Buckpasser and My Girls!

Buckpasser was a Claiborne Farms foal born in the year of my birth, 1963. He was by Tom Fool and Busanda by War Admiral. Please read the first link below to read just how deep and rich and impeccable his pedigree was. He was astonishing in his family tree! Among his cool family members was Equipoise, or "The Chocolate Soldier," a horse that both Hailee and Violet share in their heritage.

And astonishingly good-looking. The famous painter, Richard Stone Reeves, according to the Unofficial Thoroughbred Hall of Fame, said that "Buckpasser was the most perfectly proportioned thoroughbred I have ever seen." He only gave two other horses the designation of being in a "class with Buckpasser" -- Secretariat and Affirmed. Reeves said, "I would deny anyone to find a fault with Buckpasser."

He was a good boy who had perfect manners and was gentle. And he was lazy in the lead, but always managed to eke out a win in a relaxed powerful fashion. His final record was 31: 25(21), 4(3), 1(1) with $1,462,014. Among his wins, he took the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Brooklyn Handicap, Arlington Classic, Travers Stakes, and Metropolitan Handicap. His dad, Ogden Phipps, retired him a bit early because he had quarter crack problems. He then became an outstanding broodmare stud. He produced 142 stakeswinners, including 11 champions before passing in 1978.

Among his awards, he earned the following Eclipse Awards, the 1965 Champion 2 year-old colt, 1966 Champion 3 year-old colt and Horse of the Year, and the 1967 Champion Handicap Male. He was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1970. And was voted #14 of the Top 100 thoroughbred race horses of the 20th century.

My girls are related to him through many connections, but some immediate ones are Menow, Bull Dog, Equipoise, War Admiral, Blue Larkspur, and La Troienne.

Get this! Last summer, when Barbie and Montgomery and I went to Claiborne Farms, we went into the main office which was panelled in wood and dark green and brass, etc. And this is the place where I leaned over to take a look at a beautiful leather halter hanging on the wall and saw that the brass tag said Buckpasser. Can you believe? I saw one of this champion's halters in real life. What a wonderful boy. I hope he's lazing about, running sweetly, and goofing off in heaven!
http://www.spiletta.com/UTHOF/buckpasser.html
or
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckpasser
or
http://www.thoroughbredchampions.com/biographies/buckpasser.htm
or
http://www.brauliobaeza.com/hoy_buckpasser.html
or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqRgpmplwvs
or
http://www.stallions.com.au/historical/buckpasser.asp

The fine line between happiness and mania

In the January 9th, sports section of the New York Times, they had a moving story about a 40 year-old African-American woman, Sylvia Harris, who is working as an apprentice jockey in her first full year of riding at the Hawthorne Race Course near Chicago Midway Airport. This woman was raised in California where she dreamed of becoming a veterinarian. But manic depression emerged when she was 19 years old and she has been battling homelessness, broken relationships, problems with mothering, poverty, and struggles with sanity ever since. She tried to join an art school, but her car was stolen and she eventually ended up jobless and homeless. A ministor helped her articulate her lost dreams -- something with horses -- and got her a job as an exercise rider and groom in Ocala, Florida. That was in 2005, and she has worked hard and diligently to become a jockey since.

She ran her first race at Arlington Race Track in August and is just now beginning to get some regular jobs and regular attachments to particular horses. In this case, Wildwood Pegasus, has become her regular mount who she has led to a win!

She says that, "There's a fine line between being happy and being manic. I can't start thinking that I'm going to win the Kentucky Derby. There are times when I need a reality check." She is struggling to become a jockey at such an advanced age, work as an apprentice, and maintain her sanity and contact with her children. May God bless her struggles.

In this photo, she is riding to victory in early January on Rob Why Tee. My girls are related to these two horses. Rob Why Tee's grandsire on his dam's side is Secretariat!. My girls share Eight Thirty, Menow, Nearctic, and Discovery, among others with him. He was born on March 15, 2003 (a week after Violet) and sold for $17,000 at the Keeneland Sales. Wildwood Pegasus's sire is Fusaichi Pegasus and also has Seattle Slew on the mom's side. My girls share Nasrullah, Case Ace, and Princequillo among others!

