What Truly Defines Greatness
With Flightline still a major source of conversation and speculation, I thought it was a good time to talk about some other horses who did extraordinary things, but on a much wider scale. Not to take away from Flightline’s amazing feats, but just imagine if the horses listed below did today what they did back then. ~ Steve Haskin
What Truly Defines Greatness
By Steve Haskin
All the talk these days has obviously been about Flightline and his remarkable, but brief, career and where he fits in the history books when it comes to great horses. Can he really be considered one of the greats or a potentially great horse who never got a chance to exhibit the qualities we saw from many of the legends of the past, mainly versatility and the ability to win under all conditions over a period of time?
There is no doubt that Flightline did things that horses just don’t do, or at least have never done and likely will never do. We know we have never seen anything like him for what he accomplished in only six career starts. But how will his extraordinary feats stand the test of time?
For now I put him in a classification all his own. After all, how can you compare him to horses who proved their greatness and their versatility over a much longer period of time? If you notice, these first few paragraphs contain a number of questions, to which there probably are no answers. But it did get me thinking about the great horses going back to the fifties who did extraordinary things and raised themselves to a different level. Their feats stamped their greatness by showing something other than just huge winning margins and fast times.
Here then are some of these remarkable horses who come to mind.
FOREGO – Like many of the great geldings, Forego raced for a number of years and lost his share of races. But the longer you race and the more amazing feats you perform the more those defeats are forgotten. Forego in his own way may have been the most extraordinary horse I ever saw, especially considering his constant physical ailments over the course of his career. Yes, his heart-pounding Marlboro Cup victory under a staggering 137 pounds will forever be his signature performance, but I remember the first time I saw him race in the 1974 Carter Handicap and realized this was no ordinary horse.
Forego was just developing his reputation as a top-class horse by winning the 1 1/4-mile Widener and Gulfstream Handicaps. He then came up to New York and was entered in the seven-furlong Carter. It was clear this was merely a prep for the prestigious Met Mile and that there was no way he was expected to carry topweight of 129 pounds, drop back to a sprint, and defeat arguably the fastest horse in the country, Mr. Prospector, who had already set a track record of 1:07 4/5 at Gulfstream in 1973, a track record of 1:08 3/5 at Garden State Park in ’74, and had won two other races in ’74 in 1:08 1/5 at Gulfstream and 1:09 flat at Aqueduct. And he won each time by big margins.
Also in the field was Tartan Stable’s Lonetree, who had defeated Mr. Prospector that year in the seven-furlong Poinciana Handicap at Hialeah in a blazing 1:21 flat, breaking the track record by almost three-fifths of a second. Add to those two speedballs, Timeless Moment, who had equaled the six-furlong track record of 1:08 3/5 at Aqueduct the year before, just missed the 6 1/2-furlong track record at Belmont by two-fifths of a second, and had won a pair of seven-furlong allowance races at Aqueduct that spring in 1:22 1/5 and 1:22 2/5. Still another in the field was William Haggin Perry’s Forage, who was coming off a second-place finish (disqualified to third) in the seven-furlong San Simeon Handicap at Santa Anita in 1:21 1/5. He would go on to break the track record for a mile at Aqueduct two months later, winning an allowance race in 1:33 1/5 before capturing the Du Pont and Atlantic City Handicaps.
I realized we were looking at something very special when Forego, a 17-hands giant who looked nothing like a sprinter, made a big run around the turn and just cruised by Mr. Prospector with a quarter of a mile still to run, as jockey Heliodoro Gustines sat motionless in the saddle. Under no urging at all he drew off to win by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:22 1/5.
This to me was the beginning of the Forego dynasty, when we first realized what a truly remarkable horse he was. He would later prove that by becoming the only horse to win the two-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup and be voted Champion Sprinter that same year. In the span of six weeks in 1974, Forego won the 1 1/2-mile Woodward Stakes, the seven-furlong Vosburgh Handicap, and the two-mile Gold Cup. That is a feat we will never see again.
SECRETARIAT – As spectacular as Secretariat was in the Triple Crown, setting new stakes records in all three races that still stand 50 years later, running each quarter faster than the previous one in the Kentucky Derby, and turning in arguably the greatest performance in the history of the sport in winning the Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths while breaking the previous record by two and three-fifths seconds, it was not these feats alone that put him on this list.
Secretariat did something extremely rare by being named Horse of the Year as a 2-year-old, and he did it in a year that saw future Hall of Famers Riva Ridge, Cougar II, and Susan’s Girl and top-class champions like Key to the Mint. Although it is often difficult for a 3-year-old who goes through the rigors of the Triple Crown to maintain his form through the end of year, what Secretariat did after the Triple Crown was remarkable. After bouncing back from a serious illness in August, Big Red was rushed back to make the inaugural Marlboro Cup against the best horses in the country. Not only did he set a new world record, he would be rushed back again two weeks later in the slop to substitute for stablemate Riva Ridge with little or no training in the 1 1/2-mile Woodward Stakes, finishing second to the brilliant older horse Prove Out in the second-fastest mile and a half ever run at Belmont. He then came back nine days later making his grass debut in the 1 1/2-mile Man o’ War Stakes and broke the course record defeating proven grass horses Tentam and Big Spruce by five lengths. Imagine a horse today doing all that in the span of 23 days, and then traveling to Canada to romp in the 1 5/8-miles Canadian International to close out his career with two major victories on grass.
When people 50 years later think of Secretariat, they naturally think of his unprecedented Triple Crown sweep. But what has gotten lost are his amazing accomplishments later in the year that not only justify the greatness we saw in the spring, but how truly extraordinary he really was under all conditions, all surfaces, and all distances, and against the best dirt and grass horses in the country.
ROUND TABLE – I’m going back a bit, but this horse’s greatness and what he accomplished has gotten a bit lost over the years. He is the horse who not only revolutionized grass racing in America, he also became the first horse who was equally as great on both surfaces while traveling all over the country.
A complete horse who would go on to become one of the great sires of his time, he raced 66 times, equaling or breaking 16 track records – 11 on dirt and five on grass. He broke the 2:00 mark for 1 1/4 miles five times and twice broke 1:59, yet was fast enough to break his maiden going four furlongs and ran a mile in a record-equaling 1:33 2/5.
He was put on the grass for the first time after 24 dirt starts, winning his first three starts, including the American Derby and United Nations Handicap. After 14 straight starts on dirt, he returned to the grass, winning his first five starts, increasing his unbeaten streak to eight races. He would then win six of his eight remaining starts on grass. To demonstrate his brilliance over both surfaces, he won the 1 1/4-mile Hollywood Gold Cup on dirt in 1:58 3/5 and the 1 1/4-mile San Marcos Handicap on grass in 1:58 2/5. He also won carrying 130 pounds or more 17 times, including 136 pounds in the United Nations Handicap in his final start on grass.
And unlike Forego, Round Table was a small horse, yet was able to win 43 races over all types of racetracks and all distances and look like a giant.
JOHN HENRY – When you mention the name John Henry to most people they automatically think grass horse. And why not? This incorrigible rags to riches gelding began his career at tiny Jefferson Downs and Evangeline Downs in Louisiana and rose from the depths to become one of the most beloved horses of all time and was named Champion Grass Horse in 1980, 1981, 1983, and 1984 and voted Horse of the Year in 1981 and 1984 at the age of 9. Cantankerous and obscurely bred, he sold as a yearling for $1,100 and went on to become the first horse to earn $3 million, the first to earn $4 million, the first to earn $5 million and the first to earn $6 million.
