It all began sometime in May 2002. Everyone in the horse racing\u00a0industry was focused on the big race, the Kentucky Derby. It is arguably the most prestigious and most important race run each year, with only the\u00a0Breeders Cup championship races on a comparable level. Everyone’s attention was focused on this year’s crop of 3 year olds, and who would come away as\u00a0the winner in the “run for the roses”.\u00a0 My attention however was not\u00a0entirely focused on this race. I had become intrigued by another member of the\u00a0horse racing world, an un-raced 2 year old horse that went by the name Vindication. Why in the world would I care about a horse that hadn’t\u00a0even set foot on a race track when the biggest race of the year was about to\u00a0be run? I cannot answer that question, but I just had a feeling.\u00a0 A feeling\u00a0that\u00a0I knew I needed to pay attention to, but didn’t yet know why. Vindication came away from the gate alertly and quickly took the lead.\u00a0\u00a0He had already overcome his first obstacle in the race: starting from the number one post position. This post position, commonly called “the\u00a0rail” can be troublesome for some horses, especially young and immature racers.\u00a0\u00a0Some horses do not have the will or the confidence to run full speed no more\u00a0than a few feet away from a menacing metal rail, but Vindication did not\u00a0display any hesitations or doubts. The second trip to Del Mar with my grandmother and sister was on August\u00a022, 2002. A couple days before the second trip of the summer, I checked the\u00a0list of horses that were entered to run on the 22nd. I was thoroughly\u00a0pleased when I saw that Vindication was scheduled to run in his second career\u00a0race.\u00a0 I don’t know if this was fate, but it sure was a pleasant coincidence\u00a0being present on the days of Vindication\u00b9s first two races. Vindication’s trainer entered his undefeated two year old colt in the\u00a0Grade 3 Kentucky Cup Juvenile Stakes to be run on September 14, 2003. Breeders Cup day had arrived. I got up early that morning and drove\u00a0over to the off track betting facility in Del Mar. There were eight\u00a0championship races that day, with the first beginning at 10 AM. Although I had handicapped all of the races and was excited to watch them all, I\u00a0eagerly anticipated the 2 year old Juvenile race. It was the sixth of the eight\u00a0championship races so I waited patiently to see if Vindication would be crowned the champion two year old of 2002. <\/FONT>\u00a0<\/P> Article Written by Brian Peeples.<\/EM><\/FONT>\u00a0<\/P><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Vindication: In Memoriam<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1104,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6273","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6273","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1104"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6273"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6273\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17018,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6273\/revisions\/17018"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6273"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6273"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6273"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Vindication was a dark brown colored colt with absolutely no\u00a0distinguishing markings. He looked as plain as day. His father was the great Seattle\u00a0Slew, horse racing’s Triple Crown winner in 1977. He was purchased by the\u00a0Padua Racing Stables for the hefty price of $2.15 million. None of these characteristics made Vindication stand out in my mind. There had been numerous horses sired by Seattle Slew that had the same coloring as Vindication and many others that had been sold for $2 million or more.\u00a0\u00a0Those horses never caught my eye like this one did. Vindication had “it.”\u00a0\u00a0He\u00a0had “the look.”\u00a0 I already had huge expectations from this young colt and he\u00a0had yet to race.
A few months passed, May turned to June, June turned to July, and that signaled the opening of horse racing at Del Mar, California. I had been going to Del Mar every summer far as long I could remember. Two or\u00a0three times each year my grandmother, my sister, and I would make the thirty minute drive to the Del Mar racetrack to watch the horses race “where\u00a0the turf meets the surf.”\u00a0 It was July 27, 2002, and it was our first\u00a0journey to Del Mar of the summer. As luck would have it, this horse that I began following and watching out for two months earlier, was scheduled to\u00a0make his debut in the 7th race. I would finally be able to see Vindication in\u00a0person and see if he could live up to the expectations I had already placed on\u00a0him.\u00a0 In order to get a get look at Vindication, I decided to not watch the\u00a06th race but instead to go to the paddock. By going to the paddock early, I secured the best possible location to get an up close view of this\u00a0colt. I staked out my spot in front of area number one in the paddock.\u00a0\u00a0Vindication was going to be the number one horse in the day’s 7th race, and\u00a0hopefully was going to be the number one horse after the race had been completed.\u00a0\u00a0The 6th race was run, a winner was determined by a photo finish, and my excitement began to build. The horses for the 7th race were going to\u00a0make their way to the paddock soon, and I was ready to see my new favorite\u00a0horse for the first time.