Kentucky 2007: Nijinsky's Grave

Here is the grave of Nijinsky, the Canadian born racer who is the last English Triple Crown winner! He was born in 1967 and passed in April 1992 from laminitis. He is noted as an "imposing, musuclar horse with anything but a gentle nature." He was purchased by an American who sent him to Ireland where he was the 2 year-old Champion in both England and Ireland. Thirty-six years passed between Bahram, another famous English Triple Crown winner and then Nijinsky's wins! And we have not had another since!

After winning his Triple Crown, he lost the Prix d l'Arc de Triomphe at the Hippodrome de Longchamp in Paris to a horse named Sassafras! I mean, really! Sassafras!. After another place and a final record of 13: 11-2-0, he was sent to spend the rest of his life siring majestic babies at Claiborne Farms! The Sun, a British newspaper, voted him "Horse of the Millenium" and he even had a movie devoted to him narrated by Orson Welles, he was so important!

He is the only sire in thoroughbred history to have colts who won the Kentucky Derby (Ferdinand) and Epsom Derby (Golden Fleece) in the same year! What's sad is that his kid Ferdinand was sent to the slaughterhouse by his Japanese owners when they decided his babies were just not fabulous enough.

My girls are related to him most immediately through Nearctic, Mahmoud, Bull Lea, Blue Larkspur, Menow, and Man 'O War. Nijinsky's parents are Northern Dancer and Flaming Page, and so he has Omaha (a Triple Crown Winner) and Omaha's dad, Gallant Fox (another Triple Crown winner) in his pedigree!

You can read more about this Canadian bred fabulous horse at the following links, and you can even see youtube footage of him winning the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes and the St. Leger!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nijinsky_II
or
http://www.canadianhorseracinghalloffame.com/thoroughbred/1976/Nijinsky_II.asp
or
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_Crown_of_Thoroughbred_Racing
or
http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/stallion-directory/reference.aspx?doc=northerndancer
or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmO6WttLCqQ
or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I70rZCoHGQg

Kentucky 2007: Claiborne's Monarchos

Here is Monarchos standing outside his stallion barn at Claiborne Farm. He was beautiful and sweet -- he preened like a stallion, but also was gentle. The stallion manager let us pet him. And so he is officially the first Kentucky Derby winner I ever petted! I was thrilled.

He was born in 1998 and his record is 10: 4-1-3 and $1,720,830. He won both the Florida Derby and Kentucky Derby, placed in the Wood Memorial, and showed in the Belmont Stakes. His time in the Kentucky Derby was the second fastest in history, behind Secretariat's. He was in 10th place in a pack of 17, but managed to pick off each horse and finally put Congaree behind him at a searing pace! Of his preparatory win in the Florida Derby before the run for the roses, his jockey, Jorge Chavez said, "When I asked him, he just exploded. That was a great feeling, like I was the king."


So far, he has had 5 crops and 261 foals. Three of his crops are of racing age, with 192 foals of racing age.

His mom, Regal Band, died this year at the age of 20 at Rood and Riddle Hospital on April 9. She was suffering from a liver disorder. She was carrying an Empire Maker foal. My girls are related to his family in many ways, including Nearctic, Bimelech, Eight Thirty, War Admiral, Busanda, Bull Dog, Menow, Blue Larkspur, Turn-To, Nasrullah, Gainsborough, Case Ace, Bull Lea, Sir Gallahad, Case Ace, and Discovery.

You can read more about this sexy sweet kind stallion at the following links:
http://www.claibornefarm.com/stallions/monarchos.shtml
or
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchos
or
http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2005/derby_history/derby_charts/years/2001.html
or
http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallionregister/sr_sire_page.asprefno=4475639&origin=BHonline or
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/horseracing/preakness/bal-sp.derby06may06,1,3965877.story?coll=bal-sports-preakness&ctrack=1&cset=true
or
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/1315147.stm
or
http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/breeding-news/2007/April/09/Dam-ofMonarchos-dies-at-age-20.aspx
or
http://horseracing.about.com/library/weekly/aa050501a.htm