But John Henry was more than an all-time great grass horse. He was the first horse to win the Santa Anita Handicap twice (once carrying 130 pounds) and also captured The Jockey Club Gold Cup and San Marcos Handicap on dirt and placed in the Hollywood Gold Cup, Meadowlands Cup, and Jockey Club Gold Cup. He also is the only horse to win Grade 1 stakes at age 9, and in fact won four of them. That is certainly something you will never see again.
But like Forego’s Marlboro Cup and Secretariat’s Belmont Stakes, John Henry’s best known victory came in his dramatic nose score in the inaugural Arlington Million, so his dirt triumphs often are forgotten.
DR. FAGER – While Dr. Fager raced only 22 times over a three-year-period, what he accomplished as a 4 year-old in 1968 will go down as the greatest and most versatile campaign in racing history. If you’re looking for the extraordinary let’s begin by saying that Dr. Fager became the only horse to win four divisional championships in a single year. So exceptional was he on all surfaces and at any distance, at least up to a mile and a quarter, he was named Horse of the Year, Champion Older Horse, Champion Grass Horse, and Champion Sprinter.
At seven furlongs he easily won the Roseben Handicap in his first start of the year, carrying 130 pounds and covering the distance in a sprightly 1:21 2/5. He closed out his career winning the Vosburgh Handicap eased up in a track-cord 1:20 1/5 over a recently winterized and far slower surface by six lengths carrying a staggering 139 pounds. Never again will we witness such a demonstration of speed, dominance, and weight carrying ability.
At one mile he set a new world record of 1:32 1/5 that still has not been broken, winning eased up by 10 lengths carrying 134 pounds.
At 1 1/16 miles he traveled to California and beat 13 opponents in the Californian Stakes, winning in hand from post 11 carrying 130 pounds.
At 1 1/8 miles he cantered to an eight-length victory in the Whitney Stakes carrying 132 pounds while being kept very wide by jockey Braulio Baeza, who pretty much just sat on him motionless the entire race.
At 1 3/16 miles he made his grass debut in the United Nations Handicap against a star-studded field of grass horses and despite slipping and sliding the whole race while lugging 134 pounds and losing the lead several times to a classy horse carrying 22 fewer pounds, he dug deeper than he ever had to before to score a gutsy neck victory.
At 1 1/4 miles he defeated his arch rival and future Hall of Famer Damascus in the Suburban Handicap, covering the 10 furlongs in 1:59 3/5 carrying 132 pounds and equaling Gun Bow’s track record. In his only defeat that year he finished second to Damascus after chasing his rival’s rabbit through suicidal fractions and still equaled his own record of 1:59 3/5 under 135 pounds, giving five pounds to Damascus, who set a new track record of 1:59 1/5, which still stands.
KELSO – We have another gelding on the list, and who is ever going to come even remotely close to Kelso’s feat of winning five consecutive Horse of the Year titles and five consecutive Jockey Club Gold Cups? Not only did he set a world record for two miles in one of those Gold Cups he also set a world record for 1 1/2 miles on the grass, nailing down his final Horse of the Year title with a 4 1/2-length victory over arch rival Gun Bow in the Washington D.C. International, defeating some of the world’s best grass horses.
What made his DC International victory so special was that he had previously finished second in the race three times. So as great was Kelso was on the dirt, let us not forget his four big performances on grass against the best of the world and his strong second-place finish in the Man o’ War Stakes.
ACK ACK – Although he is not in the same class as the aforementioned horses, having only one strong year, it was a year we had never seen before and certainly qualifies as extraordinary. After being sold and sent to Charlie Whittingham in California, Ack Ack, as a 5-yar-old, won seven straight stakes at seven furlongs, then 1 1/16 miles, 1 1/8 miles, 1 1/4 miles, 5 1/2 furlongs, 1 1/8 miles on grass, and finally 1 1/4 miles carrying 134 pounds.
Prior to that he concluded his 4-year-old campaign with consecutive victories at six furlongs, seven furlongs, 5 1/2 furlongs, and 6 1/2 furlongs on grass. To make that kind of leap from dirt sprints and grass sprints to victories in the 1 1/4-mile Santa Anita Handicap and Hollywood Gold Cup was pretty exceptional.
There obviously are a number of other great horses who did exceptional things, but I thought I would just list these to give you an idea what the truly great ones are capable of if given the opportunity.
Photo courtesy of Edwin Whitaker
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.
Thank you Steve. Your homework is extraordinary!
As wonderful and spectacular as he is, FLIGHTLINE does not hold a candle to the great horses that Steve writes about in this article.
Wrong-He might not be able to hold the candle but he is the fastest horse in a generation who would just blew the candle out. He would line up with anyone from 6f to 12f and would be close to favoritism against any horse
Methinks the 2020 crop of three year Olds is going to be a notable one! Forte and Cave Rock are both very talented! Bob is loaded! One if his “Arabian” 2yos is running next Sat, in the Los Al Futurity….Taiba is left, from the 2019 crop, and two I have followed, Zozos and Hopper are working towards a comeback. Both are nice horses, Hopper has much talent! And he WANTS to beat ya!
I have the past performances for the 1973 Woodward Stakes in front of me. The Marlboro Cup was on September 15th and the Woodward was on the 29th. SECRETARIAT worked out in :48-3/5 on the 21st and 1:38 on the 25th, while COUGAR II, worked :37-2/5 and 1:39, on the same dates. There was only a two week turnaround between these two races, so I do not believe that SECRETARIAT lost training or wasn’t prepared for the Woodward. Sometimes, horses simply lose, and that’s OK, even for the greatest horse of all time.
Also, it’s interesting to note that PROVE OUT ran August 7th and 24th, September 1st, 10th, and 22nd, before coming into the Woodward on the 29th.
In the September 15th DRF article, by Herb Goldstein, about the Marlboro Cup, it is noted that KEY TO THE MINT and COUGAR II haven’t ran in a long time, because their prior starts were on July 21 and July 23rd, respectively. In those days horses raced quite frequently, so a 6 or 7 week period between races was considered a long time! Fast forward to today and it’s quite different, isn’t it?
Cougar didn’t like an off track, or soft turf…Charlie used to say “He likes to hear his feet rattle”…….
It’s certainly true that flesh and blood creatures can have better days and worse days, and I absolutely agree that Secretariat’s losses, in my mind, don’t negate his status as the greatest Thoroughbred of my lifetime, and probably some years before. But I do think that his Woodward loss is explainable at least in part by lack of sharpness due to insufficient work. As you say, horses ran and trained differently in those days. One of the appendices in Raymond Woolfe’s “Secretariat” is a log of all of Secretariat’s works during his racing career. Woolfe wrote that the log was compiled by Sports Illustrated writer William Nack with the assistance of Lucien Laurin and assistant trainer Harry Hoeffner. It’s clear from that log that before his best races at 3, Secretariat worked in times that would have been quick for race day afternoons.
Before winning the Gotham at a mile in 1:33 and change on April 7, he worked a mile in 1:35 2/5 on March 28. Before the Derby on May 5, he worked six furlongs in 1:12 3/5 on April 27 and five in 58 3/5 on May 2. Six days before the Preakness, five in 57 2/5. Eight days before the Belmont, a mile in 1:34 4/5. June 21, five in 58 4/5, June 27, another five in 58 1/5 before the June 30 Arlington Invitational. Three days before the Marlboro Cup, he went five in 57 flat and galloped out another furlong in 1:08 4/5.
The Woolfe/Nack log shows the two works you mention as the only works he had between the Marlboro and the Woodward, and it shows them as being on grass. They’re clearly not the kind that tended to prepare him for his best. (Six days after the Woodward and three days before the Man O’ War, he worked five in 56 4/5, out six in 1:09.) So, while reasonable minds can differ and Secretariat’s pre-Woodward works, viewed through a modern lens, sure look like he was well-prepared for that race, when put in the context of his other works and races, convince me that he hadn’t had the work he tended to need to do his best in that race.
