Histoires d'étalons

L'auteure primée Margaret Ransom poursuit sa série d'histoires d'étalons, qui se concentre parfois sur les hongres. Les sujets précédents de la série incluent Seattle Slew, Silver Charm, Grindstone, Storm Cat, Go For Gin et le hongre John Henry.

J.O. Tobin

Chat tempête

Cigare

Go For Gin

Wild Again et Slew o' Or

Démarrage rapide

Par Margaret Ransom

Lexington, originaire du Kentucky, Wes Lanter a passé la majeure partie de sa vie entouré de certains des meilleurs pur-sang de la dernière génération.

Le cavalier vétéran a été à la fois palefrenier et/ou directeur d'étalons dans certaines des fermes d'élevage les plus prospères et les plus connues du Bluegrass, notamment Spendthrift Farm, Three Chimneys et Overbrook Cultiver. Il a également travaillé au Kentucky Horse Park. Au cours de sa carrière de plus de 30 ans, l'homme de 54 ans a travaillé avec trois vainqueurs de la Triple Couronne, à la fois pur-sang et standardbred, cinq autres vainqueurs du Kentucky Derby et plusieurs champions et membres du Temple de la renommée.

Encyclopédie ambulante sur la plupart des courses de pur-sang, Lanter partage ses histoires préférées sur les chevaux dont il se considère privilégié. Depuis qu'il a quitté le poste de superviseur de la section équine au Temple des champions du Kentucky Horse Park en 2015, Lanter a compilé des histoires sur «ses chevaux» et décidé d'où viendra le prochain chapitre de sa vie.

Le Cheval

Pedigree : A.P. Indy—Steady Cat, par Storm Cat
Couleur : baie
Né : 18 janvier 1999—19 mai 2019
Propriétaire/Éleveur : Ferme Overbrook (W.T. Young)
Formateur : D. Wayne Lukas
Relevé de carrière : 5-2-1-0
Revenus de carrière : 221 265 $
Victoires notables : 2001 Spécial Saratoga (G2)

Reconstituer un étalon

Histoires d'étalons :Jump Start – Avec l'aimable autorisation de Wes Lanter

Lanter n'était pas à Overbrook Farm depuis longtemps lorsque Jump Start est entré dans son monde en tant que l'un des jeunes homebreds les plus prometteurs de la ferme. Le fils d'A.P. Indy n'a pas fini par être l'un des plus célèbres de sa vie, mais il deviendrait l'un des plus importants pour un certain nombre de raisons.

En tant que cheval de course, tout le monde en 2001 savait qui était Jump Start, bien sûr. Le bel apprenti bai D. Wayne Lukas a remporté le Saratoga Special (G2) et est entré dans une Breeders 'Cup Juvenile (G1) très profonde et talentueuse de 2001 assez appréciée lorsque l'impensable s'est produit.

Jump Start a subi une fracture du condyle à l'os du canon avant gauche et a ensuite subi une intervention chirurgicale importante pour réparer la blessure.

Je me souviens que Pat Day l'a soudainement tiré sur le derrière », se souvient Lanter à propos de cette journée quelque peu sombre peu de temps après les attentats terroristes du 11 septembre contre l'Amérique. «Mais il était de retour à la ferme littéralement quelques jours plus tard. J'avais une petite grange à trois chevaux en haut dans laquelle il était pendant un certain temps pour récupérer. Sa jambe était difficile à voir et nous avons été prudents, nous ne l'avons pas élevé tout de suite pour qu'il puisse s'y habituer, mais peu de temps après, il était dans l'étable principale des étalons et a très bien commencé sa carrière de reproducteur.

Ses radios (après l'opération) étaient incroyables, je n'ai jamais rien vu de tel avant ou depuis. Ils ont fusionné sa cheville et il avait 20 vis ou plus là-dedans. Mais il s'en est très bien sorti et s'est bien débrouillé, il a également élevé ses juments sans aucun problème. »

La plupart du temps, il faut un certain temps pour qu'un cheval passe du cheval de course à l'étalon reproducteur, mais ce n'était pas le cas pour Jump Start. Lanter dit que le poulain a toujours été facile et s'est tout de suite intégré.

Jump Start a toujours eu autant de classe », se souvient Lanter. «Je veux dire depuis le début, quand il était à peine hors de la piste, il n'a jamais vraiment fait ce que les chevaux à peine hors de la piste faisaient normalement. Il n'a jamais été stupide ou stupide.

"Il a toujours eu une attitude professionnelle. Une fois, Seth Hancock (de Claiborne Farm) est venu le voir et il m'a dit qu'un matin à Churchill Downs, il conduisait Pat Day jusqu'à l'avant depuis la zone des écuries et Pat Day a dit :'Lukas a un AP Indy colt qui pourrait être de n'importe quelle sorte », se référant à Jump Start. Et venant d'un coureur comme Pat Day, vous saviez que c'était vrai. Jump Start était certainement un cas de potentiel inexploité. »

Le meilleur ami d'un enfant

Pendant tout son mandat à Overbrook Farm, le paddock de Jump Start était le plus proche de la maison de Lanter, qui était la plus proche du complexe d'étalons sur la propriété. Presque tous les matins comme

Lanter se dirigea vers le travail, Jump Start était là, attendant que son palefrenier l'amène pour le petit-déjeuner ou pour l'attention de ceux qui vont et viennent par la porte arrière de la ferme. Et en raison de la proximité de sa maison, le jeune fils de Lanter, Noah, et l'étalon ont formé un lien enviable.

« En gros, j'avais Jump Start qui courait dans ma cour avant », a expliqué Lanter. «Quand Noah était petit, il caressait toujours et jouait avec Jump Start. Et Noah marchait jusqu'à la clôture pour le voir et il courait le long de la clôture et ils jouaient. Noah l'aimait vraiment et je ne me suis jamais inquiété. Il savait respecter les chevaux, mais je ne pouvais pas imaginer que Jump Start fasse quoi que ce soit.

"Nous n'utilisons pas de surnoms mièvres pour les chevaux, mais Noah l'a appelé "Jumpy" et je l'ai laissé faire. Lorsque Noah a déménagé dans (un collège) dans le Wisconsin, il a parlé de lui à tous ses amis et c'était comme leur parler de l'un de ses amis les plus proches à la maison. C'était un enfant tellement chanceux d'avoir grandi avec des gens comme Seattle Slew et Storm Cat et ces types, mais Jump Start était son préféré. »

Un étalon utile, sinon parfois un étalon réticent

Il est facile d'imaginer qu'il serait difficile pour un étalon de briller dans l'ombre du légendaire Storm Cat, mais Jump Start a certainement eu sa part de succès en tant que père. Lanter reste fier de ce qu'il a accompli.

"Il est vraiment devenu un étalon utile", a déclaré Lanter. «Je veux dire, juste au sommet de ma tête, il a engendré (millionnaires) Prayer For Relief and Rail Trip, et aussi Icabad Crane. Il est allé en Amérique du Sud et a passé un été là-bas et a également engendré quelques champions là-bas. J'ai toujours été satisfait de ses réalisations. »

Le seul problème que Lanter dit qu'il a jamais eu avec Jump Start est que le cheval semblait préférer traîner dans son paddock ou visiter des gens plutôt que d'être un véritable étalon.

"Je veux dire, il se reproduisait mais c'était comme s'il ne s'en souciait pas vraiment", se souvient Lanter. « Parfois, nous le mettions dans le stand du teaser pour l'amener à taquiner les juments et essayer de le mettre dans l'ambiance.

« Dans l'ensemble, il était meilleur que la plupart des étalons. Trop de gens adhèrent à l'ensemble, " les étalons sont diaboliques et ils peuvent vous tuer ", et même si c'était certainement vrai pour certains - et j'en ai certainement eu quelques-uns - la plupart ne sont pas diaboliques et Jump Start était la chose la plus éloignée à partir de cela. Il avait une attitude formidable et était une joie d'être autour. Il n'avait pas beaucoup de visiteurs qui venaient juste le voir, mais quand les gens voulaient se rapprocher d'un étalon, je me sentais toujours en sécurité en les laissant près de lui.

Et il était beau, surtout pour un si gros cheval. Parfois, les gros chevaux ne sont pas aussi raffinés et ressemblent plus à un parcours, mais Jump Start était un très joli cheval. »

« En ce qui concerne les étalons, nous avions toujours des attentes réalistes, donc quand ils avaient du succès en tant que père, c'était toujours bien quand ils les dépassaient et Jump Start l'a certainement fait », se souvient Lanter. "J'ai aimé regarder et lire sur ses coureurs et leurs succès.

"Quand j'ai lu qu'il était décédé, j'étais triste, nous étions copains, il était le copain de mon fils", se souvient Lanter.

Histoires d'étalons :élever un natif

Par Margaret Ransom

Wes Lanter, originaire de Lexington, Kentucky, a passé la majeure partie de sa vie entouré de certains des meilleurs pur-sang de la dernière génération.

Le cavalier vétéran a été à la fois palefrenier et/ou directeur d'étalons dans certaines des fermes d'élevage les plus prospères et les plus connues du Bluegrass, notamment Spendthrift Farm, Three Chimneys et Overbrook Cultiver. Il a également travaillé au Kentucky Horse Park. Au cours de sa carrière de plus de 30 ans, l'homme de 54 ans a travaillé avec trois vainqueurs de la Triple Couronne, pur-sang et standardbred, cinq autres vainqueurs du Kentucky Derby et plusieurs champions et membres du Temple de la renommée.

