Where are they now? – # 2
Following up the first in this series, we’ll now move ahead twelve months and take a look at the later careers of the horses who dominated during 2000. These are the second group of horses to win the coveted Eclipse Awards. School Kris and Blue Ant went on to graduate into the initial Hall of Fame induction, while Buda With The Slew, Down The Jazz and Alone That Baby are still among the contenders still being considered for the ultimate accolade.
Below is a list of the 2000 group of Eclipse Award winners:
2yo Colt Buda With The Slew
2yo Filly Minsky
2yo Turf Colt Go West Sal
2yo Turf Filly Provellian
3yo Colt Down The Jazz
3yo Filly Alone That Baby
Older Horse One The Naked
Older Mare Rakida’s Road
Turf Horse School Kris(GB)
Turf Mare Road Rubbing
Sprinter Blue Ant
Trainer of Year Tfv (aka Davarto)
Horse of Year School Kris(GB)
Let’s see what became of them:
Buda With The Slew (Danzig / Seattle Slew) – He went on to become the first horse to collect Eclipse Awards in different years, also taking out the Three year old colt award in 2001. He achieved that dual accomplishment first, and remains one of just eight horses to do so thus far. He won a Grade 2 race at his first start at four, but that was his final win. In September 2002 he retired after failing to win his last ten tries. In total he won 6 Grade 1’s, ten races from thirty five overall, and almost four million dollars in purses. He comes under serious consideration in Hall of Fame discussions each year.
His line continues for four generations. Following the gender realignment, he begat: Come Away with Me (Gone West), a male winner of one from sixteen. In turn, he begat
……Summer’s Breeze (Rahy), a filly maiden, retired after five runs. With a mare finally arriving, we can hope the line continues on and builds.
The fourth generation, her issue, is:
……Kemp Bomb (Deep Impact). 3yo colt with 1 win from 12 (8 ITM) – 62k.
……
Minsky (Deputy Minister / Nijinsky) – Her juvenile season was clearly her pinnacle year, and she never quite scaled those heights again. She did begin her three year old season with a Grade 3 victory, but that was her final Graded success. A couple more ITM’s (G2 and G1) followed, along with a pair of ungraded stakes wins as a three year old, but she failed to taste victory in her last fourteen runs, completing her racing career as a four year old in June 2002. She retired with two Grade 1 wins included in her seven wins from thirty nine. She earned $1.6 million in stakes
She’s been prolific in the breeding shed, with mixed results. With her first four progeny all being female, she should be assured of founding quite a dynasty. Her offspring are
Say You Say Slew (Seattle Slew) – Retired mare – 2/22 – 51k. Dam of:
……Winged Wonder (Fusaichi Pegasus) – Active – 1/14 – Unraced since Aug. 07
Sky Harlen (Harlan’s Holiday) – Active (Unraced since Sept 07) – 5yo mare. – 1/48 – 57k. – Claimer
A Cause For Minsky (
Sabinsky – (Sabre D’Argent) – Active 3yo colt – 5/16 – 132k. High level claimer
Go West Sal (Gone West / Sadler’s Wells) – He continued to race impressively for several years. After winning his Eclipse as a Juvenile, he remained a threat in anything he contested, regularly hitting the podium. Arguably his next peak came at five when he won three black type races in succession, including one at Grade 3 level. Time caught up with him at six, and following half a dozen unplaced runs, he ran his last in May 2004. His overall racing career saw him win 22 from 71. He never won a Grade 1, but ran second twice at that level. Winning four graded races among seventeen black type wins, he also finished ITM in another twenty six events. He banked a total of $1.6 million.
Upon retirement he was mated with Lemon Drop Kid to produce Go West Phyllis. She won two from twenty five and $ 42k, before retiring to continue the family line. Her progeny are:
Bearded Clam (
Fattitude (Black Sam Bellamy) – 2yo filly with one second placing from her first three runs
Provellian (Machiavellian / Lyphard) – In the days before wear and tear, she was an iron horse. The year following the Eclipse award she raced 27 times for 6 wins, three at Grade 3 level. 2002 and 2003 saw her continue to race competitively, tasting victory for the last time in an ungraded stake, in November 2003. She was to race four more times, her last in February 2004. In just over four season she faced the starter 86 times, retiring with 27 wins, including seven graded successes, two at Grade 1 in her Juvenile year. She banked just short of two and a half million dollars.