Steve Gander passed….big nearly white horse that came with his late kick. ..NY bred fan favorite… brought that kick every time. .
Santa will be wearing his speedos on Christmas Eve when he arrives in Melbourne with a warm 76 F. Will he need his ‘long johns’ and red coat when he heads north?
I do miss snow for Christmas though.
WOW, just WOW.
Hollie Doyle on Spirited Express (by No Nay Never)
Hollie Doyle won the Prix de Diane this year on Nashwa in 2022, the first female jockey to win an European Group 1 Classic.
All of these horses accomplished amazing things. I’m partial to Kelso, who was so great for so long, but everyone was incredible. Wish I’d been able to see even a few of these races in person.
So with the announcement of the Vox Populi winner comes criticism from an Eclipse voter who is convinced that the “wrong”choice was made and posted so twice so far in response to an article at HRN about the winner. Thoughts?
“[posted by] DerbyDoc
Hate to say this but Rich Strike should have easily won this.
The award is “annual award recognizes the horse whose popularity and racing excellence best resounded with the public and gained recognition for Thoroughbred racing. ”
99.9% of the public has never heard of Cody’s Wish.
Much of the public has heard of Rich Strike and he brought many more new fans to this game or peeked the interest (in other words, recognition to the sport) of would be new fans more than any horse since American Pharoah.
Tough words, but it’s fact.”
And a later post, same author:
“But that’s not what this award is supposed to be about.
Cody’s Wish is certainly a great story but it didn’t bring recognition to the sport.
Rich Strike’s story did, on the biggest mainstream stage this sport has.”
Flightline, Flightline, Flightline.
Is he a great horse?
It is hard to say. He certainly delivered two eye-popping performances.
However, do two great performances make a horse great?
I do not think so.
He certainly had a unique campaign. Six starts. 2/3s of his races on the West Coast away from the best competition. Two years of racing. Three times each.
Frankly, I see Flightline as the 5th best horse of the 21st century.
American Pharoah is the best horse. Ending the Triple Crown drought, and running fast he showed sheer brilliance.
Arrogate defeated two future Hall of Famers in Gun Runner and California Chrome, twice. He set two track records. He ran overseas. He ran very fast.
Ghostzapper has better number than Flightline. Flightline is the speed figure horse. But he cannot compare to Ghostzapper.
Flightline
Malibu Stakes 118
Metropolitan Handicap 112
Pacific Classic 126
Breeders Cup Classic 121
Ghostzapper
116 Vosburgh
128 Iselin Stakes
114 Woodward Stakes vs. Saint Liam
124 Breeders Cup Classic against 5 multiple G1 winners while Flightline faced 2. And the best two horses Flightline faced were compromised by distance and injury.
122 Metropolitan Handicap
Flightline is a flash in the pan. 30 years from now more people will remember Rich Strike’s Kentucky Derby win more than Flightline. It is because the connections did not want to campaign him.
The highly respected Timeform ratings: Flightline 143, Arrogate 141, American Pharoah 138, Ghostzapper 137, and Justify 129 don’t quite agree with your assumptions. In 30 years time Timeform’s rating will still be there.
Before the Classic Frankel was furious Lukas was running Azeri, he wanted zero pace pressure…at 10 furlongs I’ll take Flightline over Ghostzapper everytime!
Just announced.
Codys Wish is the 2022 Vox Populi.
Congratulations!
I am so happy for Cody and the connections for Cody’s Wish.
Was totally happy to see Cody’s Wish win this award. I voted for Rich Strike before the Clark Handicap was run. But after the Clark was run I wanted my vote back (which I felt was a travesty and deception on the trainer’s part) as I lost all respect and credibility for the connections.
Congratulations too CODY’S WISH a “TRUE” winner!!!
Regal Glory hand ridden whole way around there….”nw”….means no whip….sit…wait . .engage bit at top of stretch…cruise on past and that is greatness..
“Greatness”, the adjective not greatness the noun, like Frosted, in the Met Mile GREATNESS–by a GOOD horse .
Congratulations Mind Control!
What a way to go out, a real racehorse who tries every time. Mind Control was a favorite, will miss his tenacity and courage. Let’s hope his stud career is even better in New York.
29 starts, 12 wins, 3 2nds and 6 places. 2.285 million in earnings.
Excellent pedigree, granddire Bernardini, Storm Cat, Deputy Minister, Fappiano in dam line.
So happy for him and the connections.
Love it when these older horses go out on top
Lynda, you might want to pencil in Tapit Shoes for the Classics next year. The Tapit half brother to Cyberknife won at the Fair Grounds by over 7 lengths. Trained by Brad Cox these are the type of 2 year old colts I like following for the Classics the following year. Not rushed along to win stakes as 2 year olds. A late May foal as well. “Softly, softly, catchee monkey.”
Davids, I don’t know if Lynda “penciled” Tapit Shoes in, but I sure did — added him to my list of promising 2YOs with an eye toward the Spring Classics on advice of your tip. Other than Cave Rock, Forte, and a few others there are no standouts yet in the crop of 2020. Looking forward to what Steve makes of it, and whether he’ll start his Derby list as early as he did last year.
Good for You, Ms Blacktype. Yes, Tapit Shoes, has a ton of potential, winning easily while racing extremely greenly. He has to improve but the that seems somewhat inevitable. Another 2 year old Tapit colt I like is Signator trained by Shug McGaughey.
Davids, thanks for heads up on Tapit Shoes.
At the moment I am thinking this might be a great year for the fillies.
Hoosier Philly is a lovely filly. She won the Rags to Riches in the slop by 7.5 lengths.
She seems to float over the track with those long leg, barely making a splash.. She appears to be in a growth spurt right now but she already has a great shoulder and hip. Very calm disposition. Tom Amoss says she is the best horse to come into his stable and she might be pointed towards the Kentuky Derby.
Stonestreet has also bred a nice filly, full sister to Malathaat (Julia Shining). She is still a bit green but one can see the potential when she won over the weekend. Others include Wonder Wheel and Justique.
Hoping to see another awesome filly like Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra in my lifetime.
Lynda, Bob Baffert was very high on the brilliant filly Princess Arabella and Tapit appears to becoming an influential broodmare sire so there all positives for Hoosier Philly. Princess Arabella only lasted 3 races which could be of concern. Who Knows? The dam, Tapella, only raced 8 times but her value as a broodmare would have overridden a racing career anyway.
Princess Arabella was retired after her last race and did not run in The Oaks. Reason given was an intlammed tendon that would take over 6 months to heal. She was considered to be valuable as a broodmare prospect to go back into training after time off for the tendon injury to heal.
In racing, if a horse has a bowed tendon retirement is the safest solution, especially running on dirt tracks.
Steve and all….the cutest video of Lava Man on his I am Lava Man FB page rocking it out to rhe music. Make sure you have the sound on. I think he is happy at Old Friends!!!
For sure!
I find it a little hard to believe that when the greats of recent times are mentioned that Zenyatta is left off the lists. Her classic win gives chills to any hors racing fan. Rachel Alexandra is a recent comparison to what Flightline accomplished. I would love to have seen Flightline run against the fields that Forego, Kelso, Dr. Fager et al ran against. Also, not taking 3-4 months or longer between starts.
Disgrace!
Huh?
Regarding Zen.
Excellent post.
Above was made in error.
This is an excellent post.
Discussions about the great, greatest of all time race horses is akin to a conservative and a liberal arguing over politics.
The definitive greatest race horse I have seen in my lifetime is unquestionably and without a doubt is Secretariat.
Almost 50 years later, I still get chills,thrills and tears when I watch replays of his races.
