The Ire of the Tiger at the Kentucky Derby
One never knows where a story idea will come from. This week it took a maiden victory by a 2-year-old filly at Saratoga and one particular name in her pedigree to unlock the story of one man and his impact on the sport, as unconventional as it was, and the powerful legacy he left in the form of one nondescript runt of a horse. ~ Steve Haskin
The Ire of the Tiger at the Kentucky Derby
By Steve Haskin
Owner Robert Lehmann, left, and Dust Commander in 1970 Kentucky Derby winner’s circle
Does the name Robert Lehmann ring a bell? How about Golden Chance Farm? I hadn’t given those names much thought until I saw a 2-year-old first-time starter named Emery romp in a maiden race at Saratoga the final week of the meet for owner Stonestreet Stables and trainer Brad Cox. Looking at Emery’s past performances I could not help but notice she was inbred to Naskra, a foal of 1967 whose name I had not seen in years. But I remember him well, especially his toughness as a racehorse and his success as a sire. To be inbred top and bottom to this hard-knocking stallion was indeed a shock.
Just seeing Naskra’s name made me think of his wild and wacky Kentucky Derby trail, in which he finished third in the Blue Grass Stakes and fourth in the Derby. But it was who won those two races that unlocked the memories that inspired this column; one that needs to be told. It is the story of Robert Lehmann and the bombshell he dropped on Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May, as well as the legacy he left . It also shines the spotlight on his wife Verna, who celebrated her 98th birthday this past April.
So let’s go back to the 1970 Kentucky Derby trail and arguably the most auspicious, and definitely most controversial, debut by any owner and breeder, who would go on to own and breed a classic winner, own and breed several horses who became an integral part of racing’s Golden Era of the 1970’s, and breed one of the greatest Thoroughbreds of all time.
In 1968, Lehmann had just purchased Golden Chance Farm in Paris, Kentucky with his wife Verna and their five children. This was not exactly your typical Kentucky blueblood operation. After purchasing the farm, Lehmann went out and bought six yearlings to go with the six mares that had been part of the farm purchase. One of those yearlings was a son of Bold Commander, out of a mare who had been winless in 28 starts. Lehmann got the colt for the dirt cheap price of $6,500. And he performed like it, too, running for a $7,500 claiming tag.
That horse’s name was Dust Commander, who would win the Blue Grass Stakes in the slop at odds of 35-1 and then romp by five lengths in the Kentucky Derby at 15-1. You knew this was no ordinary racing operation when Lehmann did not attend the Blue Grass because he was in India hunting down and killing a man-eating tiger who had been terrorizing a small village, killing a number of people. He learned of the victory from Verna several days later and was as surprised as everyone, assuring her that the horse had little shot to win the Derby. With the Run for the Roses run only nine days after the Blue Grass, Lehmann barely made back in time for the race.
A millionaire by age 27, Lehmann’s passion in life was building and creating, and he once said, “If you can’t build you might as well die.” It was that philosophy that caused a collective gasp from racing fans, the media, and especially the Kentucky bluebloods following Dust Commander’s Derby victory. After accepting the trophy, the usual humble acceptance speech heard every year was replaced by Lehmann, feeling he hadn’t created anything and didn’t deserve to rejoice in the victory, saying on national TV that winning the Derby wasn’t as exciting as bagging a big-game animal. Rubbing salt in the proverbial wound, he added, “It means twice as much to me to shoot a record tiger than winning the Kentucky Derby.”
That set off a firestorm of criticism from the media and shockwaves throughout the racing world. Animal lovers everywhere were stunned to hear that a man who owned and bred Thoroughbreds actually got more enjoyment killing a tiger than winning the Kentucky Derby. It was nothing short of blasphemy.
In Lehmann’s mind, all he had done was pay $6,500 for an unproven Illinois-bred yearling and got lucky. He had created nothing, and unlike big-game hunting he was merely an observer with no contribution to the ultimate victory. It just wasn’t the same thrill.
No horse had ever gone into the Derby with more divine assistance than Dust Commander. He had been blessed by the Zambian Archbishop, whose education Robert Lehmann had funded years earlier. Jockey Mike Manganello wore a St. Christopher’s medal that had been blessed by the Pope. Verna Lehmann wore a pin that Robert had brought back from India that was said to be a lucky token. And Robert carried with him the neck bones of a tiger and a leopard he had shot that also meant good luck in India. He even carried a rosary his grandmother gave him when he was 7. That was some heavy ammunition for someone who wasn’t excited to win the Derby.
To add to the craziness of this Derby, about 20 minutes before post time a man landed in the infield in a red, white, and blue parachute and somehow managed to get lost in the crowd before security could get to him. Minutes before, another person parachuted down but overshot the track and landed somewhere in the surrounding neighborhood.
Dust Commander, who sustained a soft tissue injury in the Derby, would go on to finish ninth in the Preakness, apparently aggravating the injury. He eventually placed in several stakes, retiring with eight victories in 42 starts. After standing at Golden Chance Farm, he was sent to Japan due to lack of interest, but returned to the United States after five years to stand at Gainesway Farm and finally to Springland Farm in Kentucky. But no one knew what became of him after his death in 1991. After years of searching by the Lehmann family, his remains were discovered in 2013 in an unmarked grave at a small farm near Paris, Kentucky that had been sold and divided. They were sent to the Kentucky Derby Museum where they were reburied in the garden next to fellow Derby winners Broker’s Tip, Swaps, Carry Back, and Sunny’s Halo.
In the years following Dust Commander’s Derby victory, Golden Chance Farm became the owner and breeder of top-class stakes horses thanks to Dust Commander’s sons Master Derby and Run Dusty Run. Lehmann had finally created something of his own on the racetrack. But he never lived to see it.
