Arts and Letters was Born Noble
The recent impressive maiden victory by Born Noble has given us a reason to tell the story of Arts and Letters, a horse who was very important in my life at a time when I was at a crossroads and needed to find a direction. ~ Steve Haskin
Arts and Letters Was Born Noble
By Steve Haskin
The word was out early on the 2-year-old colt Born Noble, another member of Todd Pletcher’s annual juvenile juggernaut. No matter how brilliant they are first time out, some make it and some don’t, so look for the intangibles as much as statistics such as time and margin of victory.
In the case of Born Noble, the son of Constitution is owned by Vinnie Viola’s St. Elias Stable and West Point Thoroughbreds, which has had a knack in recent years for partnering up on top-class horses.
Purchased as a yearling at Keeneland for $725,000, Born Noble showed those intangibles in his December 30 career debut at Gulfstream when he drew off to an impressive victory despite racing very greenly in the stretch. But there is plenty of time to discuss him in detail when the Derby Rankings begin on January 22. Right now we admit to be using his pedigree not only as a major indicator of his speed, class, and extreme stamina, but as a portal to the past when horses did things they surely wouldn’t be asked to do today, but still went on to win classics, championships, and get elected to the Hall of Fame.
First off let me say that Born Noble’s third dam, Rokeby Rosie, is a half-sister to the $3 million earner and Hall of Famer Silverbulletday, winner of such major races as the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, Kentucky Oaks, and Alabama Stakes. But the key word here is Rokeby, the name of Paul Mellon’s powerful breeding and racing empire that produced so many top-class horses and champions in the 1960s and ‘70s and all the way into the early ‘90s. Among those were Belmont and Travers winner Quadrangle; Hall of Famer and Horse of the Year Fort Marcy; champion 3-year-old Key to the Mint; Kentucky Derby and Travers winner Sea Hero; Coaching Club American Oaks winner Summer Guest; Marlboro Cup, Travers, and Whitney winner Java Gold; the legendary Mill Reef, winner of the English Derby and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe; and the horse we are here to write about, Horse of the Year and Hall of Famer Arts and Letters.
You see, Born Noble’s fifth dam, Rokeby Venus, a daughter of Quadrangle, happens to be a half-sister to Arts and Letters, whose dam, All Beautiful, was carrying him in foal to Ribot when she was sold to Mellon for $175,000 at the Foxcatcher Farm dispersal at Timonium. Mellon bought All Beautiful, a granddaughter of Man o’ War, to be bred to the great Sea-Bird, who had just retired following his dominating victory in the 1965 Arc de Triomphe and was heading to Darby Darn Farm, the home of Ribot. Although All Beautiful’s Sea-Bird filly, Bell Bird, won only two of 28 starts, Mellon got far more than he could ever have hoped for from All Beautiful’s Ribot colt, who he named Arts and Letters.
I have written a number of columns about Arts and Letters and his memorable Triple Crown campaign, his epic battles with Majestic Prince, that amazing 1969 crop of 3-year-olds, and Arts ad Letters’ heartwarming friendship with fellow Belmont Stakes winner Stage Door Johnny at Greentree Stud and then Gainesway Farm. Both lived into their ‘30s and were inseparable, with each one holding the title as oldest living Belmont winner.
But this column goes beyond the bare facts of Arts and Letters’ career, and delves deeper into the talent, toughness, and fortitude of this little 15.2-hands giant of a horse.
I am also taking this opportunity to reveal just how important Arts and Letters was to my life. Having left the world of Wall Street at age 22 for good and with no other career to turn to it was Arts and Letters who kept my spirits up by giving me something or someone to care about and take my mind off my seemingly empty future, while fueling my obsession for horse racing that began two years earlier. Because he was by Ribot, the sire of my beloved Graustark and his full-brother later to be named His Majesty, both of whom I visited twice at Darby Dan Farm in 1969, I fell in love with the then unknown Arts and Letters and actually started my first ever scrapbook on him, clipping out every mention of him.
During those uncertain times in 1969 I became immersed in that year’s Derby trail, then the Triple Crown followed by my visit to Saratoga to see Arts and Letters run in the Jim Dandy and his Horse of the Year showdown with Nodouble in the Woodward Stakes, which he won by two emphatic lengths. Seventeen days later, still riding high from the victory, and 11 days before Arts and Letters cemented his year-end honors with a 14 length romp over Nodouble in the two-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup, I was hired as a copy boy at my racing bible, the Morning Telegraph, the main edition of the Daily Racing Form, with the intention of becoming the assistant librarian, which I did shortly after.
The reason I was hired in the first place was due to my love of Graustark, a story I told in a previous column. Moving into the library surrounded by horse photos, Racing Manuals, bound volumes of the Telegraph going back over 100 years, and other publications was a dream come true and the ultimate kid in a candy store scenario. The longshot odds of getting hired at the “Telly” and during the peak of Arts and Letters’ success just added to my love of the Rokeby colt, who got me through those trying nine months and who I have always felt contributed in some way to the turning point of my life.