He had nearly flawless conformation, as fine a pedigree as anyone could dream to find in a Thoroughbred; he was intelligent; had speed, stamina and an almost unreal turn of foot; was very personable and when he looked at you with those deep and beautiful eyes, he would be looking into one’s heart.
Yes, he lost races but I remind everyone, there is honor in defeat.
His blood through his daughters and several of his sons run through the veins of Thoroughbreds today all over the world.
Deacon, if there a Mt Rushmore for horses here in America the horses I would hope to see would be Secretariat, Man O’ War and Ruffian.
I am now bowing out of this conversation and will leave all of you with sincere and heartfelt wishes for a joyous and Happy Holiday season!
Well stated, Lynda. Best of the holidays to you.
The experts would probably argue with that. I do agree that Ruffian was the greatest filly of all time & Man O War & Secretariat are in the conversation but my eye test tells me that Spectacular Bid & Dr. Fager are the 2 best.
Did you take into consideration the weights my above 2 horses carried. Secretariat never carried more then 126 lbs.
I am glad you love your picks, you should, that is what makes horse racing. Most of the experts I know & I have been around the tracks since 1955 have told me the same. Dr. Fager & Spectacular Bid both raced on the west coast, that factored into my feelings.
Anyway good luck & enjoy the holidays.
When Flightline won I was interested in his time. Spectacular Bid currently holds the world record for 1 1\4 in 1:57 3\5. As everyone was so high on Flightline I thought he would destroy this record. Not today!
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year, Lynda. Let’s hope it’s a good one. I’ll miss your posts.
I’ve been thinking about Deacon’s thoroughbred equine Mount Rushmore all day. I’m having trouble with the fourth head:
Man o’ War, Dr. Fager, Secretariat are immediate choices but number four has too many options for me.
The European Mount Rushmore is much easier: Sea-Bird, Brigadier Gerard, Ribot, and Frankel.
I’d rather have a split gender Mount Rushmore that try to mix. Choosing the best 4 female racehorses in the US and Europe is much more difficult than first thought.
Davids I am not dropping off Steve’s forum, just not making any additional comments on this topic.
Above I have designated Secretariat as the the greatest of “my” lifetime and listed my reasons and designated 3 horses I would put on an American Mt Rushmore of race horses. Did not list the 4th which boils down to two but in all probability either one would create a flurry of comments.
Secretariat lost due to a bad trip in his first race; a controversial DQ in the Champagne; a compromised last work and painful mouth abscess that hurt him when Turcotte used the bit to tell him to run; a virus that made him so sick before the Whitney that he became vulnerable to a good, not-great horse in Onion that rival trainer Jenkins had primed for the race of his life; he was ripe for a bounce in the Woodward, as Steve Haskin has explained much better than I can, for his trainer rushed Red’s conditioning after his sick Whitney for the Marlboro and didn’t properly prepared for a 12-furlong race against very good older horses, such Prove Out, as ready as Jenkins could make him.
One poster on this blog seems to be obsessed with Flightline being called one of the greatest horses of all-time. He even went so far as to compare Flightline and his 6 races with the great Sandy Koufax which is mildly offensive. Sandy Koufax had his career cut short because of arthritis in his pitching elbow. Pain that he had played through until he couldn’t stand it anymore when he called it a career after the 1966 season. Koufax had played 12 seasons. He finished his career with a 165-87 won/lost record and a career ERA of 2.76. He stuck out over 300 batters 3 times with a high of 382 Ks in 1965. He pitched four no-hitters with the 4th one being a perfect game. His final 4 seasons beginning in 1963, Koufax won 25, 19, 26, and 27 games and his COMPLETE games in those 4 seasons were 20, 15, 27, and 27(you won’t see that again). His last season in 1966 he went 27-9 with a 1.73 ERA. To compare an Equine-athlete with only six starts in HIS career with the Great Koufax is really inappropriate. Even if you could compare “Apples & Oranges” a Flightline-Koufax comparison is outrageous. If a person wants to call Flightline one of the greatest horses ever with only 6 races in his career, I’m fine with that. Just like I’m fine with calling Maclean’s Music one of the greatest horses ever with only one career start. But comparing Flightline with the greatest horses of all-time is crazy talk right out of KOO-Koo Town. I don’t care if the guy was standing on a picnic table at the top of the stretch, I can’t read any more nonsense. This will be my final post and I won’t read the comments anymore because I’m sure that I will offend at least one person. I’ll “self-ban” myself and only read Steve Haskin’s articles from now on.
I tried to say that the pitcher in the Hall of Fame with the least amount of wins is considered the BEST, which at least in my opinion is a notable comparison to Flightline…and you did not offend me it’s Horse Racing, where opinions are many, mine being mine yours being yours, no need to leave your posts are welcome!
Don’t you mean the pitcher in the Hall of Fame with the least amount of losses is the best?
The fact is that Flightline is the 5th best horse of the 21st century. He ranks in accomplishments behind American Pharoah, Ghostzapper, Arrogate and Justify. Talent counts. No doubt about it. But all of the other horses listed had immense talent. But they also accomplished major achievements. Unrivaled achievements beyond speed figures.
TommyMc: I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment. Sandy Koufax is the standard, the greatest ever. Pitching 12 grueling seasons is not even in the same ballpark (no pun intended) as running 6 races spread out over 3 years, blasphemous comparison.
If we want to compare Spectacular Bid, Dr. Fager, Secretariat & Man O War to Koufax then I am good with that.
BTW, I lived in So. Calif. I watched Sandy Koufax pitch dozens of times, I lived 2 miles from Chavez Ravine. Walter Alston would grind Koufax & Drysdale into the ground with innings pitched.
Fans today are so quick to anoint an athlete & propel them to Mt. Rushmore status when it is not earned.
If I was to compare Flightline to another horse it would be Arrogate.
Folks who laud Flightline above all time greats are ignoring history, facts, competition and context.
I think accomplishment wise he is the 5th best horse of the 21st century so far behind American Pharoah, Ghostzapper, Arrogate and Justify.
I mean…this ol’guy was there, right in front of starting gate, for the Pacific Classic….. very HOT!….quiet…, when I get to see a great talent I went right up to it—and I saw greatness—- Santa Anita and Del Mar are slower dirt courses, in today’s game, a three year old isn’t going to run 1:58 1/5, like Quack did in the Hollywood Gold Cup….I saw greatness in the 1980 Strub, 1:57 4/5…..Spectacular Bid, the best horse I ever saw, but……..does anybody really think Flightline would have not beaten Flying Paster by 3 1/2 !
That’s an excellent analogy, Matthew. I’ve thought through many similar scenarios and Flightline inevitably ends up being the superior force in races over a mile in most occasions. I’m not sure Flightline would have been able to handle Dr. Fager at a mile, then again, nor could any other horse either.
Dr. Fager was hand ridden most of the stretch in that world record mile of 1:32 1/5, plus he carried 134 lbs. IMO he was the fastest horse in history . He was also very versatile. Won big races at multiple distances. Next to Specular Bid, Dr. Fager is the best horse I ever saw run. I was at Hollywood Park in 1968 for the Californian Stakes. I watched him beat Gamely, Rising Market and Barb’s Delight among others.
I was also at Santa Anita and saw the “Bid’s” world record in the 10 furlongs Strub Stakes.
Like you guys, I was at Hollywood Park and saw Quack’s then world record 10 furlongs.
The Doc & the Bid were the two best ever.
Side note, in the early 1960’s I saw a brilliant filly at Del Mar named Admirably run a 1:07 4/5 equaling Zip Pocket’s world record.
Flightline is a very good horse but to put him on Mt. Rushmore of race horses is not due justice to the all time greats who came before. To me 6 races is not near enough to warrant that mantle.
