Hall of Fame Profile: Babe Ruth

Original article written by Dan Kauffman posted 8 years 1 week ago

When you're named for arguably the greatest baseball player of all-time, you better be able to perform and live up to the moniker. And while dirt route filly Babe Ruth won't go down as the greatest SIM horse ever, neither did she tarnish her great name.

Owned and bred by Laura Ferguson, Babe Ruth was sired by the great Hall-of-Famer Loki Dyansty, who in Year 14 won the Louisville Derby before sweeping to the Canadian Triple Crown as part of a 12-for-13 career with more than $4.4 million in earnings. His only loss came in his career finale, a second-place showing behind another Hall-of-Famer, Atlas, in the Year 15 Steward's Cup Classic. Babe Ruth's dam was Cherish the Moment, who earned $1.6 million on the track, including Grade 1 victories. Three years after producing Babe Ruth, she would deliver another star in Thriller, who won almost $2.9 million.

Despite her pedigree, Babe Ruth's three workouts did not hint at stardom. She ran 3 furlongs in 36.91 seconds, 4 furlongs in 48.11 seconds and 5 furlongs in 59.06 seconds. However, all three workouts were without equipment. During her racing career, Ferguson used a shadow roll, lasix and hind bandages on Babe Ruth, with obviously positive results.

Babe Ruth debuted in a maiden special weight dirt mile open race at Oceanside Racetrack in California in Year 22, Week 9. She beat out Queen of Angels by almost two lengths, albeit with a modest 69 speed figure.

Eighteen days later, Babe Ruth traveled to Metropolitan Park in Illinois for the Grade 2 Chicago Lassie, a dirt mile race for juvenile fillies. She passed this test with flying colors, beating Love and Affection by more than four lengths with a 72 speed figure.

More than four weeks later, the well-rested Babe Ruth was back on the left coast, at Arcadia Park in California, for the biggest test of her young career: The Grade 1 Steward's Cup Juvenile Fillies. On the big stage, Babe Ruth ran one of the biggest races of her career, romping to victory by three lengths over Inspired Trip to collect the $750,000 winner's check. It would be by far the biggest of her career, and it earned her North American Champion Two Year Old Filly honors.

With high expectations surrounding the filly entering Year 23, Babe Ruth had a less-than-spectacular first half of the season. She finished second by a length to Gift of the Moon in the Grade 2 Southern California Oaks at Arcadia Park in Week 3, was fourth -- two lengths behind winner Five Fading Lights -- in the Grade 1 Louisville Oaks in Week 6, then was runner-up by a length to Thorn Bird in the Grade 1 Long Island Acorn in Week 9. Her top speed figure in the three outings was a 68.

Babe Ruth bounced back with two victories, winning the Grade 1 Cadeauje Stakes by three lengths over Sneak Out with a 77 speed figure at The Spa in New York in Week 11, then following that up by beating Beautiful Love by a length and a half in the Grade 1 Rags to Riches Stakes at Wilmington Park in Delaware two weeks later with a 76 speed figure.

Back on track, Babe Ruth headed to Toronto for the Steward's Cup Distaff. But she didn't have enough in the stretch and finished third, two and a half lengths back of Salute The Sky, with a 68 speed figure to cap Year 23.

Babe Ruth started Year 24 with a new jockey -- John Pollard, who replaced Frederick Archer -- and had a more consistent 4-year-old campaign. It started in Week 4 with a second-place finish in the Grade 1 Orange Blossom Handicap at Hot Springs Park in Arkansas, where she ran a 73 speed figure by was beaten by a length by Beautiful Love. Seeking to restore her confidence, Ferguson entered her in a classified allowance outing in Week 7 at Marathon Racecourse in South Dakota, where she won by almost five lengths with a 77 speed figure. In Week 10 at Metropolitan Park in Illinois, she won the Grade 2 Metropolitan Handicap in open company, beating High Performance by more than a length with a 74 speed figure.

The filly saved her best -- at least speed figure-wise -- for last. In Week 13, Babe Ruth, the defending champion, posted a 91 in the Rags to Riches Stakes but settled for third behind Semper Fi and Salute The Sky in a close battle. Babe Ruth closed her career in Week 16 with a dominant victory in the Grade 1 Los Campeones Ladies Classic in Argentina, winning by six lengths with a career-best 96 speed figure.

Babe Ruth closed her racing career with a 14: 8-3-2 record and $1.839,500 in earnings.

In the breeding shed, Babe Ruth was once voted Broodmare of the Year and produced three million-dollar earners:

* Sport of Queens -- 16: 10-2-2, more than $3 million, Steward's Cup Juvenile Fillies champion in Year 29.
* Home Run Derby -- 19: 10-4-0, just under $1.9 million, Long Island Classic champion in Year 31.
* Greatest Game -- 26: 10-12-0, more than $1.1 million, one Grade 1 victory, nine graded stakes wins.

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