After a year I became the librarian when my boss moved to the advertising department and the rest as they say is history. If I hadn’t been promoted to librarian I surely would have been back on the street, as were all the non-essential employees when the “Telly” shut down in 1972 and moved to Hightstown, New Jersey as the Eastern edition of the Daily Racing Form.
So now that we have that aspect of Arts and Letters’ importance on my life out of the way, let’s look and see who this remarkable colt really was.
** First off, let’s acknowledge the fact that Arts ad Letters in the winter of his 3-year-old campaign stood a mere 15.1 hands. Despite a hard Derby trail campaign, competing in the Everglades, Flamingo, Fountain of Youth, Florida Derby, and Blue Grass Stakes and finishing first or second in all of them, he put on weight and by late summer had grown to around 15.2 hands, still diminutive by Thoroughbred standards.
** Following two gut-wrenching stretch battles with Majestic Prince in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, in which he had a new jockey in Braulio Baeza after regular jockey Bill Shoemaker was injured, trainer Elliott Burch ran him right back 13 days later in the one-mile Metropolitan Handicap against older horses even though he would have to change riders again, going to Jean Cruguet, with Baeza committed to ride Ogden Phipps’ 1967 2-year-old champion Vitriolic.
** In the Met Mile, Arts and Letters came from 10th to win going away by 2 1/2 lengths over Nodouble in a swift 1:34 flat, closing his last two quarters in a spectacular :23 2/5 and :23 1/5. With the Belmont only seven days away and coming off a fast mile race, Burch worked him five days later. Despite having to go 1 1/2 miles in two days, Arts and Letters blazed a half-mile in :45 1/5 after three furlongs in :33 4/5 and then galloped out five furlongs in an insane :57 3/5, pulling up six furlongs in 1:11 flat. Two days later he demolished Majestic Prince by 5 1/2 lengths, running the fastest final half-mile in Belmont Stakes history. And, amazingly, he was only starting to get good.
Arts and Letters, inside on rail, draws away in the 1969 Belmont Stakes with Majestic Prince three-wide.
** Burch , who had won the Belmont Stakes with Sword Dancer and Quadrangle by using the Met Mile as a prep, knew his horses, and always claimed Arts and Letters was his toughest horse ever and knew how to take care of himself, sleeping when he needed to and running and training hard and fast when he needed to. As Burch said, “The more he trained the more he put on weight.”
** He showed that trait again in the 1 1/4-mile Woodward, coming off a 10-length romp in the Jim Dandy Stakes and a 6 1/2-length score in the Travers, in which he equaled the track record. Before the Woodward, which was to decide Horse of the Year, Arts and Letters worked six furlongs in 1:12 2/5, then seven furlongs in 1:24 flat. Three days later he worked a mile seven days out in 1:36 2/5. Then two days before the race he worked another sizzling half in :45 4/5, out five furlongs in :57 3/5 and was pulled up six furlongs in 1:10 3/5. The Woodward was never in doubt as he charged past Nodouble to win by two lengths in 2:01.
** With his stamina, the two-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup, again facing Nodouble, looked to be a mere formality. A week out, Burch, wanting to put more speed in him to keep him closer to the speedy Nodouble, worked him a mile in a slow 1:38, out 1 1/8 miles in 1:51 4/5, but had him cut out fast early fractions of :47 and 1:11 3/5. To demonstrate what it was like to train Arts and Letters, two days before the race Burch not only worked him six furlongs in 1:13 2/5, out seven furlongs in 1:27, he vanned him from Belmont to Aqueduct for the work because he felt the colt was “getting bored with things at home.” Afterwards he said Arts and Letters seemed to enjoy the change in scenery. Two days later he cantered home by 14 lengths in the Gold Cup.
** What is most amazing about Arts and Letters’ consistently fast works close to his races is that he was able to maintain them and his durability all year. He worked before the Flamingo Stakes in :45 3/5, :58 1/5, out in 1:10 flat and worked five-eighths in :58 2/5 before the Florida Derby. He then went on to romp in the Blue Grass Stakes, missing the track record by two-fifths of a second, finish second by a neck in the Kentucky Derby and second by a head in the Preakness, both gut-wrenching stretch battles, and win the Met Mile and Belmont Stakes, all five races in the span of six weeks. Oh, yes, in the two weeks between the Derby and Preakness he worked a half-mile in :47 3/5 the Saturday before the race and six furlongs in 1:11 flat the Wednesday before the race.
** To demonstrate his versatility he won the Blue Grass Stakes on the lead, won the Belmont and Jockey Club Gold Cup coming from second, won the Woodward and Jim Dandy coming from third, won the Travers coming from fourth, won the Everglades and Grey Lag coming from seventh, and won the Met Mile coming from 10th.