Le Cheval

Pedigree : Native Dancer—Raise You, par Case Ace
Couleur : Châtaigne
Né : 18 avril 1961—28 juillet 1988
Éleveur : Ferme Happy Hill
Propriétaire : Louis Wolfson (Ferme avec vue sur le port)
Formateur : Burley Parke
Relevé de carrière : 4-4-0-0
Revenus de carrière : 45 955 $

Victoires notables

Grands enjeux américains, enjeux juvéniles

Réalisations

Championne d'Amérique des 2 ans (1963)

Le "Big Red" de Spendthrift

Son nom apparaît également dans les lignées de près de deux douzaines de gagnants du Kentucky Derby - Country House, Justify, American Pharoah, Always Dreaming, I'll Have Another, Super Saver, Street Sense, Smarty Jones, Funny Cide, War Emblem, Monarchos, Fusaichi Pegasus, Real Quiet, Grindstone, Thunder Gulch, Strike the Gold, Unbridled, Alysheba, Genuine Risk, Affirmed and Majestic Prince.

Il est difficile de regarder un pedigree pur-sang moderne et de ne pas y trouver Raise A Native, et il est sûr de dire que même les personnes ayant un intérêt passager pour les courses et l'élevage de pur-sang savent qui Raise Un autochtone était et son importance pour la race.

« Il était déjà qui il était au moment où je suis arrivé à l'écurie des étalons », se souvient Lanter. «Mais j'ai vite appris beaucoup de choses sur lui. Je veux dire, je me souviens l'avoir regardé et étudié les statistiques de son père et avoir pensé que c'était tragique qu'il n'ait couru que quatre fois. Je pense qu'il a également établi un record à chaque fois qu'il courait.

« Charles Hatton, le grand écrivain de gazon, a écrit un jour à propos de Raise A Native alors qu'il avait 2 ans : « Raise a Native a travaillé sur le tronçon arrière de Belmont ce matin. Les arbres se balançaient.’ Et j’y ai toujours pensé quand je pensais à Raise A Native. »

Raise A Native avait bien dans la vingtaine lorsque Lanter et lui se sont croisés pour la première fois, mais ce qui l'a frappé à propos de l'étalon, c'est à quel point il avait l'air jeune et à quel point il était en forme.

"C'était un étalon plus âgé, mais il était tellement musclé", a déclaré Lanter. « Il était construit comme un tank. Je pense que n'importe quel quarter horse aurait été impressionné par son apparence. Il ressemblait à la quintessence de la forme physique ultime, même à cet âge. »

Une chose que Raise A Native aimait était son travail d'étalon, dit Lanter. La plupart des étalons aiment leur travail, a-t-il noté, et Raise A Native a toujours été un « bon éleveur ». Mais chaque fois après son rendez-vous avec une jument, il passait un moment privilégié avec elle avant d'être emmené.

"Clem (Brooks, le marié du grand Nashua) l'appelait "Big Red"", se souvient Lanter. "Alors nous l'avons tous appelé" Big Red ". Et après chaque accouplement, ils emmenaient Raise A Native jusqu'à la tête de la jument et Clem disait :« Embrasse-la, Big Red. L'embrasser." Et il l'a fait, il a blotti sa jument. Raise A Native avait une bonne personnalité, vraiment. »

Élever un indigène, l'enseignant

Raise A Native, qui a pris sa retraite en 1963 après avoir subi une flexion du tendon, a absolument mérité son droit de se comporter à peu près comme il le voulait, bien que l'équipe de palefreniers de Spendthrift Farm continue de lui faisait penser à ses manières pour la plupart. Cela ne voulait pas dire que l'étalon n'avait pas testé ses humains, en particulier Lanter.

"Raise A Native n'était pas du tout un mauvais cheval et avait une bonne personnalité", se souvient Lanter. «Mais il connaissait définitivement son public. Il avait des gars qu'il choisissait et qui rendait tout difficile pour lui, et j'étais certainement l'un de ceux pour lui.

"Clem (Brooks) me dirait d'aller chercher Raise A Native. Alors j'irais là-bas pour le chercher et il serait juste un âne. J'étais sur le point de l'attraper et il se retournait et s'enfuyait. C'était comme s'il disait :"Tu ne m'attrapes pas, gamin". Vous ne l'avez pas encore gagné.' Il pourrait vraiment être un idiot, mais il était Raise A Native. "

Malgré son empreinte sur la race pur-sang, Raise A Native n'a pas attiré le plus de fans une fois que les gagnants de la Triple Couronne, Seattle Slew et Affirmed, se sont présentés à Spendthrift Farm, se souvient Lanter. Mais il a toujours été considéré comme le « cheval du piédestal » et lorsqu'il a été montré aux visiteurs, la plupart étaient impressionnés par sa beauté.

« Je veux dire, tout le monde à cette époque est principalement venu voir le Slew and Affirmed », a déclaré Lanter. "Ce qui avait du sens puisqu'ils venaient tous les deux de remporter la Triple Couronne, mais nous avons beaucoup montré à Raise A Native et j'ai entendu des gens comparer Raise A Native à un équidé Adonis, ce qui était une description parfaite de lui."

Lanter avait quitté Spendthrift Farm pour de nouvelles opportunités au moment où Raise A Native a été euthanasié en 1988 à 27 ans en raison d'une dégénérescence de la colonne vertébrale, mais il ressent un immense sentiment de fierté quand il se souvient de son du temps avec le châtaignier, qui a contribué à façonner la race pour toujours.

« Je me souviens quand il est décédé », se souvient Lanter. "Sur la couverture du Blood-Horse, le dernier numéro de sa vie, il y avait une photo de Seeking the Gold et Forty Niner en train de se battre contre le fil dans les Travers Stakes de cette année-là. Je n'ai pas oublié que ses deux petits-fils se battaient pour remporter le Midsummer Derby, sans doute l'un des plus grands enjeux du calendrier des courses. Pour le meilleur ou pour le pire, il a changé la race et cette image était un exemple classique et un grand hommage.

"Avoir travaillé avec lui signifie certainement plus pour moi maintenant que lorsque j'avais 19 ans. Que dire de lui ? C'était un grand cheval, une grande influence et j'ai certainement eu la chance d'avoir été là aussi à Spendthrift avec lui. »

Histoires d'étalons :J.O. Tobin

Par Margaret Ransom

Lexington, originaire du Kentucky, Wes Lanter a passé la majeure partie de sa vie entouré de certains des meilleurs pur-sang de la dernière génération.

Le Cheval

Pedigree :Never Bend-Hill Shade, par Hillary
Couleur :Baie foncé/marron
Né :28 mars 1974; Décédé : 1994
Éleveur/Propriétaire :George A. Pope Jr.
Formateurs :Noel Murless, John H. Adams, Laz Barerra
Jockeys :Lester Piggott, Bill Shoemaker
Carrière de carrière :21-12-2-2
Revenus de carrière :668 159 $

Victoires notables

Prix du Champagne Laurent Perrier (G2T) ; pieux de Richmond (G2T); Échange d'enjeux (G1) ; Handicap Coronado ; enjeux californiens (G1) ; enjeux de Malibu (G2) ; Handicap de San Bernardino (G2); Premier handicap ; Handicap de Los Angeles (G2) ; Handicap Tom Fool.

Réalisations

1976 Britannique de 2 ans le mieux noté ; sprinteur co-champion du prix Eclipse 1978 (avec le Dr Patches); définir NTR Hollywood Park, 1 1/8 miles en 1:47

L'étalon et la recrue

Au moment où Lanter a rencontré J.O. Tobin, il s'agissait d'un jeune marié de 19 ans qui venait de sortir de l'école et de son court passage à travailler avec des yearlings à Spendthrift à Lexington lorsqu'il a été «appelé dans la cour des grands» pour travailler avec les étalons. C'était un gros problème pour la recrue, qui voulait plus que tout passer sa carrière à travailler avec eux.

"Pour atteindre la division des étalons, vous étiez définitivement promu dans l'équipe 'A'", se souvient Lanter de ce jour en 1983 lorsqu'il est entré dans l'ancien U- complexe d'étalons en forme à Spendthrift. "C'était donc moi - le gamin - entrant dans ce groupe d'hommes plus âgés qui étaient là depuis toujours, tous les messieurs plus âgés, les palefreniers de longue date. Ils pouvaient être un peu croustillants, mais le travail était leur vie et ils en étaient très fiers; ils étaient tous très fiers d'être grooms d'étalons. »

À l'époque, Spenthrift élevait plus de juments d'à peu près partout et le complexe d'étalons détenait certains des meilleurs géniteurs de l'histoire.

« C'était un grand compliment qu'ils m'aient fait suffisamment confiance pour me faire passer dans la division des étalons », se souvient Lanter. « Quand vous êtes entré dans cette grange et que vous avez tourné à droite, il y avait Seattle Slew, J.O. Tobin, Valdez, Caro, Gallant Man, Affirmed, Wajima, Lord Avie, Raise A Native, Mehmet, State Dinner et Northern Jove, qui était en fait un teaser dans le Maryland avant de comprendre qu'il était aussi un bon père.

« Je n'étais qu'un enfant, mais j'étais un grand fan de course et j'avais tout lu sur les étalons, en particulier les plus âgés. C'était un honneur d'aller travailler tous les jours. »

À côté de Seattle, Slew vivait J.O. Tobin, ce qui était intéressant dans ce J.O. Tobin a livré à son voisin vainqueur de la Triple Couronne, auparavant invaincu, sa première défaite en carrière lors des Swaps Stakes de 1977 à Hollywood Park. Le fils bien élevé de Never Bend, qui a commencé sa carrière de pilote en Angleterre avant d'être ramené à la maison à l'âge de 3 ans, a été nommé en l'honneur de l'un des membres fondateurs du San Francisco Chronicle.

« J.O. Tobin, que nous appelions juste Tobin, pourrait très probablement être le plus beau cheval que j'ai jamais vu », se souvient Lanter. «Je veux dire, il était incroyablement beau. Il était essentiellement une peinture à l'huile. Et, bien sûr, je savais qu'il battait Slew et j'étais un grand fan de Slew, donc il y avait ce respect. Je me souviens de Karen (Taylor, copropriétaire de Seattle Slew) disant qu'il y avait eu un tremblement de terre à Los Angeles la veille (les Swaps) et qu'il avait aussi secoué Slew, mais je pense que ce jour-là, Tobin était juste plus prêt pour le gagner pour un certain nombre de raisons."

