Hangin' With Haskin : Chris McCarron

Welcome Home, Alysheba

Blood-Horse Staff — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 02:53:00 GMT

The day after the 1987 Preakness Stakes, I stopped at a service area on I-95 in Maryland on my way back home from the Preakness and called Jack Van Berg, asking if I could do a feature on him for the Thoroughbred Times, which had only been in existence for about a year. I had never met Van Berg, who was on top of the world at the time and who looked like a sure bet to saddle racing’s next Triple Crown winner following Alysheba’s impressive victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. The horse had the right pedigree, the right running style, the right jockey, and the right trainer.

Despite obviously being in high demand for interviews, Van Berg agreed to meet me in the diner across the street from the Belmont backstretch for breakfast. It took about 10 seconds for me to feel as if I’d known him for years. He proceeded to express his innermost feelings about his life and his relationship with his father, legendary Midwest trainer Marion Van Berg. He finished by saying, “Steve, if you misquote me I’ll never talk to you again.” That bluntness impressed me. I actually was flattered that he had entrusted me to tell his story correctly and that the article was important enough to him to add that comment. Most trainers would never be that direct.

We then went back to his barn to see Alysheba. I, like most everyone, had become smitten with the son of Alydar – his personality, his intelligence, and his regal way of moving. Whether he was walking, jogging or galloping, he would arch his neck as if showing off his noble bearing. The faster he galloped the farther down he would lower his head. He was sheer poetry in motion.

There were few Belmont Stakes with a Triple Crown on the line that came as much of a shock as Alysheba’s distant fourth-place finish to his Derby and Preakness victim Bet Twice, who would become his arch rival over the next two years. Not only did the defeat cost Alysheba’s connections a $5-million bonus, but by getting nipped by a neck at the wire for third by Gulch, it cost them a $1-million bonus, which went to Bet Twice. Jockey Chris McCarron knew it was not his finest moment and that his ride likely cost the owners, Clarence, Dorothy, and Pamela Scharbauer the bonus money and Van Berg his 10-percent share of a million dollars. After the race, McCarron drove up to the barn and sheepishly walked toward Van Berg, not knowing what to expect.

“There’s my boy,” Van Berg said in a warm, welcoming manner. All McCarron could say was, “Am I still your boy?” Van Berg went over and put his arm around McCarron’s shoulder as if to assure him all was fine. That was class, and that’s what Alysheba was all about – class.

Alysheba Slide Show
View our pictorial retropspective of Alysheba's life on and off the racetrack

McCarron would go on to ride Alysheba 13 more times, winning eight -- seven of them grade I stakes. When he crossed the finish line for the final time, in the 1988 Breeders’ Cup Classic, Alysheba was “America’s Horse,” as proclaimed by race caller Tom Durkin, with career earnings of nearly $6.7 million.

Alysheba’s 4-year-old campaign was perhaps the most underrated ever, as it should have launched him into the pantheon of greats. After winning the Charles H. Strub Stakes by three lengths in 2:00 flat for the 1 1/4 miles, he hooked up in two memorable stretch duels with defending Horse of the Year Ferdinand, who had nipped him by a nose in the previous year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic in an epic showdown between Kentucky Derby winners. This time, a more mature Alysheba got the better of Ferdinand both times, narrowly beating him the Santa Anita Handicap and San Bernardino Handicap.

Those two grueling efforts took their toll in the Pimlico Special and Hollywood Gold Cup, in which Alysheba finished fourth and second, respectively. During the early summer, his coat lacked its usual luster and he had lost some weight. In the Pimlico Special, he was beaten by his nemesis, Bet Twice, whom he was meeting for the seventh time, with each finishing ahead of the other three times.

It was Bet Twice who had drifted out in front of Alysheba in the Kentucky Derby, causing the colt to stumble badly, nearly going down. He quickly picked himself up and closed in on Bet Twice for the second time. Bet Twice again cut right in front of him, but Alysheba, after altering his path, kept coming, collaring his rival with relentless determination to win by three-quarters of a length. Then in the Preakness, he ran down Bet Twice again to win by a half-length.

Following Bet Twice’s stunning 14-length romp in the Belmont, the Monmouth Park-based colt defeated Alysheba and Lost Code in a three-horse photo in the Haskell Invitational at his home track, a race that helped establish the Haskell as one of the nation’s premier races for 3-year-olds. The “Duel at the Shore” still remains one of Monmouth Park’s greatest moments. Alysheba actually got trapped down on the rail leaving the quarter pole when pace-setting Lost Code drifted back to the inside. McCarron had to yank Alysheba to the outside, losing valuable momentum. He came flying late but fell a neck short. The time of 1:47 flat was a fifth of a second off the track record.

Returning to Alysheba’s 4-year-old campaign, because it was obvious he was not at his best in the Pimlico Special and Hollywood Gold Cup, Van Berg gave him two months off and decided to remove his blinkers, which he had worn in his previous 20 starts. When the colt arrived at Monmouth for the Philip H. Iselin Handicap and another shot at Bet Twice on his home track, his burnished bay coat glistened and he appeared to have his old swagger back. He was so on the muscle that Van Berg had his hands full walking him in the morning. “I let you out to get some fresh air, you can at least act like a gentlemen,” he said to the horse.