She’s been just as prolific in the breeding shed, and although none of her offspring have reached her stellar heights, three of her six progeny are stakeswinners, surely qualifying her as a superior broodmare. The role call is:
Twevlth Hour (Colonial Affair) – SW – 3/9 – 77k – Retired dam of:
……Stolen Forever (Medaglia D’Oro) – 4yo maiden with 2 starts. Unraced since March 07
……Nini’s Girl (Bandini) – 2yo Stakes placed winner of one from 3. – 40k.
Vell’s Magic (Kayf Tara) – 6yo Stakeswinner – 2/10 – 73k. – Now residing in cpu.
Stolen Filly (Storm Cat) – 5yo mare – 3/24 – 72k – Racing well in allowances
Proud Pro (Proud Citizen) – 2yo maiden colt – 0/2
Down The Jazz (Benny The Dip / Tom Rolfe) – The Eclipse year was his peak, although he did win two Grade 3 races to start his four year old campaign. They were to be his final triumphs however, and although he raced competitively, the decision to retire him, after thirteen races without success, came in February 2002. The two legs of the Triple Crown were his total of Grade 1 wins, but he also won one at Grade 2 level and three Grade 3’s. His final tally was eight wins from thirty nine starts, and $2.6 million in earnings.
Retirement saw him visit Cozzene and produce Cozz Ima Dip. Her record could only be described as moderate as she descended to the claiming ranks, eventually retiring with 2 wins from 33 and just $46k in the bank. The Down The Jazz line does continue to the next generation, although the early results are uninspiring. Cozz Ima Dip is dam to:
Dumverre Ted (
For The Cozz (Ivan Denisovich) – 3yo filly. – Maiden claimer also with 8 runs.
Alone That Baby (Meadowlake / Alysheba) – Following her Eclipse victory she continued to race well, if a little inconsistently. While she invariably ran around at short prices, she was capable of putting in a shocker when least expected. Interestingly, the highlight of her four year old program was a Grade 2 win on the grass, scored in one of just four appearances on that surface. After two earlier ungraded wins in 2001, this was to be her final success. Half a dozen more starts saw her finish second in a couple of ungraded races, before she had her final start in April 2002.
She’s been kept busy in the shed since retiring, beginning with a Graded winner, before a string of somewhat ordinary progeny. Her brood comprises:
Solitaire (Summer Squall) – 8yo Grade 3 winner still in training. – 8/39 – $286k.
Deception (Lil’s Lad) – Retired 7yo mare – 3/14 – $77k. – Dam of:
……Lil Boots (Storm Boot) – 3yo colt – 2/11 – $9k. – claimer
Sole Point (Point Given) – 6yo horse currently in training. – 1/12 – 18k – Claimer.
Dorncliffe (Rock of Gibraltar) – 5yo lightly raced horse – In training – 2/7 – $37k
Unparallelled (Empire Maker) – 4yo retired mare. Maiden from 9 starts.
Caveman (Silver Deputy) – 3yo colt – Maiden from 2 starts
One The Naked (Palace Music / Drone) – He continued to race on until 2003. He took home a third Grade 1 win in the year following his Eclipse Award, and would then appear in almost anything, being competitive in a Graded event one start, then lining up in an allowance a couple of weeks later. From mid 2002 he did most of his racing at the ungraded stakes level, always giving a good sight. The last two events he lined up for, again ungraded stakes, both resulted in second placings. He’s still listed as active, despite his last start being in March 2003. He’s won 17 of his 55 starts, and banked over three million dollars. Being a twelve year now, unfortunately he’ll just fade away at the end of this year.