Tobin le professeur

Les étalons, en règle générale, peuvent être notoirement mauvais se comportent, mais peu ont les mêmes bizarreries négatives. Certains sont signalés comme étant méchants et/ou difficiles, d'autres peuvent être bizarres dans l'étable d'élevage et d'autres peuvent être simplement imprévisibles. Tobin, se souvient Lanter, était tout simplement difficile.

« Tobin a été le premier étalon qui m'a échappé », se souvient Lanter. «Il s'est relevé, a mis sa jambe au-dessus de la tige et a fait ce tour, et c'était fini. Tout le monde criait « laissez-le partir, laissez-le partir » et je l'ai fait, mais c'est une leçon qu'il m'a apprise. Il était toujours difficile, donc c'était juste lui qui était lui. Il prenait une douche et c'est à ce moment-là qu'il l'a fait. J'ai alors appris à le réparer, à simplement tendre la main et à saisir la tige près de la tête, mais c'était ma première leçon et je ne l'ai jamais oublié.''

Et chaque jour de travail avec Tobin était une leçon de patience, se souvient Lanter.

« Il était juste très nerveux », a expliqué Lanter. "Il n'était pas dur, vraiment, ou méchant. Il était juste nerveux, mais gérable. Il était difficile à emmener dans son paddock et à ramener chaque jour, un défi. Il était bon quand vous alliez le laisser partir, il ne s'échappait pas de la porte avant que vous ne soyez prêt et que vous vous en éloigniez et que vous fassiez cela, mais il était toujours prêt à aller se dégourdir les jambes.

"Je me souviens (jockey) Eddie Delahousaye m'avoir dit une fois que chaque Tobin (progéniture) qu'il avait monté était un peu fou et trop tendu. Sauf Magical Mile, qui était probablement l'un des meilleurs fils de Tobin. Je ne sais pas si c'est pour cela qu'il n'a jamais été un étalon, mais je suppose qu'il l'a malheureusement transmis. »

Une visite de "M. Mai"

Les étalons comme J. O. Tobin n'ont pas eu une tonne de visiteurs à Spendthrift Farm, la plupart des gens voulaient voir les deux gagnants de la Triple Couronne, Seattle Slew et Affirmed. Mais cela ne veut pas dire que Tobin n'avait pas son lot d'admirateurs, dont un joueur de baseball très célèbre.

Le cogneur de la ligue majeure Dave Winfield est venu à Spendthrift pour une visite au milieu des années 1980 et a pris goût à J. O. Tobin. Lanter, qui mesure lui-même bien plus de six pieds de haut, montrait l'étalon au cogneur de 6 pieds 6 pouces et 220 livres quand quelque chose s'est produit qui ne s'était jamais produit auparavant.

« Winfield m'a pris la tige des mains », se souvient Lanter. « Il a dit : « Tiens, laisse-moi tenir ce cheval. » Et Tobin n'a pas bronché. Il se tenait là comme un champion. Je ne pouvais pas le croire. Il était là, ce géant d'homme qui s'accrochait à cet étalon qui pouvait être très difficile, mais il était sage et n'a pas bronché. Ce jour-là, nous avons tous (équipé des étalons) pris une photo avec Winfield et Tobin de tous les chevaux. »

Ce qui aurait pu être

Les deux J.O. Tobin et Seattle Slew ont pris leurs fonctions de haras à Spendthrift la même année, 1979, et tous deux ont commandé les mêmes frais à six chiffres de 150 000 $. Au moment où ils ont pris leur retraite, les frais pour les deux étaient logiques.

"Ils sont allés au haras en même temps et au même prix et si vous aviez demandé à quelqu'un à l'époque qui aurait été un meilleur étalon, l'opinion populaire était à coup sûr Tobin », a expliqué Lanter. « Il avait le pedigree en tant que fils de Never Bend et était issu du bon producteur Hill Shade. Il avait beaucoup de points positifs. Il est difficile de l'imaginer à l'époque compte tenu de l'issue de leur carrière de haras, mais c'est vrai. »

Et pourtant malgré le fait que J.O. Tobin était très apprécié à la fois pour son pedigree et son record de course, et a attiré certaines des meilleures juments dans ses premières récoltes - "vous ne faites pas passer Becky du Back 40 à un étalon de 150 000 $", a déclaré Lanter - il n'a jamais pu vivre à la hauteur des espoirs et des attentes initiaux fixés pour lui lorsqu'il a pris sa retraite et a quitté Spendthrift à la fin des années 1980, rebondissant dans différentes fermes avant de finalement terminer sa carrière au Nouveau-Mexique, où il est décédé en 1994 à l'âge de 20 ans.

"Je ne me souviens pas du décès de Tobin, j'étais passé à Three Chimneys à ce moment-là", a déclaré Lanter. « Mais j'ai supprimé sa nécrologie du Thoroughbred Times.

"Je suppose que quand je pense à lui - tous ceux avec qui j'ai travaillé - à la fin, ce ne sont que des chevaux. Il ne m'a pas autant impressionné que d'autres, mais il était aussi beau qu'un cheval pouvait l'être et je m'en souviens. Et si vous demandez à quelqu'un qui a travaillé avec lui, il a fait une impression positive sur eux aussi, même s'il n'était pas la plus grande star."

Histoires d'étalons :Chat des tempêtes

Par Wes Lanter (comme dit à Margaret Ransom)

Une chose à propos de l'industrie du pur-sang dans son ensemble est qu'elle a parfois l'impression qu'elle va aussi vite que les chevaux. Rien que dans l'hémisphère nord, chaque année commence par l'espoir de nouveaux poulains, suivie de la saison de reproduction de cinq mois avec tous les doigts croisés, puis la quête du port des roses Derby et le Triple Crown Trail, les grands rendez-vous estivaux de chaque la côte et, ensuite, le compte à rebours de la Breeders' Cup, qui se termine et célèbre ce qui est toujours dans les mémoires comme une année sensationnelle. Et à la fin, beaucoup d'entre nous regardent en arrière et se demandent :« Comment cela s'est-il passé si vite ? »

Mais aussi vite que cela semble passer pour certains, le temps s'arrête parfois pour d'autres. Le grand étalon Storm Cat est décédé il y a 5 ans et demi et il est difficile de croire que cela fait dix ans que les trois derniers poulains pur-sang - plus un Quarter Horse - du grand étalon sont arrivés, mais son influence sur la race, ainsi que sur les gens qui l'aimait et prenait soin de lui, reste.

Pour Wes Lanter, qui était en charge de la vie de Storm Cat à Overbrook Farm à Lexington, Kentucky, à partir de 2000 jusqu'à la fermeture de la célèbre opération de pur-sang de WT Young en 2009 et même au-delà , les années ont passé — mais les souvenirs forts et l'amour pour Storm Cat restent, parfois comme si le temps s'était arrêté.

Avec la saison de reproduction 2019 qui vient de commencer, faisons un tour dans le passé avec l'ancien directeur des étalons d'Overbrook Farm et souvenons-nous de l'un des étalons les plus célèbres et les plus prolifiques de la mémoire récente et de son temps à Overbrook Farm, où l'éleveur de Pennsylvanie a passé toute sa vie après la course.

Yeux sur Storm Cat tout le temps

Peu de temps après l'arrivée de Lanter à Overbrook Farm pour prendre ses fonctions de responsable des étalons, les propriétaires de la ferme ont décidé que Storm Cat aurait toujours les yeux sur lui. Un système de sécurité de haute technologie était déjà en place et plusieurs veilleurs de nuit étaient chargés de maintenir le bien-être de tous les chevaux lorsque le personnel de jour était rentré à la maison, mais avec les frais de haras de Storm Cat de 500 000 $ (sans garantie) faisant de lui l'étalon le plus précieux du Nord Amérique à l'époque, plus de précautions ont été mises en place pour garantir sa sécurité.

« [À l'époque] ils ont laissé partir un gars », se souvient Lanter. « Il vivait et travaillait à la ferme, mais personne n'était vraiment sûr de sa vie et de ses activités en dehors de là. Il était littéralement l'employé d'Overbrook Farm le plus improbable, un gars hirsute et négligé et je ne sais pas comment il a réussi à passer la première partie verbale de son entretien, mais il n'était certainement pas typique.

"M. Young a toujours protégé sa ferme par excès de prudence, des clôtures roulant avec la topographie et n'étant pas que des paddocks carrés, aux chevaux. C'était un architecte et un artiste avec un œil aiguisé d'architecte et d'artiste et ces décisions ont toujours été prises dans le meilleur intérêt des chevaux aussi. Le gars n'a jamais fait de menace à ma connaissance, mais il a définitivement rendu certaines personnes nerveuses quand il est parti. »

Une petite cabane de garde complète avec un contrôle climatique complet a été intégrée dans l'un des deux enclos de Storm Cat, le plus proche de l'étable des étalons et de l'étable d'élevage, ou "en bas" où il 'passait la majeure partie de la saison de reproduction, et il avait un gardien à temps plein près de son enclos, loin du centre de la ferme, ou "au sommet de la colline" pendant les mois d'été et d'automne. Personne qui n'était pas censé être près de Storm Cat n'a jamais été près de Storm Cat.

Et même avec des yeux sur lui à tout moment, parfois Storm Cat ne rendait pas les choses faciles pour ses soignants. Il était toujours en bonne santé, dans l'ensemble, mais il avait parfois le don de provoquer une panique inutile.

"Il pouvait être nerveux, et parfois il était un paquet d'énergie, donc nous étions certainement préoccupés par le fait qu'il se blesse, mais il n'était pas méchant", se souvient Lanter. “He had a reputation, I suppose, when he was younger, but he was, what, 17 years old by the time I started working with him later in his life, so maybe he’d aged out of a lot of it, I don’t know.