** At 4, carrying 128 pounds in the Grey Lag Handicap, he turned certain defeat into victory with a dramatic late burst to nail the swift and classy Never Bow, making up five lengths inside the eighth pole. He was then sent to Hollywood Park for the Californian Stakes as a prep for of all races the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud in France. But he bowed a tendon in the race and was retired, putting an end to the most memorable and tumultuous time of my life that began thankfully with a newly discovered hero to help me through nine months of unemployment, no skills, and a foreboding future.
Arts and Letters proved so popular that NYRA vice president of public relations Pat Lynch said on Jim Dandy day, “I haven’t seen that many people around a horse since Native Dancer ran here. He is a horse people come to see.” Ten days later the crowd around Arts and Letters’ saddling tree for the Travers swelled to 10-12 deep, unlike anything seen before at Saratoga.
As I sit here 55 years later following a very special Christmas with my still beautiful wife of 43 years, my wonderful daughter and her husband and my two precious grandchildren, I have to thank a 2-year-old colt named Born Noble for giving me a reason to open up an old scrapbook and pay thanks to a special friend who kept me going long enough for fate to step in and guide me the rest of the way.
Photos Courtesy of Steve Haskin, New York Racing Association
Racing historian, author, and award-winning retired journalist for the Daily Racing Form and The Blood-Horse, Steve Haskin was inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame’s Media Roll of Honor in 2016. Known for his racing knowledge and insightful prose, he has been an exclusive contributor to Secretariat.com since 2020.
I just put a small futures bet on Born Noble
I remember arts and letters quite well. Thanks for mentioning the workouts. It’s mind-blowing how fast they were and how often. Wow!
California Chrome is now number 1 on 2nd crop sires list.
He probably will not stay there but it is something he never would have achieved had he stayed in the United States.
His progeny is doing very well on turf.
One of his colts that brought only $12,000 at auction here just won a race in Dubai on dirt.
Not much would make me happier in horse racing than for his colts and fillies to show his potential as a sire that the Blue Blood elites said he would never do.
Hooray for Chrome! Glad to hear this news. I’d love to see him prove them wrong, too. From time to time, I follow the career of his Chrome Baby, whom I saw as a foal at Taylor Made. No stakes wins as yet, but he’s a respectable 6-4-2 from 19 starts to date.
My top 15 KD contenders for this week, (1-15)
Fierceness remains a strong #1, with the remaining 14 in no particular order of preference.
2) Track Phantom
3) El Capi
4) Otello
5) Otto the Conqueror
6) Merit
7) Sierra Leone
8) Carbone
9) Snead
10) Legalize (new addition)
11) Catching Freedom
12) Knightsbridge
13) Locked
14) Honor Marie
15) Real Men Violin
On a side note, I expect Track Phantom to win the Lecomte by open lengths.
Safe trips to all.
Hey Steve, did Conquest Warrior make up some lengths INTO that :22 4/5 second quarter? And did you get a resemblance to a giant three year old named Forego?..
.
Very much so. Definily one to watch
Just now watched the video — twice. What a gutsy horse. AND his fourth dam is the great runner Althea, who beat the boys in the Arkansas Derby and Del Mar Futurity. Two crosses of Alydar in his fifth generation, which pair up nicely with two crosses of SECRETARIAT.
Steve and co…..Fierceness looked really good yesterday! TOYED with Locked, who was being urged to keep up late—and I love Locked, but WHAT do we have with Fierceness? He was walking in the park, with a good horse at his withers .. .
Yes Matthew … anyone watching the joined workout will certainly think that Fierceness is way above Locked capabilities.
Fierceness was 6 lengths better than Muth and 7 lengths faster than Locked in the BC Juvenile… this edge appears to be holding so far … l
Without seeing their previous workouts (in company) I can not say that Locked just had a bad training day yesterday but the son of Gun Runner will anyway take different qualifying path from Fierceness’s.
Fierceness’ conections were close last year with champion Forte and it seems they are well on route to vindication this time…
I’m still bullish on Locked! Anytime you see a horse getting urged, in his work you can be sure he’s getting a lot out of it —and remember…Locked is a closer type, and was “playing Firceness’s game”, in their team work …I like them both !..
… It’s a long way to the Kentucky Derby
It’s a long way to go
It’s a long way to the Kentucky Derby
To the sweetest race I know!
Goodbye Piccadilly
Farewell Leicester Square!
It’s a long long way to the Kentucky Derby
But my heart’s right there…
I like that.
A field of eight will contest the G3 Lecomte Stakes at the Fair Grounds, on Saturday, 1-20. I like Track Phantom, recent winner of the Gun Runner Stakes, to come right back for his connections, and win the Lecomte. He’s a Breeze Easy homebred colt, trained by Steve Asmussen and will be ridden by Joel Rosario. In four career starts, he has two wins, a place and show, with ascending Equibase Speed Figures, (78,93,94, 100).
