Sports Jersey - by Ara Davies

Back in the year 4, I was looking to begin expanding my racing operation. I had had a lot of success in the past couple of years with two time Champion Female Turf Horse Fleet Lady and the excellent stakes mare Rain Dancer but I was ready to move on and try my hand at training classic division colts. At the Trial By Summer Yearling Sale I came across a little, stocky bay colt by Gentlemen. I bought him for $25,000, merely on the strength of his sire. Little did I know I had just found one of the greatest bargains of my career!

Sports Jersey turned out to be just the colt for me, dead sound and able to run run run! I've never been one for babying a horse or being able to coddle a fragile runner; Sport was almost the anti-coddle. He ran seven times in the much shorter racing season we had back then, twice in back-to-back weeks, and never finished worse than third. His two stakes wins that season came in the Hollywood Juvenile Championship, defeating future Hollywood Gold Cup winner Graduation Year, and in the Norfolk Stakes, in which he finished a head in front of Farewell Friend, who went on to have an excellent career on dirt and turf, including a win in the Dubai Sheema Classic. Sports Jersey and Farewell Friend were the terror of the southern California racing circuit that year, and woe to any two year olds who got in their way! Sport wrapped up his year with a third place finish in the Steward's Cup Juvenile, finishing behind Serena Slew and Farewell Friend. Serena Slew retired after this race, leaving the Triple Crown field open for the two colts from California.

They began their three year old season with wins: Sport in the San Felipe, Farewell Friend in the Holy Bull. Another faceoff in the Santa Anita Derby (won by Farewell Friend) left them Farewell Friend 5, Sports Jersey 1. I knew, and Sport knew, the truth: we just hadn't been able to run far enough yet!

The day of the Year 6 Kentucky Derby arrived. Besides the two California colts, the field included Bluegrass winner Onwardsilvercharm, Fountain of Youth winner Mischief Maker, Graduation Year, Gotham winner Tri Star, Florida Derby winner Ready For Apremont, and the Wood Memorial winning filly Battle's Baby Girl. The race proved to be an especially thrilling one: a slipped saddle, a rank horse, bumps in traffic, and a blazing fast pace of :21 for the quarter and :45 for the half. How could any of the horses hold up for the end? Remarkably, it was the two rivals from California who finished in front, with Sports Jersey finally gaining his revenge on Farewell Friend when it mattered the most. Sport had won the Kentucky Derby! *I* had won the Kentucky Derby. What a way to break into the classic colt division!

After an unfortunate third place finish in the Preakness, Sport was given a few weeks off. He won his return in the Haskell, and although he finished 2nd in the Travers, he still finished ahead of Farewell Friend. Farewell Friend may have been better at shorter distances, but I'll take the longer any day! They never raced against each other again as Farewell Friend switched to turf a short while thereafter. Sport went on to win the Strub, the Suburban, and the Priceless Forever Stakes and finished 2nd in the Dubai World Cup. He retired with nine wins in twenty one starts and only two finishes off the board. Could his stud career possibly match his racing success?

The answer turned out to be yes! Apparently the Thoroughbred population had much need for a dead sound dirt router. His first crop featured Steward's Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Kayak, who went on to produce Triple Crown winner Jet-Ski. His second crop included the nearly undefeated Champion Older Mare Attracting, the also nearly undefeated Chesapeake Bay, and Steward's Cup Classic winner Star Player. Other horses sired by Sports Jersey were Santa Anita Oaks winner Cadeauje, millionaire Girldressedinblack, Godolphin Mile winner Inspired Myth, Dubai World Cup winner Irritant, Champion Spark, and the turf marathoner Tears of a Clown.

Sports Jersey's male line will be carried forward by his (now pensioned) son Chesapeake Bay, recognized as one of the best dirt router sires in the SIM. Among the offspring of "Chessie" are Steward's Cup Classic winner Pillar of Strength and Islands Champion Empire.

Sport's strongest influence on the SIM has been through his daughters. Through them, he has produced North American Champion Three Year Old Filly Big Dreams, Queen's Derby winner Hammer, Midsummer Classic winner Indian, Triple Crown winner Jet-Ski, Travers winner Kiddo, and millionaire Radee, as well as many other horses known for their soundness and ability to race as often as you can find a race for them!

What I have always wanted out of the SIM was a horse who could race anywhere, at any time, and do well. A horse who didn't have to be coddled and carefully entered with an eye on keeping him sound. A horse who could take a knock and keep on going year after year, and bring that same soundness, stamina, and solidity to the breeding shed. Sports Jersey fulfilled all those wishes for me and more. For me, he was the greatest bargain I have ever found and I would pay again a hundredfold just to relive the experiences he has brought me and so many others in the SIM. Sport is truly one of the foundation horses of the SIM and I feel honored that enough people agreed with me to give him a place in the Hall of Fame.