Getting on Alysheba each day was apprentice rider Kelly O’Hara, who admitted to being extremely nervous, hoping nothing would go wrong in front of so many onlookers.

“This horse is so smart it’s scary,” she said one morning. “Jack told me not to move on him. He said if I had a horse in front of me, to just say to him, ‘Go get him, papa,’ just those words. Sure enough, there was a horse way out in front of me. I said those exact words and this sonofagun just opened up and ran that horse down. Jack also told me not to pull him up, just say, ‘Easy papa, we’re done.’ I did just that and he came right back to me. He has so much class and moves like a cat. It doesn’t even feel like he’s hitting the ground.”

A rejuvenated, blinkerless Alysheba, his handsome head now in full view of everyone, proceeded to turn in four performances that would put a final stamp on a great career. He gained his revenge on Bet twice in the Iselin, winning by three-quarters of a length in 1:47 4/5 for the 1 1/8 miles. After the race, Clarence Scharbauer was so choked up he had trouble speaking. When he saw Alysheba return, he said in a quavering voice, “He’s got more guts and heart than anything I ever saw. He gives you everything he’s…” That was all he could get out.

In Alysheba’s next two starts, the Woodward Handicap and Meadowlands Cup, he became the only horse in memory (possibly in history) to set back-to-back track records at a mile and a quarter, winning the Woodward in 1:59 2/5, defeating a tenacious Forty Niner, coming off gutsy wins over Seeking the Gold in the Haskell and Travers, and then coming back four weeks later and winning the Meadowlands Cup in 1:58 4/5.

When Personal Ensign capped off her unbeaten career by winning the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, the pressure was on Alysheba to win the Classic over a deep, sloppy surface he was not particularly fond of. But he dug down deep to win by a half-length over Seeking the Gold to snatch Horse of the Year away from Personal Ensign. Finishing five lengths back in third was Waquoit, 15-length winner of the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

In those final four races, Alysheba defeated a veritable Who’s Who of The Turf -- Bet Twice, Forty Niner, Seeking the Gold, Gulch, Cryptoclearance, Waquoit, Slew City Slew, Personal Flag, Brian’s Time, and Cutlass Reality, to go along with his two conquests over Ferdinand earlier in the year. By winning the Santa Anita Handicap in 1:59 4/5, he became only the second horse in history, along with Round Table, to break the 2:00 mark for 1 1/4 miles three times in one year. While Round Table ran 1:59 4/5 three times in 1958, Alysheba accomplished the feat in 1:58 4/5, 1:59 2/5, and 1:59 4/5, making him arguably the fastest mile and a quarter horse of all time over a single season. It was one of the greatest campaigns ever, with seven victories in nine starts and one second, but has never received the recognition it deserved.

When it was over, the Alysheba–Bet Twice rivalry stood at 5-4 in favor of Alysheba. Everyone around the two horses, including Van Berg and Bet Twice’s trainer Jimmy Croll, swore the two horses knew each other. When they were at Pimlico for the Pimlico Special, Alysheba was stabled on the backside of Bet Twice. One morning, Alysheba was being walked around the shed by Van Berg and when he passed by Bet Twice’s stall both horses started whinnying and nickering at each other. It happened every time Alysheba went by, and they didn’t do it to any other horse. This went on every morning they were at Pimlico.

Even Alysheba’s groom, John Cherry, was amazed. “I know it sounds weird, but it sure looked like looked they recognized each other,” he said.

Both horses were completely different from each other. Alysheba was pure artistry. In the morning, he would stand motionless on the track with his head cocked to the side and ears pricked for some 10 minutes. When he began to walk it was like seeing a Richard Stone Reeves painting come to life. When he broke off into a gallop and began arching that neck in regal splendor he captured the essence of the Thoroughbred in motion in all its beauty and grandeur.

Bet Twice, on the other hand, had shown such a disdain for training when he was young, Croll had to use a buggy whip to get him to train. By the time he hooked up with Alysheba, however, he was working five-eighths in :58 without raising a sweat.

Van Berg said of the two horses and their rivalry, “They’re like two prizefighters when they get together. They just rear up and fight it out.”

Following Alysheba’s retirement, he was given a farewell at Churchill Downs, the scene of his Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic triumphs. On a cold, dreary afternoon, Alysheba was paraded on the track. As soon as he heard the cheers from the crowd he arched his neck one last time and broke off into the most magnificent gallop I think I’ve ever seen.

I visited Alysheba at Lane’s End Farm several times, and couldn’t believe it when I heard he was being sent to Saudi Arabia in 2000 to stand at King Abdullah’s Janadriyah Stud Farm outside Riyadh. Last week, Alysheba arrived at the Kentucky Horse Park, a gift to America from the people of Saudi Arabia.