Happy Holidays
Yes, Deacon, that’s a good demarcation reference point. Who would be on the Mt. Rushmore of racehorses? You can imagine Flightline beating some great horses but in reality there is so much more to consider than pure talent. Even so, Flightline has an incredible record.
Funnily enough it is somewhat easier to split the best European greats. Anyway, the discussion keeps the “the little grey cells,” as Hercules Poirot would say, turning over.
Happy Holidays to you as well.
I’m not so much offended that Flightline ran only six times as i am that this was always the plan. Each race was a planned breeding showcase.
Flying Paster was a good horse finishing second to Bid 5 times.Bad luck for him. Any other year better outcome
Thanks, Steve! I always enjoy reading your thoughts on champions past and present. Dr. Fager is one of my favorites.
EHV outbreak at CHD. So far 5 horses have tested positive.
OBesos out of Cigar Mile due to EHV outbreak.
No horses allowed in or out of CHD.
Just FYI.
I agree that Flightline has to be in a separate category because of the number of times
he raced. Having said that, I have no doubts at all that we saw a phenomena of epic
proportions. I don’t expect to see a horse like Flightline in my liofetime.
I do think a list should include horses before the 50’s, because the greatest
of all, Man O’War, is not on it. The horses discussed in this article are most deserving to be on
any list of greats. Also, epic horses and among my personal favorites.
Lynda, sorry. I meant to post my other response elsewhere above. Reagrading the EHV,
this is very worrisome. Praying they all recover from it without problems.
Hey Paula, no worries. Good to see you posting!
Hopefully the EHV outbreak will not spread and not develope into the neurological strain.
Steve, Thank You again for writing another fascinating and enlightening article. I was fortunate to see all these horses, except Round Table and Dr Fager, via live television but not in person. Thank You for including Ack Ack in your list as he was my dad’s favorite horse (always talked about how great he was ). He might have been a little bias as he personally knew the owner and had his picture taken in the winner’s circle after one of his win’s. But as your writing states he did have an amazing 4 year old campaign. And John Henry when I watched him race, and you don’t see this with many racehorses is that he knew he was in a race and his finishes were so determined. Your writing on all these horses was superb also but the one that stuck out to me the most was the one on Dr Fager ( I just can’t recall if I ever saw him on TV back in the 60’s ) . Until this writing I never knew he won 4 championships in one year … simply AMAZING !!! And the way he got his name is a story in itself !!! After your writing here I went and Googled him and read some articles about him (some gave me goosebumps) and some had pictures of him … He had an absolutely beautiful head !!! I have to say I agree with Jon Nerud assessment that he was the fastest horse ever bred (Yes I did see Chinook Pass and he was a bullet but pretty much one dimensional… sprinter). Dr Fager unfortunately (like Scat Daddy) was taken from us way too early. I did happen to see one his offspring race and of all places lowly Turf Paradise in Phoenix AZ and the name of the horse was aptly named Fager’s Fortune. I only saw him race once but it was a memorable performance. I can’t remember if the race was a 5 1/2 or 6 furlong race. The race started and all the horses were pretty well strung out but as they were approaching the turn coming into the stretch, then I see this horse from the back just passing horses up on the inside like the other horse were in slow motion and he was in fast forward ( it was Arazi like ) he blew by them and won the race by about 7 lengths, it was Fager’s Fortune. After that he was a hit or miss type of runner and was told by a local sports writer who followed racing here in Arizona that the horse had a lot of physical ailments.
Steve, thanks for this article as I said it was enlightening. As for Flightline, I am comfortable with his retirement as he really just had no other horse that could compete with him… He was one of a kind and was glad I got to see his GREATNESS!!!
There is a wonderful book you should treat yourself to for Christmas:
“Dr. Fager” by Steve Haskin
Thanks Davids, Have added it to my Christmas Wishlist ( I am sure I will get it ) and to have it written by “The Master” himself a double present !!! Ho Ho Ho !!!
Thank you. Hope you enjoy it.
But Flightline had so much left to prove.
Could he ship to Dubai and win?
Could he run back and win 4 weeks after a start?
Could he run 5 or 6 races in a year?
Could he defeat not just a good distance challenged horse like Life is Good, but a fast horse competing at his ideal distance?
Could he overcome serious adversity?
Could he win at Saratoga the Graveyard of Champions?
Flightline won the Breeders Cup Sprint, Dirt Mile and Classic all in one race. Think about that….LOL
In a race where the best two horses were compromised by distance and injury.
With another “off” track very possible at Aqueduct on Saturday and Turf racing shut down for the year, I was looking at the “possibles” for the two turf Stakes races at Del Mar. It’s amazing how many eastern trainers might be running in those races. The Del Mar “ship & win” program really pays off. The end of turf racing at Aqueduct and bad weather around the country is also probably a factor.
Del Mar has those turf stakes, their “Fall Festival”…this year they strung them out over several weeks, eastern horses always come because it’s the only turf stakes around….and they usually clean house.
Netherlands vs USA, first match in the Round of 16 World Cup. Excitement +
Yes, and Japan just beat Germany. A real surprise among several others.
Whoops, meant Japan just beat Spain. Germany out.
Paula, Spain has a tendency to ‘lose’ strategic games at times. All the teams would be happy to see Germany go early. I always support the Netherlands, I spent a lot of my formative years living in the Netherlands then again as a teenager. So, go, Orange!!
Paula, the Dutch are starting to look dangerous now. Could this finally be the year?
Paula, Morocco bounces Spain out of the World Cup.
Netherlands vs Argentina and England vs France are the highlights for me coming up.
Hi Steve,
Here is a bit of trivia about Secretariat and Forego.
Each time Secretariat set a course record, Forego won the race just before or after Secretariat’s on the same card. The lone exception was Secretariat’s track record in the Kentucky Derby. Of course, in that race, Forego finished a respectable fourth.
greg (fan of Damascus . . . and of great horses from the 60s and 70s)
Steve, no matter how hard I try, I cannot for the life of me put Flightline in the same category as these 4 horses or for that matter, other truly great American horses.
Did Flightline have the potential and talent to rise to legendary status, absolutely in my opinion.
However the enticement of many multi-million dollar stud deals snuffed out any chance for him.
Another thing that is somewhat bothersome to me is that Will Farish said the final decision as to whether or not Flightline would retire or come back next year would be made on Sunday morning (after the Breeders Cup). We now know that the decision was made in advance of the BCC. Why would Farish make that statement, was he in some way trying to appease fans with a ray of hope?
I totally agree that Flightline is in a class of his own. It is however, a new class or at least the redefining of “great”.
Racing today is all about show me the money, not show me rhe horse.
Lynda, Flightline is valued around say $180, 000, 000. With insurance, the premium for mortality insurance on racehorses is about 5% of the value of the horse. That’s a cost of $9,000,000 per year.
Would you be running Flightline at that cost? Racing today is a lot more expensive than it used to be.
The purses got behind the stud fees….Horse Racing could have subsidized race purses, for Flightline races, they made special purses for special horses before…tracks offered up bigger money, to get certain horses…they could’ve gone out to Saudi Arabia, to race…but nine million is hard to find in the US….
Matthew, Australia has been so progressive in prize money over the past 40 years as well as some subsidies by the Australian Government to enable racing to flourish there. Australian racing employs so many people which successive Australian Governments has taken note of to ensure that racing grows. There are 87 million dollar races in Australia much higher than the US and Europe. Yearlings are much less expensive to purchase than in the US or Europe but they are becoming more expensive than previously. Stud fees are rising as well in Australia but still not to the extent as in the US and Europe.
Yes, Flightline could have gone to the Middle East for the Saudi Cup and Dubai World Cup but what if something went array with the horse and he lost or even worse – there goes $180,000,000 – it’s just safer and besides the stud fee, initially anyway, is going to be worth more.