“I remember the first time I went to put the shank on him [and] I don’t know if he was testing me or what, but he kind of acted up and I let him get over it. We always got along well after that. He always knew when it was time to come in; it was like he wore a wristwatch. He came in every day at two when he was turned out and, when we’d head up there to get him, he’d start walking — like he was reminding us it was his time to come in.

“One rainy day, he was out and he went tearing across it and he kind of did this little jump and side kick, and when he did it and landed, the wet ground kind of went out from underneath him and he did a complete somersault right in front of me. I immediately called [resident vet and general manager] Dr. Yokum and he checked him out thoroughly and he was fine, but it definitely took a couple of years off my life.”

The King Meets the Queen

Sometime in about 2002, during Storm Cat’s reign as the leading sire in North America with a $500,000 stud fee, seven-figures paid for his offspring at auction, consistent stakes winners and a steady stream of the best mares in the game visiting him daily, arrangements were made for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to visit Overbrook Farm and inspect the famed stallion. Her love of horses — especially racehorses — has never been a secret to the world, so it was not a big surprise when the farm workers were notified of her scheduled visit a couple days ahead of time.

And while the Queen was interested in seeing all the horses and touring the farm, Storm Cat was her priority.

“There was no ‘meeting’ the Queen for me,” Lanter recalls. “We were given some protocol a day or so in advance to not speak to her and things like that, but we showed her both Storm Cat and also Jump Start.

“And I know she’s a grandmother, and a great grandmother and all, and she was actually dressed like one, not like you’d think a queen would be dressed. She was wearing this little printed frock you’d probably see any grandmother wear and it was kind of nice seeing her in that context. She came with [former British Ambassador and Lane’s End Farm owner] Will Farish and she seemed to enjoy inspecting [Storm Cat]. And it’s probably the only time I’ll ever be around royalty again.

“Storm Cat always had regular visitors, but the farm was private so it wasn’t a steady stream like other farms. A few celebrities came to see him over the years and, of course, breeders and mare owners, but the Queen was his most famous when I was there.”

‘The Best Beat’ and an Unlikely Friendship

As a native Lexingtonian, Lanter was well aware of the stature of Overbrook Farm owner W.T. Young and his contributions to not only the city, but also the entire state of Kentucky itself when he started his duties as Overbrook’s stallion manager. While those of us in the racing and breeding industry remember him as a successful owner and breeder of fine thoroughbreds, the late businessman is probably better known globally for his business acumen and his philanthropic endeavors.

The University of Kentucky’s library is named the William T. Young library and he served on the board of trustees for Transylvania University. Young also revived the central Kentucky village known as Shakertown, which is now a national landmark and a popular tourist destination. He was an Army officer in World War II before founding Big Top Peanut Butter, which became the brand “Jif” after Procter and Gamble purchased the company in the 1950s, and he also built and owned just about every commercial storage facility in central Kentucky. He was personally charitable, donating a large portion of his own money to many causes both in and out of the thoroughbred industry.

To Lanter, though, he was known simply as “Mr. Young” and also as an unlikely friend.

“When I started at Overbrook in 2000 I was kind of going back between Three Chimneys [where he was previously stallion manager] and Overbrook, because they hadn’t hired anyone to replace me yet,” Lanter remembered. “The opportunity to be working with Storm Cat was too much to resist and the thought of working with him was pretty cool. He was already established as a successful sire and he was absolutely a horse to be in awe of.

“He was a good racehorse, I remember that. He won the Young America Stakes and then was beaten by a nose by Tasso in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Once, Mr. Young told me that if he had won the Breeders’ Cup that he was gone, that he’d have been standing stud somewhere else. He told me it was the ‘best beat he ever took’ and, of course, he was right. Look where Storm Cat ended up — and where’s Tasso? In Saudi Arabia or something.

“One day, during the breeding season, I got a call from Mr. Young’s ‘Man Friday’ saying that Mr. Young wanted me to go to opening day at Yankee Stadium. He had heard I was a Yankees fan and he was one too. I said something about it being in the middle of breeding season, to which his assistant simply replied, ‘Mr. Young would like you to go to opening day at Yankee Stadium.’

“So we flew up there in the jet and sat in George Steinbrenner’s box in Yankee Stadium and [businessman/publisher] Steve Forbes was there, and Yogi Berra and all the greats. And I remember telling Mr. Young thank you for the experience and he simply said to me, ‘Wes I just wanted to spend some time with you and get to know you.’ He was that nice and generous, he really was.”

The Legacy That Is Storm Cat

Storm Cat, by Storm Bird, was out of the great Secretariat race mare Terlingua, who was bought by Young after her racing career was over with hopes she would become somewhat of a foundation mare for the Overbrook Farm breeding and racing program. And a foundation mare she was — almost from the start. Her first foal, a filly by Lyphard named Lyphard’s Dancer, never raced, but her second mating to Storm Bird produced Storm Cat.

Of her 11 foals, Chapel of Dreams (by Northern Dancer) was her most successful on the racetrack as a multiple graded stakes winner, but Storm Cat was her most successful overall and the one who would pass her blood on to generations of thoroughbreds to come. Terlingua spent her entire post-racing life at Overbrook. First as a member of the broodmare band and, then, as a pensioner alongside her buddy Island Kitty (by Hawaii, also a graded stakes winner and the dam of noted sire Hennessy), where she died at the ripe old age of 32.

“We had [champion and Hall of Famer] Serena’s Song visit Storm Cat every year,” Lanter remembers. “And Banshee Breeze came and, unfortunately, died foaling and so did that foal. And also Miesque, which was pretty cool. Flanders lived there and, when Serena’s Song came in, we’d all remember their history together in the [1994] Breeders’ Cup [Juvenile Fillies]. That wasn’t just a stretch run, that was a battle from the starting gate to the wire between the two. Really, the best mares came to see Storm Cat year after year.”

With his fertility declining, Storm Cat was pensioned following the 2008 breeding season, where he managed to get three thoroughbred mares in foal while artificial insemination helped create the winning Quarter Horse Stray Cat, who stands at stud today in Oklahoma.

Storm Cat was North America’s leading sire twice (1999 and 2000) and was the leading juvenile sire seven times (1992, 1993, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2002 and 2004), a record that stands today. He has been a leading broodmares sire and, according to The Jockey Club, has been represented by 811 winners from 1,452 named foals and 177 stakes winners overall. More than 90 of his yearlings sold for $1 million or more at auction and he also is recognized as a successful sire of sires.

“I’d have to say Giant’s Causeway was [Storm Cat’s] best foal,” Lanter said of the recently deceased stallion. “I mean, in the Breeders’ Cup when Mick Kinane dropped that rein and Giant’s Causeway dropped out of the bit, I thought for a minute I’d drive down to the Clay’s Ferry bridge and throw myself off. I am in no way knocking or blaming Kinane because he is one of the best ever, but it was terrible. Storm Cat always had the unfortunate reputation of not being able to produce classic-distance horses, even though he also had Cat Thief and Tabasco Cat, but Giant’s Causeway winning would have helped that a lot I think.

“Really it’s hard to choose just one because he had so many good ones, but Giant’s Causeway was the whole package. A world class racehorse and sire.”

The Long Goodbye

After the final three Storm Cat foals had arrived and the great stallion was pensioned, the writing was definitely on the wall. Arrangements were being made for the remaining active stallions to be relocated and the vibe around the farm was of impending doom.

“One day we all got called into the office and were told, ‘well, we’re dispersing,’ We were all kept on at least until after the dispersal [which was held at the 2009 Keeneland September yearling sale] and I stayed beyond, mainly to keep an eye on Storm Cat and Clockstopper [an old gelding the farm owned and raced] and to be a presence. I eventually got a job at the Kentucky Horse Park and moved off the farm, but I stopped by to visit Storm Cat as often as I could.

“Then, in the spring of 2014, I got the call telling me the time had come and that Storm Cat would be put down the next day, so I went to say goodbye. When I got there he had his head in his feed tub and he was eating, but when he realized I was there he came over to see me, as if to say goodbye, like he knew. And that was it. He was put down the next day.”

Storm Cat was buried whole at Overbrook in spot Lanter believes won’t be in danger of being developed if the farm is sold. When Young was alive he commissioned three statues of the great stallion, one which currently marks his final resting place.

“You’d have to know the farm to find him,” Lanter said. “It’s a safe spot. He is under one of his statues, and there’s one still standing outside the old stallion division. There were three commissioned and I don’t know where the other one is, but Mr. Young did have a lot of warehouses after all, so I suspect it’s probably in one of those.”

Looking back on his tenure as Storm Cat’s chief caregiver and protector during the majority of the final years of the stallion’s life, Lanter is aware of his good fortune having been a part of his life, but more so of the stallion’s contribution to the thoroughbred breed overall.

“He has to be a top-five stallion,” Lanter said. “The legacy he left and what he produced and his influence on the industry with more than just his genes will be felt for generations. I do feel pride, like I do with all my kids. But I spent so much time with this one. It is a little different when you live right next to them and occasionally have to get up in the middle of the night in a thunderstorm to bring them inside like I did many times for Storm Cat. Sometimes when bad weather hits, those kinds of memories sneak up on you. Overall, I just appreciate having had him in my life at all.”

Stallion Stories:The Unconquerable, Invincible, Unbeatable Cigar

By Wes Lanter (as told to Margaret Ransom)

Originally posted on December 15, 2017

A racing fan to the core, there hasn’t been an important race that well-respected Kentucky horseman and stallion manager Wes Lanter hasn’t watched, especially if it included any children or grandchildren belonging to one of his boys. But in 1994, Lanter was card-carrying bandwagoner for reigning Horse of the Year Holy Bull, who would meet up with the eventual superstar known as Cigar in the 1995 Donn Handicap (GI).