By Quality Road, out of Miss Sunset, by Into Mischief, there’s plenty of class and a good mix of speed and stamina in his pedigree. His dam, Miss Sunset, was a graded sprinter, winning close to 900K, in 20 career starts, (20: 10-3-2)
Horses bred from the Mr. Prospector sire line, crossed with Northern Dancer broodmare sire line, always gets by attention.
Track Phantom is certainly a colt to watch moving forward on the Derby trail, IMO.
I will give Nash a vote of confidence to turn the tables on Track Phantom.
Also, Can Group (Good Samaritan – Blue Gallina by Street Sense) looks to be threatining presence in the closing stages of the Lecomte.
The Mark Casse hopeful ran very well in the BC Juvenile Turf after winning the Bourbon convincingly … he may find the dirt to his liking as the trainer has been successful transitioning his prospects to the main tracks…
Shug’s Conquest Warrior looked great today…overcoming a sandwich break, traffic….when hit he took off and won! Announcer said he had three bad take-ups, I saw zero take-ups, but this is a large, talented racehorse ….
Announcer called it “Three severe checks”, which might have been overstating it some, but a nice win!…
Ha ha Yes, a bad break then your usual problems in US races but Conquest Warrior did look impressive on winning. Matthew, there’s one for you to follow.
One thing to keep in mind is that El Capi beat Conquest Warrior by almost 10 lengths in their maiden race, back in December.
El Capi is one of my top 15 colts moving forward on the Derby trail.
But yes, Conquest Warrior made an impressive close to win today’s race at GP.
And Bill, I’ll give you one thing to keep in mind—that Dec 2nd surface at Aqueduct was bizarre! Inside speed won everything all day, it was rolled and fast—Id need to see El Capi do that over a fair surface, before considering his performance 10 lengths better than Conquest Warrior’s, I’ve seen too many of these “spectacular” performances over rolled tracks, to get excited about the easy winners …
The overriding message I gather from this article is the amazing energy many of us draw from knowing and enjoying horses.
The impact of celebrating horses and just loving them have inspired people to live longer, rehabilitated others, motivated athletes to perform better and made others find the call of their hearths… happy places. The legacy of the great Ribot made the soulful Steve Haskin master the art of writing. Thanks to the feats of amazing racehorses Steve writes with his heart to make us read with our hearts…in communion… that is his secret to flirt with the souls of all horse people.
People who are at crossroads at this very stage of their lives may follow Steve’s example and move on to a pursuit that brings joy and gratification to them.
Aristotle was (as always) right when he wrote: “Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.”
Good advice Nelson.
PS, horses have a way of doing that for us.
Nelson, such a perceptive and TRUE! comment, especially about Steve’s gifts as a writer. He writes with his brain AND his heart.
Nelson, are you gearing up for Steve’s first Derby Dozen of the year, next week? Let the fun begin.
Speaking of Aristotle, he believed people should achieve an excellent character (a virtuous character) as a pre-condition for attaining happiness. Ethics.
Yes Davids, I am… it is a lot of fun seeing every Triple Crown hopeful under the shining light of Steve’s scrutiny and the relevant comments of his followers here.
Congratulations to Flightline on becoming a daddy (mother is JuJu’s Map)…a filly.
Yes John, the future is all before her.
I like Locked and Fierceness, I like those TWO—I don’t follow eastern racing that much, and with the Bob ban, and lack of Shirreffs and O’Neill contenders….. there’s nothing out west to interest me…..the 150th Derby does not interest me so much as most years…banning Bob does change the race…
The Lecomte Stakes could be a very interesting race depending on who turns up.
Oh I will watch all of the preps …but there’s a Derby stable contest, on another site…I can only come up with two that I’m bullish on right now because….with the Bob ban I just haven’t the interest like I usually do there’s nothing out west this year …right now Fierceness stands way up there, but I’m locked in on Locked, I think he is a Derby horse…..
And Honor Marie, I forgot about that little guy ….there’s a son of Arrogate also …I can’t remember his name I looked at Bill’s list and didn’t see him….Honor Marie really came home fast .
Hi Matthew W
Please allow me to chime in for a moment.
You might be referring to Liberal Arts, winner of the Street Sense Stakes back in Ocftober. He was given some time off, by his trainer, Robert Medina, but has recently returned to his training regime. One thing I noticed about this Stephen Ferraro homebred colt, he has posted ascending Equibase Speed Figures in his last four starts.
Good luck Matthew W.
Thanks, Bill …Coldfacts likes him, I do as well….from Arrogate’s third and final crop….
You’re welcome, Matthew W
Just as a heads up, Todd Pletcher has a first-time starter, Turn Up the Trees, entered in the 6th race at GP today.