All during the early ‘70s, Lehmann, despite knowing he was dying of leukemia, continued to build. He expanded Golden Chance Farm, while building a bank, office building, motel, and restaurant in Clearwater, Florida. In the front yard of his home at Golden Chance, he constructed a 150-foot tower made of concrete slabs and a mausoleum that included the entrance doors from the old Metropolitan Opera House, gold-veined marble from Mexico, and Balmoral Red granite crypt covers from the same quarry in Finland that provided the crypt cover for Napoleon’s tomb.
Lehmann died in 1974, the year before Master Derby won the Preakness Stakes at odds of 23-1, as well as the Louisiana Derby and Blue Grass Stakes. He really blossomed at 4, winning the New Orleans and Oaklawn Handicaps, but in his biggest moment in the Metropolitan Handicap he ran into Forego, who beat him by a head.
In 1977, Run Dusty Run made his mark on the Triple Crown, but had the misfortune of coming along the same year as Seattle Slew, finishing second to the Triple Crown winner in the Kentucky Derby, third in the Preakness, and second in the Belmont Stakes. A winner of six of his nine starts at 2, he couldn’t buy a victory at 3, also finishing second in the Louisiana Derby, American Derby, and Blue Grass. He finally had his shining moment scoring a gutsy nose victory in the Travers Stakes only to be disqualified and placed second.
Golden Chance also had a good horse named Lot o’ Gold, who raced under the name of the Lehmann’s son Fred and won the Spiral Stakes at Latonia. But once again it was the same old story, as Lot o’ Gold finished second four times in a five-race span to Spectacular Bid, in the Hutcheson, Fountain of Youth, Florida Derby, and Blue Grass Stakes before finishing up the track in the Kentucky Derby.
Another Robert Lehmann family colt, Bob’s Dusty, won the Clark Handicap twice, the Fayette Handicap, Spiral Stakes, and William McKnight Handicap, but was best known as the horse Seattle Slew knocked out of his way to get the lead in the Kentucky Derby.
So Golden Chance-owned and/or bred horses, as talented as they were, kept running into the likes of Seattle Slew (four times), Spectacular Bid (five times), and Forego.
No, the craziness isn’t over. In 1980, the Fred Lehmann-owned and bred Golden Derby, a son of Master Derby, won the Tremont Stakes in a stirring finish that is best remembered for the runner-up, Great Prospector, reaching over and savaging Golden Derby. The head-on shot of the incident won the Eclipse Award for best photo of the year. No one remembers that Golden Derby would go on to win five stakes in his career and place in six others.
As sad as it was that Lehmann never got to see these horses run, what was saddest of all was that he never knew that some three months after his death he would create arguably his greatest monument and work of art. But this work of art was constructed from the cheapest material available, and for several years it showed. If it were made of brick and mortar, Lehmann may very well have torn it down.
But it came in the form of a Thoroughbred foal, who was by a bottom-of-the-barrel sire considered nothing more than a clean-up stallion who stood for a meager $500 stud fee. With 60 mares on the farm and only one stallion and another on the way, the Lehmanns couldn’t afford to pay the stud fees required to breed to so many mares, so they went out and bought a cheap stallion named Ole Bob Bowers to breed to some of the leftovers.
But Ole Bob Bowers was so mean and difficult to handle, having attacked several people, the Lehmanns put him in the Keeneland November breeding stock sale where he was bought for $900 the year after his son and Robert Lehmann’s greatest creation was born. By then he was residing at his new home in Ossseo, Michigan.
His son hardly looked like a work of art. He not only had inherited his sire’s ornery disposition he was physically incorrect and looked pretty much like a runt. Bobby Paul, who was in charge of the foals and weanlings, called him a “mean, studdish little bugger.” Three veterinarians advised the Lehmanns to get rid of him, so they put him in the Keeneland January mixed sale for newly turned yearlings that was known as Kentucky’s “fire sale.”
In the pavilion was John Calloway, a small-time breeder and trainer who owned a horse farm with his wife Jean in a rural area of Pee Wee Valley, about 10 miles outside of Louisville. The Calloways had a nice horse who kept getting beat by this one horse who was out of a Double Jay mare. So when John saw this scrawny little yearling who was out of a Double Jay mare it caught his attention. When the colt stepped in the ring his head was bloody from hitting it on the screen of his stall. Calloway said “he looked like a drowned rat and was a real mess.” But he liked the pedigree, so when the auctioneer opened the bidding at $1,000, Calloway upped it to $1,100 and that was it. The colt was his. Of all the Golden Chance babies who sold at that sale he was the cheapest. Considering his pedigree, his disposition and what he looked like, Fred Lehmann said he felt that was a fair price.
When Calloway got the colt home, a veterinarian took one look at him and said, “Oh my gosh, you might as well get rid of that one. He’ll never make it.” When the Calloways witnessed the colt’s behavior, taking out his anger on his water buckets and feed tubs, ripping them off the wall and stomping on them, they realized, like the Lehmanns, it was time to send him packing again.
But they did notice one thing about the colt as they stood by the fence of the large paddock and watched him scamper about with the other yearlings. “You know, he runs different from the others,” John said. Although still novices in the game they felt he glided over the ground and had the most beautiful action. But they were not experienced enough to know how to interpret it. They heeded their vet’s advice and decided to sell the colt at the next January mixed sale. But first they needed to name him. John Calloway would often name their horses with the name John. Of the five names that were submitted the one that was chosen was John Henry from the song about a “steel-drivin’ man.”
When it was time to ship him to the sale, John Henry was brought into his stall to be groomed, which he hated. His temperament was much better when he was outside in his paddock. When Jean Calloway went in to feed him, John Henry reared up like “a wild horse.” She dropped the feed bucket and dashed out of the stall, never wanting to see him again. When her husband loaded him on the van and drove off, Jean had only one thought: “Good riddance.”
