Sham Rocks

re: Sham Rocks

Joltman — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 02:34:50 GMT

Thought you guys might like to know. I had been out of the business for many years and wrote back in 2009 that I 'thought I might pick up that Defensive Play mare'. Well it took a year, but I did pick her up and breed her. She has a wonderful 2013 colt by Hold Me Back. I'm hoping that Sham's influence in Defensive Play shines through in this guy.

re: Sham Rocks

Jacqueline — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 06:50:39 GMT

I am so heartbroken for Sham. He was a true class act and a champion

May your heroic soul rest in peace

dear one.

re: Sham Rocks

Maureen — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:15:34 GMT

I think Sham stole all our hearts . He was majestic, he was a true athlete. how many other horses would have kept going with two teeth ahnging? does anyone know of any pictures of his Dma...rogue girl?

re: Sham Rocks

al kessop — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:41:58 GMT

As big of a Secretariat fan as I am - I always have said that SHAM - was a great champion too - may he always get the respect and love he deserves and above all may his soul rest in peace.

re: Sham Rocks

Jorge — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 22:31:58 GMT

Steve, what a great story on Sham! Makes one remember other similar great cases of horses who lived at the shadow of other great horses. Makes me remember of Flying Paster (1976) and Jamie K (1950). Congratulations and keep on the good work!

re: Sham Rocks

bon1042 — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:19:49 GMT

Re. Steve's piece on Sham, if anyone is interested, on YouTube "kierkegaard" has a lovely video tribute to Sham called Sham, Twilight of Greatness. KatieM, the first comment, mentioned denegrating a "losing horse" to elevate a winner. Yes, people do this. But take note, on YouTube Secretariat's fans pay strong, loving tribute to Sham. When I read Bill Nack's 8 pg description of that Belmont my stomach ached. The jockey behind Sham could see his legs getting "rubbery" at the 3/4 pole when Secretariat started pulling away. He was "disintegrating". It is so painful to read that passage.

re: Sham Rocks

Matty Kay — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 16:15:39 GMT

Really fun to read this! I remember the excitement of the '73 K.D. as I watched it. I'm a Chicagoan, so I was rooting for Shecky Greene! Turns out I was watching history being made. Good writing, you really caught the excitement of the times.

re: Sham Rocks

Maureen — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 02:51:58 GMT

What a beautiful tribute to Sham. He deserved those fine words. I'd luv to have seen him. only a few times in history does contenders meet and give each other the competition these two did. Alydar and Affirmed , the same goes for them. so majestic!!!

re: Sham Rocks

WhiteCamry — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:08:06 GMT

How many horses work a mile anymore?

re: Sham Rocks

Ragsy — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:37:17 GMT

Steve,

Here is another Secretariat offspring found at auction and rescued... ( Tour Of The Cat foaled May 3,1998 ), earnings 1,094,558 hard earned bucks...Breeder::CVS Sales Co. what a shame...he was tossed aside....thankfully a rescue saved the GGGreat,Grandson of the Magnificient Secretariat....

re: Sham Rocks

Russ — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:27:35 GMT

Beautiful write. There is one more thing Sham did: he completed his last quarter in the K.D. in 23.6 seconds, equalling the record at the time set by Whirlaway back in the 40s. Whirlaway won the Triple Crown that year. Sham was no sham, he was the real thing and his trainer Frank Martin knew it. It was why he challenged Red 4 times, believing his horse could take him.

re: Sham Rocks

TerriV — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 18:13:20 GMT

Joltman, Setting aside the freaky 70s, I truly believe that the Triple Crown is the most difficult challenge out there in any realm of competition. Besides an extraordinary horse there are so many other factors that have to come together for a Triple Crown winner. Very few outside the sport realize that it almost takes a miracle to win it. And, I agree - it shouldn't be changed. If it were changed in any way there would be no glory for the next winner.

re: Sham Rocks

Joltman — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 21:01:01 GMT

Thanks TerriV for the quote - very rich and so true. It won't make it onto my monitor 'cause I use a laptop, but maybe into the barn! I'll share it with some friends as well.

As for the Triple Crown, I would agree and disagree. The buildup of the last many near misses has been amazing and that tension is what 'makes' the Triple Crown so special. The tension is inevitably broken - lately only by the disappointment of defeat. In racing we know the 'near miss' oh so well. But that's what keeps real fans coming back and why they know that because its so tough to win that its so special, and people start talking about it after the Breeders Cup. The format allows the great 'slugfests' like Secretariat/Sham, Affirmed/Alydar, Mine That Bird/Rachel Alexandra to capture a broader interst in the public. I think the multiple Triple Crowns in the 70s made it almost routine and it lost its luster in a way. To change it (shorten distances, weeks) would cheapen the accomplishment.

But I agree that if we don't get one soon, then whole generations might never had the opportunity to enjoy it in actuality. Eventually you gotta get the enjoyment of actually winning one.

re: Sham Rocks

TerriV — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:02:12 GMT

Soldier Course, You are so right about how important it is to have a Triple Crown Horse. I have this fear that things have changed so much and the younger generation is so difficult to impress that when there finally is a Triple Crown winner it will be like everything else of true value these days, barely noticed.

I was off-line all weekend and just saw the news about Lawyer Ron. So so sad - I loved him.

re: Sham Rocks

TerriV — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:55:10 GMT

Welcome aboard, Joltman. I started following these blogs a little over a year ago and have to admit I'm addicted. People who express such depth of feeling and understanding about horses keep me coming back. Once you feel that connection to a horse you are never the same. I have the following quote taped to my monitor. I don't even know where it came from but:

"Horses are giant yet generous with their strength, their power and their gentle affection. By their very natures, they embody and resolve the contradictions we all struggle with: They are strong and soft, calm and driven, wild and manageable, needy and independent. In the presence of horses, our impulses of nurturing and our urgent needs of support, strength, and confidence come together, live together, and express themselves together without the noise of intellectualism. We see that the horse lives its own life, speaks in its own way, moves where it needs to go. Its directness and simplicity offer a thousand-pound counterpoint to our own complicated and often less-honest human interactions. The horse shows us how to be complete.

re: Sham Rocks

Soldier Course — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:38:56 GMT

Joltman:

Yes, the inspiration and the hope ... but you have to live it to understand it.

