The Strange Saga of Jim French

re: The Strange Saga of Jim French

Dwayne — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 18:47:28 GMT

Wow! as a racing fan I am saddened that this Iron Horse retired in obscurity. This story chokes me up.

I can only hope his last days were happy ones

re: The Strange Saga of Jim French

Judi B — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 04:24:25 GMT

to HT Johnny:

Yes, it was a huge mistake to shiip Seatle Slew to Calif. for the

Swaps. He had just won the Triple Crown (8 races/8 wins). He had a grueling campaign and didn't have

anything to prove at that point.

trainer, Billy Turner advised the owners that if they ran him in the

Swaps, he would quit the team.

Slew raced and lost, Turner quit as trainer.

The owners had scheduled a series of stops on the way back to Kentucky, to "show" Slew to his adoring public. I was at Longacres the day he did his "golden gallop". He was a magnificent-looking colt and I have pictures showing how "washed-out" he was that day.

When they finally got him back home

it was soon announced that he was very sick. They almost lost him!

It took him almost a year to recover and return to racing. He was never quite the same.

I shudder to think that if he had died, we wouldn't have seen the great sirelines he has established

through A P Indy (you know who they are)and others. He also sired

many top fillies who are still giving us those bloodlines. He was

special. I've read that no one knows how fast he could go, because once he got the lead, he

only went as fast as was needed to win. It was wonderful to see a horse running free (Secretariat in the Belmont) and I have to wonder how Seattle Slew would have liked that, given the chance.

Judi B

re: The Strange Saga of Jim French

Ellen Zachary — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 03:57:33 GMT

What a great story...I did not know about Jim French...what a tough horse! Steve, you are so right in that he deserved so much better after such an amazing career...wow..

re: The Strange Saga of Jim French

Convene — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 23:16:42 GMT

I remember Jim French and few gutsier horses have ever been foaled. Can you imagine today's hothouse flowers on a campaign even HALF as intense? I think that was a bit much in the opposite direction but the point is that he did indeed seem to thrive on it. Ironically, many horses of that time had campaigns that today would be unimaginable. I mean - 3 or 4 starts before the Derby? IMHO that's ridiculous!

Thanks for reminding me of Jim French. I saw him and cheered for him but somehow he did indeed slip from my memory - and he deserved to be remembered.

re: The Strange Saga of Jim French

buzzatoga — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 13:52:29 GMT

I remember Jim French, but I didn't remember this remarkable series of races. Thanks!

re: The Strange Saga of Jim French

Larry Ensor — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 13:01:35 GMT

I believe Jim French died of natural causes in the early 90’s, 92?

re: The Strange Saga of Jim French

Deacon — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 03:51:25 GMT

Steve in St. Louis: I as well was very fond of Graustark. In fact I had ongoing discussions with several friends and trainers at Santa Anita where my dad used to hang out about who was the better horse and who would do the best in the triple crown. My dad and most of the other folks favored Buckpasser. He would have been the favorite, he was quite a beast on the race track. I loved Graustark, he was lightly raced and I felt he was peeking at the right time. As far as workouts go, that is something I don't put a tremendous amount of stock in. Every trainer I ever met always seemed to have a different method of bringing a horse up to a race. To each his own, and what they believe works for them. We all know training and racing a horse was much different back then. I think Baeza would have rode Graustark if both horses would have raced, he always said that Graustark was one of the top 2 horses he ever rode. The other being the legendary Dr. Fager, trained by one of Mr. Haskin's favorite trainers John Nerud.

So ironically, neither horse ran and Kauai King ends up winning the Derby, who knew.

Such is horse racing.

re: The Strange Saga of Jim French

txhorsefan — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 02:38:26 GMT

Well you have certainly taken up another large part of another day, Steve! And reading blogs I've already read - that's just the trouble with you - here I sit all day reading through the old blogs and all the old comments and lost in the reverie of those days gone by. You have such a way with words to weave these stories for us, Steve, and even though it sounds like I'm griping on the one side, I hope you know how much I have really loved spending this time in reading your stories again today. I can never say thank you enough for bringing these horses to life for me. Thank you.

re: The Strange Saga of Jim French

arazi — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 02:05:17 GMT

i used to love jim french... if i can remember didnt eddie belmonte ride him. What a closer. Thanks for another great article.

re: The Strange Saga of Jim French

Bill Daly — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 02:04:05 GMT

Richie, you were fortunate to groom for Dickie Dutrow and even more fortunate to have groomed Lexington Park. Talk about endurance and stamina, that horse raced until he was 15 or so. It is sad indeed that he wound up at GBF. He was an important stakes winner [John B. Campbell in 1971 among others]. He was one of the ones that helped boost Dutrow's career and one of my all time favorites. Like Jim French, he deserved a better end.

re: The Strange Saga of Jim French

HorseApples — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 01:48:24 GMT

HT Johnny...