And so John Henry was off to begin one the most amazing life journeys ever by a Thoroughbred, ending in racing’s pantheon. Bought and sold many times and tossed away like yesterday’s trash, he turned a frivolous short story into an uplifting epic. His belligerent nature from the day he was born continued to fuel his fighting spirit on the racetrack, enabling him to have his greatest year at age 9 and kept him younger than his years until his death at age 32.
John Henry’s life was woven like some great tapestry, not only of the Turf, but of the stage, where one human drama after another was played out. To those who lived in the shadow of John’s past, there was only gratification knowing that for a brief moment in time true greatness passed through their hands and that perhaps they helped move it along toward its place in history.
But it was Robert Lehmann who was the architect of this unlikely masterpiece. And he did it during one of the briefest and oddest careers of any owner and breeder. The man, the big-game hunter, the horse breeder who lived to build and create had built a one-horse dynasty and created a legacy that will endure in the hearts of racing fans and horse lovers.
As the Charlie Sheen character Bud Fox did in the movie Wall Street, Lehmann, in his final act as a breeder, had “bagged the elephant.”
Photos courtesy of Churchill Downs, Blood-Horse Library, NYRA/Adam Coglianese
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 bookmarked this page for future reference. It’s a great resource on your article about “The Ire of the Tiger at the Kentucky Derby”.
Point Given died today at the age of 25. Gosh, all the greats I got to see at the Kentucky Horse Park a few years ago–Go for Gin, Funny Cide, and PG–are now gone. That’s sort of depressing.
Richard Mandella ran Beholder against males twice …a first and a second, in The Pacific Classic….her foal Tamara went faster early and her final time was faster than Prince of Monaco’s time, in his race …..me wonders if they try to put her into the Derby starting gate—the filly is large framed, and the Bob suspension is in play….
Trusted Company has passed, she was 34….last daughter of Secretariat..
My top 2yr. olds in preferential order:
1. Prince of Monaco
2. My Boy Prince
3. Bentornato
4. The Wine Steward
5. Muth
6. Book’em Danno
7. Nutella Fella
8. Risk It
9. Rhyme Schemes
10. No Nay Mets
Aidan O’Brian makes it win number 4,000 in the Grade 1, Vincent O’Brien National Stakes with the exciting 2 year old colt Henry Longfellow. His other exciting 2 year old colt City of Troy didn’t start. What an exemplar for racing.
Too Darn Hot gets his first Grade 1 in the Moyglare Stud Stakes with the 2 year old filly, Fallen Angel. Exciting times ahead, hopefully.
That’s, Aidan O’Brien.
Group 1s not Grade 1s for Henry Longfellow and Fallen Angel. It’ll be interesting to see who Aidan O’Brien brings for the two year old Breeders’ Cup Juvenile races and in which races. City of Troy might be given a go on the dirt.
Congrats to Auguste Rodin.
Tamara, Beholder’s fully by Bolt D’Oro won at Del Mar by 15 lengths for Mr Mandella, Mike Smith up. What a lovely filly she is.
California Chrome has moved up to number 6 on the Japan’s first racing crop sire’s list.
Cody’s Wish is getting a Beyer Model.
Just a little good news for a change.
Tamara had her ears pricked the entire race, and what a gorgeous mover. Coming back she still had her ears pricked as if she had never run. She is special.
Auguste Rodin as usual started waiting on horses after getting the lead and as usual dug in and wouldnt let anyone get by him. What an up and down year he’s had. As Davids said, Aidan is serously considering the BC Classic because of the assured firm ground.
Saw a still photo of Tamara and Mike. She has that look of eagles we so often speak about. For some reason Man O War came to mind when I looked at the photo. Did Mike even move in the saddle the entire race? He certainly seems to have a special rapport with fillies. Love seeing a horse winning like Tamara did.
Guess you read that Trusted Company, Secretariat’s last living daughter passed away at age 34.
Read a little tidbit that the race tracks with the least breakdowns are the ones in Hong Kong.
The turf races might be the most exciting at the BC this year, especially if the International stars like AR show up.
Correction, Breyer not beyer model. Guess most know what I meant though.
The only time I saw Beholder was at the 2016 Breeders Cup—Friday! Ironic, that Mike was aboard Songbird, that day… Beholder was just a normal looking bay mare, and by Henny Hughes, you can’t predict greatness….I looked at Songbird, and her races …Beholder had those throwdowns with Stellar Wind, she faced California Chrome, she beat Dortmund and other males….I thought she would beat Songbird—but what a race, best race I ever saw in person…..not best performance, I saw Spectacular Bid and Flightline….the 2016 Distaff was iconic, strangers were conversing on the track apron, after the finish—we all were in awe, from what we had witnessed….
Beholder—was a gr1 winner at ages two, three, four, five, six …..a truly rare feat— I believe the last horse to do that was Susan’s Girl..
Watched most every one of Beholder’s races. So thrilling to watch her.
Tamara is beautifully bred. No in breeding through first 5 generations, same with her sire Bolt D’Oro.
According to Bloodhorse, Tamara’s winning margin was 6 3/4 lengths. But it sure looked like 15! What a filly.
Happy to hear the good news about Chrome and Cody. I’m sure Cody’s model will be very popular. Thanks for letting us know!
I will have to check that out. Many reports it was by 15 lengths.
Thanks
You are correct. Thank you.
I believe I had Crown Pride on my mind. He won the Korea Cup by 15 lengths in USA time.
6 3/4…91 Beyer…..it passed the eye test, with flying colors..
One more, Henry Longfellow just gave Aiden his 4,000th career win.
Nice race !!! I can listen to Trevor Denman race calls all day…. Never tire of them !!!