What Lanter remembers most from that 1 1/8-mile race was that it was a passing of the torch from one great racehorse to another. Cigar would earn his fourth consecutive victory on the way to an eye-popping and then-record-setting streak to tie the great Citation for the most consecutive modern day wins with 16, and Holy Bull would be shuttled off to stud at Jonabell Farm in Kentucky, suffering a career-ending injury before ever reaching the half-mile pole.

If one had to take the place of his beloved Holy Bull and carry the torch and the weight of a racing industry always looking for its next superstar, Lanter couldn’t think of a better candidate than Cigar.

Cigar

Palace Music—Solar Slew, by Seattle Slew
Sex:horse
Color:bay
Lived:April 18, 1990 – October 7, 2014

Owned by:Allen E. and Madeleine Paulson
Bred by:Allen E. Paulson (Maryland)
Trained by:Bill Mott
Ridden by:Jerry Bailey

Career Record:33-19-4-5, $9,999,815

Notable Accomplishments:U.S. Racing Hall of Fame (2002), two-time Horse of the Year (1995, 1996), two-time champion older horse (1995, 1996), 12-time grade 1 winner, inaugural Dubai World Cup winner.

In 2010, Lanter returned to the Kentucky Horse Park and would manage the care of a number of top racehorses in the Hall of Champions, including a number of other standouts in harness and thoroughbred racing, none whose light shone as bright as the great Cigar. Lanter closely monitored nearly every movement Cigar made every day for four years until Cigar’s death from complications following spinal surgery in 2014.

Instant Connection

“Honestly, I was into Holy Bull,” Lanter recalls. “I remember I went out to Keeneland to watch [the Donn Handicap] and it was very anti-climactic for me to say the least. But I did have a distant connection to Cigar, because when I flew with John Henry back to New York [for his retirement tour], Palace Music [Cigar’s sire] was on the airplane. And when I was in Australia with Chief’s Crown, Palace Music was standing just down the road.”

Just about anyone who showed even a passing interest in horse racing knew who Cigar was as he stormed through 1995, and Lanter watched along with every racing fan as the Bill Mott trainee picked up victories from coast to coast, winning stakes at Oaklawn Park, Pimlico, Sufffolk Downs, Hollywood Park and Belmont Park before making the gate for the Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) as that year’s prohibitive 3-5 favorite.

“That year’s Breeders’ Cup, if you remember, was a miserable, terrible sloppy day,” Lanter said. “Watching that head-on after that race was surreal. I mean it was a miserable, wet day and, when Cigar crossed that wire, what stood out to me is that you could tell what kind of a trip he had because (jockey) Jerry Bailey’s silks were pristine and white, I mean I don’t think he got a spot of mud on him.”

And like every fan, Lanter celebrated the horse’s regular highs and irregular lows.

“It was a real pleasure to watch him [rack up wins] and I remember the appreciative crowd in Chicago,” Lanter said of the Arlington-Citation Challenge written by the Chicago area track to secure the coveted 16^th consecutive win for the Allen Paulson homebred. “And I was devastated when he lost the Pacific Classic. I don’t think there were any real racing fans who could say they didn’t feel something [when he lost].”

Breeding Industry’s Loss Becomes Racing Industry’s Gain

In 1996, after a third-place finish in his second appearance in the Breeders’ Cup Classic held that year at Woodbine, Cigar was retired to Ashford Stud in Versailles, Kentucky, to take up stallion duty as part of what was rumored to be one of the most lucrative stallion deals in thoroughbred breeding history. Early into the 1997 breeding season, however, rumors around central Kentucky started circulating about Cigar and his fertility.

“I had heard things,” Lanter remembers. “There’s a joke about how if you want to know anything about what’s going on on the farms, talk to a blacksmith or a van driver. I head he had bred 34 mares and none of them were in foal. I know at that point they hired [equine fertility specialist] Dr. Norman Umphenour, who was also the vet at Gainesway for years. Basically, he found that Cigar’s sperm had no progressive motility and would swim around in circles or their heads were largely separated from their tales.

“So the insurance company, Assicurazioni Generali, had not much choice but to pay out, but they kept trying with him before they did. And I think if he were my horse and I had to pay out on a multi-million dollar insurance policy I’d keep trying, too.

“For a while he’d go to Dr. Phil McCarthy’s place, Watercress Farm, and they’d work with him doing multiple different therapies to hopefully improve his fertility and then he’d go to the Kentucky Horse Park’s Hall of Champions for the show series. And this went on until he was 15 when they reached the end of trying and he was donated to the Commonwealth of Kentucky where he landed at the Hall of Champions permanently. It was the most interesting story and I’d never seen it before, not like that, and certainly not since.

“It’s sad that his second career ended before it ever got started, but, in the end, he did more for racing than he ever would have done as a stallion. He gave racing the most accessible and important ambassador the sport had ever seen.”

Always Everyone’s Friend

“Cigar was a very kind horse and he let a lot of people get close to him, sometimes too close if you ask me. But he never harmed anyone, he was that good,” Lanter remembers. “He’d come out of his stall and he’d stand there and pose as if to say, ‘I am the Kentucky Horse Park Ambassador.’ He loved his job and greeting people.”

Like any celebrity, the sheer volume of visitors who flocked to see him at the Kentucky Horse Park every year was staggering. He had regular yearly fans and some who lived closer who came more than once a year. With so many admirers, it was hard for Lanter to remember any who stood out, save a couple.

“One guy came from Western Kentucky pretty regularly,” Lanter recalls. “And he’d spend hours out there, sometimes three or four hours, taking pictures. I can’t imagine how many pictures he took of Cigar, had to be thousands. And one lady came on his last day ever at the Horse Park. I remember I told her I was going to groom him and I’d leave the stall door open so she could watch, and at one point I reached over and handed her a bit of tail hair and she got really emotional about it. It was nice he and I could make her happy.”

But like many celebrities, the meet-and-greets for Cigar could become exhausting. Lanter explained that the “show season” for the Hall of Champions lasts from March through Nov. 1 and while they tried to keep Cigar’s showings down to twice a day, it was sometimes hard to say no to people who came a long way to see him and had time constraints. So, the Horse Park staff compromised, sometimes much to Cigar’s chagrin.

“Sometimes, Cigar would get cranky toward the end of the season, all of the horses did,” Lanter said. “Cigar didn’t get mean or anything, he just got difficult. I don’t know if was the colder, darker days or what, but when the season was over he knew it was time.”

Signs the End Was Near

Cigar spent the better part of nine years contentedly greeting fans and visitors at the Kentucky Horse Park when, in late March of 2014, Lanter noticed that when the 24-year-old horse come in from his paddock to eat his breakfast, he was dragging his left hind leg a bit. Up until that point Cigar had only faced issues associated with most healthy horses his age, but that day was different.

“I always came in early and was the first one there to feed the horses,” Lanter remembered. “When I put his feed in he always came right up, but that day it took him longer and he was dragging his left hind leg. At first I thought he had injured it, but since I couldn’t find anything outward aside from swelling, we treated just the cellulitis.

“He had a full bandage and a sweat on that back leg and he had every treatment possible:the eStem, acupuncture, physical therapy — everything you can imagine. He seemed to improve, but by late April or early May, he was standing and kind of listing to one side so we started treatment for EPM. When that didn’t work, we took him to Haygard Davidson McGee [equine hospital] for a full x-ray, one that was better than the mobile ones he’d had up until that point.

“The x-rays unfortunately showed he had a vertebra out of alignment and it was possibly pinching his spinal cord and causing severe ataxia. So, we brought him home and did a lot of therapy, including a deep tissue massage therapy that was a five-week process. By the first week of October, though, we had shipped him to Rood and Riddle for a myelogram with the different dyes and contrasts and, right after that, the discussions started about whether or not to do the ‘Seattle Slew surgery’ and fix the vertebra.

“It all happened so fast, but [after the operation] he never could get his hind end underneath him again even with the sling. I was there with him every minute and we were all urging him to fight and once I even joked with him, ‘Come on and stand up and fight you sterile bastard.’ To which he replied by turning his head and giving me the dirtiest look. He literally gave me the stink eye and I had to laugh. But he didn’t have much fight left, unfortunately.”

Memories to Last a Lifetime

Losing Cigar at the Hall of Champions was palpable to the fans and visitors, but most especially to the people who cared for him and watched over him daily. The constant reminders of his life remain, however, right down to his final resting place.
“Every day when he was let out into his paddock he’d run down to the corner and rear straight up, as high as a horse could rear and to the point where we were afraid he’d flip over. But he never did. He just exuded greatness in everything he did and was always ready to put on a show. His attitude and demeanor was always suited to be the great racehorse he was and I’m sorry his stallion career didn’t work out, but his racehorse personality was also perfectly suited to be the great racing ambassador that he became.”

And in fitting tribute, Cigar was buried in the corner by his paddock at the spot where he was happiest — the same location he’d rear with happiness every day he was let out.

“Also there was this one spot in his paddock where he’d roll every day and it actually left an indention in the ground where he did it — the exact same spot every day. It’s Funny Cide’s paddock now, but I hope the indention is still there.”
The Kentucky Horse Park held two memorials for Cigar, one a few weeks after his death and another to unveil the Douwe “Dow” Blumberg statue just over a year later.

“The first was on a typical cold, winter day in Kentucky,” Lanter remembers. “We had to honor him closer to his death and the fans had to come pay their respects. We couldn’t get any of his connections to come on short notice, but, as cold as it was, I think at least 300 people came out to say goodbye. It was bittersweet. I gave a eulogy; it was hard, but it was something I had to do.

“Then the questions came up about his second memorial and statue and what the statute would look like. I thought of the Barbaro statue at Churchill Downs, a running statue. It was my thought that Cigar was a great racehorse and wasn’t ever known as a great stallion, so he should be memorialized not standing like a stud, like all the other statues, but as the racehorse he was. And everyone agreed.