With little fanfare, the horses for the seventh race came to the\u00a0paddock.\u00a0 The crowd was small, mostly because it was a Wednesday, but also\u00a0because this was just a maiden race for two year old horses. It wasn’t a Grade\u00a01 race with a million dollars on the line; it was just another race at\u00a0old Del Mar. With my digital camera ready to snap as many photos as I could, I intently began searching for Vindication.
The young colt appeared and I focused intently on him. He entered the saddling area accompanied by his groom, looking the part of a champion.\u00a0\u00a0His demeanor was rare for a two year old making his debut. While other\u00a0horses clearly showed their immaturity by jumping around and washing out (a\u00a0horse term for breaking out into a nervous sweat), Vindication stood calm, collected, and stoic. He acted as if he owned this place, and behaved\u00a0like a battle tested veteran. This was his stage and he was finally going to\u00a0be able to show what he was made of. The jockeys mounted the horses and\u00a0made their way to the track. There were only twelve minutes left until post\u00a0time.\u00a0 The horses left the paddock and began their pre-race warm ups on the\u00a0main track, and I too left the paddock in search of another\u00a0advantageous\u00a0spot to watch Vindication. I decided that the best spot to be was next to the winner’s circle because surely Vindication was going to be making an appearance there. The final ten minutes before the race seemed like an eternity. I was anticipating this moment like children do Christmas\u00a0morning.\u00a0 All I asked Santa for was a win by Vindication.
The horses were all loaded into the starting gate and then the track announcer proclaimed, in his patented style, “and away they go.”\u00a0 The\u00a0first race of Vindication’s career was underway.
Race #1 \u00ad The Debut<\/FONT><\/P>
The young colt built a one length lead after running the first quarter\u00a0mile in twenty two and one fifth seconds. It was a solid pace for a race measuring six furlongs, or three quarters of a mile for the non-racing\u00a0fans, so there was a chance that Vindication might begin to tire in the last\u00a0part of the race. I tried to not think about that and instead focused on the\u00a0fact that with a third of the race completed, Vindication was on his way to\u00a0his first victory.
Vindication maintained his one length lead after the second quarter\u00a0mile, which he ran in twenty three seconds flat. As the pace setter, the\u00a0juvenile colt ran the first half mile in forty five and one fifth seconds. I\u00a0would now see if there were going to be any ill effects from setting such a\u00a0quick pace. Vindication led the field into the stretch still moving with a graceful and smooth stride. His ears were pricked and he looked intent\u00a0on winning this race. The horses who were closely tracking Vindication\u00a0during the first half mile of the race started to show some fatigue and began drifting farther back from the leader. As expected, the horses\u00a0positioned at the back began to make their run and began passing these tiring horses.\u00a0\u00a0The only question left in my mind was whether or not they could catch my Vindication. Although the closers seemed to be catching up, Vindication\u00a0was actually expanding his lead, and doing it without jockey Mike Smith\u00a0using his whip. Smith urged Vindication on for home, a horse racing term for\u00a0the finish line, and had a three length lead with one furlong remaining.\u00a0 I watched with pride as my new favorite horse crossed the wire in first place, winning by five lengths in a time of a minute ten and four\u00a0fifths seconds. Vindication had now confirmed that he was deserving of all\u00a0that attention I had given to him. I was excited, but I also knew that this\u00a0was just the beginning. It was after all just a maiden race and he still\u00a0had a lot more work to do to become a true champion.
Vindication jogged back to the winner’s circle where he would have his picture taken and his connections would celebrate the victory. I too\u00a0took part in the celebration by taking several photos of the winner and\u00a0figuring out how much money I had just won on my ten dollar win bet. After all\u00a0the photos had been taken, and hugs exchanged by the owners and trainer, Vindication was led off the track and back to his barn. At the same\u00a0time, I returned to my seat and began thinking about Vindication’s next race.\u00a0\u00a0It would be a tougher task than his first race though. He would be facing\u00a0other horses who had also won at least one race, but I was looking forward to\u00a0it none the less. If I got lucky, maybe I would happen to be at the\u00a0racetrack that day too.