That is the second time America has been given the gift of Alysheba. The first was 21 years ago. Alysheba was a gift to anyone fortunate enough to have seen him in action. I’m already looking forward to visiting him and likely will schedule a visit to Kentucky in the near future just for that purpose. The oldest living Kentucky Derby winner will turn 25 at the end of the year. Even if he no longer gallops with that regally arched neck, just one look at him up close and I’ll be able to envision it as if it were yesterday.

Tiznow, Chapter 2

Blood-Horse Staff — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 13:48:00 GMT

(Warning: the following is 3,400 words, so proceed at your own risk. I am hoping the two stories provide a comprehensive history of Tiznow’s BC Classic wins)

Thoroughbred racing has always been confined to its own small world, safe and protected from the tumultuous events that surround it. There have been individual stars that have transcended the sport and reached out to touch mainstream America. But never before had the Sport of Kings been woven into the often tattered fabric of history.

That is, until the 2001 Breeders' Cup, when racing's biggest day was played out 12 miles from the hell of Ground Zero, where the ashes from what was once the World Trade Center still smoldered.

That was the setting for Tiznow’s amazing second victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

But before we go back to Belmont Park on Oct. 27, 2001, we must begin earlier that winter, as Tiznow embarked on his 4-year-old campaign. With not much more to prove following his first Classic victory and winning Eclipse Awards as leading 3-year-old male and Horse of the Year, Tiznow, nonetheless, was kept in training by Michael Cooper after the death of his his longtime friend and partner Cecilia Straub-Rubens just three days after the Classic.

As told in the first story, Straub-Rubens’ final words to trainer Jay Robbins were: “Take care of my boy.” As it turned out, that was more difficult of a task than Robbins could have imagined.

The champ appeared to be heading for further glory after romping in the Santa Anita Handicap. But that all changed on the morning of April 12 following a six-furlong workout with Chris McCarron aboard. After the saddle was removed, the colt just stood there and refused to walk. Robbins knew something was wrong, thinking at first that colt had tied up (cramped up).

When Tiznow returned to the track he was unable to jog properly, and was noticeably off in his hind end. Dr. Rick Arthur was called in. A nuclear scan revealed that one of the vertebrae was showing a good deal of heat. That was complicated by muscular problems. Robbins' father, Jack, one of the foremost veterinarians in the country before his retirement, also tried to figure out what was wrong.

"We consulted with other vets around the country," Jay Robbins said, "and they had never seen anything like it. It hurt me to watch him; he could hardly move."

"No one thought he'd ever run again," Jack Robbins added. "He was so off behind, everyone was horrified. If someone had told me at that time this colt would win the Breeders' Cup Classic again this year I wouldn't have believed it. Dr. Arthur put him on a muscle relaxant and prescribed lots of time and rest."

Tiznow began light exercise during the middle of May, but his trainer felt the horse wasn't making much progress. "We poulticed his back and put hot packs on it, then walked him a lot," Robbins said. "He began to show improvement, so we started galloping him. He still didn't look that good and a lot of my peers said, 'Why don't you just retire him?'

But Cooper, still thinking of the courage Straub-Rubens showed by traveling to the Breeders’ Cup to see Tiznow run, was determined to give him every chance to make it back. He had promised himself after the Classic that he’d never complain about anything in racing again.

“After Tiznow won the Breeders’ Cup the way he did, and doing it for Mrs. Rubens, who was so ill at the time, how could I ever ask for anything more than that?” he said. “After 20 years of disappointment in racing, it had all been such a mystical experience.”

One morning in July, Chris McCarron galloped Tiznow and said he didn't feel quite right behind. But Robbins could see improvement and the colt began to show progress. The next time McCarron got on him he told Robbins he felt perfect."

Tiznow was on his way back, and Robbins put him on tranquilizers in order to make it easier to train him. "He's so into what he does, I didn't want him to do too much every day," he said.

Meanwhile, friction was developing between Cooper and Robbins about where to run the horse. Cooper wanted to run him in the Woodward Stakes, but Robbins did not want to send him all the way to New York off a layoff to run against the best horses in the east. He preferred the one-mile Del Mar Handicap, but Cooper did not want to risk getting Tiznow beat by El Corredor, whom he considered a “monster” at a mile. It finally was decided to ship Tiznow back to New York to defend his title.

Tiznow ran gamely in the Woodward, finishing a close third, but didn't seem to have his usual spark. Instead of improving off the race, he turned in an uncharacteristically dull performance in the Goodwood Stakes, behind longshot Freedom Crest and Skimming. Following the Goodwood, Robbins took Tiznow off the tranquilizers, and in the process, unleashed a terror.

Let's just say mornings with Tiznow were not quite as mellow as mornings with Mr. Rogers. The colt became obstinate and cantankerous, lashing out at his lead pony and refusing to train until he was good and ready. Other times, he’d be jogging on the outside fence and suddenly just dart across the track to the inside fence. “I was scared to death he was going to get someone hurt,” Robbins said. “He was doing all kinds of dumb things.”