“The artist who did it is the same one who did the statue honoring the victims of the Lexington plane crash from flight 5191 in 2006 that’s at the the Arboretum with a dove representing each of the victims. Before he started, he went to all the families and was given a personal memento in each of cavity of each dove. He’s that kind of artist, so Cigar’s statue was perfect.”

On Oct. 27, 2015 on the 20^th anniversary of Cigar’s first Breeders’ Cup Classic victory at Belmont Park, a crowd of people that included his Hall of Fame jockey (Jerry Bailey) and trainer (Bill Mott) turned out at the Kentucky Horse Park to witness the unveiling. The horse had been gone a year, but his absence was felt by everyone in attendance and each of his connections spoke about their memories of the great Hall of Famer.

Lanter said that once he had a discussion with someone about how sometimes living beings save their loved ones the memory of their last moments by dying when they’re not present. Looking back on the last day of Cigar’s life, he believes that Cigar chose this route, ending his fight while nobody who loved and cared for him was around.

“The day he passed Dr. [Steve] Reed said for all of us to go and take a break and get a sandwich or whatever. And while we were gone, he died. I was told that the nerves in an operation like that can sometime affect the diaphragm, so he just stopped breathing. He waited for all of us to leave so he could go… dignified ending to a dignified life.

“On the night Cigar died we had a typical Kentucky thunderstorm, tremendous lighting and thunder. I thought it was fitting, I thought it was the heavens welcoming home the lightning on earth we had for a little while.”

Wes Lanter has spent most of his life surrounded by some of the best thoroughbreds of the last generation. The veteran horseman served as both stallion groom and/or stallion manager at the most successful and popular breeding farms in the Bluegrass, including Spendthrift Farm, Three Chimneys and Overbrook Farm, in addition to a pair of separate stints at the Kentucky Horse Park. Over his nearly 30-plus-year career, the 52-year-old has worked with three Triple Crown winners, both thoroughbred and Standardbred, five additional Kentucky Derby winners and multiple champions and Hall of Famers.

A walking encyclopedia of most things thoroughbred racing, Lanter is sharing his favorite stories about the horses whose lives he considers himself to be privileged to have been a part of throughout his career. Since leaving his position as Equine Section Supervisor at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Hall of Champions in 2015, Lanter has been working on compiling stories about his horses and deciding where his next life chapter will come from. Lanter also is the proud father of 21-year-old Noah, a standout baseball pitcher and outfielder at Ridgewater College in Willmar, Minnesota.

***

Stallion Stories:Go For Gin

By Wes Lanter (as told to Margaret Ransom)
Originally posted on May 2, 2018

This year marks the 24^th anniversary of Go For Gin’s triumph in the 1994 Kentucky Derby (G1), and while he’s not the oldest living Kentucky Derby winner – 1993 winner Sea Hero is reported to be a happy pensioner in Turkey – he is the oldest one on American soil, and is also very accessible to thousands of racing fans every year as a resident at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Hall of Champions.

Though not impeccably bred or particularly expensive, Go For Gin did boast some lofty connections in his breeder (a DuPont), owners (a board game tycoon and financier), and his Hall of Fame trainer and jockey. Everything came together perfectly for the son of Cormorant on that first Saturday in May in 1994.

Go For Gin stood several seasons at Claiborne Farm in Kentucky and was then moved to Bonita Farm in Maryland before landing in his forever home at the Kentucky Horse Park. He lived out his remaining years just about an hour up I-64 from where he earned what would be his last, yet most important career victory in the Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs.

In 2011, Wes Lanter was serving as Equine Section Supervisor at the Hall of Champions when the decision was made by Go For Gin’s living co-owner, Joe Cornacchia, to donate the then 20-year-old stallion. For more than four years, Lanter was responsible for the day-to-day life of the big, brown stallion and he considers himself very fortunate to have spent several years showing him off to racing fans from around the world.

Go For Gin

Cormorant—Never Knock, by Stage Door Johnny
Sex:Horse Color:Dark Bay/Brown
Foaled:April 18, 1991

Owned by:William Condren and Joseph Cornacchia
Bred by:Pamela DuPont Darmstadt
Trained by:Nick Zito
Ridden by:Chris McCarron

Career Record:19-5-7-2, $1,380,866

Notable Performances:Won 1994 Kentucky Derby, won 1993 Remsen Stakes (G2), won 1994 Preview Stakes (LS), second 1994 Preakness Stakes (G1), second 1994 Belmont Stakes (G1).

Surprise Resident

Lanter remembers the Horse Park – somewhat surprisingly — being asked to care for Go For Gin and place him in the Hall of Champions. John Henry had passed away and the thoroughbred stars at that point were Cigar and Funny Cide, so Go For Gin would at that time make a nice addition, Lanter remembered. “It was a bit different in that he was an in tact, breeding stallion,” Lanter recalls when told the news.

“And when he arrived he definitely let everyone know. He had quarantined for about a month at Dan Considine’s place before coming over so we had time to get ready; and though we were ready, it took Go For Gin a bit to settle in.

“When the Hall of Champions was built, it was kind of by itself with not much around, but over the years they constructed all these show barns around it so there was a ton of activity. And he arrived in the summer, so there were shows all the time. People would tie their horses to the fences around his paddock and it got him, um, worked up. There were signs to stay off the grass and there was a little space between his paddock and the fence, but it was rough for him at first because nobody stayed off the grass.

“He settled in eventually and once he got used to the crowds and that level of attention, he became thoroughly content as a resident. Anytime a Derby winner is in residence somewhere, it always brings a little extra excitement, so that was great.”

Though Go For Gin sold at auction for $150,000 as a Fasig-Tipton New York August yearling in 1992, his final sales price was on the lower end of horses selling through auctions in the early 1990s. He didn’t have a flashy pedigree and was only a $32,000 weanling the previous fall, but when Lanter first laid eyes on Go For Gin he recognized immediately what made the stallion a stand out.

“He is absolutely magnificent looking,” Lanter said. “He is very regal and even to those who see horses every day, he stood out as a very good looking horse. It is not an understatement to say he is a very, very good-looking horse. And he was smart. Though he is pushy, kind of a bully, he isn’t mean or aggressive. He just pushes you. And he’ll drag you if he could. And that’s his way, so we all got used to it.

“One young lady worked for me and she really didn’t like him at first; he pushed all her buttons, but he grew on her and before long became her favorite and they kind of became peanut butter and jelly. I noticed the other day when it was his birthday, she was the first to wish him a happy birthday on social media. He was that kind of horse, he tested you and you fell in love with him.”

Remembering a Derby Champion

An important part of life for the residents of the Hall of Champions are the shows they do for fans, sometimes three per a day. While some employees needed a class or a cheat sheet on Go For Gin, Lanter remembered the horse’s time in the sun well, being a consummate racing fan.

“I remember the weather being a blessing for him on Derby day that year,” Lanter recalled of that May day in 1994. “I remember how he loved the mud and just kind of skipped across the surface that day. Strodes Creek definitely made a run at him, but he could not get by Go For Gin. And I know the Derby was his last career victory, though he was second in the other two (Preakness and Belmont Stakes).

“One thing I definitely remember is Chris McCarron working him one last time before the Derby. He was in town, I think, for the Derby Trial that Saturday and (trainer Nick) Zito asked him to work him the next Sunday morning. I remember Chris working him and getting off and saying to everyone, ‘Yeah he’s good. That was good.’ I remembered that when he won.”

Disappointing Stallion Career Becomes Fan Bonus

Expectations for Go For Gin as a sire, who retired in 1995 to Claiborne Farm after suffering a tendon injury, were high, but he never really took off for breeders and after some dismal crops, was transferred to Bonita Farm in Maryland for nine years. Though he was represented by Grade 1 winner Albert The Great, I don’t think anyone is shy about saying his stallion career was a disappointment overall.

“The sad thing about Go For Gin is his stallion career,” Lanter remembered. “I think he sired only, like, seven stakes winners and his success as sire was sparse. Sending him to the Kentucky Horse Park was the best thing for him, he could finally be remembered for the great racehorse he was and not the disappointment in the breeding shed.

“I remember one lady had an OTTB who was a daughter of Go For Gin. She came over to see him one day. And Chris McCarron would come out and visit. I mean, that was kind of Chris’ stall since John Henry was also in there. I remember walking back from lunch one day and Chris was out there in the middle of his paddock. I was thinking, ‘Chris, you do know that is still an in-tact stallion.’ But I knew he was ok, though I think when he did that he didn’t take his time coming out of the paddock, but he was OK.

“The thing I think people learn quickly about Go For Gin is that he’s a really, really neat horse and he gets to show that to people as a member of the Hall of Champions.”

***

Stallion Stories:Remembering the First Breeders’ Cup Winner Ever

By Wes Lanter (as told to Margaret Ransom)
Originally posted on November 1, 2017

Lexington, Kentucky, native Wes Lanter has spent most of his life surrounded by some of the best thoroughbreds of the last generation. The veteran horseman served as both stallion groom and/or stallion manager at the most successful and popular breeding farms in the Bluegrass, including Spendthrift Farm, Three Chimneys and Overbrook Farm, in addition to a pair of separate stints at the Kentucky Horse Park. Over his nearly 30-plus-year career, the 52-year-old has worked with three Triple Crown winners, both thoroughbred and Standardbred, five additional Kentucky Derby winners and multiple champions and Hall of Famers.

In April of 1994, longtime Kentucky horseman John Gaines announced his plan for the Breeders’ Cup championship racing series featuring multiple divisions and ages based on stallion nominations and foal payments. Now, 34 years later, Lanter remembers the years he spent and the global adventures he shared with the winner of the first-ever Breeders’ Cup race ever, 1994 Juvenile winner Chief’s Crown.

