Category Archives: Horses

Introduction

 

Some horses are known for their success on the track, some are known for being incredible studs as time goes on. One horse that stands out from the pack, though, is the impressive and diverse Seabiscuit. Having been a hose during the time of the Great Depression, the fact it was a perennial underdog but always managed to find a solution and a win made it a fantastic parallel for the hard times of the era.

 

Career Summary

 

Given that the US was full of rampant poverty at the time, seeing an unfancied horse with no real right to win trophies getting to win some of the biggest races in the then-history of the sport was truly special. It became a fantastic example of how, despite the challenges of the era, it was still possible to find success if people defied the odds and looked ahead of themselves.

 

Major wins over the year made sure that as time moved on, the legend of Seabiscuit remained. The horse was the subject of various media about its life in the form of movies and books, creating an interesting backstory for the horse that helped to further prove the underdog credentials of the creature.

 

Indeed, it was even given a postage stamp named after it. It took many years to be recognized, but it’s part of the incredible history and importance to the era that Seabiscuit has been immortalized in such a manner.

 

While long gone now, the horse lives on in the media and the tales of overcoming hardship to win major trophies time and time again.

 

Achievements & Highlights

 

 

Wins – Massachusetts Handicap (1937), Brooklyn Handicap (1937), Bay Meadows Breeders’ Cup Handicap (1937, 1938), Havre de Grace Handicap (1938), Match race vs Ligaroti (1938), Pimlico Special vs War Admiral (1938), Hollywood Gold Cup (1938), San Antonio Handicap (1940), Santa Anita Handicap (1940)

 

Associations – Charles Howard, Sunny Fitzsimmons, Tom Smith, Gladys Phipps.

 

Earnings – $400,000+

 

 

 

Introduction

 

If a name was ever a fair reflection of the ability of a horse, then Dancing Brave might just be the poster horse of its generation. Foaled on 11^th May 1983, this US-bred horse was owned by Khalid Abdullah and trained by Guy Harwood. Known for its jockeys wearing a combination of lime green and pink, Dancing Brave became one of the most outstanding horses on the British circuit despite being US-bred.

 

Indeed, it conquered major trophies such as the 2000 Guineas, the QE Stakes and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. With just two defeats in its life, it eventually retired to stud before living its last years out in Japan, where it died in 1999.

 

Career Summary

 

Across an awesome career, the horse won everything in a single year. From the Craven Stakes to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, it won all six of its major races in 1986. For a horse, it’s one of the most successful race years of all-time, cleaning up across the circuit and winning many of the most important races of the era.

 

At one stage it was given a race rating of 141, the highest rating that was ever given to a horse at that time. Despite being ‘demoted’ to a mere 138, second to the world-famous Frankel, it was still one of the highest race ratings ever achieved. Pat Eddery, one of its jockeys, claimed that it was a “once in a lifetime” experience, and Khalid Abdulla reckons that Dancing Brave was the finest of his horses.

 

Even those who fell at the side to watch Dancing Brave claim yet more success have only good words to say about one of the most stellar animals of its era.

 

Achievements & Highlights

 

Wins – Craven Stakes (1986), 2000 Guineas (1986), Eclipse Stakes (1986), K. George VI & Q. Elizabeth Stakes (1986), Select Stakes (1986), Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (1986)

 

Associations – Khalud Abdullah, Guy Harwood.

 

Earnings – ?

 

 

 

Introduction

 

The name Arrogate means a huge amount f to many horse racing fans of recent years. An American Thoroughbred, Arrogate came to prominence with a win at the 2016 Travers Stakes & the Breeders’ Cup Classic, culminating in a World’s Best Racehorse Award in 2016. Already, with just a run of four stake wins, Arrogate has won more money than other horse in North American history!

 

Raised by Juddmonte Farms for over $500,000, Arrogate trained under Bob Baffer.

 

Career Summary

 

Already, the horse has picked up a series of wins at the likes of the Pegasus World Cup and the Dubai World Cup in 2017 to follow along with an incredible career start. Indeed, it came 3^rd in its first run at the Maiden Special Weight, and since then has gone from strength to strength. Arrogate started off under the jockeyship of Martin Garcia, before moving to Rafael Beljarano. By the time the horse was running at the Travers Stakes where it made its name, though, it was being used by Mike Smith.

 

Achievements & Highlights

 

Although the career is still very much on the go, Arrogate already has a fantastic run of highlights and events that it can point to. Indeed, the incredible Dubai World Cup seen the horse win over half of its prize money in a single race. Despite a poor start that seen it fall to the fourteen horse field, Smith got her back into form for the later stages of the race and made up incredible ground on the leader, the aptly named Gun Runner.

 

Completing 2000m in 2:02:23, it won on a challenging track and took an incredible $10m for the World Cup alone. This race is used by many people as the kind of example that you would turn to, if you wanted to show people why horse racing is such an incredibly exciting sport!

 

With much more to come in the future, too, who knows how much Arrogate is going to win?

 

Wins – Travers Stakes (2016), Breeders’ Cup Classic (2016), Pegasus World Cup (2017), Dubai World Cup (2017)

 

Associations – Juddmonte Farms, Bob Baffert, Mike Smith.

 

Earnings – $17m+

 

Introduction

 

A horse of some repute and success, Yeats is a horse that – for a period of four years – was one of the most prominent horses on the Irish racing circuit. With wins at major events, including seven Group One race wins, Yeats was a horse that became associated with the power of victory. It was a horse that managed to win a variety of trophies, winning several over a very successful career.

 

Career Summary

 

From the Ballysax Stakes in 2004 to the Prix Royal-Oak in 2008, this is a horse that picked up a huge amount of trophies. By far and away the most impressive part of the career of this legend, though, is the incredible and singular record that it holds when it comes to the world famous Ascot Cup. Despite being one of the hardest races to win, it holds the honour of being the only horse in the history of the sport to win four Ascot Gold Cup events.

 

Best of all? They were won from 2006-09, meaning that they all followed one another. This is testament to the incredible appetite for success and trophies that it held. Once the final season of its career, the 2009 season, where it won the Ascot Cup the final time, came to an end, it retired.

 

Then, it went on to become a stud after the 2009 season was over. There, it works from the National Hunt breeding farm, working as a major part of the successful operation that they have up there.

 

Achievements & Highlights

 

 

Wins – Ballysax Stakes (2004), Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial (2004), Coronation Cup (2005), Goodwood Cup (2006, 2008), Ascot Gold Cup (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009), Vintage Crop Stakes (2007, 2008), Saval Beg Stakes (2007), Irish St. Leger (2007), Prix Royal-Oak (2008)

 

Associations – Barronstown Stud, Orpendale.

 

Earnings – £1.1m+