He fired a bullet 4F, in 47.20 (1/28) on 1-6, so he appears fit for his debut start. It comes as no surprise that TUTT is the morning line favorite at 2-1.
The race is set to go off at 2:39 eastern time.
There’s a handful of interesting Construction colts to help fill your list. You have 4 already plus you liked Conquest Warrior that’s 5, add some Constructions that makes 7 or 8. Come on, you can do it.
That’s Constitution colts. lol. The iPad has its own agenda.
After not working for two months, Knightsbridge breezed 4 furlongs in 50.20 (14/40), on Friday, 1-12, at Payson Park.
By Nyquist, out of a Bernardini mare, Knightsbridge is a Godolphin homebred colt that was very impressive in his debut start, going 7 furlongs in 1:22.96, drawing off by 10 1/2 lengths, at Churchill. Under the capable hands of William Mott, Knightsbridge is certainly one to watch moving forward. It will be interesting to see where Mott has him pointed next.
The fact that he has returned to his training regimen merits inclusion in my next top 15 Contenders List.
What a beautiful article on you and Arts and Letters ! Thank you I’m 9 again with my wonderful grandfather to see arts and letters at Hollywood park thanks for the journey back ! Like everyone I can’t wait till Jan 22!
Thank you very much, Nick. So glad it brought back special memories
I don’t know how often A&L ran at Aqueduct, but this historic track is closing in two years or so and that’s a shame. And just as this is confirmed, in the last few years it’s been hosting more than its share of races and has built a great turf course, with lucrative betting especially in November. I actually like the NY city tracks better than upstate Saratoga, which is nice, but living in New England, quaint old fashioned towns are commonplace, but gritty huge city institutions with echoing hallways and sagging grandstands, and mostly empty seats, are unique. Undeveloped, under achieving property is important. Money grubbing has reached a new high.
I’m surprised Aqueduct has lasted as long as it has. While Aqueduct as a racetrack has existed since the early 20th century, the current track was built to accommodate racing while Belmont was redone back in the early 60s. David Alexander wrote eloquently about the loss of THAT Belmont in “A Sound of Horses,” a much-loved book from my childhood. Racetracks have always been prey to redevelopment, especially around New York. The posh Jerome Park lies under the reservoir of the same name. Morris Park, which succeeded it, lasted only 25 years, and of course the “beach” tracks (Sheepshead Bay, Brighton Beach, and Gravesend) folded while racing was suspended in New York between 1910 and 1912. Out in California, you can still see the oval for Ingleside in the layout of a subdivision that followed its demise on Google maps (look up Urbano Drive, San Francisco).
A lovely column that brings back a lot of memories. I was a great admirer of Ribot as a sire, and Arts and Letters was one of my favorites of his sons. I rarely feel confident about anything in thoroughbred racing, but even though he lost the Derby and Preakness, I was so sure that he was going to win the Belmont that I stayed home from my brother’s graduation to watch him do it. He provided a lot of thrills, but for me that was the biggest one. I also like your photograph of him and Braulio Baeza, my all-time favorite jockey, at Saratoga. Thank you for posting the story and the pictures.
Jiffy, the most confident I’ve ever felt in racing was watching Flightline run and win. That’s watching all the great runners from Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the United States from the late 1960s to the present.
Yes, Flightline certainly did inspire confidence–and with good reason. Another one I felt confident about–maybe without good reason–was Jazil in the Belmont. I said the only thing I wasn’t sure of was how to pronounce his name.
Rags to Riches was my super confident Belmont winner, even when she stumbled my confidence was supreme. The pedigree and that family had Classic stamped all over it.
Rags to Riches surprised me. But it’s an amazing achievement for a mare to produce two Belmont winners.
CDI’s increased prize money of the 2024 Kentucky Derby to $5 million could have major ramifications. The positive is that the historic race has an appropriate monetary prize at the end of the rainbow but will the achievement of that goal result in a faster attrition of some runners on the way to winning the roses?
It could happen, but I don’t think it will. I think owners and trainers are already all out to win the Derby, and whatever risks they are willing to take, they are already taking. I don’t mean that they are abusing their horses to win the roses–hopefully they are not–but I think this is the one race that people want to win for its own sake more than for the money.
On reflection, I think you’re correct. There is enough of a windfall incentive already that some may ‘cut corners’ to achieve a purpose.
I do believe the increased prize money is warranted anhas been a long time coming it does give the race more prestige internationally if not so much domestically.
CDI appears so vindictive toward Bob Baffert, i can’t help wonder at its motivation. A little extra incentive for possibly rebelious owners?
Todd, that was actually the first thought that crossed my mind – how to remove the Bob Baffert name from their brand – then I thought perhaps they actually followed through with what Mike Rapole et al had expressed recently. You may actually be right though, pure vindictiveness.