You’ve said it all right there !!! But if he was too have run one more time I would have liked to have seen him in a match race with Life is Good … in a one turn mile !!! Wow, that would have been a site to see !!! Just dreaming !!!
Downthestretch, I would have liked to have witness him attempt 12 furlongs on a fast track at Belmont Park against all comers.
….another wish, ‘IF’ Flightline was just as good on turf as he is on dirt, an assault on the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Wowser.. That would be a Dream for Arc de Triomphe but the 12 furlongs at Belmont I think we would be looking at another Secretariat like feat… Ah but the one mile match race with LIG who is the only horse that can go toe to toe with him at that distance would be the race.
Davids, after thinking about your comment carefully for the past few days, I feel compelled to disagree with you on Flightline’s value.
The 180 million dollar “value” is an inflated one based on the 2% owned by West Point being used as the multiplier for establishing his value. That price was multiplied times the percentage held by the other owners. It is not fair market value which is used by equine insurance companies as the base for full mortality coverage.
You are correct that premiums can be as high as 5% of the fair market value but it really depends on what type of insurance is being purchased; normally the premium is between 2.5 to 4% of the fair market value.
I do not know what the fair market value of Flightline is because I do not know the price paid by all the involved parties,. I daresay it is well below the 180 million.
Additionally, training costs, transportation, nomination fees etc cannot be included in the fair market value.
I would also add that Flightline’s ownership are paying a pretty hefty amount in the way of full mortality insurance on Flightline now that he is standing at stud. Should he drop dead suddenly at a very young age from a “heart attack” for example, only roughly 60% of the value of the insurance would be paid. If there is evidence of malpractice by a veterinarian in the treatment given to the horse, then the insurance company will pay nothing. There is currently a case pending in Kentucky over a vet giving expired medications to a breeding stallion to increase his libido and the stallion died within minutes of the injections. The original owners of the young stallion retained a percentage in the breeding rights and had their own mortality insurance policy which the insurer is refusing to pay because of the veterinarian’s treatment.
Will Farish made a very interesting comment in an interview that I think sheds light on one of the reasons Flightline was retired.
What he said in effect was who was going to be entered in a race (example: The Pegasus) to run against Flightline? Meaning that there was no competition willing to run for 2nd place.
Having followed horse racing since my childhood, I have witnessed first hand a 360 degree paradigm shift in the sport and the business of horse racing. The days horses like Carry Back are long gone, never to return.
Fans of the sport such as myself have to decide if we walk away or continue to try and enjoy the sport under the “new normal”.
There is no doubt that, in my mind at least, there will be other colts in the future who will show the same dazzling display of brilliance, be lightly raced, retired to a very lucrative stud career or at least the expectation of one and will join Flightline in this category where he currently resides alone.
In closing, one final comment. I am in no way trying to disparage Flightline or what he achieved in 6 races. I do, however, take great issue with the status of the sport and the industry today.
Lynda, if Tapit wasn’t so successful at stud, and, possibly even more so, that Constitution hadn’t been so successful at stud as well then Flightline probably would be racing again this year. It’s just you have a once in a century racehorse being sired by a super sire breaking every record. Have you forgotten Northern Dancer and the value of his sons were at stud after winning major races? However, as much as Nijinsky or Dancing Brave were great racehorses they are not in the same league as Flightline. Flightline is exceptional, not just good, but arguably the best.
When Frankel was running in Europe some said he was the best they’d ever seen, others put him below Sea-Bird, Brigadier Gerard, Ribot as did Lester Piggott. Frankel was only kept in training as a four year old as respect/support for the adored but ailing Sir Henry Cecil. Sir Henry Cecil commented: “[Frankel’s] the best I’ve ever had, the best I’ve ever seen. I’d be very surprised if there’s ever been a better.” Frankel was a son of the incomparable, Galileo.
No matter what monetary value you want to put on Flightline at this stage, if he succeeds at stud that value will quadruple to an astronomical sum. Conversely, if he fails at stud the value will plummet. The owners of Flightline are therefore taking a gamble at this stage that Flightline will succeed at stud. As you mentioned above Flightline appears invincible so beating the same bunch of horses is not going to distinguish his reputation any further but should Flightline have a misstep on the track and have to be euthanised wouldn’t that decision be regarded as one of the most stupid risks any owners could have taken?
I was there when Go For Wand took that tragic step, I fled the scene in horror, absolute horror and it took me months to actually reconsider racing again. Flightline has nothing else to prove but the stud book. What do you think would happen to US racing if Flightline came back next year only to suffer a fatal injury on the track?
Lynda, Australian racing in kind is still a bit o’l style and maybe is more to your liking but it’s not perfect either. For me, Flightline, unequivocally, is one of the greatest racehorses to have ever graced the track. History will determine who is closer to the truth.
Davids, there is a risk of a fatal fracture everytime a Thoroughbred steps onto the track to race or train
There is also a risk of horses suffering a fatal fracture in their pastures, in the wild or in their stalls.
Yes, true. Paintings are at risk of fire or vandals but having a Vermeer destroyed is a much greater loss than losing a Rothko. There is a difference.
I would have. The sport needed it. Yes, the insurance would have been very high, but
that group had the money to pay it.
No he is not. Bill Farrish said the 2.5 percent share was an inflated number because of the laws of supply and demand. Flightline’s true value is $100-120 million.
I am with you 100% Lynda and I guess we will all have to learn the new defining of “Great”. Won’t be easy.
Marlaine, I am seriously considering giving up Thoroughbred dirt track racing and following harness racing.
Bulldog Hanover took his bow by winning the TVG Meadowlands Stakes in record breaking time. His record for his 4 year old season was 18 wins out of 20 starts.
During his off time after his three year old season he bred 70 mares (live cover).
Harness racing horses are required to race untl 4 as I understand it and Bull Dog Hanover has certainly proved that a stallion can breed mares and come back at 4 and win races.
80 mare books were the norm for Thoroughbred racing stallions for years.
It is only when these stallions were valued well beyond fair market value that the bookings jumped to over 200 mares a year.
I simply do not see Flightline as being in the same league as the horses Steven talked about and I certainly do not think he is worth 185 million dollars. That is just insanity in my opinion.
So yes, we have to learn the definition of great which will not be easy as you say or in my case, consider walking away.
Lynda, with the travesty and deception of the recent Clark handicap I am right behind you !!! but Harness racing ??? not for me !!! One thing Lynda … Harness racing (unless something has changed) allows artificial insemination. You also have to consider inflated $$$ today for Flightline.
Downthestretch, you are correct. The breeding of Standardbreds does allow for AI, however Bulldog Hanover did bred 70 mares, up close and personal, LOL.
Lucky Bulldog!!!
LOL!
It IS hard, to try and compare greatness….when describing Zenyatta I say show mw other fillies who would’ve been favored in The Classic—and she was favored twice…..IF—you put Flightline in the gate vs Forego, Ack Ack, John Henry, Dr Fager, Kelso, Round Table, Secretariat ….an 8 horse field—do you think Flightline would be a longshot? I think he would be close to favoritism….
What are the specifics of the race and are they all carrying the same weight? But I agree he would get a play !!!
I believe Flightline is the 5th best horse of the 21st century.
All he has are speed figures and margin of victory. He has two impressive performances and only one against a championship level field in the Breeders Cup Classic. And in thar race, the two best horses were compromised by distance and injury which makes the field that much weaker.
I have American Pharoah, Ghostzapper, Arrogate and Justify ahead of him because my rankings are based upon accomplishments, and other than speed figures Flightline’s accomplishments are very slim since margin of victory speaks to field quality more than anything else. He set no Stakes, track or world records.