Chief’s Crown

Danzig – Six Crowns, by Secretariat
Sex:horse
Color:bay
Lived:April 7, 1982 – April 29, 1997

Owned by:Star Crown Stable
Bred by:Carl Rosen
Trained by:Roger Laurin

Record:21-12-3-3, $2,191,18

Notable Accomplishments:Champion 2-year-old (1984), eight-time Grade I winner.

In 1984, as a few handful of horses headed to Hollywood Park and the first-ever Breeders’ Cup, Wes Lanter was a groom at Spendthrift Farm near Lexington, KY, and readily admits his focus was mostly on Slew o’Gold and a troublesome foot that could jeopardize his chances to win the inaugural Classic. But as a racing fan, he knew Chief’s Crown, as the first big son of Danzig, would be the one to beat in the Juvenile off five straight graded stakes scores.

Stallion Geography

“I, of course, knew who Chief’s Crown was when I arrived at Three Chimneys in 1990,” Lanter remembers. “How can any racing fan not know the first winner of any Breeders’ Cup race ever? I mean, he was a four-time Grade 1 winner and really put Danzig on the map. So, I showed up at Three Chimneys and he was there and from then on he was always special to me.”

After five years at Three Chimneys with Chief’s Crown, the Kentucky farm made a deal with Arrowfield Stud in Australia for the southern hemisphere breeding season. At the time, Lanter saw it as an opportunity for an exciting travel experience with one of his favorite horses.

“They really wanted him down there and they wanted someone to go with him, except nobody wanted to go,” Lanter remembered. “I said, ‘Hell yes I’ll go.’ I saw it as an exciting experience, so I packed up and moved. My girlfriend at the time went with me and Chief and off we went.”

Lanter recalls his time in Australia as a learning experience.

“Australia is brilliant, but for some things they have entirely different ways of doing things,” Lanter remembers. “They do a lot of things in a group management situation. It’s definitely not as ‘hands on’ as we do things up here and they operate with less help, but it works — can’t argue with their results.”

After six months Down Under, Lanter and Chief’s Crown returned to Central Kentucky and their duties as stallion and stallion manager at Three Chimneys. It wasn’t long before Chief’s Crown became one of Lanter’s all-time favorites.

“Chief was always very easy,” Laner recalls. “He was always all-business. He knew his job and did it well. He didn’t have time for any bull.

“Once he had some visitors and, we all know the type, the ones who consider their horsemanship skills infallible. And you can’t tell them anything, so I didn’t tell him anything. So, this guy and his friend and myself went out to see Chief and I said, ‘I can bring him out if you want.’ He told me no, of course, that it wasn’t necessary and proceeded to lean up against the fence right in front of Chief.

“I told him I didn’t think it was a good idea to stand so close and to maybe give Chief some space, but he said he was fine and that he knew horses. Chief literally came charging, scaring the guy and knocking him back on the ground on his butt. His buddy couldn’t stop laughing and said to him, motioning to me, ‘He told you.’ And it wasn’t that Chief was a mean horse, he just liked things certain ways. What that guy didn’t know is that Chief was actually a very special soul and had he done things Chief’s way that wouldn’t have happened at all.”

The All-Around Horse

“Not too many horses win four Grade Is as a 2-year-old and then turn around and win four Grade Is as a 3-year-old and Chief’s Crown did that,” Lanter remembers of the Travers winner, who also beat older rivals in that year’s Marlboro Cup. “He was champion 2-year-old, but I think he should have been champion sophomore too. He didn’t win the Derby, but he just got nailed at the wire in the Preakness. He was the perfect all-around racehorse and he definitely passed that down to his offspring.

“I remember so well when Erhaab won the Epsom Derby. We were all watching at Three Chimneys and Erhaab came from so far back — like way back — and just got up in time at the wire. [Three Chimneys manager] Dan Rosenberg was so happy he brought us all out champagne to celebrate.

“He put Danzig on the map as a sire, but he was also an incredible sire himself.”

Goodbye Dear Friend

Chief’s Crown was humanely euthanized at age 15 after being found with a life-ending knee injury in his paddock. Lanter prefers to keep the details of the day to himself and instead focus on the “amazing” horse he says he was lucky to care for for so many years.

“He was my Chief,” Lanter says, voice cracking with emotion. “I don’t know how else to explain it. Yes, he won the first Breeders’ Cup race ever. And, yes, he was a champion. And he was a hell of a sire. But to me, I don’t know how else to explain it except to say that he was just ‘Chief’ to me.

“He had this air about him, a presence. Majestic, I don’t know. But of all the horses I have been lucky to have been around — and there have been many — only a couple others’ deaths hit me as hard as his . He was so much more than just a racehorse and a stallion to me. He took me around the world.”

***

Stallion Stories:Remembering the First Breeders’ Cup Classic — Wild Again and Slew o’ Gold

By Wes Lanter (as told to Margaret Ransom)
Originally posted on October 17, 2017

A walking encyclopedia of most things thoroughbred racing, Lanter is sharing his favorite stories about the horses whose lives he considers himself privileged to have been a part of throughout his career. Since leaving his position as Equine Section Supervisor at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Hall of Champions in 2015, Lanter has been working on compiling stories about his horses and deciding where his next life chapter will come from. Lanter also is the proud father of 21-year-old Noah, a standout baseball pitcher and outfielder at Ridgewater College in Willmar, Minnesota.

A racing fan to the core, there hasn’t been an important race Lanter hasn’t watched, especially if it included any children or grandchildren belonging to one of his boys. In 1984, Lanter intently followed the road to the inaugural Breeders’ Cup Classic since, at the time, Grade 1 winner Slew o’ Gold was representing his great sire Seattle Slew, who Lanter worked with at Spendthrift Farm. Back then, when he watched the slugfest that developed in deep stretch on that October day at Hollywood Park, he had no idea how much a part of his life both Wild Again and Slew o’ Gold would become — let alone how they both would become a pair of his all-time favorites or that the two stallions would spend the better part of their stud careers in the very same barn.

Slew o’ Gold

Seattle Slew — Alluvial, by Buckpasser
Sex:horse
Color:bay
Lived:April 19, 1980 – October 14, 2007

Owned by:Equuesentitiy Stable (Karen and Mickey Taylor, Jim and Sally Hill)
Bred by:Claiborne Farm
Trained by:John Hertler

Record:24-12-5-1, $3,533,534

Notable Accomplishments:U.S. Racing Hall of Fame (2002), champion 3-year-old (1983), champion older male (1984), Woodward Stakes, Whitney Handicap, Jockey Club Gold Cup, Marlboro Cup, Wood Memorial.

Wild Again

Icecapade — Bushel-N-Peck, by Khaled
Sex:horse
Color:dark brown
Lived:May 22, 1980 – December 5, 2008

Owned by:Black Chip Stable (Bill Allen, Terry Beal, Ron Volkman
Trained by:Vincent Timphony

Record:28-8-7-4, $2,204,829

Notable Accomplishments:Won Breeders’ Cup Classic (1984), won New Orleans Handicap, won Oaklawn Handicap, won Meadowlands Cup.

Fate Cannot Be Controlled

Slew o’ Gold making the gate for the inaugural Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) at Hollywood Park was no surprise to Lanter whatsoever. As the first really good son of Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, Slew o’ Gold had a spectacular year in 1984, winning the Woodward, Marlboro Cup and Jockey Club Gold Cup, and was the horse to beat in that year’s Whitney Handicap facing a talented sophomore in Track Barron and one other.

“Slew o’ Gold was an amazing horse,” Lanter recalled. “If you ever watch his Whitney, where he beat Track Barron, never has a horse so emasculated another horse as Slew o’ Gold did to Track Barron that day. That’s the definition of a racehorse.”

Unfortunately by the time Slew o’ Gold was confirmed for the Breeders’ Cup, he had developed some foot issues that involved a nasty quarter crack, a patch and a bar shoe. Unconcerned, Lanter remained confident nobody would turn up that day who could beat the big black horse, despite the injury.

Slew o’ Gold had earned his way into the Breeders’ Cup by his winning performances and as dictated by the stallion/foal nominations. Wild Again was coming off an allowance win at Golden Gate Fields and wasn’t stallion/foal nomination eligible, so his connections — confidence in full force — supplemented the black horse to the inaugural Classic at a cost of $360,000. Overall, though, nobody was terribly concerned with the colt from California.

“I really didn’t know much about Wild Again going into that first Breeders’ Cup Classic,” Lanter recalled. “I knew Gate Dancer because of the Preakness, but Wild Again had taken the southern route while Slew o’ Gold stormed through New York. I was as Spendthrift and, of course, everyone was concerned about Slew o’ Gold’s quarter crack and the patch and there were discussions about not even running him, but he was such a machine — all racehorse — so, they figured even not at 100 percent he’d be tough.”

The race would go down not only in racing history, but also in Breeders’ Cup history, as one of the most bizarre and controversial. At the wire, less than a length separated eventual winner Wild Again, classic winner Gate Dancer and heavy favorite Slew o’ Gold, the latter two slugging it out in deep stretch with Wild Again possibly leaning in to create the drama between his rivals. After an eight-minute stewards’ inquiry, Gate Dancer was demoted to third and Slew o’ Gold was awarded runner-up honors while Wild Again, stewards decided, was mostly free of the fracas and maintained his position as the winner at 31-1 odds.

“I watched the race at Tom Wade’s [Seattle Slew’s groom] apartment in Lexington on Alexandria Drive,” Lanter recalled. “And I know if I would watch that race today I’d think there’d be a different outcome. It was the most ‘iffy’ call I think — maybe ever. And what they didn’t know is that Slew o’ Gold got all banged up and Wild Again came out unscathed. I have to believe if his foot wasn’t at 70 percent, the outcome would have been different. It was my opinion at that time that he was a superior racehorse in every way.”