Just in passing, can CDI continue on with their Baffert ban for as long as they wish or are they restricted to a certain time period? I stopped reading the ins and outs of that saga.
I don’t know specifically, but it seems they are looking for some kind of contrition from Baffert.
Davids, I’m interested to know how much of this ‘extra’ money came directly from the profits (over 100% profit increase from 2021 to 2022) of Churchill Downs/CEO Bill Carstanjen’s greed for owning 41 casinos in the in southwest and upper midwest…eleven alone in Louisiana and from the sale of Calder Race Course (approx. $200 million) and from the sale of Arlington Park (again approx. $200 million).
From what I gather Church Downs is has been granted a license for a casino in the Syracuse area of New York with potentially buy out Saratoga Race Track altogether in the future.
At least the voters in Virginia put a stop to this greed of Churchill Downs and a CEO (Bill Carstanjen) that doesn’t know when enough is enough.
Interesting argument, John. If truth be told, CDI no doubt has an exit plan to move entirely away from horse racing to another more lucrative ‘money spinning enterprise’ should horse racing become too toxic a sport brand to sell. They have down so in other states.
P.S. CDI, could have risen the Kentucky Derby prize money to 10 million or more without turning a hair.
If and when, Bob Baffert’s top 3yr. old prospects are transferred to another barn, it is pointless to include those colts on a Kentucky Derby Top Contenders List, IMO. So far, the owners have remained loyal BB, and have refused to transfer their top colts to another barn, but the lure of the Kentucky Derby just might change their minds at some point down the road.
That said, I’ll drop Nysos and Muth from my top contenders list dated January 3rd. Nor will I add Imagination or Maymun to any future list.
My top 15 contenders on the KD trail are as follows,
1). Fierceness checks the most boxes.
Top Speed Figures, 105 Beyer, 113 Equibase Speed Figure.
Pedigree: Sire line leads directly to Mr. Prospector. His broodmare sire line has 4 generations of G1 winners going 10F.
Connections: Top notch; T. Pletcher, J. Velazquez and owner/breeder Mike Repole.
Those that follow are in no particular order of preference,
Dornoch
El Capi
Locked
Merit
Otello
Otto the Conqueror
Sierra Leone
Snead
Track Phantom
Carbone
Catching Freedom
Honor Marie
Real Men Violin
I inadvertently omitted The Wine Steward, which should have been included in my top 15 contenders list.
Other possible individual entries showing up in KDFW Pool 3 (coming up next week): Amante Bianco (Jpn), Bergen, Better Than Gold, Born Noble, Can Group, Change of Command, Crimson Light, Doncho, Drum Roll Please, Epic Ride, Ethan Energy, Forever Young (Jpn), Goldbrick, Impel, Imperial Gun, Informed Patriot, Just Steel, Knightsbridge, Lat Long, Legalize, Liberal Arts, Maycocks Bay, Nash, Parchment Party, Scatify, Speed Runner, Timberlake and Who Dey.
Thanks for the input, Counter Fit, I’ll check those out.
Sorry, never mind about Impel (he’s a she), but three more that may be considered: Stronghold, Time For Truth and Vote No.
Seventeen years after Arts and Letters had that amazing year, Mel Sture had Snow Chief—Mel ran his horses, mewonders what kind of year Snow Chief might’ve had, we he not to have developed heat in a tendon….
My brother and I exchanged looks, at the $1 million Hollywood Futurity, when Snow Chief made his move into a :44 3/5 half , but he just kept on trucking…Joe Hirsch was there to hand out the trophy, and I remember how good he looked, tall and a bit stooped….Snow Chief was short and long, and as black as you could imagine….
At three, Sture mapped out a plan, and the plan was RACING! After a seven furlong Cal-bred win, they went up to Golden Gate and won the El Camino Real Derby, then they went to Gulfstream and won the Florida Derby…winning by stalking them making a big move to the front on the far turn….back at Santa Anita they decided just to go to the front, winning by six in the “This is a super-horse” race call, by a young Trevor Denham, which turned out to be a feaux paux of sorts….
But he ran up the track, in the Kentucky Derby, to show how much of a sportsman Charlie Whittingham was, he convinced Stute to go in the Preakness, instead of shipping home, and they won by four lengths, beating Charlie’s Derby winning Ferdinand….after the Preakness Snow Chief ran twice, winning the Jersey Derby and getting pummeled by Melair, at Hollywood Park when she ran her 1:32 4/5 mile….In half a year Snow Chief became one of only five three year olds in the past 100 years to win four Derbys, if I recall the others were Candy Spots, Olympio, California Chrome and the other one escapes me—Snow Chief passed away at age 27, on Preakness Day, 2010, 24 years after his biggest win…he had a bad tendon, or else would have kept plugging away…..Stute ran his horses…
Ferdinand was a good horse, he ran big time after time but he had a habit of pulling himself up…..vs Snow Chief, they ran nine times, Snow Chief winning six ..