Rakida’s Road (A. P. Indy / Sassafras) – Following her Eclipse winning efforts, she continued to build on her career for several years. 2001 began with a pair of Graded wins and ended with an ungraded victory. 2002 added a couple more Graded triumphs and although she managed only two wins in 2003, she did run second twice at Grade 1 level during the year. Her second start for the year in February 2004, saw her bow out of racing with a triple digit speed rating earning her a second placing in an ungraded stakes. After facing the starter sixty six times, she retired with eighteen wins. Her only Grade 1 victory was the won which secured her Eclipse Award, but she also posted four wins in Grade 2’s, another four in Grade 3 company, and a further four in ungraded stakes, while banking $3.3 million.
She’s continued on her successful way as a broodmare, producing three black type performers from four foals. Her breeding record is:
A.P. Commander (Deputy Commander) – 6yo mare – Lightly raced, still in training. – 1/21 – 45k. – Stakes placed.
Rakida’s War (War Chant) – Active 5yo horse – 8/38 – $290k. – Dual stakeswinner, GP.
Unexpected Allies (Garcon Rouge) – Active 4yo mare – 3/16 – $94k – Claimer
Crab Be Apple (High Chapparal) – Active 3yo colt – 6/14 – $245k – Graded winner
School Kris (Kris / Lyphard) – Hall of Fame – He’s another iron horse from the days before wear and tear. After taking out his Eclipse award, he continued to race on for another year and a half, winning twice more at Grade 1 level in 2001 (including defending his win in the Eddie O Cap). Time caught up with him in 2002 and after eight runs that year, without collecting any prizemoney, he ran his last race in May. His racing career ended with 25 wins from 82 starts. Six of those wins were at the highest level. Four Grade 2’s and another at Grade 3 brought his total of Graded wins to eleven, while another 18 starts saw him finish on the podium in Graded events. He left the arena with $5.8 million in the bank.
His post retirement family line provides both the good and the bad of sim life. Unlike many of our sim stars, his successors have fared quite well on the track, but unfortunately the progress has been stalled for the time being. Let’s follow the story:
Skii (Sadler’s Wells) – Retired 8yo horse – Graded placed stakeswinner – 5/30 – $223k – Begat:
……
Road Rubbing (Kris S. / Broad Brush) – Following her Eclipse season, she raced on competitively, but without winning, throughout the first half of 2001. Although not victorious, she was placed once at Grade 1 level, and twice more in Grade 2’s before the decision to retire her was made in August. At the end of her career she’d won ten from thirty eight. Seven of those ten were in Graded races, two G1’s, three G2’s and 2 G3’s. Add another ten Graded ITM’s and it’s easy to see how she was close to three million dollars in career earnings.
Sadly, she hasn’t passed on her ability to her offspring, producing just one stakes placed runner from five matings. Her progeny are:
The Big Noise (Unbridled’s Song) – Retired 9yo horse. Maiden after seventeen runs
Coup De Grace (Theatrical) – Retired 6yo mare – Stakes placed – 5/24 – $90k – Dam of:
……Zod (Empire Maker) – 4yo colt – 2/15 – 71k
……Bwana Devil (Kitten’s Joy) – 3yo filly – 0/4 – Now residing with cpu.
Yellow
Roadster (Ballingary) – Active 4yo mare – 3/18 – $81k
Blue Ant (Pleasant Colony / Cure The Blues) – Hall of Fame – He continued to race on with distinction for several years following his Eclipse Award win, if perhaps not at such stellar heights. No longer a perennial winner, he did however post Grade 1 victories in both 2001 and 2002. 2003 saw one Graded placing and he began 2004 with a final burst in a most impressive allowance effort. That was to be his final toast and following five more unplaced runs, the curtain came down in November of that year. A magnificent career resulted in 28 wins from 78 starts. Nine Graded wins were made up of four at the top level, two Grade 2’s and three at Grade 3. $3.8 million dollars was earned from the generally lower purses available to sprinters.
On retirement he was sent to Hennessy and produced His Nibs. The lightly raced five year old horse has recently returned to the track after a long spell. He runs fair races in conditioned allowances and has won three from eighteen and $57k.