Who Is Your Favorite TB of All Time?

[skeenan]

Besides my current, a TB named Lucky that I bonded with many years ago at horse camp. He was an ex-racer (whose registered name I wish I knew!) who was built tall but very narrow. The staff was amazed at how well he acted around me... he was unruly with everyone else. He would call to me from the pasture if he saw me. He even loved my favorite band at the time—AC/DC— and regardless that it was blaring through the barn, he'd be asleep on the crossties. I loved that horse, we had that kind of bond that girls read about in horse stories... wish I knew what became of him...

My favorite racehorse, despite the many greats, is Seattle Slew...

[Kari]

Winning Colors. I wanted Risen Star to win the Derby, but after she won and I found out she was a filly, I was in love. That was the first race I ever watched. I cried like a baby when Personal Ensign beat her in the Distaff. I got Gene Klein's address about a month after that race. When I finally got up the guts to write him, I got an answer back from his wife shortly after his death. She and I were pen pals for years. She hooked me up with the folks at Gainesway, and it's been downhill ever since. So, in a way, it's WC's fault that I'm here.

[Arctic Cielo]

I have always liked Mecke, after watching him come from behind to win a race.

[[email protected]]

Favorite race horses in my time, I just haven't followed the TB race industry as I once did....I'd say its a toss up between RUFFIAN and SECRETARIAT...both spectacular runners.

Pat

[Toccet02]

Toccet!

Saw him before he was well known in '02...he was prancing around having fun; trying to eat the leaves off the tree at Belmont...handler kept jerking on him gently and repeating, no, no , no! like he was constantly doing this...him jogging around her and nuzzling her shoulder, clearly affectionate...

ME NOT betting on him, seeing all the wasted energy, and him winning at a nice price. The program goofed and had him as "Tocet".
Sorry to see him ruined by impatient connections (Don't scream at me, that's just my opinion)
Hope he makes a fabulous sire.

[steward]

On page one, charlie mentioned Carry Back. I was watching ESPN in the a.m. during last Derby Week when they were showing old KD footage. I had never seen film of the '61 renewal.

As the horses came around the turn, Crozier was free of the former front runners and looking like the only thing moving away from the pack. I imagine that his connections were besides themselves with joy at the moment. Out of the mess that was following him exploded Carry Back. It took a lot of the stretch for him to catch Crozier; and then he won by nearly a length. His move was so impressive. And the unbelievable turn of events must have crushed Crozier's party. It's become one of my KD favorites, just for the strong emotions that the swing creates. The chart calls don't do it justice.

[CA Michael]

Native Diver. Hands down. His charisma has never been matched. There certainly have been greater horses but no horse in my lifetime has come close to the Diver as my favorite.

He is buried at Hollywood Park (where he won three consecutive Gold Cups up to age . Richard Shapiro, whose grandparents owned the Diver, told me that plans have already been made to move his remains to Del Mar if Hollywood Park closes.

[vineyridge]

I'm torn between Tim Tam and Buckpasser for the racers during my lifetime.

Tim Tam probably (!?) would have won the Triple Crown and been a star for the ages if he hadn't broken a sesamoid (?) in the Belmont. He still finished second, which is pretty damned amazing.

Buckpasser, because he was close to the perfect TB in conformation, temperament, heart, and desire. Wasn't too shabby in the breeding shed after he finished his racing career, either.

[Ill-bred]

Keep in mind I've only been a horse racing fan since about 1990...

Dehere's wins at Saratoga as a two-yr-old were pretty special to me. I'll always remember the Saratoga Special, where he was blocked in on the rail and then swung outside and closed like a freight train under Eddie Maple to win by a neck.

Holy Bull's Travers win was one of the best efforts I've ever seen.

Cigar had the best combination of brilliance AND consistency I've witnessed.

And because I am from Chicago, Illinois-breds Lady Shirl, Buck's Boy, and Fort Prado (who runs Saturday at Arlington!) are special too.

[Dreamstorm]

I have two that have captured my heart. Flip de Lite and Secretariat. I have other favorites, but those two hold a special place in my heart. Even though I never got to meet either of them.