I was at the track that day 'Hollywood Park'. Willie Shoemaker said before the race that if he was ever going to get beat..that would be the day. JO Tobin had the best race of his life and won...broke my heart!

re: The Strange Saga of Jim French

HT Johnny — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 23:42:38 GMT

I wonder if the ill-advised shipping of Seattle Slew to run in the Swaps following the Triple Crown was something of a turning point.

-----

There was a time in NY when Pancho's entry of Black Match & Intensitivo appeared almost daily.

re: The Strange Saga of Jim French

Richie — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 23:23:15 GMT

Well, Steve you've done it again. Brought back memories that I'd not thought of in many years. Jim French was one of my very favorite horses back than when I was first discovering our wonderful sport. It's funny but I don't remember thinking that he was racing too many times. It just meant more chances to watch him run, which of course is why horses had large fan followings in those days. It also brought back memories of another forgotten "iron horse" that I groomed many years ago for the great Dicky Dutrow named Lexington Park. He was a minor Sw in Md and finally moved down the ladder and was claimed in 1978, I believe. I lost track of him but when I had to leave the track due to illness and moved to New England I saw his name listed in the entries at the old Great Barrington Fair. I was determined to drive there and claim him and bring him back to live out the rest of his life in a nice pasture in the Green Mountains but by the time I got down there he was gone and I was never able to track him down or find where he was. Btw , his record was 209 Starts 47-35-29. I've always hoped that he ended up with some people that loved him and took care of him in his later years. Thanks for the memories, Jim French and "Lex".

re: The Strange Saga of Jim French

Linda in Texas — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 19:43:22 GMT

I would really rather not know Jim French's fate. Perhaps he died in his stall as did Cannonero. I will remember and think of him as flying thru the fields, meadows and pastures 'Upstairs' as i do all of them.

Death of anything is hard to take even at an old age and all used up.

Today would have been my dad's 98th

Birthday. Lost him to the big C 35 years ago.But how he died does not lessen what he accomplished in his life.

And so too with thoroughbreds, that is the way i like to think of all of them who leave their heart

and marks on the tracks but i still want them to die with dignity and remembered as such.

Jim French made a name for himself and did his owner and fans a great favor by doing what he could the best he could, and he was a strappy gutty smallish horse. And as much as he raced he should have been a goodwill ambassador.

And Zen's Auntie, don't move the tissue box, you will need it for The Cannonero Parts 1 and 2. Read it last year when i realized i could access all of Steve Haskin's writings just when i had discovered Hangin' With Haskin. So it was a wonderful introduction to what has been a great year on this blog with so many super folks. And many new ones each week. That is so nice.

And how 'bout Band Box and Quantum Miss's wins over the week end and a couple other grays also? But the

biggest gray win was The Factor.

Now maybe he will get some respect and fans will realize he does have stamina and 'leadability.' He had

a determination expression on his face that was as serious as a heartbeat! The whole time he was racing i wondered what he was thinking and saying to himself!

I was happy for him and for his owners. That was an impressive win.

I wish him many more.

Thanks Steve Haskin. In the end we all are left with our memories and thank God those cannot be taxed!!

re: The Strange Saga of Jim French

sceptre — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 18:56:29 GMT

Thanks for the nice recollection. Yes, I remember him well. Had then focused a bit on him, because he was by Graustark out of a Tom Fool mare which later proved to be an exceptional "nick" (and was a combination of two of the all-time greats)...Hard for me to buy that Campo didn't know what he was doing re-running him so often. As I recall, John Campo groomed for Eddie Neloy and, I believe, rubbed Buckpasser. So, Campo had first hand experience on how things were done. Despite his number of starts at 2 into 3, I wouldn't characterize Jim French as an "iron horse". As you said, he developed spurs---chips, and was retired mid-way through his 3 yr. old season. Certainly isn't testimony for running them more frequently. Likely truth is that we've learned more about how to better manage a racing career-and this knowledge tells us to run them less frequently. My guess is that we'll learn more still, which will lead to even fewer starts. For example, we'll be better able to more easily detect subtle microfractures, and other effects common to wear and tear. It's all for the better-less chance to keep a "blind eye"-so let's stop rose coloring the good old days and the excessive racing of horses.

re: The Strange Saga of Jim French

steve from st louis — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 18:55:13 GMT

Deacon: I was mixed up on dates of that Blue Grass--that happens at my age--but I will always remember Graustark, how he always ran "angry" like he had a chip on his shoulder, as if he knew that Easterners loved Phipps' Buckpasser as their Derby horse and he was going to make Midwesterners proud by backing him. Of course, neither of them even made the Derby.

Categorically, no horse was ever so mismanaged by their trainer as Graustark was by Boo Gentry.

Deacon, you gotta' understand that Graustark worked in 33 2/5 in his Keeneland blow-out, a day which clockers reported was the 45th day in succession that Graustark was brought to the track to work. If a trainer did that today, he'd lose all his stock and be brought up on cruelty charges.