Race #2 \u00ad The Allowance Race<\/FONT><\/P>
Just like I had done for Vindication’s maiden race, I went to the\u00a0paddock early to secure a great spot to watch him. I took even more pictures\u00a0than I had taken the first time. He again had the demeanor of a champion,\u00a0standing calmly, waiting patiently to be led on to the track. I went to the same\u00a0spot near the winner’s circle as I had for Vindication’s first race.\u00a0 If\u00a0there was any kind of fate at work, I sure wasn’t going to mess it up.\u00a0 My\u00a0sequence of events worked the first time so why change my routine now? The main difference between this race and the one that happened just three weeks earlier was that this was an allowance race. Allowance races are filled\u00a0with horses that have previously won a race. These races are much more\u00a0difficult to win than maiden races. This would be Vindication’s second test.
The horses were loaded into the gate and then sent on their way in the\u00a0six furlong contest. Vindication broke from the gate in average fashion and dueled for the lead with another horse for the first quarter mile.\u00a0 He\u00a0slowly inched away from that rival during the second quarter mile and held a\u00a0one length advantage going into the final two furlongs. I kept thinking\u00a0he’s going to do it. He’s going to win again and send me home a happy man.\u00a0 Vindication started pulling away from his foes to build a two and a\u00a0half length lead with an eighth of a mile to go, but this wasn’t going to be easy.\u00a0 In an instant, other horses from the back of the pack were\u00a0gaining on Vindication, and to make matters worse, Vindication began to lug out.\u00a0\u00a0When a horse lugs out, it means that he is drifting out towards the middle of\u00a0the race course and not running in a straight line. As soon as Vindication\u00a0began lugging out, the jockey started working to correct the problem and\u00a0tried to get him back to running more efficiently. Luckily, there wasn’t enough\u00a0time for the other horses to catch Vindication and he won the race by one\u00a0and a half lengths.
Vindication was now two for two and had defeated a higher class of\u00a0horses.\u00a0 The Breeders Cup Championships were about two months away and at the\u00a0rate things were going, Vindication had a chance to make it to that race, if\u00a0he could win or even perform well in one more race.
Race #3 \u00ad Graded Stakes Race<\/FONT><\/P>
Unfortunately for me, the Del Mar racing season had ended and this race\u00a0was going to be run at Keeneland Park in Kentucky. I was not going to be\u00a0able to see Vindication run in person this time.\u00a0 Hopefully, Vindication could\u00a0win without me. Even though I wasn\u00b9t going to be there live for the race, I\u00a0was going to watch the race via my horse race wagering account on the\u00a0internet.\u00a0 Race time quickly approached and I settled in to watch in hopes of\u00a0another Vindication victory. This race was a mile and a sixteenth in distance\u00a0(8 1\/2 furlongs) so it would be a test to see if Vindication could perform as\u00a0well while stretching out. I was anticipating Vindication leading all the\u00a0way around the track and then being tested by other foes toward the end of\u00a0the race. I thought that Vindication would have a good chance of holding on because the track was playing toward speed. Horses that had been able\u00a0to build an early lead had also been crossing the finish line first. This\u00a0track bias would make it even harder for horses coming from behind to chase\u00a0down Vindication.
The gates rushed open and the race began. I could not believe what I witnessed next. The horse that was lined up next to Vindication, a\u00a0horse named Crowned King, had horrible start which caused the jockey to fall\u00a0off the horse.\u00a0 Not only did Crowned King lose his jockey, but he also broke directly into Vindication and caused Vindication to be steadied. This\u00a0was disastrous. Vindication was now six to eight lengths behind the leaders\u00a0and the horses hadn’t even run a hundred yards yet. He was running from\u00a0behind horses for the first time as well, and he was now running against the\u00a0bias the track had for horses getting early leads. It would take a miracle\u00a0for Vindication to win this race. Even veteran, battled tested, champion\u00a0horses would have a hard time overcoming a start like that, but to get that\u00a0kind of effort out of a two year old seemed quite unlikely.
Vindication was dead last as the horses ran down the back stretch of\u00a0the track. As they went into the final turn, there were still seven horses running ahead of Vindy and he was still in last place. With three\u00a0sixteenths of a mile left in the race, things looked rather bleak for my\u00a0superstar.\u00a0 Then it happened. Vindication was making a move, and he was doing it\u00a0all by himself. His jockey hadn’t urged him on or hit him with the whip; he\u00a0just started running like he knew what he was supposed to do. While running\u00a0the final turn, Vindy moved to the center of the track and passed all of\u00a0the horses to his inside. Vindication had miraculously shaken off the\u00a0disastrous start and rallied against the strong track bias to actually take the\u00a0lead with a quarter of a mile to go. Vindication was on a mission and he\u00a0proved that he was something special. He went on to win the race by six\u00a0lengths and in the process, ran the most impressive race that I had ever seen. This\u00a0was the performance of a champion.