Wild Again was originally retired to Shadowlawn Farm for three seasons and then was sent to Calumet Farm for two seasons before the farm’s high-profile bankruptcy scandal and death of super-sire Alydar scattered the remaining stallions before the 1991 season. Wild Again then landed at Three Chimneys, where Slew o’ Gold ended up upon his retirement in 1985.

But on that day in October of 1984 watching the first-ever running of what has now become racing’s most prestigious day for all divisions, nobody — especially Lanter — had any clue how intertwined the two stallions’ lives would become.

Time With Wild Again

After the inaugural Breeders’ Cup was complete, Lanter spent a handful more years at Spendthrift before accepting a position as stallion groom, then stallion manager, at Three Chimneys. At the time, Slew o’ Gold was off to a tremendous start in the breeding shed and was represented by four Grade 1 winners from his first crop. Wild Again was busy and popular despite the Calumet scandal, but when word got out at Three Chimneys that he was headed to the farm, he didn’t exactly get warmest of welcomes.

“When Calumet closed down, [Three Chimneys] got Wild again,” Lanter remembers. “Slew o’ Gold and Chief’s Crown were the first big stallions at Three Chimneys and were joined by Seattle Slew. And, then, when we were told Wild Again was coming, nobody wanted to be his groom because of what happened in the Breeders’ Cup — because he beat Slew o’ Gold. So, I said I’d do it, what the hell, and it wasn’t long before I fell in love with him.

“Wild Again was absolutely the sweetest horse,” Lanter said. “And soon the people who spent their days with him like me got to know him that way too. The Breeders’ Cup became a distant memory. And, to be honest, there wasn’t much to not like about Wild Again. He was professional, and kind and easy to work with. He was handsome — what’s not to love about a black and white stallion?

“Back in the day, Three Chimneys was at the forefront of new and unique advertising ideas and I was helping Margaret Layton [communications and marketing director for the farm at the time] with some of the advertising campaigns and photos and things like that for the stallions. The farm was at the forefront of the best PR campaigns then and, once, when doing one for Wild Again, he had 62 stakes winners out of 61 different broodmares. I mean, I think now someone would need to check me on that, but I’m fairly close to certain that’s accurate. That is a statistic I don’t think any stallion has repeated.”

And while Wild Again’s sons and daughters excelled on the track and the breeding shed, he wasn’t exactly the easiest keeper, constantly battling a condition not as typical to horses as it is to humans. Wild Again, Lanter explains, was prone to kidney stones. It was a condition he’d combat for most of his life and one which Three Chimneys took very seriously.

“He was sent to Rood and Riddle once and they thought it was colic when I noticed blood dripping from his sheath. So, they slipped a arthroscope up his urethra and found the kidney stone. And it wasn’t an ordinary kidney stone, it was a monster. They ended up going in there and broke that one up, but they started to become an issue for the horse. So, Three Chimneys had their vet, Dr. James Morehead — God bless him — do whatever he could. So, Dr. Morehead contacted a human urologist and started planning for future episodes. He got equipment for an obese human and whenever the issue came up, he was able to treat him early and successfully. Dr. Morehead was the first to treat a horse that way to my knowledge.”

One of Wild Again’s regular visitors at Three Chimneys was co-owner Bill Allen, who, though known to be a high roller and risk-taker, initially didn’t want to put up the money to supplement to the Breeders’ Cup, but may have made the most money betting on the horse, or so he told to all who would listen.

“Mr. Allen came for a visit once and he told me this great story about the Breeders’ Cup,” Lanter recalls. “He said that on the morning of the race he and his wife were getting ready and she was carrying one of those little purses women just put the basics in, like lipstick and things like that — a clutch, I think. And I guess Mr. Allen said to his wife, ‘What is that?’ To which she replied, ‘Well it’s a purse, of course.’ And he said he replied to her, ‘Honey, you’re going to need a much bigger purse to carry home all the money we’re going to make on Wild Again today.’

“He told me it took him over two weeks to gather all the winnings, he’d bet so much in so many places.”

Wild Again, who died in 2008 and was buried at Three Chimneys, was probably a better sire than his pedigree initially indicated, facts not in the least lost on Lanter.

“Being by Icecapade, he was a total outcross,” Lanter said. “His pedigree brought so many different things to our bloodlines. But as much as anyone would want a Wild Again offspring, especially a mare, and that is truly his legacy, what I will remember about him most is that he was inherently a kind horse. Yes, I will certainly remember him for that.”

Big Brown Gold

In the early 1980s, it was inevitable that Lanter would become one of Slew o’ Gold’s biggest fans. As a member of the staff in the massive stallion complex at Spendthrift Farm, he joined in all the celebrating with each win, commiserated with each defeat and endlessly discussed every aspect of every one of the big, brown horse’s races.

“He was Seattle Slew’s first really big, successful son,” Lanter said. “He was almost 17 hands and gorgeous, just majestic. And watching him run? He was so determined. His ears would disappear into his neck — he was so wanting to win. And as much as I ended up loving Wild Again, I was so sad for Slew o’ Gold to end his career that way in the Breeders’ Cup.”

Yet, as good a racehorse as Slew o’ Gold was, his first years at stud exceeded even the experts’ expectations. Lanter was still at Spendthrift when Slew o’ Gold produced his first crop and, as a son of Seattle Slew, watching Slew o’ Gold succeed as a sire was a treat.

“Right out of the gate he was a horse who was a statistical anomaly,” Lanter says. “From his first crop he had four Grade 1 winners. I can’t remember a sire who had four Grade 1 winners from his first crop. He had Gorgeous, Awe Inspiring, Tactile and Golden Opinion. It was a great time for Slew o’ Gold.

“And then he kind of disappeared off the stallion lists. I don’t know what happened. He had all the family behind him as a son of Seattle Slew and Alluvial, but he disappeared and I never understood it. But he was such a great racehorse and meant so much to Three Chimneys, they kept him his whole life.

“Three Chimneys owned Gorgeous and, after she won the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn, her winner’s blanket of flowers was sent to the farm. Of course, we had to put it on Slew o’ Gold for a picture. He didn’t like it much, but we did it.”

Though Lanter remembers Slew o’ Gold being fierce on the racetrack, he was much more docile and easy to work with as a stallion at Three Chimneys. Most of the grooms and staff had soft spots for Slew o’ Gold, who was never difficult or made any trouble.

“One day, the shank broke on Dynaformer,” Lanter remembers of the notoriously mean and difficult sire. “It was one of those things and it just broke and he got loose. And he ran down toward the other stallion paddocks. Thank God Seattle Slew was already in the barn, but Dynaformer got into a bit of a tiff with Capote, but I was able to toss a shank at Capote and get him away from the fence. We couldn’t catch him, so he ran into the barn and got into a bit of a face-off with Slew o’ Gold and Slew o’ Gold went totally submissive. He literally stuck his tongue out and dropped his head as if to say, ‘Don’t hurt me.’ And it could have been bad, both were really big horses. But we caught Dynaformer in there with Slew o’ Gold and it ended peacefully.”

Some of the celebrity guests to have visited Slew o’ Gold and all the stallions at Three Chimneys over the years, Lanter remembers, included five-time Academy Award nominee Albert Finney (“he brought sausage and biscuits and $100 bills for the guys”), Glenn Close, Alex Trebek, Rod Steward and Paul Tibbets (“he was the pilot of the Enola Gay, the plane that dropped the bomb on Hiroshima.”)

In his later years, Slew o’ Gold suffered from health issues that he battled until the end of his life. When Lanter went to England to pick up new stallion Arazi in the mid-1990s, Slew o’ Gold had a fairly substantial cut on his heel. By the time Lanter returned to Kentucky, the stallion was battling a full-blown case of EPM. Lanter said that though the heel injury was concerning, sometimes even the smallest injury can set off a brewing case of EPM.

“When I got back he was pretty sick,” Lanter remembered. “Three Chimneys was determined to get him well and they did everything medically available. It wasn’t about him being a stallion anymore if he couldn’t be, he was a ridgling anyway, but he survived because of the love and dedication Three Chimneys had for him. I won’t ever forget that.”

When Lanter heard Slew o’ Gold had passed away in 2007 at the ripe old age of 27, his sadness was only overshadowed by his happy memories of Seattle Slew’s first great son.

“This is what I have to say about Slew o’ Gold,” Lanter said. “He was real. And he was such a special horse. I will remember him with affection. He was a tremendous champion and I don’t think anyone could or would deny that.

“I remember the 1983 Jockey Club Gold Cup the most. It was Slew o’ Gold vs. John Henry, with Forego and Kelso leading the post parade. Can you imagine? All those horses on track at the same time together? Of course Kelso colicked and died the next day, but it was a rare treat. Made only better by Slew o’ Gold’s victory.”

Remembered Together On Track, In The Breeding Shed

During their sire duties at Three Chimneys, Slew o’ Gold and Wild Again lived in the main stallion barn, catty-corner from each other and near the great Seattle Slew for a number of years until each were pensioned. Lanter often wondered if they remembered each other while reflecting on his great fortune having them both in his life.

“The thing about me is that I was a racing fan first; I was the little kid who would ride my bike pretending to be Ron Turcotte,” Lanter says. “I never thought — ever — in my wildest dreams I’d have the career I’ve had so far or be so blessed to have horses like the top two finishers in the first Breeders’ Cup Classic in my life. Those of us who were there with them are members of a very exclusive club and we’re all very proud of that.

“One time, it must have been during the Keeneland sales, Bill Allen and [Slew o’ Gold’s owner] Mickey Taylor and [Gate Dancer’s owner] Kenneth Oppenheim were all at Three Chimneys, the triumvirate of the first Breeders’ Cup Classic. It was a little uncomfortable, even that much after the fact. Opstein basically said, ‘Slew o’ Gold screwed me out of winning the first Breeders’ Cup.’ And Mickey Taylor, God bless him, didn’t say a word. It was kind of fun to watch them all awkwardly interact.”

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