One more Snow Chief PostScript….he ran as a four year old but his tendon finally gave way after The Californian, he won two big races–The Strub, which was a big race, that year he beat Ferdinand and Broad Brush…and he also won The Oaklawn Handicap in track record time, in both wins he looked beaten late— but Snow Chief got his nose down at the wire, because Snow Chief’s nose was ALWAYS down, his head never came up when he ran….
Matthew, I always enjoy reading your informative, personal encounters with Californian horses. I remember at the time Snow Chief seemed to be undervalued by the eastern racing commentators.
Well there were questions about his ability to get ten furlongs…..he did win the Jersey Derby, beating a big Lukas horse, and he beat Ferdinand and Broad Brush in the Strub—both were 10 furlongs…..but naysayers were right about the Derby, cuz he folded badly, it was his worst race….pace did collapse that year, the pace was swallowed up at the top of the stretch ….my brother and I were both of the opinion he was over the top, going into The Preakness, but when my brother saw he was 5/2 (getting bet) he regretted not getting down on him….Snow Chief and Ferdinand both were not the Preakness favorite, I think it was Badger Land that year . …but Snow Chief was better at 9 furlongs, a lot better …
I’m not sure how many Florida Derbys had two starting gates, but that 1986 Florida Derby fielded sixteen entrants …
Isn’t it strange the way life takes its curious turns, and things turn out in a completely unexpected (hopefully positive) way? Yours certainly did, not only for you, but for the benefit of us lucky readers. A most interesting story about Arts and Letters: “getting bored with things at home” – I loved that, and the fact that he got to live out his golden years with Stage Door Johnny. How fitting.
I’m eagerly awaiting January 22, when we can start this all over again!
I never tire of reading about Arts and Letters and the other greats of that era. I wish I had been aware of racing in 1969; it sure sounds like a great year for the sport, but it was a bit before my time. That had to wait a few years, until ’72 and ’73, when Secretariat came along.
Even though I very much enjoyed reading about the old-timers in this column, the best part was the announcement that the Derby Rankings will return on Jan. 22. That always gives us something special to look forward to, and iit is certainly the best of all the Derby rankings out there.
I love good horses from all over, there is a filly whose “Greatness Stock” rose, in her final race, which was in the Inaugural Breeders Cup, and I’m talking about Princess Rooney— perhaps the Breeders Cup has softened the year for latter day race horses, and that is sad …. there’ll never be another Arts and Letters, not in this era there won’t — so the Breeders Cup is so much more important, being such an Eclipse influence….Princess Rooney answered all of the questions, in 1984, she has been somewhat forgotten, not by me..
Arts and Letters was a bit before my time ..a three year old season that was much like Easy Goer’s, take away Majestic Prince and Sunday Silence, and you have all-time great three year olds….but they were anyway, really….
Arts and Letters was Horse of the Year and won eclipse for top 3 yo, Majestic Prince never raced again after the Belmont. You don’t have take away Majestic Prince for Arts and Letters to shine.
No I thought I said that…..but if you took away Majestic Prince…took away Sunday Silence—- then Arts and Letters and Easy Goer are Triple Crown champions ….
If you took away Arts and Letters, and a few …, then Majestic Prince would have been triple crown champion and an all time great, maybe. You should re-read the article on Arts and Letters, he was pretty good.
Steve, you should reprise your article on Elliot Burch, a wizard horse trainer who, sadly, is no doubt forgotten by many these days.
Great piece Steve, Wow what a horse. I’m glad I was old enough to see it !What a 3 yo campaign let alone his workout regimen. We’ve lost that in today’s racing and we are diminished by it!
I just went back and watched that Belmont. Really sad to watch Majestic Prince try so hard when he was hurting so bad.
Very good read. What was the inspiration for Arts and Letters’ name?
The “old guard” (Greatest generation) was still of working age in the 60’s, they grew up with horses on the farm, and I guess, in the city too. Maybe that made them more interested in racing, that and having a bit more spare cash than their parents.
The term arts and letters refers to a person who is well versed ln the arts and literature, which Paul mellon was
Thanks, it’s a great name for a race horse.
It was different. People started calling him Hearts of Lettuce
Steve, I was hoping you were going to write a piece on Born Noble due to his past and possible future interconnectedness of some famous names in racing. I spotted the colt, Hip 121 at the Keeneland September 2022, because of the pedigree, and, possibly more so, to his head shape, type, color, which reminded me of many Ribots of the past. Not to mention the $725,000 price tag, and consigned by Denali Stud, which gives you some hope that you will eventually see the colt on the racetrack. So far, so good.
Many thanks for ringing in the New Year with another splendid column to tantalize the reader, offering future possibilities that were planted years ago when racing was golden and the sun shone brightly on a supposed everlasting future.