Vindication had earned a spot in the Breeders Cup Juvenile championship\u00a0race that would be run on October 26, 2002. He would face all of the other\u00a0highly regarded two year olds in this $1 million showdown. I knew who I was\u00a0going to bet on already. Vindication. Vindication. Vindication.
Race #4 \u00ad The 2 Year Old Championship<\/FONT><\/P>
In Vindication’s first three races I had not bet a lot of money on him simply because his odds were too low. I wouldn’t have made a lot of\u00a0money even if I had bet on him. I figured that I wouldn\u00b9t make a big bet on\u00a0Vindy again in the Juvenile race for the same reason. Based on his previous\u00a0race, I was convinced that Vindy would be the favorite in the championship\u00a0race and probably have odds low odds again. I was still going to bet on him,\u00a0but I wouldn\u00b9t bet a whole lot if his odds were that low.
There were twelve others horses taking on Vindication, each of which\u00a0had impressive credentials. When the odds were put up for the first time, I\u00a0was not surprised to see Vindication as the favorite at 3-1. I kept a close\u00a0eye on the tote board to track Vindy\u00b9s odds so that I could decide exactly\u00a0how I would bet.\u00a0 I was\u00a0supremely confident that Vindication would win this\u00a0race but I didn’t know how much money to stick where my mouth was.\u00a0 I usually would bet $20 on a horse to win that I liked and expected to make that\u00a0same bet on Vindication. I took one final look at the odds and couldn’t\u00a0believe what I saw. Vindication’s odds had drifted up to 9-2. This got me even\u00a0more excited. I went to the window to make my wagers. I bet $50 on\u00a0Vindication to win and I also made two $10 exacta bets with Vindication on top of two\u00a0other horses. To win my exacta bet, I would need Vindication to win the race\u00a0and have one of the two other horses, Bull Market or Kafwain finish second.\u00a0\u00a0I bet $70 on one race!
The gates opened and the field in the 2002 Breeders Cup Juvenile was\u00a0sent on its way. Vindication shot out of the gate and quickly grabbed a half\u00a0length lead. He and Bull Market dueled, only heads apart, down the backstretch while they built a 2 1\/2 length lead on the rest of the field. The\u00a0leaders did not change position as they went through the final turn and entered the\u00a0home stretch. If Vindication could beat out Bull Market I would win both of\u00a0my bets and make a nice profit, and Vindication would have proven to be\u00a0the champion I always thought he was. With a quarter of a mile left to run,\u00a0Bull Market began to fade and Vindication kicked on strongly for home.\u00a0 I\u00a0stood up, yelled at the large TV screen, and rooted for Vindication to bring\u00a0home the championship. Two other horses passed Bull Market, one of which was Kafwain. I hoped that Kafwain would finish second, behind Vindication,\u00a0and then everything would be perfect. As the finish line approached, it was clear that Vindication was going to win again. My Vindy crossed the\u00a0finish line 2 3\/4 lengths ahead the of second place finisher, who ended up\u00a0being Kafwain, and the party started. The payoffs on my winning bets returned\u00a0over $1,100. This was by far the biggest score I had ever made at the track.\u00a0 Things could not have been any better for me. Not only did I make a\u00a0nice chunk of change, but the horse that I had followed since before his\u00a0debut race had gone on to become the champion 2 year old. I felt so proud and happy.
Unfortunately, that would be the last time Vindication would show off\u00a0his abilities on the race track. While preparing for the 2003 Kentucky\u00a0Derby, Vindication suffered an injury to one of his front legs that required surgery. He was ruled out of the Triple Crown races, and his owner and trainer hoped that he would be able to return in the summer of 2003.\u00a0\u00a0After a successful return to training in August of 2003, Vindication’s\u00a0connections (trainer\/owner) decided that they did not have enough time to get Vindication ready for the 2003 Breeders Cup and retired him to stud\u00a0duty.\u00a0 It was a sad day when it was announced that Vindication would be retired\u00a0and never race again. He had so much talent, and he had the potential to go\u00a0on and become one of the greatest racehorses of all time. It was a shame\u00a0that his racing career was cut short, but that is often the case in horse\u00a0racing.\u00a0 He is my favorite horse of all time and I will always remember that\u00a0magical summer of 2002. Thank you Vindy.<\/FONT><\/P>