One morning, it took 45 minutes on the track before McCarron could get him to work. When the colt finally decided he was ready, he turned in a spectacular mile work in 1:35 3/5.

Meanwhile, events were taking place back east that would set the stage for one of the greatest international spectacles in the history of the sport.

America, especially New York City, was still in shock over the cataclysmic events of 9/11, and there was talk about many of the Europeans not showing up. But Ballydoyle trainer Aidan O’Brien assured the Breeders’ Cup that he’d be there with his powerful arsenal.

The first indication that this would not be a normal Breeders' Cup came on Oct. 11 when Sheikh Mohammed’s private 747 jet, which had departed Stanstead Airport in England at 1:30 p.m., touched down at JFK International Airport. On board were three of Godolphin's biggest stars -- the brilliant Sakhee, runaway winner of the Arc de Triomphe and Juddmonte International; the globe-trotting Fantastic Light, a major stakes winner in the United States, Ireland, England, Hong Kong, and Dubai, and third, beaten a neck, in the Japan Cup; and the top miler, Noverre, winner of the Sussex Stakes.

Awaiting the trio upon their arrival at the Saudi Arabian cargo terminal were two FBI agents, four customs agents, and three carloads of Port Authority police. The horses were vanned to Belmont, joining the other Godolphin horses under the care of head assistant Tom Albertrani.

The main question was: in which races would Sakhee and Fantastic Light be entered? It was assumed Sakhee would go for the Turf, with Fantastic Light, who had worked well over the Belmont dirt the year before, headed for the Classic. But Albertrani said he had a gut feeling it would be the other way around, with Godolphin attempting to make history by winning the Arc and the Breeders' Cup Classic with the same horse and in a span of only 20 days. A victory by Sakhee surely would make him the "Horse of the World."

Godolphin also would be converging on Belmont Park from the opposite direction, with top-class 2-year-olds Tempera, Imperial Gesture, Essence of Dubai, and Ibn Al Haitham due to arrive from Eoin Harty's barn at Santa Anita.

A week before the Breeders’ Cup, a Sallee horse van rolled into the Belmont backstretch carrying two Breeders' Cup horses. The first off the van was the freshly clipped Caller One, a leading contender for the Sprint. After him came the familiar tornado-blazed face of Tiznow.
Despite a layer of dust that covered him after his long trip from California, the champ was bursting with dapples. The colt stopped to shake some of the dust off and was led into the grassy area behind Shug McGaughey's barn by exercise rider Ramon Arciga to unwind a little.
A few minutes later, the tranquility was interrupted by the muffled sound of Tom Durkin's voice calling that day's eighth race. In a flash, Tiznow's head sprang up. His eyes widened and he stood like a statue, with his ears cocked, staring off into the distance at the Belmont grandstand. It wasn't until the race was over and all was again quiet that he returned to grazing.

"He knows where the action is," Arciga said. "He knows something big is about to happen.” Arciga then turned to Tiznow and said, "Hey, Papa, we're gonna kick some butt, aren't we?" Tiznow then was led into his stall, took a roll in the wood shavings, and settled in to his new home for the week.

But this moment of bliss would be short-lived. The following morning, Robbins showed up, not knowing what to expect from his temperamental star. Much to his dismay, he would soon find out. Tiznow went out for his clockwise jog around the track just after the renovation break, and immediately turned into a one-horse wrecking crew, balking, kicking, back-peddling, and side-stepping his way around the track. As he walked off, Robbins told Arciga to bring him back on and go around again. "I'm either gonna confuse him or confuse myself," he said. Tiznow was better the second time around, but down the backstretch, he lost it again, and scooted backwards across the width of the track. An outrider finally had to grab the colt and escort him back.

Robbins went out later that day to buy a bottle of vodka to give to Tiznow to help calm him down. It was a practice that had been used by some trainers in the past. But it was Sunday and all the liquor stores were closed, so Robbins was on his own.

He decided to change the colt's schedule, sending him out before the break, when there was much less traffic, and having him go counterclockwise for a change. It seemed to work. Accompanied by Shug McGaughey’s exercise rider Pam York and her pony, Andy, Tiznow improved each day. Robbins, watching from the trainer's stand one morning, crossed both his fingers as Tiznow ambled calmly around the track. His gallops got stronger, and by late week, he was tearing over the track with the same power and authority as he had the year before at Churchill Downs.

At 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 22, an Air Transport International DC-8 taxied up to the same Saudi Arabian terminal at JFK. Veterinarian John Miller boarded the plane and took the blood on the seven Ballydoyle-trained horses arriving from Shannon Airport. The blood would then be flown by Lear Jet to Ames, Iowa, where lab technician John Eli would meet the plane and take the samples to the lab for analysis. Expediting the procedure would allow the Ballydoyle horses to clear quarantine by 10 p.m. the following day.