Thanks David. Your last sentence was brilliant and so beautifully said
Thanks Steve. Your writing, and photographs, bring back to life past memories that are, at times, hard to fully recollect. The pleasure you give to readers on this site is beyond measure.
Steve, I remember Arts and Letters. He might have been tiny but was indeed mighty!
I read that he lived until his early 30’s.
So good to read you had a lovely Christmas with your family!
I guess a thank you is in order for Arts and Letters as he runs with the Heavenly Herd and that would be for your decision to cover horse racing and bring us all of these wonderful stories about the great horses in the past.
They are all so enjoyable to read and I always learn something new!
I appreciate it Lynda. Thank you!
Great article Steve, I remember Arts and Letters well but there were so many really good horses during that time that I didn’t have a favorite until my beloved Alphabet Soup came on the scene many years later, a grandson of Arts and Letters. I then revisited Arts and Letters career and became very enamored of that little horse with the big heart, he was truly exceptional. Glad you had that connection to him and that he helped you through a difficult time and thank you for sharing your experience with us.
I began following racing in ’71. Now, having read this, I realize what I missed! What a horse. I’ve always been especially fond of Thoroughbreds who are small in size but mighty in heart. I see why you loved cheering Arts and Letters on. We, too, owe him thanks–for helping to guide you on the path that led to your writing these columns!
Wonderful piece Steve. With all of the drama unfolding around us and social media distracting us, it sure is nice to be reminded of simpler times when people the world over could be mesmerized together by something magical and pure like a 15.2 hand horse with a heart like the Grinch’s after it grew three sizes. I love your work and often dig up old stories and re-read them, and I appreciate the community who gather here.
Thank you very much Greg. Your words are greatly apprreciated. Racing has its problems for sure, but most of the people who run the sport have little or no sense of history and cannot relate to what the sport and the horses were like back then and how popular tthey were. Im not in a position to offer answers so all I can do is provide memories and make us who do remember feel better about the sport and what it was and can be. So far we have three comments in seven hours, so it is what it is. Hopefully we’ll have a late arriving crowd but I understand this column and this particular horse might not be for everyone. It was cathartic or me and thats fine.
Well, I hope you know that there are many like me who read everything you write and have done so since you had Invisible Ink as a live longshot so many years ago – I just do not post frequently. Your Derby Dozen brought me in, but your historical and character pieces kept me following you. I think probably of my top 10 sports-related pieces of writing 9 are from your pen.
The tenth is the brilliant account of the Thrilla in Manilla written by Mark Kram, “Lawdy, Lawdy, He’s Great”. Sadly, Sports Illustrated has scrubbed Mark Kram from the credit, and now the piece shows up in their archives as written by “SI Staff”. I guess if someone wasn’t always perfect they get erased from history…
I really appreciate that Greg, thank you. Inky goes way back, I’m so glad you remember it.
As a 15-year-old, I desperately wanted Majestic Prince to win the triple crown. He seemed to be the perfect horse: a glorious unbeaten chestnut who had sold as a yearling for a then record price of $250,000. But he couldn’t stand the rigors of the triple crown, breaking down in the Belmont and heading off to stud.
After his emphatic Belmont victory, I transferred my affections to gallant little Arts and Letters, whose career you’ve described so well here, Steve. I knew about his battles with Top Knight and his Met/Belmont double of course, but I had no idea he worked so fast and so close to those big races. That would just about kill any modern horse.
But as we know, the thoroughbreds of today are much more fragile than the great ones of merely 50 years ago. Thanks, Steve, for keeping alive the stories about horses who proved what it was really like to be a thoroughbred.
Steve, I could not possibly enjoy an article more than this one. Your immersion and obsession with racing predates mine by a dozen years or so, and i missed so much. As i awakened to racing in 1979, Secretariat, Ruffian, Slew Affirmed, and Bid were the big names still talked about, and the magic of Genuine Risk was just around the corner, but the feats you describe of Arts and Letters seem more magical than any of those. He was all racehorse, without the drama and mismanagement surrounding Secretariat, Slew, and Bid, or the tragedy of Ruffian. No wonder you loved Arts and Letters. An absolute monster. When Conquistador Cielo pulled off his Met-Belmont double, i was amazed, but that was a slow week for Arts and Letters. My personal journey into racing ended after a few abortive stints on the backstretch. My first job was with the late Brian Mayberry at Atlantic City, and i sometimes look at that as a wasted opportunity. However, life went on, and as racing is now, i may have made the right choice. But Steve, you were the right person in the right place at the right time, and your writing has preserved days that will never return. Thanks.
I really apprreciate that Todd. Thank you very much. There are just so many stories to share from a time that seems so long ago and becomes more and more trivial with the younger generation who as I’m sur you have noticed never comment on here. So instead of enlightenmnt I can only provide memories