We need like emojies.
Here you go instead….Like
So satisfying that a daughter of such a great champion had such a brilliant debut. Traveling (by sail) this week so haven’t seen the race but will watch when I get home. Thanks for posting this, Lynda!
You are most welcome MsB. Safe journey and enjoy!
Auguste Rodin returned to form in the Irish Champion Stakes and could be bound for the Breeders’ Cup Turf, rather than the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, due to weather concerns which are often boggy around Arc time in France.
Meanwhile, Tahiyra justified her standing with another supreme performance in the Matron Stakes, she was the winner every step of the way. Tahiyra is also bound for Santa Anita in the Filly & Mare Turf.
The Irish Times, website, coverage of the races is worth a read. Both races are available on YouTube in various forms.
The decision to run Dust Commander in the Preakness was delayed a couple of days to monitor the evolution of the heat developed in his left foreleg after the Derby. After intense whirlpool treatment and a workout at Pimlico (5/8-mile in 1:02 4/5) the veterinarians gave Dust Commander the clearance. While My Dad George had worked 6 furlongs in 1:12 3/5 finishing the 7 furlongs in 1:25 3/5… can you imagine a modern trainer working Derby runners before the Preakness?
Dust Commander had to be supplemented (at $10,000) to run in the Preakness whose prize of $199,800 was a record for the Triple Crown series. The 1970 Kentucky Derby worth was $168,300.
Another fun fact about the 1970 Derby is that Diane Crump became the first female jockey to ride in the run for the roses. She rode Fathom, who finished 15th. Diane was 21 years old by May 1970 which makes her also the youngest among the other five jockettes who had ridden in the Kentucky Derby.
There is an excellent article about Diane Crump entitled “Saddle up: Love of horses leads woman to become trailblazing jockey” accessible in spectrum news 1 website…
I got this strong feeling that Horse Racing would be in better shape if many more women get to participate in the frontline activities of the industry.
Thanks for all that additional information Nelson. Great stuff. Sounds like you were on the scene. I remember Diane Crump riding in that Derby. That’s a story unto itself. I interviewed her years ago in DRF with Barbara Jo Rubin.
Thank you so much Steve for this fascinating, at times mind-boggling and at times very touching story of Robert Lehman and the thread that connected him to John Henry. Looking at John Henry’s ‘baby picture’ in your wonderful biography of John Henry, it isn’t hard to see why it took some very special people to see the potential in him. As the saying goes, they measured John Henry’s height, they measured his size, they measured his breeding but what they couldn’t measure was his heart and determination. Luckily for him, and for all of us who love horse racing, John Henry found Ron McAnally and his team and the result is one of the most incredible chapters in horse racing.
Thank you very much Dawn. I appreciate it.
I am amazed by the way Steve tied in the winning debut of Emery with a wealth of accounts around the character of Robert Lehmann and his legacy.
It is the first time I read about Lehmann ’s outlandish post Derby comments. The breeder/owner was brutally honest in that occasion; perhaps his response was triggered by the recency of his undertaking in India. Sometimes a feat like winning the Derby takes few hours to sink in… who knows?
Lehmann ’s motto about constructing or dying is explicable as he became millionaire thanks to being a construction executive in Ohio and as a banker in Florida. One can understand that Dust Commander (whose best races were on muddy tracks) was a lucky strike in Lehmann ’s mind. However, he is remembered in the history books as the owner of a Kentucky Derby and not so much about being the hunter who killed the 600-pound tiger that had butchered 117 people or the huge elephant whose tusk weighed more than 110 pounds.
Beside Naskra Lehmann was also the breeder of another participant in the 1970 Derby named Dr. Behrman. I wonder what his sentiments would have been had Naskra or Dr. Behrman won that Derby or gotten into the trifecta behind Dust Commander…
I don’t know how much foot or leg work was involved in that hunting, but no one can deny that winning the Derby requires a lot of patience and hard work on top of some luck…and that exhilarating journey starts with the action of a generous owner.
Another curiosity is that in the year when Master Derby won the Preakness in Lehmann’s colors, a son of his former broodmare Iskra, Wajima, was crowned champion 3-year-old after defeating the mighty Forego twice in the 1975 Governor and Marlboro Cup Invitational.
The half-brother to Naskra, is another forgotten champion after not living up to the expectations of being syndicated for a record sum of $7.2‐million. Robert Lehmann could have claimed some credits on Wajima success as this son of Claiborne’s Bold Ruler is ¾ brother to Naskra (both sired by Nasrullah Stallions).
Anyway, I am sure that Robert Lehmann would have agreed that John Henry was the Eiffel Tower of horse racing … creations that will last forever.
John Henry proved it, vs top European talent, and he won grade 1s on dirt on both coasts, while a dominating stayer on turf, for years and years….one could lose money against him but one was never upset, to see John Henry win, the way he did..
Yes Matthew… John Henry never disappointed.
Among the European stars he defeated were champions Royal Heroine (IRE) and Perrault(GB), and top Grade one horses Zalataia (FR) and Spence Bay (IRE).
One thing that impressed me the most is how John Henry rebounded from his 13th place in the Japan Cup at Tokyo in November of 1982. A pulled hip muscle was to blame for that uncharacteristic performance.
John Henry had to take eight-month to recover and reappeared with a 1 1/4-length victory in the $164,600 American Handicap at Hollywood Park. In this race the sempiternal champion was ridden by McCarron for the first time after his regular jockey Willy Shoemaker decided to switch to ride a French star named The Wonder. The French was the favorite after convincingly winning four of five starts with the Shoe…
The Wonder finished last in the American Handicap and Chris McCarron became John Henry’s jockey until his retirement…
I did not know that….I only saw John Henry one time in person, and I think Pincal rode him, in the Oaks Tree Invitational, I bet on Golden Act, who was 2nd, at top of the stretch, closing in on Bold Tropic, the South African horse (with Shoe)….My brother and I were talking about how John Henry didn’t have it, that day….and turns out he won by three …
Sam Rubin took Pincay off because he felt he snubbed him when he saw him at the track.
The Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown this Saturday looks like a cracking good race full of intrigue. The Gang of Four – King of Steel, Auguste Rodin, Alflaila, and Nashwa – all have questions to answer while each has the ability to overcome each other. We’ll give King of Steel the nod this time with Nashwa the danger. Should be a fun race.
In the Matron Stakes, Tahiyra, looks too strong as she continues her domination. Scattered thunderstorms are expected so an eye on the weather would be advisable. Enjoy the races.
A thrilling Irish Champion Stakes… do you happen to know what happened with Auguste Rodin in the King George Vi and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot?
King of Steel seems to be in an upswing in form…
Nelson, arguably, the most plausible answer I’ve heard/read is that the boggy conditions were totally against Auguste Rodin who has beautiful fluent movement. Ryan Moore saved the horse from any possible damage. The supposed rain coming for the Irish Champion Stakes must be of concern for the connections.
I’m with you on King of Steel, let’s hope the race fills it’s promise.
I thank you again, Steve.
I did not know the background of John Henry.
He has always been one of my favorites for obvious reasons. Turf or dirt, one of the best!
I look forward to next weeks article.
I hope you get a chance to read my book on John Henry.
Steve,
Any input from your side on a 2 YO who ran yesterday (Sept 5th) at PID R4 (Banneker). The time was not fast but the manner in which he destroyed the field. A $210K purchase, don’t know why they ran him on that track.
Steve I had previously thought the large framed Practical Move would resurface in The Malibu, but he worked beautifully yesterday….
He’s been working brilliantly for a while
Is he far enough along to make the Awesome Again? Somehow I doubt Tim Yakteen will be shooting for the Classic, however. Would love to see him in the mix if he’s ready, though.
You can understand the dismay of the “Kentucky blue bloods,” the media, and racing fans in general. “According to reports, while there were 40,000 tigers in the country at the time of the Independence, they were soon reduced to below 2,000 by 1970 due to their widespread hunting and poaching.” In 1971, ‘Project Tiger’, began the first conservation programme by the Government of India to save this beautiful animal.
Speaking of big cats, this Saturday at ‘Leopards’town the Champion Stakes and Matron Stakes will be run.
Cannot compare the tiger thing. India’s population has exploded since, where there was on bungalow now there are 5 huge apartment buildings.
Plus they have failed in major ways when tagged Tigers died and the did not know when or how they died.
A good example is, just in the last year 30 cheetahs from Africa were flown to India(yes the PM was involved in the import), just in a few months half of them have died. None from being poached etc. AND no word from the PM
Typo * One bungalow
Yes Gary, the reintroduction of Cheetahs into India seemed ill conceived. With around 3,167 tigers, 600 Asiatic lions, 13,500 Indian leopards, 500 snow leopards, 10,000 clouded leopards all roaming around in 116 National Parks there wouldn’t be much room left for the somewhat timid cheetah.
It’s been extremely distressing hearing/reading about the climbing death tolls of the introduced cheetahs. Vanity or stupidity?
Point is a country the size of Texas has8 Billion people which is more than China, so who much room left for wild life? Yet they don’t do anything about it because most many are migrating. Very soon most wild life there will be extinct.
Point is a country the size of Texas has8 Billion people which is more than China, so who much room left for wild life?
Yet they don’t do anything about it because most many are migrating. Very soon most wild life there will be extinct.
Gary as a child one of our text books was Paul Ehrlich’s “The Population Bomb” which worried me then. In 2009 Ehrlich stated that “perhaps the most serious flaw in The Bomb was that it was much too optimistic about the future,” he was right.
As an advocate of both free will and personal responsibility, i recognize the flaw: too little of the latter. Clearly, perpetual growth, whether it be population or debt, is not sustainable. I have no answers, just gratitude for living while i have.
I concur Todd. Even with living through the fear of nuclear war and annihilation, numerous deadly diseases/viruses that were fatal, World financial crises etc which shaped and dominated our daily lives the future looks totally bleak for all life.
Scientists predict that in around five billion years our sun will transition to a red giant phase, as it expands it’s outer layers which will consume Mercury, Venus, Earth etc. what will be left on Earth of human construction are our underground sewers. How appropriate.
Mind you, ‘we’ may still beat the sun to our own and, selfishly, all other life on Earth, to our own demise. 1/5 odds on that.
I’ve seen the quote “nature bats last,” attributed to a few people. Probably as it will and should be. But in many ways, the human brain is still miraculous, for better or worse.
When scientist have created synthetic human embryos using stem cells, thus sidestepping the need for eggs or sperm, who knows what lies in the future.
Certain dogmas going flying out the window.
The reintintroduction of an endangered plant or animal back into its environment is precarious at best with a greater percentage of failures as opposed to the percentage of success.
The science behind such efforts is a relatively new one and mistakes have been made that have resulted in failure.
Often times the same conditions that lead to a species being endangered still exists.
Sometimes the genetic make-up of a species is altered or changed as the result of being bred or created, born and raised in controlled environments and when placed back in the native environment, it cannot adapt and dies.
Poaching for rhino tusks to make an aphrodisiac is still common place.
An example here in the United States is the largely unsuccessful effort to reintroduce the native American Chestnut tree back into the Appalachian Mountains.