The Ballydoyle contingent was believed to be the most expensive shipment of Thoroughbred racehorses in history. An insurance company appraised their value at $200 million, with Galileo, winner of the English Derby, Irish Derby, and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, alone valued at $65 million. Also on board were the brilliant undefeated 2-year-old Johannesburg, St. Leger winner Milan, and top-class stakes horses Black Minnaloushe, Bach, Mozart, and Sophisticat.

About an hour after the arrival of the Ballydoyle horses, an Air France 747 pulled up to the Air France terminal, carrying three horses -- Banks Hill, Spring Oak, and Slew the Red, all trained by Andre Fabre in Chantilly.

This three-pronged European force would wind up winning an incredible $3,907,200 in Breeders' Cup purse money.

On Wednesday, Oct. 24, the morning of the entries, Godolphin sent shock waves rippling through the backstretch when it announced Fantastic Light would run in the Turf and Sakhee would go for the Classic in an attempt to climb Mt. Olympus and enter the pantheon of greats.

On the morning of the race, Sandy Robbins, knowing the problems that were brewing between Jay and Cooper, said to her husband, “I want this for you so badly.”

Breeders' Cup Day was unlike anything ever seen at a racetrack. Police dogs were used to search random automobiles entering the track parking lot. Soldiers were stationed throughout Belmont, armed with AKA assault rifles. Snipers were positioned on the roof, observing the crowd with high-powered binoculars. The whole scene was surreal.

As part of the opening ceremonies prior to the races, dozens of jockeys, accompanied by members of the New York Police and Fire departments, lined up, each holding the flag of his country. The National Anthem was sung by Carl Dixon of the New York Police Department following a bagpipe rendition of "Amazing Grace."

On the racing front, Alastair Donald of the International Racing Bureau was expecting a big day from the powerful European brigade. "If we get our asses kicked, we'll have to think up some good excuses," he said.

Walking to the holding barn, Arciga spoke to Tiznow with reassuring words. The colt pinned his ears and "gave me that look," Arciga said. He had seen that same look a year earlier and a wave of confidence came over him. "I said to myself, 'We're gonna do it. I know we're gonna do it.'"

Fast forward to the running of the Classic, as the field nears the quarter pole. Albert the Great is trying to gut it out on the lead, with Tiznow right behind, but not threatening at this point. The all-too familiar silks of Godolphin emerge in the picture, as Sakhee comes charging up on the outside to take a narrow lead. Tiznow is now back in third and still not putting in much of a run, but moves into second when Albert the Great begins to drop back. Still, he appears beaten, as Sakhee has taken a half-length lead with less than a furlong to go.
McCarron thinks he’s beaten. Robbins thinks he’s beaten. Cooper is still hoping his miracle horse could pull out another miracle, but just wants Tiznow to continue to battle. "When Sakhee went by him, I thought, 'Keep going, boy; keep going. Show him you got guts, anyway.'" McCarron hits Tiznow once left-handed and he surges forward.

Suddenly, it was happening all over again, just like the previous year. America was a heartbeat away from being conquered in the Breeders' Cup Classic. This time, however, a defeat would have been an ignominious end to the 2001 Breeders’ Cup. First, it was a thrashing from the French in the Filly & Mare Turf by Banks Hill. Then, it was the Irish who decimated the American youngsters in the Juvenile, as Johannesburg burst clear to win going away. Adding insult to injury, the Turf then went to the English, represented by Godolphin’s Fantastic Light, with the Irish colt Milan finishing off a one-two European coup-de-grace.

Now, the axe was about to fall. Sakhee, with immortality a mere furlong away, reached back to deal the fatal blow. But then something happened, something we'd seen before. Right before everyone's eyes, last year's Superman, Tiznow, stripped away the glasses and gray suit he had worn in his previous two races. The Clark Kent of the Woodward Stakes and Goodwood Handicap had emerged from his phone booth and was becoming airborne, just as he had in the 2000 Classic when another European powerhouse, Giant's Causeway, dared to challenge America's dominance on dirt.

Tiznow’s problems were now behind him. All he needed was an opponent, apparently a European, to re-ignite the fire in his eyes. One look at Sakhee about to deal America another crushing defeat and the mild-mannered colt once again became faster than a speeding bullet; once again became more powerful than a locomotive. He reached back into that indefinable reservoir we call heart, and in the shadow of the wire, was able to leap the world's tallest building with a single bound. America, for a fleeting instant, was as she was before Sept. 11-- untainted and impenetrable. The nation's fighting spirit that emerged in the face of disaster had manifested itself in the form of a magnificent, powerful Thoroughbred who simply refused to be defeated.

By thrusting his nose in front of Sakhee on the wire, a California-bred with relatively obscure bloodlines had become the first two-time winner of the Breeders' Cup Classic. And he did it by defeating the greatest international field ever assembled for a dirt race. His victims included the winners of the English Derby, Irish Derby, Arc de Triomphe, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and Irish Two Thousand Guineas, as well as two Jockey Club Gold Cup winners.