Phar Lap, raced 51:37–3–2, was shipped by boat, not aeroplane – by boat, to Agua Caliente Racetrack near Tijuana, Mexico, and competed in the Agua Caliente Handicap, which was offering the largest prize money ever offered in North America racing. Phar Lap won in track record time while carrying 129 pounds.
None of the above mentioned greats, went by boat, around 8,400 miles over the ocean, to compete against the best horses around the world and win. Did they travel to Europe to compete on the turf in a foreign land? Are their records diminished because they failed to do the same?
Comparing Flightline with other greats of yesteryear seems a bit silly to me. Would Dr. Fager beat Sea-Bird at Longchamp?
Davids: I’d go with Sea-Bird. Now, if the French Arc champion came to Aqueduct and race the good Dr. at a mile or less, Fager would blow his doors off.
Ms Blacktype, that’s right comparing apples to oranges. My Eurocentric view obviously comes from a childhood influenced by European/Australian relatives but greatness on the racetracks there comes from observed talent rather than numerical attempts at winning. I find it odd that some want to diminish the reputation of the best racehorse seen on a US racetrack in many a long time.
Is Flightline as good as his predecessors mentioned above, who knows, but none of them have Flightline’s record. As Steve Haskin states: “Flightline did things that horses just don’t do or at least have never done” that sounds like true greatness to me.
Davids,
I never saw Sea-Bird race, but I took one look at his picture in the Sports Illustrated story after he won the Arc and it gave me chills. No question one of the greatest horses of the 20th century anywhere in the world.
From what I’ve read and gathered Phar Lap landed ashore…got into a truck…then transfered to a train…got off the train boarded onto another truck and driven up into the starting gate without the benefit of a workout at Caliente.
Yes John, the Phar Lap story is beyond incredible.
Best horse bio. Too bad it’s never on TV
Steve, on YouTube there is a 27 second vintage tape of the real Phar Lap with his strapper Tommy Woodcock playing around in a sand pit.
Steve, John and Davids agree with you on all points …. but the ending of that movie just tore me up and have watched it just once. The bonding between that horse and Tommy Woodcock was so strong.
I believe it is available on YouTube.
Absolutely right.
The expression ” What might have been” comes to mind about Flightline. Yet he never brought me to tears of pure joy that many of the above have. When you see just some of their resume, it seems ludicrous to even compare him to the true legends. Thank you Steve for reminding me once again what it was like to see greatness and to be grateful that I’m old lady.
Marlaine, you wrote what I would have written. Thanks.
> You forgot MAN O’ WAR who Definitely defines greatness!~ REMEMBER BACK THEN TO MAKE MONEY FROM A RACE YOU HAD TO WIN. Scared away much of the competition. AND TIMES STARTING FROM A STANDING START–FROM THE BARRIER. No runups like now..quite the difference not to mention the tracks or extra weight with their shoes–being Steel and Cast Iron. Always under a ‘pull’…also makes quite the difference and in pretty decent times. Outstanding for then.
NEVERTHELESS…Very good article Steve.
I didnt forget Man o War.
Well if Steve chooses not to say why he left Man o’ War off this greatness list, let me pinch hit for him. Man o’ War vs. Secretariat:
Lacking a head-to-head race, the comparison can be likened to a murder case without the body — circumstantial evidence can prevail. In this regard, let me tick off some factors: (1) W-L records: 20-1 (with his sole loss due to a fluke by the starter) vs. 16-5. (2) Largest margin of victory: 100 lengths vs. 32; Man o’ War won the Belmont by 20 lengths when the distance was only 1 3/8 miles. (3)World and US records: 3/2 vs. 2/3 – a wash. (4) Time for 1 5/8 miles: 2:40 4/5 vs. 2:41 4/5. (5) Top weight carried: 138 vs. 126, and as the handicapper told Sam Riddle, Man o’ War would have had to carry up to 150 pounds in his fourth year. (6) Shoes: heavy steel in 1920 vs. lighter aluminum in 1973. (7) Stride: both over 25 feet, but many sources put Man o’ War’s at 28 feet, the longest of all time. (8) Track surfaces: better cushioning and drainage in 1973 vs. 1920, resulting in better footing and faster times by an estimated 2-4 seconds. (9) Number of competitors per race: Secretariat clearly had more as their careers progressed, but there is an asterisk here. As Man o’ War’s dominating winning record kept increasing, even carrying handicap weights far heavier than the competition, fewer and fewer owners were willing to challenge him with their horses, so the fields got progressively smaller. (10) Continuing pedigree influence: Man o’ War has had a profound influence on thoroughbred pedigrees now for ten decades. Although he had 22 seasons in stud, he covered a small number of mares each year (25) compared to the practice today. Nevertheless, he sired 64 stakes winners, his sons won an unmatched 6 triple crown races — including Triple Crown winner War Admiral — and he was the broodmare sire of 128 stakes winners, including 8 champions. His name amazingly appears in the pedigrees of eight other BloodHorse Top 16 horses: Kelso (4), Dr. Fager (6), Forego (8), Seattle Slew (9), Affirmed (12), War Admiral (13), Buckpasser (14), and Damascus (16). One of his grandsons was media darling Seabiscuit. His enduring genes are still very much prevalent in today’s champions (22 connections in American Pharoah’s pedigree, 23 in Arrogate’s, 23 in Justify’s and 29 in Flightline…..far more than any other stallion in these lineages, including Secretariat). If one looks at pedigrees of major stakes winners in 2022, you will find many more pedigree connections to Man o’ War than Secretariat.
I totally agree, Dave.
The other horses were written about in their own context to the term “great” not in comparison to one of the others. Secretariat was a great horse. Man O War was a great horse. Both exhibited the qualities over aa wide variety of reasons why they were great horses including number of races, competition, and variety. You do both horses a disservice trying to down play one over the other when they both had exceptional careers.
oh and it was a horse race you can never say the only reason someone didnt win was the start. things happen.
Man O’War’s only defeat was according to sources then said that he was facing the wrong way while to the rope was pulled and thus behind the other horses at the start.
If…a horse was turned around at the start I’m fairly certain they would’ve been declared a non-starter..
He was trying to provide different examples/illustrations of greatness and not the greatest of all time.
Those who you mentioned were more than horses they were Titans and we have to thank their owners and trainers letting them prove it!
Thank you for this. I was just thinking about how I used to see races exactly once IF they were televised live. (Wide World of Sports!) I had to remember what I saw. I didn’t have anyone to discuss racing with as a kid in Texas. The horses of past eras would be so much more popular today.
Same here, Kellye — at least as an adolescent, which is when I developed my passion for racing. The greats of the Sixties and Seventies would be superstars today.
Yes, Ms Blacktype, but Flightline would be a superstar any decade.
It will be interesting to see if Flightline makes any impact as a sire. Being a great racehorse doesn’t automatically translate into being a great sire or Dam. See Beholder and California Chrome. Maybe they should limit Flightline to 3 matings per year to keep him fresh.
Good One!
Becoming a fan later in life, I really enjoyed getting to learn more about Round Table. Thank you, Steve!
My pleasure Tex.
Flightline was great….as the only Saturday Breeders Cup winner, who ran uncovered into that backstretch wind, he likely would’ve won by 20 lengths, with no headwind, it’s not his fault they only ran him six times, there’s only one pitcher in the baseball Hall of Fame with only 150 wins—Sandy Koufax—he is considered the greatest lefty ever..
Matthew, most respected European racing analysts still regard Sea-Bird as the best they have ever seen. Sea-Bird raced 7 times and was beaten once by his stablemate Grey Dawn, the fault lay with his jockey, Maurice Larraun, not Sea-Bird.
For me, how many times a horse wins a race, how much weight a great horse had to carry in a handicap race in deference to a lesser rival, switching surfaces etc are not the means by which to judge a great horse, it is the ease of which a great horse defeats his best rivals at weight-for-age. Talent is the judge and Flightline showed more talent than most any US runner I’ve seen.
