chestnut Thoroughbreds battled down the stretch of the twelve-furlong race, their jockeys striving to guide their mounts to a victory in the Belmont Stakes. For Affirmed, a Triple Crown was on the line. For Alydar, the opportunity of redemption was just ahead.

Affirmed's grave
Photo by Terri Cage

The clash between the two in the Belmont did not deteriorate at the eighth pole, but rather, it continued all the way to the wire, at which it was Affirmed that got his nose ahead, capturing not only a win in the Test of the Champion, but the title of Triple Crown winner. He was only the eleventh horse in history to sweep the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes, and since then, not a single horse has achieved the same feat.

But I’ll Have Another looks to change that on Saturday, June 9 when he goes to post in the Belmont Stakes. The Derby and Preakness winner will attempt to become the twelfth Triple Crown victor, rather than the twelfth horse since Affirmed won the Triple Crown to triumph in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes but fall short in the Belmont.

Remarkably, I’ll Have Another possesses many similarities to Affirmed. These parallels, which were briefly discussed in my article “I’ll Have Another Keeps Hopes Alive in Preakness,” do not only exist in the two Thoroughbreds’ racing endeavors, but also in their pedigrees and phenotype.

Their connections begin with the female families from which they descend. Their dam lines do not coincide until you stumble across Gallopade, a gray mare born in 1828 who won the eighteen-furlong Doncaster Cup. Continue to backtrack and you will find that both Affirmed and I’ll Have Another hail from female family twenty-three, which has also yielded the additional Kentucky Derby winners Burgoo King, Kingman, Lil E. Tee, Mine That Bird, Ponder, Tim Tam, Winning Colors, and Zev. This female family has proven to be filled with stamina, producing such stayers as the champion Ardross, a winner of several prestigious races at distances of over two miles in Chanticleer, the Grand National victor Cortolvin, and the great filly Twilight Tear, who won several route races.

Of course, the most obvious relationship between Affirmed and I’ll Have Another to those unfamiliar with the sport of horse racing is their appearance. Like Affirmed, I’ll Have Another is a mahogany-colored chestnut with a fairly small white marking on his face. His similarities to Affirmed in exterior extend even further, however. Comparable to Affirmed, I’ll Have Another is a robust individual with a slender neck that ties in appropriately to a powerful, sloping shoulder. The angle of their strong shoulders allows each Thoroughbred to be very well-balanced individuals, being easily divided into thirds at the girth and flank. Like Affirmed, I’ll Have Another also has a long, stout hip that allows him to propel himself forward, giving him much length to his stride.

One of the most riveting parts of I’ll Have Another’s Triple Crown campaign is his young, charismatic jockey, Mario Gutierrez. This is yet another similarity I’ll Have Another shares with Affirmed, who was ridden by the compelling teenager, Steve Cauthen. Though seven years older than Cauthen was when he captured the Triple Crown aboard Affirmed, Gutierrez has only been race riding for six years. Both riders quickly became successful, each winning riding titles within their first year of riding races. Once they each hit the national headlines, they immediately became immensely successful. For instance, Mario Gutierrez’s first grade one victory came in the Santa Anita Derby, aboard I’ll Have Another no less, and he then followed up that win with his Triple Crown journey.

A few parallels between the horses’ trail to the Triple Crown can be found as well. I’ll Have Another, like Affirmed, made starts in California and New York as a juvenile – though Affirmed also raced in Maryland once as a two-year-old. Both colts contested in the Hopeful Stakes (GI) at the renowned Saratoga Race Course in New York, though their results were completely different. I’ll Have Another struggled over the sloppy track and finished sixth of ten, whereas Affirmed met rival Alydar – who ironically appears in I’ll Have Another’s pedigree – for the third time and prevailed by a half-length. As three-year-olds, both colts prepared for the Triple Crown at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California with the San Gabriel Mountains as a beautiful backdrop. Each Thoroughbred captured California’s premier Kentucky Derby prep, the Santa Anita Derby, despite doing it in very different fashions. Whereas Affirmed set the pace for the majority of the nine-furlong race before drawing off to an eight-length victory, I’ll Have Another sat off the leader prior to running down Creative Cause for a nose win. Yet both colts ended a dry spell for Santa Anita Derby victors to triumph in the Run for the Roses: Affirmed was the first Santa Anita Derby winner to win the Kentucky Derby in nine years, while I’ll Have Another was the first winner of California’s most significant Derby prep to capture the Derby in twenty-three years.