And you're probably right to give Uncle Mo his chance. And I will. I'll watch quietly as that Indian Charlie blood starts boiling about the quarter pole and he cooks himself out inside the furlong marker in the Churchill dust.

re: The Strange Saga of Jim French

mz — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 17:38:48 GMT

I add my name to the people who remember Jim French.

Also remember he went to France.

RIP

re: The Strange Saga of Jim French

Carmel — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 17:38:00 GMT

I remember Jim French running in the Triple Crown races, even though I was only 11 at the time. It was so nice to read more about him and find out what a hard trying little horse he was. I too would like to know what happened to him after he was sent to Japan........I only pray he did not suffer Ferdinand's fate.

re: The Strange Saga of Jim French

Cris — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 17:14:53 GMT

Back in the day, a trainer raced his horse into condition. Every race was not meant to be a winning one and since they only had to recover from the race and not the drugs, they popped up in less days.

re: The Strange Saga of Jim French

LAZMANNICK — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 16:59:28 GMT

A wonderful story Steve. I remember reading it the first time around......I have the past performances for that 1971 Kentucky Derby when Jim French came from as far back as 11th to finish a bang up second. When you look at the PP’s several unbelievable things stand out. There were 20 starters and combined they had 263 total starts heading into the race for an average of 13 starts per horse, and 70 total wins for a win Pct. of 27%. Of the 20 starters, only 9 or 45% were actual stakes winners, 4 were maiden only winners and one, was still a maiden. It was a pretty deep field, however, with some very talented horses including Jim French; Canonero (the winner); Unconscious who would defeat Triple bend twice and finish a bang up second to Cougar II and actually defeat both in the San Antonio Hdcp.; career 14 race winner Helio Rise; Eastern Fleet who would defeat both Jim French and Executioner in the Florida Derby and who was making his 11th start of the year in the Derby (finished 4th); and Executioner who would win several big races including the Flamingo (a big race back then) and the Met Mile. The good old days steeped in history. Thanks so much for the memories.

re: The Strange Saga of Jim French

Deacon — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 16:21:29 GMT

Steve from St. Louis: The 1969 Blue Grass Stakes was won by Arts and Letters, who was trained by Elliot Burch and ridden by the great Bill Shoemaker. Graustark lost the 1966 Blue Grass Stakes to Abe's Hope by a nose. Ironically, who was also ridden by Bill Shoemaker. Graustark bred by John Galbreath and owned by the Darby Dan Farms.

I wouldn't disagree that Uncle Mo may not be as talented as Graustark (few were) but lets at least give the guy a chance and see how he performs in the triple crown. History is made on the racetrack.

re: The Strange Saga of Jim French

Zen's Auntie — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 16:10:21 GMT

Pedigree Ann I could not agree with you more. The best eventing horses are TB's Many are track retired sound.

Lets face it, oval flat racing is kittens play to that lions den. If done right on a sound built horse the more you ask from a TB the more you get this builds heart both litterally and in spirit. They get smarter too, TB's have a huge capacity to learn, if you help them.

re: The Strange Saga of Jim French

makarra — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 15:59:05 GMT

picture of Jim French:

www.sporthorse-data.com/.../Horse_Jim_French-big.jpg

picture of Jim French

re: The Strange Saga of Jim French

Zen's Auntie — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 15:56:36 GMT

Steve Haskin,

I put off reading this because I was out of soft tissues. This morning, I sat down with coffee alone in the quiet and really enjoyed this.

Thank you once again what a great story about a great horse.

This is just before my TB obsession that became a love affair that forged me as a Lifelong TB fan. God Bless them all - For all the reasons that make the breed so amazing.

I'll take roughed up Cast Iron over fine china any day.

Running well, makes you a better runner. Can you imagine never worse than 4th in that schedule? Today?

still I belive in retiring them sound, so they can go on to useful lives. TB Horses live 25 years there is so much more life left in them after the track.

Its unthinkable that any horse who has ever won a dime or tried to would ever be "lost". Less beliveable the likes of Jim French or Ferdinand but sadly it is all too common.

I dont even want to know what happened to him in Japan. Its just too sad.

Thanks for the reference to the 2 part story - Im reading that next. Mondays are so peaceful.

re: The Strange Saga of Jim French

Derby Dew — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 15:28:02 GMT

Steve,

Thanks for bringing Jim French to mind. Going along for the ride on your trips down memory lane keep the fires burning for what was once a true sport. Those were the days when equine athletes competed with heart and muscle against all comers for the love of running.

I'm from the school of thought that believes horses can derive more mental sharpness and physical fitness from competing in races than they can from morning workouts. A good example of today's mindset are the Triple Crown preparations which are heavy on training, light on racing, with everyone avoiding each other until Derby day. With the delicate handling of today's 3yo contenders, many of them seem ill prepared to run in a tough race like the Derby. They are probably bored to death with these mundane workouts and would much prefer the stimulating experience of a race. Just ask 'em? (okay, I've gone a little overboard here, but recalling Jim French just gets my juices flowing).

Win or lose, Jim French just loved to run, and we racing fans were inspired by his performances. He was some racehorse!