The American Chestnut has often been called the “Giant of the Forest”. The tree grew quickly to heights of over 80 feet and girths of 14-15 feet with some reports of trees as tall as a hundred feet. . It was drought and fire resistant. The mast produced by the tree was an invaluable food source for deer, the black bear, squirrels, chipmunks and wild turkey. The tree leaves produced more nitrogen, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus than any other tree in the forest that resulted in enriched organic soil. Wood from the tree was very rot resistant. It was used to build tobacco barns in the South and many are still standing over 150 to 175 years later including the tobacco barn on my Dad’s farm that is at least 150 years old.
A blight came into the country on trees from Japan. This blight is like a fungus that circles the trunk of the tree and kills the tree.
The government decided that the best course of action was to cut down the affected trees so as to contain the fungus. The CCC under FDR was assigned the task of taking out the trees.
In hind sight it is generally agreed upon by scientists, arborists and geneticists that this was the wrong course of action. Many now feel that the American Chestnut would have adapted and over time the fungus would become harmless.
80 years later a few trees as the result of grafting and genetic modifications from the chinquipin and other Chestnut trees are growing tall enough to produce chestnuts. There are still far and away from the glory of tree before the fungus.
The Giant Panda is conceived, born and raised in a highly controlled environment. When released a preserve that is as close as possible to the native environment, most die within two or three years.
The wolf, the cougar and mountain lion are all endangered here. They are predators and as such help keep populations in control. That is nature’s way. Eventhough they are “protected”, many are shot, poisoned or trapped.
Often times the population of breeding pairs drops so low that reintroduction fails because of a natural disaster like a wild fire, flooding, volcanic activity, hurricanes or a deadly disease spreads through the species.
Extreme animal rights activist groups often do more harm than good. Polar bear cubs were sprayed with red paint so they would not be killed to make fur coats. In reality, the red paint made them a target for predators.
There have been successes. The American Bison that are native to the North American continent almost became extinct as the result of the killing of hundreds of thousands. The slaughter of the bison was attempt to force the Plains Native American Indians to the reservations. The Bison was their food source, the hides were used for teepees and clothing and the Buffalo chips for fires. There is now a reverse situation, over population because there are no natural predators.
The Cleveland Bay horse almost became extinct and the Fell ponies were endangered. The efforts of the late Queen Elizabeth saved the Cleveland Bay breed.
There were very few of the Prewalski horses left 50 years ago. The Prewalski is the last living link to the prehistoric horse. 30 years ago there were some reintroduced into the wild herds in Mongolia where they are thriving.
Ever year more and more plants, animals, amphibians and fish either become extinct or are seriously endangered.
One species now on the endangered list is the giraffe.
Not only are natural habitats being eroded by urban and suburban sprawl, they are being destroyed to build wind turbine and solar farms. Every wind turbine requires a minimum of one acre clearance.
Was reading today that another whale has washed up on the East Coast. She made number 71 since work started building the turbine farm off the coast.
With the discovery of the speed gene in Thoroughbreds, geneticists have been able to trace the gene back one ancestor, an English mare thought to be the English Hobbie which is now extinct. English Hobbies were small horses that were very fast and very strong. Back in the 13th century they were used by English regiments in war fare and they were also used as racehorses.
Chief Seattle said “What is a man without beasts? If all the beasts were to be gone, man would die from great loneliness of the spirit”.
I enjoyed your post. Informative as well as sad. I guess the planet is at the mercy of an unholy trinity of human nature: greed, cruelty, and of course hypocrisy.
Thank you Todd.
There was a comment on Facebook from Kitty Manganello, the wife of Mike Manganello. She is finishing up a book about her husband and talks a lot about Dust Commander and the Lehmanns. Sounds interesting.
Steve, there is also an as yet unpublished book written about Art Sherman, Swaps and Chrome. The tentative title I believe is “Three Hearts”.
Just cannot bring myself to read the book about Alydar. It keeps popping up on the suggested list for my Amazon Kindle.
Have you or anyone else on this site read it? Couple people tried but had to put it aside.
I did a signing with Art on Whitney day and we talked about the book. He looks great.
Saw several photos of Art from that day and yes he looks great!
I read a little book called The Prayer That Won a Kentucky Derby about Art Sherman, Swaps, and California Chrome. Is this a different one? If so, the story is probably worth two books. As for the Alydar book Broken, it’s on my Browsing History page on Amazon, which I use as a possible shopping list. The price is still way too high, so I haven’t had to make a decision about whether I want to get it, but I’m keeping it on the list.
Jiffy, I think there must be two books.
I will look for the one you mentioned.
I read ‘Broken’ by Fred M Kray. It was good. Not a major tear jerker like ‘Ruffian, burning from the start’. It details how the family got so deeply in debt. I found that quite shocking. Anyway you should read it
Thanks for this great storyline. I groomed Lot O Gold.worked for Smiley Adams,had alot of horses owned by the Lehmans. Thanks again.
That’s great. Poor horse couldnt get a break running into Bid every race. What was Smiley like to work for? He seemed tough. He sure could train.
Speaking of the 1970 Triple Crown, does anyone remember the horse My Dad George, who became the first ever horse to be favored in all three Triple Crown races and not winning any of them. He he was a big gorgeous bay horse who won the Florida Derby and then was second in the Ky Derby and Preakness and out of the money in the sloppy Belmont.
Another noteworthy event in that Triple Crown was trainer John Jacobs, who took over from his late father Hirsch Jacobs who died that February, winning two legs of the Triple Crown with two differeent horses — Personality and High Echelon.
Another odd(ity)….1982 Belmont had the Derby winner that skipped the Preakness (Gato Del Sol)…Preakness winner (Aloma’s Ruler)….Smashing Met Mile winner (Conquistador Cielo)….but the race favorite was a horse named Linkage….’Cielo won by a wide margin….