In both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, both Affirmed and I’ll Have Another faced a fierce rival. For Affirmed, he went up against Alydar, who he had already formed a rivalry with as a result of their six meetings as juveniles. In the Triple Crown, Affirmed bested Alydar, defeating him in the Derby by 1 ½ lengths and in the Preakness by a neck. Astonishingly, these are the same margins by which I’ll Have Another conquered rival Bodemeister in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, respectively. However, unlike, Alydar, Bodemeister will dodge the Belmont, in which Affirmed battled Alydar intensely down the stretch to prevail by a head.

It is eerie how similar I’ll Have Another has proven to be to Affirmed. It is the hope of racing fans worldwide that the son of Flower Alley will continue to be similar to the most recent Triple Crown winner, as that would, of course, provide him with a Triple Crown victory, thus ending the thirty-four-year drought. Similar in appearance and fight, I’ll Have Another has shown the same determination as Affirmed while hailing from the same female family and participating in similar racing endeavors. With any luck, these parallels are not just coincidences, but rather a hint of what is to come on June 9.




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I'll Have Another Keeps Hopes Alive in Preakness

I'll Have Another alongside Lava Man
Photo by Julie June Stewart

He'd won the most prestigious race in the world, had worn the coveted garland of red roses before the Twin Spires, and had become the only horse with the chance to win the Triple Crown as the Preakness Stakes (GI) approached. Yet Kentucky Derby winner I'll Have Another did not receive the plethora of respect he deserved as the middle jewel of the Triple Crown grew closer. Derby runner-up, Bodemeister, was set as the morning line favorite due to his amazing performance in the Run for the Roses, leaving I'll Have Another as the second choice.

Breaking smoothly from the ninth gate under Mario Gutierrez before yet another record crowd (there was a record crowd at this year's Kentucky Derby as well), I'll Have Another chased after Bodemeister as Creative Cause, Pretension, and Went the Day Well also rushed toward the front. As Went the Day Well checked going into the first turn, I’ll Have Another went wide around the curve, settling in fourth. While Bodemeister set a much more relaxed pace than he did in the Kentucky Derby, I’ll Have Another remained relaxed on the outside in a stalking position as the eleven Thoroughbreds galloped down the Pimlico backstretch.

Inching closer as the field grew closer to the far turn, I’ll Have Another remained comfortable beneath Gutierrez. Stalking in third after a half in 47.68 seconds, I’ll Have Another set his sights on Bodemeister and Creative Cause as the horses entered the final curve. With urging from his calm, cool, and collected twenty-five-year-old rider, I’ll Have Another began to accelerate around the far turn.

For a large part of the homestretch, the race appeared to be reminiscent of last year’s Preakness, in which the speedy Shackleford led the way down the stretch as Derby winner Animal Kingdom charged on the outside, only to miss by a half-length. However, I’ll Have Another continued to dig in, displaying his brilliance and determination as he ran down the magnificent Bodemeister. Though their noses became even in an electrifying battle in the final yards, I’ll Have Another continued to mow down the Derby runner-up and proceeded to win by a neck. Notably, the top pair left third-place finisher, Creative Cause, nine lengths behind.

Yet again, I’ll Have Another galloped out tremendously. This certainly implies that the colt will relish even more ground, as does his pedigree, considering he is a grandson of Distorted Humor – who sired 2010 Belmont winner Drosselmeyer.

I'll Have Another is the first horse since Big Brown in 2008 to approach the Belmont Stakes (GI) with a chance to win the Triple Crown, a feat that has not been accomplished since Affirmed captured the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes in 1978.

Interestingly, I'll Have Another shares many parallels with Affirmed. Both won the Santa Anita Derby (GI) en route to their Triple Crown journeys. Furthermore, both chestnut colts have young, rather unseasoned jockeys. In addition, both challenged a rival in the prestigious series. Affirmed's rivalry with Alydar is considered the greatest horse racing rivalry to ever exist, whereas I'll Have Another battled Bodemeister in the Derby and Preakness. Whether the two will continue that rivalry in the Belmont remains to be seen, but it is eerie how similar I'll Have Another's Triple Crown journey has been to Affirmed's.

Needless to say, the industry undoubtedly hopes that I'll Have Another will proceed to be similar to Affirmed. If he does, he will end the drought that the sport desperately needs to see conclude. And with four wins in just as many starts this year, I'll Have Another just may have forgotten how to lose.

Since I’ll Have Another was one of my featured “Derby Hopefuls,” you can read more about him here.




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