Does anyone here remember this gallant colt who broke down in the Jockey Club Gold Cup in 1982? I was a child at the time and his loss devastated me. I'm working on an article about him and would welcome any thoughts and/or recollections of Timely Writer.
Thank you!
Kim
Timely Writer
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Well, I wasn't a child and his loss devastated me, too. He was a very, very good 2yo, a colt who also tried his best and won a lot of graded stakes. His form turned south in the fall of his 3yo year and I wondered at the time why his connections were attempting such a grueling race as the 12 furlong Jockey Club Gold Cup. He went down so fast, so hard, that I knew it was curtains for him. What a bloody shame!
One note: both his sire and dam were unraced. Timely Writer made only 15 starts. Apparently there were some family soundness issues which may have contributed to his early demise. His second dam also produced the ill-fated Dark Mirage, who died from injuries sustained in a terrible breakdown at Santa Anita in 1970.
One note: both his sire and dam were unraced. Timely Writer made only 15 starts. Apparently there were some family soundness issues which may have contributed to his early demise. His second dam also produced the ill-fated Dark Mirage, who died from injuries sustained in a terrible breakdown at Santa Anita in 1970.
hi Kimber8768
After running and winning for a $25,000 tag (if memory serves me) at the beginning of his career...Timely Writer moved up (I mean way up) very quickly and promptly displayed his super talents with victories which included both the G1 Hopeful and G1 Champagne (among his many two-year-old accomplishments).
As a result of his very impressive performances (mostly in New York) he was expected by many to be the two-year-old champion of 1981. There seemed to be a strong sense among many racing aficionados (including writers) that TW had an eclipse award in-the-bag...
...but unfortunately for his connections...a previously less-heralded (in the U.S.) Canadian-bred son of Vice Regent by the name of Deputy Minister won the late-in-the-year (then G1) Young America S (which he added to his G1 win in the Laurel Furturity) and the DM team snatched the eclipse award as champion 2-year-old from a very disappointed (if not stunned) Timely Writer team...which had previously decided to back-off on their star...and rest him a bit for his upcoming 3-year-old campaign.
Had the TW team felt there was a threat from any other 2-year-old for eclipse honors they may have kept TW cranked up and taken-on DM in the Young America.
Deputy Minister (as we know) won the eclipse award but the two colts were co-highweighted on the experimental.
Regardless of the eclipse results...the plan to rest TW worked to the extent that he won the G1 Florida Derby (which he added to his already illustrious resume)...and was the early favorite (of many) to win the Ky Derby.
Things went awry for Timely Writer...the Ky Derby dream was never realized...and ultimately he suffered a devastating injury (as you know) which millions saw on television. He was euthanized.
As a matter of interest...Timely Writer was purchased as a yearling for approx $13,000 (if I recall correctly) by Tony Everard...the same farm trainer that purchased and resold Funny Cide just a couple of years ago.
Respectfully
After running and winning for a $25,000 tag (if memory serves me) at the beginning of his career...Timely Writer moved up (I mean way up) very quickly and promptly displayed his super talents with victories which included both the G1 Hopeful and G1 Champagne (among his many two-year-old accomplishments).
As a result of his very impressive performances (mostly in New York) he was expected by many to be the two-year-old champion of 1981. There seemed to be a strong sense among many racing aficionados (including writers) that TW had an eclipse award in-the-bag...
...but unfortunately for his connections...a previously less-heralded (in the U.S.) Canadian-bred son of Vice Regent by the name of Deputy Minister won the late-in-the-year (then G1) Young America S (which he added to his G1 win in the Laurel Furturity) and the DM team snatched the eclipse award as champion 2-year-old from a very disappointed (if not stunned) Timely Writer team...which had previously decided to back-off on their star...and rest him a bit for his upcoming 3-year-old campaign.
Had the TW team felt there was a threat from any other 2-year-old for eclipse honors they may have kept TW cranked up and taken-on DM in the Young America.
Deputy Minister (as we know) won the eclipse award but the two colts were co-highweighted on the experimental.
Regardless of the eclipse results...the plan to rest TW worked to the extent that he won the G1 Florida Derby (which he added to his already illustrious resume)...and was the early favorite (of many) to win the Ky Derby.
Things went awry for Timely Writer...the Ky Derby dream was never realized...and ultimately he suffered a devastating injury (as you know) which millions saw on television. He was euthanized.
As a matter of interest...Timely Writer was purchased as a yearling for approx $13,000 (if I recall correctly) by Tony Everard...the same farm trainer that purchased and resold Funny Cide just a couple of years ago.
Respectfully
I, too, remember watching the '82 JC Gold Cup. The image of Timely Writer falling down, getting back up, and continuing toward the finish line is not one I'll easily forget.
I vaguely remember that sometime before that race, he was forced to scratch out of a start due to what would have been a positive medication test. I recall Jim Murray, the great columnist from the LA Times, writing a pretty funny piece about it. If you could find that article, it would give you some more insight.
I vaguely remember that sometime before that race, he was forced to scratch out of a start due to what would have been a positive medication test. I recall Jim Murray, the great columnist from the LA Times, writing a pretty funny piece about it. If you could find that article, it would give you some more insight.
Just recalled that the JC Gold Cup was to have been his last start before retiring to Mare Haven Farm in KY. Dr. Wm. O. Reed, owner of Mare Haven Farm (at that time one of the more progressive as well as picturesque Lexington farms) had put together a syndicate for the horse at a total valuation of about $3 million (+/-). It was more than a little ironic that Reed, who also served as the NYRA veterinarian, was the man charged with euthanizing Timely Writer on the track. Dr. Reed also euthanized Ruffian at Belmont; he passed away a few years ago and the dilapidated Mare Haven Farm (once part of the vast Idle Hour Farm of E. R. Bradley) has since been parcelled out to new owners.
Unfortunately, the three most upsetting breakdowns I've seen were Ruffian, Timely Writer and Go for Wand. I've seen worse and I do feel somewhat guilty about that because they were horses of lesser class and they are less memorable. I was at all of the above three races. Go for Wand was exceptionally brutal as she broke down right in front of me. I almost got out of the horse business right there and didn't even watch my own horses or go to the track for almost a year after that. It really shook me up. Since then I've had 3 catastophic breakdowns, 2 in one year. I've looked to see if there was anything I could have done, I've looked at the track surface, the trainer. It happens. That's all I found.
Seeing a horse break down is the ugliest part of horseracing. Anyone who loves animals will feel the largest impact. It seems sometimes that you can put the healthiest, fittest horse on the track and all it takes is one bad step and its over. I've shed many a tear for the horse, owner(s) and their connections. Everytime I see one of mine run, I pray for a safe trip for my horse as well as the whole field.
That's very well put Ramona. Sometimes you do everything as right as you can do by a horse and they take that bad step. I've had it happen to me a few times. The first time was with Bob Camac and he told me my 2 YO was "the best horse you'll ever own". 2 days later he was euthanized from a bad step. I was mortified. However I do get over bad things easier in this business anymore because they happen so much. It's a tough game.