[AfleetAlex#1fan]

Oh boy I say AFLEET ALEX and BARBARO

[geowarrior]

Red Rum, who won the Grand National 3 times and came second twice. He was the hero horse of my teen years, an immense combination of luck, courage, stamina, and attitude. He lived a long and happy life in retirement.

In America, I have to admit I felt a tear in my eye when I visited the Kentucky Horse Park and walked the length of Man O' War's stride.

I also really loved a picture that was published by the New York Times magazine of Spectacular Bid taken about two weeks before he died. He looked gorgeous. I so wanted to keep that picture, but my then husband took it and sent it to one of his friends.

[erins isle]

I agree with Geowarrior, I loved Red Rum and later on Persian Punch, which I saw yesterday during the Glorious Goodwood program and the great welcome he got from all those people after his win in the Goodwood Cup on 31-07-03. Horses who run for many years become public favorites.
When PP won his maiden at Windsor as a 3yo:

King Of Sparta was all the rage to confirm the promise of his Kempton debut, but after making the running_very fast to begin with, although his rider slowed it right down on the turn_he had no answer to the finish of newcomer PERSIAN PUNCH, who came from off the pace and was well on top at the end despite idling and pricking his ears when in front. The winner is a big colt with a long stride who impresses at the walk and the gallop, and he could be anything. David Elsworth certainly thinks a fair bit of him and revealed: "It was his walk that first attracted me as it only took him three strides to go round the sales-ring. But he^s a half-brother to the Solario winner Island Magic and is by Persian Heights, who was another great, big horse like this one. They always look better when they^ve won, but I^ve always liked him."

David Elsworth was also the trainer of another favorite of mine: Desert Orchid.

[geowarrior]

Let me guess Erin's Isle - you are or were in Eire. One of my most favorite times in my life was when my sister and I went to the Irish Derby at the Curragh in 1997. We splurged for tickets for the paddock area and hobnobbed with the rich and tipsy. The special guest at the Paddock was Peter O'Sullivan, who commentated all of those Grand Nationals we watched when we were young - maybe you remember him. When it came time for the Derby somehow the place became mobbed, and we are both tiny, so we never saw the race itself because we couldn't see over the top of anyone, and I have no idea who won, but it was a great great day.

When I was home (which is Glasgow, Scotland) at Christmas, I watched on t.v. the running of the King George VI cup which was won several times in the past by Desert Orchid, who also won the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Every year at the King George, Desert Orchid comes out and parades for the crowd, and even in his twenties it takes two to hold him, prancing about, knowing he's at the races again. He was pure white in his wooly winter coat, and he cantered like the champion he knew he was back along the course to the cheers of the crowd, who, incidentally, were mourning the recent death of Best Mate, three time winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, whom I never saw run, but the way my parents talked about him, he was another one of those who, as you say, caught the imagination.

I don't know if an American audience can truly appreciate what Red Rum did, as steeplechasing is such a limited sport here (I live in Spokane, WA now), and does not get the kind of exposure that racing in general gets in Britain and Ireland. But it reminds me that a horse I have a fondness for even although I've never seen him run is McDynamo - two time Eclipse award winner for steeplechaser of the year and a son of Dynaformer. Dynaformer is of course the sire of Barbaro, and has several chasers and hurdlers among his progeny. His offspring are generally so sound they could run on pavement, and Barbaro is the last horse I would have expected to break down in a race.

I've watched the threads on this board and I know that many people still think that Barbaro will die, and some even hope he will be euthanised (and these are truly humane people) as they believe that the quality of his life if he survives will be seriously compromised. I understand all that and I don't want him to be in pain either, but a part of me wishes for him to live and catch the public's imagination in the way of our own favorite horses, because American Racing needs more Red Rums, Desert Orchids and Best Mates (and it's just coincidence that those are all steeplechasers) and maybe Barbaros for people to love for the long term.

[madelyn]

I am not American (but live in Louisville, KY) -- but I certainly do remember Red Rum. I also remember at one point, a lot of years ago, reading a book about him and his special trainer. If I recall, he was diagnosed with arthritis as a youngster and his trainer trained him on a beach in deep sand. He is still a very special horse, to me.