I wish John Nerud was still alive to witness Flightline, to give his opinion on the horse. I remember his opinion on many of the great US runners.
Ill offer a different perspective from another angle….greatness at sprinting with a horse many have either forgotten or don’t much know about….Chinook Pass.
Chinook Pass, a grandson of Native Dancer, ran 25 races winning 16 of those races and finishing in the money 21 times all the while setting or routinely equalling track records such setting the track record in winning the Washington State Stallion Stakes at Longacres Or as establishing the world record for 5 furlongs on the dirt in 55.1 seconds in Longacres Owners Handicap.
Chinook Pass also equalled the North American track record of 56 seconds flat for 5 furlongs on the turf in the Meteor Handicap at HollyPark….or tying the track record in winning the Palos Verde Handicap at Santa Anita in 1:07.3 under a hand ride from Laffit Pincay, Jr. Chinook Pass also won the Bing Crosby Stakes by 8 open lengths at Del Mar in 1:08.3 then won the Longacrres Mile by the largest margin that race’s history (six lengths).
A truly fast and great horse…in fact, Laffit Pincay, Jr. has often said that Chinook Pass the fastest horse he has either ridden or seen run.
I agree.
I’ve said this time, and again, the fastest turn of foot I have ever seen in a Thoroughbred was Chinook Pass, who did not always come out of the gate that well….Crimson Saint…a filly also had a blazing turn of foot ..I was not there but my brother saw Chinook Pass win the opening day Palos Verdes, at Santa Anita, and he was blown away, Chinook Pass was FAST! He also had an eventful retirement, as a celebrity, they took him to movie premiers, and parades, he also helped foil a robbery, when a cop climbed aboard—you couldn’t outrun Chinook Pass, the greatest Washington bred!
From what I read from others is that Chinook Pass might have been more popular than John Henry at the SC race tracks…but I’ll let others to debate that.
However, I also read that there might have been talks with a track in England…perhaps Ascot…about luring Chinook Pass over there and set up the racecourse where CP might have broken some world records in shorter distance turf races.
Well I’ll set it straight, since I was there. John Henry and Cougar II were the most popular horses of their time, in SoCal …years later Best Pal was very popular….Zenyatta….Chrome. ….were crowd favorites… I don’t know that much about NY horses, but I think his name was Fourstardave….very popular..
I do recall CHINOOK PASS being popular in these parts but he was nowhere near as popular as JOHN HENRY and COUGAR II. CALIFORNIA CHROME was quite a fan favorite. ZENYATTA was beloved by racing fans (to say the least).
Secretariat’s career precedes my racing awareness, so i am far from an authority on his career and cultural impact. From what i have gathered, i notice some paralells between Secretariat and Flightline. While Secretariat had many indelible moments, namely Penny Chenery waving to the crowd, the ‘tremendous machine’ Belmont, and his locomotive breath final start in Canada, i haven’t seen the refusal to lose seen in some of your other examples. It could be argued that mismanagement due to his impending retirement led to him running when he should have stayed in the barn, the fact remains that when he wasn’t feeling his best, he lost. Maybe he never got the chance, but i can’t be sure of his will to defeat another horse. We can also never know this of Flightline. Maybe they are both victims of their own brilliance. All said, Secretariate’s best is still probably better than anyone else’s.
Secretariat was sick in the Wood Memorial but it was not known.
In the Whitney Stakes, he had a fever and only ran because of all the fans who came to see him.
In the Woodward Stakes, he was not conditioned properly.
Lots of greats. But I cry whenever I remember secretariat watching him when he won. Forget the winning. He was also an actor, and I understand a very pleasant horse and relatively easy to control, and people liked him and he liked people. There was nothing he didn’t have and no I don’t know a lot about flightline. I just know his races, not his character. It takes character and heart and soul, as well as speed to be a truly great horse.
Wow, what a fabulous read. You stirred some memories in me that were dormant for a long time. I have often said how great a turf horse Round Table was but many folks never had heard of him. He was also brilliant on the dirt. I remember the 1959 Woodward Stakes, Round Table finished 3rd behind the brilliant Sword Dancer with Hillsdale 2nd. Forego winning the Woodward 4 straight years. I sure enjoyed this walkabout through time depicting these few greats.
I love Flightline, he could have been an all time great but his connections are chasing money not historical glory. When you can make 30-40 million a year in the breeding shed, then why wouldn’t you. His Breeders Cup Classic time was slower then American Pharoah’s & track record holder Authentic. The BCC this year was a strange race IMO, suicide fractions by LIG & a pretty pedestrian last half mile. Epicenter getting hurt really bothered me as I though he would run a big race.
Flightline is the new generation of superstars. Race 5-7 times, go undefeated & get anointed by today’s racing so called experts. Steve, I consider you a racing expert, pretty much why I thought this blog was so great.
Thank you….
Thanks Deacon.
I think John Henry’s greatness and popularity were based on two things. Number one, his longevity. Fans really got to know him and as Steve Haskin points out, John Henry won four Grade 1s at the age of nine. Number two, and what I think really made John Henry a fan favorite, is that he tried to win each and every race. Sadly, no matter what Churchill Downs does with the name, the Arlington Million is gone forever. But I’ll always remember that battle between The Bart and John Henry. The Bart looked the winner until the photo said that he wasn’t. I’m still not sure all these years later.
I missed Dr. Fager’s 1968. I didn’t become interested in the sport until 1973. Dr. Fager being named Horse of the Year,
Champion Grass Horse, Champion Older Horse, and Champion Sprinter is quite the “Grand Slam”. An almost unbelievable achievement.
Steve Haskin makes the case to put Flightline in a category of his own. That sounds reasonable to me. The way things are going, can it be very long before we have more horses in that same category? I mean lightly raced and undefeated horses. Mr. Haskin also mentions that Dr. Fager only raced 22 times. That would be seven seasons for Flightline. Not a knock on Flightline. It just justifies Flightline being in a category of his own. Six races, but six awesome races. A track record or two would have been nice, but I realize that many tracks are deeper and more tiring in this age of “safety”. Only time will tell how Flightline will be remembered. I have a hunch that in 10 or 20 years, anyone writing about Flightline, whether it be Steve Haskin or someone else, will start the essay “Flightline only raced six times, but……”
Well Steve, you are certainly on top of things this Monday after Thanksgiving! Maybe it’s because you’re a vegetarian — turkey induces torpor that lasts for days!
Wonderful recap of some of the true greats of the last half of the 20th century. Special thanks for including Round Table, an often overlooked member of the foal crop of 1954, which also included Bold Ruler, Gallant Man, and the ill-fated Gen. Duke. Round Table just kept running and winning, lasting longer than the other three. He’s arguably the most influential sire of his class, despite Bold Ruler’s precocity as a sire of 2YO stakes winners. Round Table also raced through the age of 5. He is a marker for both stamina and soundness in a pedigree. I always loved the name of his sire, Princequillo, although I’ve always wondered how to pronounce it!
How about a kind word for the remarkable Zenyatta. It is truly a shame that she has not produced any offspring worthy of her accomplishments, but sometimes that how it is for great race mares, like Zenyatta and Genuine Risk. A trainer/friend I had purchased a big TB mare who was ruled off the track – she flipped in the starting gate – and that mare was an incredible event horse up to the Intermediate Level (just below Olympic Level Advanced), survived a devastating trailer accident that went from “put her down,” to “pasture ornament” to “trail horse” to a return to competition. I never knew her registered name, so I can’t put up her pedigree, but she was an incredible mare, very fast, beautiful. Too bad she was, apparently claustrophobic, so never raced.