In the stands, Sandy Robbins was in tears. Cooper’s legs went numb and he couldn’t walk for several minutes. He also couldn't help but think of his longtime partner and close friend, Cecilia Straub-Rubens. "She was such a special lady and a special friend," he said. "I wish she had been here to enjoy this. I think Tiz knew in spirit she was here, the way he came back and gutted it out right down on the line, kind of like the way she was, too. Who knows, it could have been Cee kicking him in the ass. I thought about her and thanked her. At least I know she went out with a big smile on her face.”

Frankie Dettori had nothing but praise for Tiznow, and tremendous admiration for his horse. "He's still a winner to me," he said. "For him to run like he did first time on dirt and having run three weeks ago in Paris, he must be a superstar. Full credit to Tiznow. He knuckled down and got me. He has a great reputation and a head like a dinosaur."

Godolphin assistant Laurent Barbarin put it best when he said of Sakhee, "He came a nose away from making history. It would have been something amazing, but we'll be back again."

Back at the barn, Tiznow immediately dove into a pile of alfalfa. Cooper called over to his trainer, "Hey, Robbins, you got the condition book. He's ready to go again." Tiznow was then treated to carrots, apples, and mints by his admiring family. McCarron showed up and wrapped his arms around Tiznow's massive neck. "You are the man!" he said.

As Cooper departed, he told Arciga and groom Carlos Aguilar, "Good night, guys. Once again, wonderful job. I know it hasn't been easy, but you did terrific. There will be Christmas again this year."

One of the last to leave was Robbins’s father Jack, who went over to Tiznow and said, "You got the job done, White Face. You did yourself proud."

The colt also did New York City proud. At a time when so many heroes had surfaced in the Big Apple, Tiznow, in his own way, came to embody the indomitable spirit that had emerged over the past two months.

Soon after the Breeders’ Cup, Bill Belichick, coach of the New England Patriots, who were 5-3 at the time and seemingly going nowhere, was looking for something that would inspire his team. He showed them a tape of Tiznow’s Classic and told them the importance of the race, and impressed upon them how victory comes to those who want it the most. So, instead of watching game films, the Patriots watched Tiznow battle back to turn certain defeat into victory. Whether it was coincidence or not, the Patriots went on to win the Super Bowl that year, which began one the great dynasties in NFL history.

That December, Robbins received a Christmas card from Belichick, on which he wrote, “Thanks for the inspiration.” The following February, Belichick presented the Eclipse Award for leading older male to Cooper and Robbins.

In looking for the proper words to describe Tiznow’s 2001 Classic victory, I found them in the form of an old English saying.

Although not the powerful force he had been that winter and the previous fall, Tiznow, despite his injuries and mental foibles and coming off two defeats, somehow was able to rise to the challenge, giving new meaning to the saying, "Spirit shall be the stouter, heart the bolder, courage the greater, as our might lessens."

Tiz and The Iron Horse

Blood-Horse Staff — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 03:55:00 GMT

A look at the leading North American sires list shows Tiznow ranked No. 2 and Giant’s Causeway No. 3. What else is new? They wouldn’t have it any other way.

The two horses have been pretty much joined at the hip from the time they lined up against each other in the starting gate of the 2000 Breeders’ Cup Classic (Tiznow in post 12 and Giant’s Causeway in post 13) and their ensuing epic stretch battle.

This year, Giant’s Causeway’s offspring have won 22 stakes, while Tiznow’s offspring have won 19 stakes, but from far fewer runners.

A visit with Tiznow last week brought back a flood of memories from 2000 and 2001, when he became the only horse to capture the Breeders’ Cup Classic twice. Although most people remember his memorable and emotional victory over Sakhee in 2001, less than two months after 9/11, his dramatic win over Giant’s Causeway the year before was equally as memorable, mainly because both horses had a reputation as tough, fierce competitors who hated to lose. When you have two such horses locked in combat, the result, regardless of who wins, is going to be unforgettable.

With both horses atop the leading sires list and a number of their offspring heading to the Breeders’ Cup, what better time to look back at that special day, Nov. 4, 2000, when two of the most durable, tenacious, and courageous horses ever to grace the Turf hooked up in a battle of the ages.

A good deal of what you will read has been re-written from my recap of the race that appeared in the Blood-Horse, with the remainder being fresh material.

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Both horses had been here before. At first, it seemed like just another brawl, in another alley, in another town. Tiznow and Giant’s Causeway thrived on bare-knuckle street fights, and because of this lust for battle, their reputations preceded them as they strutted into Louisville, Ky. for the 17th Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Sneak up from behind if you have to, but do not under any circumstances look them in the eye. In this skirmish, however, things were different. When Tiznow and Giant’s Causeway looked into each other’s eyes, they saw something they’d never seen before: a fire that matched their own.

