Symbol - by Emily Hufford

He brought images of a panther when he stepped onto the track, moving with a sure and firm stride, but being so agile as to bring illusions of a lithe cat when walking. He was so light his feet seemed to never be on the ground for more than an instant before they were airbourne again. He was barely 15.2 hands high, and he weighed just over 900 pounds, but he was more than most champion racehorses could ever dream of becomming: he was a legend.

Born out of the 1986 Horse of the Year Lady's Secret, by Secretariat, Symbol was a full brother to the superhorse Silver Valor, who had a short but epic career. He was sired by Kentucky Derby and Dubai World Cup winner Silver Charm, but inherited neither of his parent's gray color. Like his brother (and as his siblings Mirror and Equation would be), Symbol was black.

He was bred by Emily Hufford and sold for $700,000 to Jon Xett at the Trial By Summer Select Sale. He would make his debut in April of his two year old year after timing a remarkable set of workouts in preparation: :35.4, :35.3, :46.0, :45.4, 59.1, and then :58.3. The colt known for being "wild" took to the track like black flame, his mane and tail billowing as he broke easily from the gate in his debut as the heavy favorite. He had an obsession with speed from the very beginning. He tore through 5 furlongs in :57.2, winning by 7 lengths.

His next race would be a 6 1/2 furlong allowance at Del Mar. He easily won that race, too, and was beginning to set the racing world abuzz. He hailed from a crop of superstars who all found their way into the same barn that year: Symbol's stablemates included Fading Star, Ichi Forever, Tremendous, Serena Storm, and Courageous Effort.

Opting to skip the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Xett entered him in the Kentucky Jockey Cub Stakes, where he would face the talented stakes horse and future star Black Ice. He won again, although with a bit more difficulty, as Black Ice pressured him throughout. Then he was put away for a winter rest before embarking on the trail to the Triple Crown.

His first start of the new year proved to be one of his best. Symbol would meet Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Loki Brilliance at Santa Anita in the San Felipe Stakes. Symbol prevailed narrowly and was headed to Churchill Downs as the favorite, along with stablemates Ichi Forever and Tremendous.

The Kentucky Derby proved to be Symbol's first defeat after a troubled trip. He was forced to run in a speed duel for most of the race, then was checked hard when a horse drifted over onto him. He still finished second, beaten only a half length. He went on to Preakness to put in what many think was the best performance of his career. He raced in three separate duels with four different horses during the race and still only lost by a head.

The colt was given a brief rest before trainng for the mile and a quarter Super Derby. No one knew then that it would be the colt's final start. He stormed through the first quarter mile in :21.0, a suicidal pace for a mile and a quarter. The half fell in :44.2, and 6 furlongs in 1:08.2. Xett could hardly watch, knowing that the colt had unsound bloodlines and was driving himself to an impossible time. Still, the wire came, and the colt was still sound, and a world record had been established, 1:57.1 for a mile and a quarter.

The colt was shipped to Santa Anita and was the favorite for the Breeders' Cup Classic, where he would face Triple Crown victor Tremendous, plus the undefeated Serena Success. In his final gallop before the race, he took off after another horse and managed to grab hold of the bit in his teeth so that his rider had no control. He simply couldn't wait another 2 days for the race to be run and proceeded to run in his own race, tearing off unprecedented fractions and bringing superlatives such as, "crazy." As he ran down the stretch, a two year old named Emcanbebusyallday froze in his path, terrified by the oncomming horse. Symbol was going too fast to avoid him and probably never saw him anyway, so determined he was on his running. Just past the wire, Symbol collided with the other horse, and they both fell to the ground.

Symbol's leg was broken, and two vetrenarians suggested euthaniza. Xett and horseman Emily Hufford refused to allow the colt to die until all surgery options had been explored. It was hardly consolation that he had run 6 furlongs in 1:06.3, a world record that still has yet to be broken. A few months later, Symbol had almost completely recovered and would be able to go on and lead a normal stallion's life. He had 100% winners in his first crop, which consisted of 6 foals, 5 of them being stakes winners. The second horse born in that crop would be none other than Conduit. His second crop held 12 stakes winners. He has sired 46 winners from 53 foals to race.