Matthew, 1982 was a wacky year in the Triple Crown. Linkage was the favorite leading up to the Derby, but his owner, who lived in Maryland, decided to hold him out and wait for the Preakness. Longshot Gato Del Sol won a wide-open Derby , but his connections thought the Preakness was too short for him, so they waited for the Belmont. Linkage was the odds-on favorite in a weak seven-horse field. However, Pimlico played to speed on the rail, as it often does, and Aloma’s Ruler got an unchallenged early lead and took them gate to wire.
Linkage, second in the Preakness with the excuse of the track bias, thus became the Belmont favorite over Gato Del Sol, the not well respected Aloma’s Ruler, and Conquistador Cielo, who had upset older horses in the Met Mile but now had to go 12F at equal weights. Conquistador Cielo won easily in brilliant fashion.
The Travers continued the wackiness, with CC, now considered a super horse, heavily favored over KD winner Gato Del Sol, Preakness winner Aloma’s Ruler, and a few other shooters, including Runaway Groom, second in the Queen’s Plate. It was an off-track with a severe bias against the rail. CC took the lead, but Aloma’s Ruler kept him pinned on the rail where the going was worst. They were 1-2 into the stretch, where, to the shock of everyone, Aloma’s Ruler took the lead. However, out in the center of the course, where the going was best, came Canadian longshot Runaway Groom, who ran past both of them for the win.
Having finished behind Runaway Groom and Aloma’s Ruler, CC was now retired by his connections. That’s exactly what you would expect today, but it was rare back then.
Good reminiscence…Edwin Gregson said immediately after the Derby he would not ask a horse to come back in 14 days, after the most greuling race of their life, so distance or not they weren’t going ….
That’s ironic because Conquistador Cielo won the 82 Met Mile on Monday, 5/31 and came back 5 days later to romp in the Belmont(6/5)
Yes …he also retired early …
My best racing memories were the 80s. Genuine Risk’s derby was the first one i closely followed. Maybe it’s me, or the horses, or information overload, but the last 20 years all kind of blur together, but the 80s are right there. Conquistador Cielo’s reign was short, but we’ll never forget his Met Mile-Belmont double.
I think the internet has that tendency to ‘blur’ things together. Time is compressed even closer together, there is no time to appreciate something fully. Within seconds of something happening you are on to the next big thing.
I do remember My Dad George, the Derby favorite who lost to Dust Commander on an off track. Personality, well-regarded but a dud in the Derby (like Snow Chief and Hansel would be) won the Preakness and then was entered in and won the Jersey Derby on Memorial Day. The Jacobs policy was that if you had a horse fit and eligible for a $100,000 race, you entered him. Personality then had some kind of minor injury and thus did not run in the Belmont, making MDG once again the favorite. Personality’s stablemate High Echelon then won the sloppy Belmont. High Echelon ran in the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, the Jersey Derby, and the Belmont.
Personality was brought back in the fall and won the Woodward over older horses, if memory serves, and won the 3YO title. I don’t think My Dad George did much, if anything, after the Triple Crown series.
After winning the Preakness, Personality won the Jersey Derby but came down with a fever and missed the Belmont. I dont believe Personality would have won the Woodward if Shuvee hadnt gotten stopped making a big run on the inside and slamming into the railh
Wow, what a fabulous story, Steve, and no one could have ever told it better. There was some serious research that went into it, I can imagine. I remember watching re-runs of Seattle Slew’s races and hearing Run Dusty Run mentioned quite a lot. I had no idea what a rabbit hole was attached to that name, not to mention Dust Commander, who I had almost forgotten about. And John Henry as the icing on the cake – who knew? – not me! This story was absolutely mesmerizing, and beautifully written. Thanks for taking me down that rabbit hole! What a movie this would make!
I really appreciate that Beth. Thank you very much. I’m so glad to share these stories and jog people’s memories of forgotten horses and back stories. I would love for young racing fans to read them, but I’ve all but given up on that.
Great piece Steve, Thanks for bringing back to my youth. Northern Dancer is just a frame or to in my memory but at 13 years old in 70 Dust Commanders Derby is like an old super 8 film in my head. It’s that Derby that cemented my passion for the sport. now I truly know the butterfly affect that it had on me and the sport. I do wonder if all those animal lovers who had disdain for Lehmann for killing a man eater tiger would feel if they had one roaming in they’re vicinity!
Dust Commander was my first Derby bet and the first I ever cashed. And I bet it and cashed it with the resident bookie at The Morning Telegraph, where I started as a copy boy. What a thrill to have someone pull out a stack of bills and give me some.
I find it amazing how the Sporting Gods arrange to have us win our 1st bet. I equate it with setting the hook!
Oooooh, a taste of the good ol’ bookmaking days, Steve. Why did you pick Dust Commander, if I may ask?
My first bet I ever made was on a Quarter Horse named Mr Mars Bar, to place….and he won….The first Derby I ever watched was Dust Commander, who was a longshot that shot through an inside seam and won for fun, the next year I rooted for Unconscious, Tommy Doyle’s regally bred colt, who was beaten by the rail-thin Jim French, in the Santa Anita Derby, then was vanned north to run in the California Derby at Golden Gate—-and the “unknown” Cananero II blew them away, in the stretch….’might have been 100-1, had he not been a part of the mutual field….turns out he was real good!…
There was a famous man-eating tiger that was found to have a huge abscess, in two teeth that made it too hard to kill animals, so he/she hunted humans, more than thirty killed…
Wow,wow,wow Steve what an incredible story. This man who saved villagers from a man eating tiger gets panned by the media.
That is so typical. This might be your best writing ever & that is saying a lot. How you find these stories truly blows me away. I thoroughly enjoyed this read, many thanks……….
