Greatness

What is greatness?

Greatness is a relative measurement; defined by one’s own opinion and views. Is a horse’s greatness defined by what they accomplish on the racetrack, what they accomplish off the racetrack, the competition they face, or the races in which they run?

Greatness can be any one of these and more.

Secretariat was a great horse. He won the Triple Crown and set records that still stand. By winning the Belmont Stakes by 31 magnificent lengths, he took the meaning of greatness to a whole new level. Along the way, he made memories for all who saw him and proved himself to be just as good--if not better--on the grass than he was on the dirt. He was perhaps the closest thing to the fictional Black Stallion as any horse could ever be.

Rachel Alexandra is a great horse. She was the epitome of brilliance; and she will likely remain the only filly to win the Preakness, Haskell, and Woodward. She won the Kentucky Oaks and Mother Goose by twenty marvelous lengths each, the Mother Goose in a faster time and by more lengths than Ruffian, and the ease at which many of her victories were accomplished left all of her fans breathless.

Zenyatta is a great horse. Unlike the prior two runners, she is not famous for winning races by double-digit lengths; nor is she famous for breaking track records. She is famous for her patented late run, which has failed her only once despite the incredibly slow early fractions in many of her races. Her personality is endearing, her charisma undeniable, and her apparent ability to time her late run leaves one gasping in astonishment. And her pre-race dancing is equally show-stopping.

What about Silky Sullivan? Although no longer a household name, I’m positive that no other horse has ever existed who could come from forty-one lengths behind. . . in a sprint race. . . and still win. This incredible talent alone makes Silky Sullivan a great horse.

The exact opposite of Silky Sullivan is Presious Passion. The old gelding has many memorable performances on his resume, but perhaps the one that will be remembered most is his run in the Breeders’ Cup Turf last year, where he went out ten lengths in front of a quality field, rattling off fractions of :23 flat, :45 flat, 1:09 1/5, 1:34 2/5, and 1:59 3/5. The field caught him just after a mile and a quarter, and a lesser horse would have folded from the intense pace that he had set. Presious Passion? Why, the running had just begun! Closing his final quarter in :24 seconds, Presious Passion allowed only one horse to pass him, Conduit, the defending winner of the race. To run the first half-mile of a twelve-furlong race in :45 seconds and end up beaten only a half-length is true greatness.

Likewise, Danzig was a great horse. He was undefeated, yes, although he ran only three times, and never in a stakes race. He amassed a grand total of $32,400 in earnings. It is what he did as a sire that etched his name among horse racing’s immortals. He has given us many thrills in the form of Dance Smartly, Chief’s Crown, Danehill, Pine Bluff, Danzig Connection, and Hard Spun. Would racing be the same if Danzig had never been born? Absolutely not.

Equally great are mares like No Class. As a racehorse, No Class lived up to her name. She won 3 races from 29 starts, amassing a meager $37,543 in earnings. But when she became a broodmare, her name could have easily been All Class. She produced eight foals, of which seven made it to the races. All seven became winners. Six of them became stakes winners. Her 1981 foal, Classy ‘n Smart, went on to become the dam of Smart Strike. Without No Class, horses like Curlin, Lookin at Lucky, and English Channel would never have been born.

Even the claimers are great. Horses like Defender, Unstoppable Force, Bucky Came Home, and Challenged have never won a race, but they serve a very important purpose; without them, little claiming races wouldn’t fill. Race tracks would be unable to card enough races, and therefore would be unable to run big races like the Travers, Jockey Club Gold Cup, Hollywood Gold Cup and Vanity. The claimers, if you think about it, are crucial to horse racing.

Greatness is relative, limited only by one’s imagination. To me, all horses are great. What do you think?

--Keelerman