Here was Giant’s Causeway, a chestnut streak of light who brightened many a gray afternoon for racing fans in England and Ireland. They could not recall a horse with the toughness and tenacity of this son of Storm Cat. How fitting that a horse with such a big heart be born on Valentine’s Day. His five consecutive group I victories at five different tracks over a period of only 11 weeks, all of them head-to-head slugfests, was a feat unheard of in Europe. Did the “Iron Horse of Ballydoyle” have any more to give after a grueling campaign and in his first ever attempt on dirt?

Right alongside Giant’s Causeway was a dark chocolate-colored mountain of a horse, with a large splash of white on his face that resembled a tornado. A latecomer to the racing scene due to a stress fracture suffered the previous October, Tiznow was a rapidly building force that was fueled by competition. He had eyeballed eventual Haskell Invitational winner Dixie Union, Belmont Stakes winner Commendable, and Kentucky Cup Classic winner Captain Steve, and none were able to stand up to this new bully on the block.

Tiznow’s fight and spirit did not emerge overnight. It was born in him, with the same blood that flowed through the veins of his bulldog of a brother, Budroyale, who had finished a courageous second in the previous year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic. The odds of full brothers, bred in California, and by relatively obscure parents, making it to the Classic in back-to-back years were astronomical.

But here was Tiznow ready to tackle the world. Unlike his brother, however, he had the muscle to go along with the grit. Budroyale had not yet emerged in the national spotlight when his dam, Cee’s Song, gave birth to a massive 144-pound colt on March 12, 1997, at Harris Farms near Coalinga, Cal. Already 25 to 30 pounds heavier than the average foal, Tiznow was placed with a group of youngsters who played particularly hard. “It taught him not be bullied,” farm manager Dave McGlothlin said. “They all took turns beating on each other and he got used to doing things rough.”

Farm manager Per Antonsen said Tiznow was so strong and competitive he quickly emerged as the leader of the pack. “Dave put him in with a tough bunch to make sure he had horses who could stand up to him,” he said.

The big, burly colt wasn’t much easier on the people trying to break him. “He was always fighting you,”Antonsen said. “He’d bite and snap at you and buck. He was like a big bull, and was such a handful we had to give him extra work before we even took him to the track.”

When Tiznow was turned over to trainer Jay Robbins the following year, all Antonsen said to him was, “This is a big, tough boy.” He had no idea just how tough.

The veteran Robbins, with only eight horses in his stable, had to watch the previous year as Budroyale became a star after having been claimed from him for $32,000.

Fast forward to Oct. 31, 2000, four days before the Breeders’ Cup. Tiznow has just arrived at Churchill Downs and is stabled in the stakes barn. He wants no part of being cooped up in his stall, and after being walked for 40 minutes and jogged once around the track, he refuses to go back in his stall. It takes some pushing and prodding to finally get him in. His coat is resplendent, with dapples peaking out from his neck and shoulders.

“Tomorrow, when we gallop him, I’m going to need an anchor to pull him up,” said exercise rider Ramon Arciga. As predicted, Tiznow galloped like a wild horse the following morning, with Arciga having to pull hard to restrain him.

Robbins knew he was ready, despite making his third start in 35 days. It was a lot to ask of a relatively t inexperienced 3-year-old. After shipping to Louisiana and breaking the track record for 1 1/4 miles in the Super Derby (going in 1:59 4/5), Tiznow returned to California, and two weeks later had to slug it out with Captain Steve (eventual Dubai World Cup winner) in the Goodwood Handicap. Now came the all important decision for owners Cecilia Straub Rubens and Michael Cooper. Do you put up a staggering $360,000 supplementary fee to run your Cal-bred off only 20 days rest against the likes of Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus; Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Albert the Great, who had run the fastest 1 1/4 miles by a 3-year-old in the history of New York racing; Lemon Drop Kid, winner of the Belmont, Travers, Whitney, Woodward, Suburban, and Brooklyn; Cat Thief, winner of the previous year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic; Golden Missile, winner of the Pimlico Special and Stephen Foster; and the mighty Giant’s Causeway, the pride of Europe?

“The whole barn deserved the chance to see what this horse can do,” Cooper said. “Chris (McCarron) gave me the thumbs up, the vet said the horse was doing great, and Jay said we ought to go, so it really was an easy decision.”

Another reason to run was that, unbeknownst to most people, Cecilia Straub-Rubens was suffering from cancer and no one knew how much longer she had to live. She and Cooper had not had much success together in 19 years, running in mostly claiming races. Cooper had been touched by the scene at the 1990 Kentucky Derby when trainer Carl Nafzger called the race for Unbridled’s 92-year-old owner Frances Genter and then said to her, “Oh, Mrs. Genter, I love you.” Cooper had always dreamed of playing out that same scene with Straub-Rubens, who would be celebrating her 84th birthday the following month. His wish would come true, but sadly, Straub-Rubens would live only three more days. She thought of Tiznow right to the end, and her final words to Robbins on the day she died was, “Take care of my boy.”

So, all the reasons were there for Cooper and Robbins to take the gamble and run Tiznow in the Classic. But Robbins knew what he was asking of his colt, and despite outward confidence that he was making the right decision, the questions and doubt remained bottled up in his subconscious. In the middle of the night, his wife Sandy could hear him talking in his sleep, repeating over and over, “20 days…20 days.”