Thank you as always, Deacon. That means a lot. Actually I cant remeember enjoying wiiting a column more than this one. I just kept geetting into it the more I wrote. It’s also fun coming up with these stories and seeing them evolve.
This story would indeed make a great movie & I would ask Mr. Haskin to write the screenplay.
The concern would be, would the movie be about the horse or Mr. Lehmann.
Lehmann, Dust Commander, john henry
I remember Dust Commander’s Derby — his win shocked me, not just because of his odds, but because I didn’t think he was “pretty enough,” LOL. But I had no idea about the back story of his Big Prize game-hunting owner, or what he said after the race. I love the way you tied that Derby and owner to — JOHN HENRY!! Only you could do that, Steve.
(BTW, Steve, were you at Saratoga for the Hopeful? What do you make of the win by Nutella Fella? Like his pedigree a lot, but if he wins the Kentucky Derby he’ll be right up there with Lil E Tee for weirdest Derby winner by name.)
I wasnt there but I always have tremendous respect for horses breaking their maiden at Delaware. I did a column on that years ago. So many good ones, like Afleet Alex and Barbaro and so many otherss. I just cant think of them right now. But as you said bad name for a Derby horse.
I did hit the double with Nutella Fella, partially redeeming a dismal Saratoga meet for me. His works were too good to ignore. I would be surprised if he is a classics factor. Most of these two year old stakes are run so fast early, the races set up for this type of horse.
Congrats, Todd! These 2YOs are so lightly raced it’s really not surprising that anyone of them can win a big race like the Hopeful. As Steve said in a comment above, the race set up for him.
Ms B, I just loved Nutella Fella’s win. He sold for $12,000 at auction.
Small breeders, small owners and low key trainers still hold a special place in my heart.
Wonder how he got his name…his dark black bay color or does his owner like Nutella so much he had to give a horse that name?
Unusual name, but not one we will forget…has a ring to it.
Steve, maybe you could post that column again about the horses who got their start in Drlaware.
Lynda, I think the owner’s wife named him, according to the drf report I read. Just saw the Beyer figure for the Hopeful — a ridiculously low 72 for the winner — and after the Beyer folks rejiggered the Beyer for Yo Yo Candy’s previous race from something in the 60s to an 85. And yet Yo Yo ran last in the Hopeful! Doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.
I saw that 72. Number of people are questioning it.
I no longer watch live racing but watch the full replays.
The leaders were running awfully slow, almost like slow motion.
I know the Beyer folks take the raw times into account as they make their calculations, Lynda. Pretty sure they had some trouble with landing on that 72.
So interesting! Thanks!!
Once again, you sweep into one of your epic historical, little-known tales and carry me away wanting the story to never end. Thanks, Steve!
I really appreciate that Judi. Thank you very much.
Gosh Steve, this story was just great ! Your articles have made me a lover of Mondays and this one in particular. Was pondering how you were going to tie all this together and then you mentioned “Ole Bob” and I got it. So appreciate your writing especially your stories of our older and late great champions. Thanks again.
Thats very kind of you Diane. Thank you very much. I tried to stretch out the mystery as long as possible, Lol.
Loved it!
Truth can indeed be stranger than fiction! What a great story. I don’t think I knew before reading this that Dust Commander was an Illinois-bred. And I’d forgotten that he was the sire of Master Derby and Run Dusty Run.
My favorite quote about John Henry was from Ron McAnally. Asked how he managed to bring out John’s greatness, he said simply, “I got him to trust me.”
Thanks for an engrossing and uplifting read, Steve!
I appreciate it . Thanks. That’s why I enjoyed writing it. You cant make in t up.
Wow! What a great story!
Thanks Barbara. That was fun to write.
Steve,
As a few other have said below… WOW !!!! This was a great read !!! Always love reading stories involving the great John Henry. Lehman sounded quite a character and as some have said it is too bad he didn’t live longer to see the fruits of his creations
Again thanks Steve for this article. Have a GREAT Week .
Thanks. The great stories in racing never end.
All I can say is WOW! I’m fairly sure I would not have liked Robert Lehmann, as I’m absolutely no fan of big game hunting, but his story is amazing. I can’t help but wish he’d lived to know of his part in the legend of John Henry.
Not many liked him after the Derby. They were shocked when he said that, myself included. But obviously he was a great man in many ways.
The tiger was a man-eater. I’m no fan of big-game hunting either, but let’s be fair. It’s also true that wild animals can become maneaters due to adverse circumstances such as injuries, disease, old age, and loss of natural food sources and habitat, which people often cause.
Sarah; my issue is not with killing a man-eating tiger. It’s with all the other big game animals that he killed for “sport”.
I never tire of John Henry and his story. Seeing him at the Horse Park was an emotional highlight I’ll always remember. Thanks, sir.
Another great story from the master of story tellers.
Would this not make a great movie?
Thank you!
Thanks so much, Lynda. It would be the first time part of a racing movie was filmed in location in India.
WOW! What an intriguing story! There was no way I could get from point A to point B without your guidance! I was curious about Robert Lehmann, so looked him up and ended up with the Lehmann Bros. banking heir. He had a few horses, too, but no wife named Verna. Still don’t know how this Lehmann made his first million before he was 30, but he sure was an interesting character. Of course, to follow the timeline to the end and John Henry was both sad for the young horse, and a relief when he finally arrived in the right hands to reach his potential. Just wonder, with a temperament like that, if he was really ever happy. Thanks for another great story!
Wonderful story, Steve! I got to meet John Henry at the Kentucky Horse Park and I read your book about him! This is one of your best!! Thank you!!
Thanks Joanne, I cant remember having more fun writing a column. Lol
I had no idea where this story was going, but it was certainly worth the ride. It also reminds us why our sport, with all its troubles, is still worth the ride.
The opening graphs have been revised/