This is why we so badly need a Triple Crown winner, now more than ever.

We have so many racing fans today who have never experienced a Triple Crown win in "real time". If a fan is under the age of about 45, chances are they don't remember what it was like to witness this glory. If a few more years pass without a Triple Crown winner, I am afraid this achievement will become nothing more than an old fogey's memory for the younger fans. They'll be saying, "What's all the fuss about?"

re: Sham Rocks

Karen in Texas — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:19:56 GMT

Another couple of books that contain "Steve type" stories are C.W. Anderson's "Deep Through the Heart" and Marguerite Henry's "Album of Horses". Both had long been in print when I read them as a child, but that is where I learned about wonderful horses such as Black Gold, Johnstown, and Bimelech. Thanks for reminding me, Joltman.

re: Sham Rocks

Joltman — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:22:15 GMT

Thanks SC - years ago I read a book called "The Fireside Book of Horse Racing", ed by David Woods.(Simon & Schuster 1963) In addition to some wonderful old pix, it contained some of the same kinds of stories (fiction and non-fiction) that Steve writes today - written from that perspective of history that pulls out the true richness of the story from the past, lost in the moment but recoverable in perspective. We do well to remember that Secretariat came at a time when we needed a hero - losing Vietnam, Watergate and economic paralysis because of the oil crisis. (recalled by the gas line post above!).

For those of us 'there' in those days, these stories remind us about our lives and can teach another generation about how life events like a horse race can inspire not only with the victor's glory, but with valiant efforts of those defeated.

re: Sham Rocks

Soldier Course — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:24:58 GMT

Joltman:

Very wise comment. We ponder the mystery of this sport. You've given us something more to think about. Welcome aboard.

re: Sham Rocks

Joltman — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:31:09 GMT

I am not a regular reader of this Bloodhorse blog but plan to become one one.

One thing has struck me is that most of those who have responded on Sham's legacy truly appreciate Steve's work in recapturing the story and its power to move their soul. This is so rare in sports today - even racing - where it is pretty much a continuous digital flurry of event after event - some 'graded'- but where the heart and the story is lost because it is too much, to shallow. Horse racing, as sport, is superior to most others because the horse mirrors the human - in our quest for victory and excellence, while more often than not just tasting defeat but drinking it in bitterness. We find ourselves in Sham - in our own strengths and defeats even despite pouring ourselves out in our best efforts sometimes.

It is this aspect of racing might will save it, because people's hearts can be engaged in it in a way that is not only thrilling, but meaningful. It's so much more than a nice trifecta or a big bankroll.

I'll be looking for Sham in the pedigrees even more now - and I just might pick up that Defensive Play mare...

Sadly, I think the decline of the print media makes the recalling of this kind of story, more difficult in some ways. There's something about a yellowed newspaper clipping that must be kept because its worth keeping. Print media promotes the kind of storytelling that the few like Steve Haskin can still manage and their number is dwindling.

Keep up those stories Steve - and thanks

re: Sham Rocks

newsline2 — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:23:12 GMT

One more question, who are some of Sham's descendants? The story notes him as a broodmare sire, who were those daughters?

Who running today has him in their pedigree?

Thanks!

re: Sham Rocks

newsline2 — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:18:29 GMT

Beautifully told story, Steve, as always.

About those big hearts. How do they differentiate between a pathological heart condition (enlarge heart) and a healthy heart that is larger? In other animals when you hear "enlarged heart" it indicates a disease process, yet we've always heard about the heavy hearts in TB being an indication of health. Then again, this horse died of a heart attack...

re: Sham Rocks

Ida Lee — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:23:02 GMT

I'm one of those people that once I saw Secretariat, I didn't see any other horse. I was so in love with his beauty and talent, I couldn't see straight. So I want to thank you for writing about Sham. I completely ignored him and now I'm sorry I did because he was obviously a beautiful and talented animal and so endearing and that was my loss. I'm so glad he had people who loved him and gave him a good life. Today, I do try to spread my attention and admiration around for these great athletes. P.S. RIP Lawyer Ron. You were a great Champ and we'll miss you.

re: Sham Rocks

Julie L. — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 23:35:02 GMT

I've been waiting a long time for this blog to do a tribute to the mighty Sham...thank you!!! He was my favorite and my heart broke when he came in second to Secretariat, someone else on this blog mentioned that they were tired of all the hoopla surrounding Secretariat and chose Sham instead and I remember thinking at that time how beautiful Secretariat was but how much I loved that bay horse from California. His grit and determination was so wonderful to watch and at least he did beat Secretariat once though many will say that Secretariat had an excuse that day and it may have been so but at least Sham had that one race. He was a very useful sire and I believe his daughter Arewehavingfunyet was voted champion 2 year old filly. Not positive but I believe so. A friend of mine stood a grandson of Sham's and I just loved going and visiting him. His sire was Shamgo who was one of my favorite sons of Sham. Again, thanks Steve for the memories.

re: Sham Rocks

Matthew W — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 22:58:48 GMT

Think Life Is Sweet is a turf horse based on her turf races as well as pro ride wins---she'll take some beating in Breeders Cup but would like to see her turf---Hol Park plays like dirt, don't sell her short, she passed most of that (weak) field but the top two ran big/think the Ellis horse is for real....