Now those days were down to a precious few. The strong gallops continued. The colt’s coat continued to shine. He became more focused and remarkably displayed all the signs of a horse itching for another fight. The young brute who had left a trail of fallen exercise riders behind him had turned into a seasoned pro, and at just the right time.

Robbins remained in good spirits, and when he was reminded one morning by a member of the West Coast media that the record of Cal-breds in the Breeders’ Cup was 0-for-46, he responded, “I better call to see if they have a flight back tomorrow. Can we get our money back?”

Meanwhile, at the far end of the stable area, Giant’s Causeway had settled into his new home, and when he made his long-awaited appearance the day before the race, it was an odd sight seeing him being ponied to the track by none other than Wayne Lukas, who had Cat Thief primed for another big effort in the Classic.

“Wait until they get my bill,” Lukas said from atop the pony, as he led Giant’s Causeway to the track, with trainer Aidan O’Brien walking briskly behind trying to keep up. Lukas had trained horses for Giant’s Causeway’s owners Michael Tabor (including Kentucky Derby winner Thunder Gulch) and Susan and John Magnier, and he felt it was “the sporting thing to do.” He had met with O’Brien earlier to discuss the shoeing process, the medication rules in Kentucky, and introduced him to starter Roger Nagle.

After the colt’s gallop, O’Brien dashed after Lukas, who told him that Giant’s Causeway “wasn’t a bit concerned about this saddle horse, but I would definitely send a pony with him in the post parade. On the turns, he had a tendency to look at things in the infield, but he’ll be better tomorrow.”

The European media was glowing in their praise of Giant’s Causeway’s toughness and will to win. Adrian Beaumont of the International Racing Bureau stated emphatically, “If you go eyeball to eyeball with him he will win.”

Noted turf writer and commentator John McCririck said, “To see him fight back and beat Kalanisi in the Eclipse Stakes was tear-wrenching. Imagine the constitution of this horse to run in eight Group I stakes in the last four months, and he’s still coming back for more. Everything is against the horse (in the Classic). All you’ve got is the guts and the bravery of the animal himself. He has earned a special place in the public’s imagination.”

O’Brien admitted the Classic would be a tough task for Giant’s Causeway, but added, “If any horse can do it he can. We’ve never seen a horse like this. Even though he’s been running hard races every two to three weeks, he’s still bigger and stronger now than he’s ever been. He’s 15 kilos (33 pounds) heavier than he was for his last race. He’s an amazing horse.”

Jockey Mick Kinane added, “He always seems to raise himself up for a fight. I’ve never ridden a horse like this. And I’ve never even gotten to the bottom of him.”

Fast forward once again to the quarter pole of the Classic and to the beginning of the story. Here they were, two of the most rugged, courageous horses seen in America and Europe in many years, battling to the wire, their courage and will to win tested for the first time by a foe of equal character and tenacity. Something had to give. Tiznow had the advantage of being in front, as Giant’s Causeway moved in for the kill. Both horses reached back for everything they had. Still, neither would crack. No one would have expected them to. Kinane went to switch sticks and lost his right rein. Giant’s Causeway was relentless and continued to battle on near-even terms right down to the wire. But in the end, it was Tiznow who prevailed by a neck. The son of Cee’s Tizzy found himself back at Harris Farms, once again the feisty, precocious kid turning back another challenge and asserting his dominance.

As darkness fell on Churchill Downs, Tiznow returned to his stall after walking the shed and proceeded to attack his hay rack and wolf down mouthfuls of alfalfa and a bag of carrots. Occasionally, he’d lift his head and place it atop the hay rack and just stare at all the activity outside the barn. Once, he even worked his head under the webbing as if he wanted to come out and join in the celebration.

Jay and Sandy Robbins, exhausted mentally, left and picked up some sandwiches at Kroger’s before returning to their hotel to pack.

Jeffrey Sengara, owner of Budroyale, had watched the race on TV and was overcome with emotion seeing the horse’s brother win the Classic. He recalled the previous year’s Classic when he and his family, thrilled over “Bud’s” gutsy performance, were leaving the track and were approached by Straub-Rubens.

“Tears were streaming down her face,” Sengara said. “She gave me the biggest hug and said, ‘You must be so proud. I’m so happy for you. I feel like he’s still mine.’ I told her, in many ways he still is. Then I asked myself, ‘Could I be that happy and congenial if I had lost a horse like that?” I guess the racing gods have a way of noticing those kinds of things. Ironically, the last thing I said to her was, ‘I hope his brother you have coming up is as good as he is.’”

As remarkable as the story of the 2000 Breeders’ Cup Classic is, who would have thought it was only Chapter 1 in the Tiznow saga.

Although Giant’s Causeway, who seems to be forever linked with Tiznow, was retired after the Classic, Tiznow returned the following year, where more amazing adventures and another date with history awaited him. But that’s a story for another time.