Richard Parker Eats Up Racetrack, Wins Arc De Triomphe

Original article written by Marzy Dotes posted 10 years 2 weeks ago

Richard Parker rode into the Paris Race Park feeling at the top of the world.

The ruggedly handsome dark bay horse towers over most everyone at 17 hands and yet he’s gentle enough to take the smallest mint from a child’s hand. Ever since the retirement of his stable mate, Monster, he’s taken the role of fan favorite with the students at the lesson barn. His wide blaze and his perky ears are a sight that brings them running over to see him while his owner Josh Lamp takes him out on his sightseeing trips.

He boasted a three race winning streak coming into his biggest race, the $4 million Grade I Arc De Triomphe one of the signature events of the turf routing season held just two weeks before the Steward’s Cup. This year’s rendition attracted a tiny field of four challengers to Richard Parker who’s had an amazing season so far.

Not that he’s ever been a slouch in the racing department winning 12 out of 19 starts coming into this race. He’s by Mammoth a proud son of Colorado who’s been eyed by both all-weather and turf breeders for his bloodlines but so far he’s favored the latters in his runners. He’s a bargain priced stud who sired his first millionaire in this horse but has some nice youngsters in the wings including Arcadia Turf Derby winner Adeate and French Oaks winner Mighty Jo.

Richard Parker’s also out of the Deep Impact mare Fight and Defend, one of the talented yet temperamental offspring of the great Hall of Famer mare Shentaan. This mare was a stakes winner who went to produce four millionaires so far and the very nice up and comer The Opera Ghost.

Not surprisingly Richard Parker attracted his share of attention on the auction block and some hefty pocketbooks with Lamp sealing the deal with a $10 million bid to take the two year old in training home. He won his first four starts including three stakes, one of which the Sir William was on a yielding track.

Vital, because on the day of the Arc De Triomphe, the clouds opened up on the racetrack nearly forcing an evacuation before renowned Horse Whisperer Clark Hoss led the cleanup effort to get the famed turf oval in suitable condition before the big race.

At three, he finished second in the German and London Derbies to the mighty Sea World Shark but turned the tables on him in the Irish Derby taking that trophy home. He had a couple losses before embarking on a four race winning streak that included an impressive victory in the highly renowned Desert Turf Classic. He prepped well for last year’s Arc De Triomphe by winning the King George Stakes but on the big day, he tangled with both Alexei and Barrons leaving him in third at the wire.

This year he won all his races save his attempts to defend in the Desert Turf Classic where Parliament romped instead. But he rebounded with two wins including a repeat in the King George. He looked primed and ready to avenge his loss mightily in the Arc this year.

Not many challenged him unlike a key rendition where it became so intense that some horses scorched including a new world record for the 1 ½ miles distance and others wound up in various stages of broken. But a handful of names appeared to make a race of it.

Or at least try.

Parliament showed up to try to hand Richard Parker another defeat this year. The Matty Debs homebred won the Worldwide Stakes over Regulus Arcturus on a yielding track after storming through Asia last year winning the division title there for sophomore males.

He’s by the recently pensioned Trafalgar who scored an amazing victory in the Arc De Triomphe during his own career as did his son Andre. Liukin a daughter of Hall of Famer Feature Attraction was South Pacific champion three year old female during her own career.

Another offspring of the Trafalgar and Feature Attraction hookup is Regulus Arcturus who’s bred and owned by podcaster Scott Eiland. In this case, the dam is Isabelle Borgia who’s renowned in her own right having sired the current stud Rodolphus. This black colt who impressed on his tour of the grounds had won half of his 14 starts but after winning the Canterbury Stakes has struggled since though he finished third in the Desert Turf Classic and second in the Worldwide Stakes.

Robin Tan brought in homebred Moon Shattering who’s by South Pacific Horse of the Year and better catch while you can sire Fact Not Fiction. European Champion Three Year Old Filly Star Shattering is by The Star Man and is a half to Heart of a Lion and others.

This stately dark bay colt rode a hot five race winning streak through Europe culminating in a win by two lengths in the Prix de Champs-Elysees at this racetrack just over two weeks ago.

Trafalgar has another son in the race in Pegasus Feathers a homebred of Michelle Calderoni and this dark bay colt is out of Super Light mare Heartlight. This runner won five out of six starts before this race and won the Kleine Stadt Derby in Switzerland last time out.

Over 300,000 people showed up for the race and many hit the windows and the beer flowed along with the rain as people discussed the race and how it might play out. Would Richard Parker coast to an easy lead or would anyone run with him early?
Would any equipment changes be made after the race?

When the gates opened, Richard Parker charged out and quickly led by ¾ of a length over Pegasus Feathers who was a neck in front of Moon Shattering who led Regulus Arcturus and Parliament. Into the backstretch, Richard Parker tugged the reins held by Derek Akers and pulled to lead by a length over Moon Shattering who was a neck in front of Pegasus Feathers who stretched to lead Regulus Arcturus by over six lengths.

Into the far turn they continued on as Richard Parker held that length lead over Moon Shattering and Pegasus Feathers saw his own advantage evaporate to two lengths as some horses began their closing kicks before they reached the homestretch.

Richard Parker held strong in the stretch as none of the horses who kicked it in narrowed his lead and in fact, he hit the wire 1 ¾ lengths in front running the distance in 2:26.11.

He warmed out nicely then boarded a jet to head to All’s a Winner’s Farm in California where he’ll rest and await the Steward’s Cup Turf in two weeks.

That’s a tough double for a winner of the Arc to take on but he’s planning to give it his best shot. The likes of Sword Bearer, Magician and July had successfully done the double but not within the same season.

Will Richard Parker accomplish that feat? The racing world will find out at the very end of the Steward’s Cup Turf.

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