Hall of Fame - You Are I Am

Original article written by Nathan Klein posted 3 years 0 weeks ago

Fortress was a great broodmare earning $11,973,880 in progeny earnings. In year 31 she gave birth to a beautiful chestnut filly named Garden. Garden would be at the time her biggest success by far. Becoming her first millionaire and then going on to earn just under 2.5 million by the end of her career. Her biggest highlight would be winning the Steward's Cup Distaff at the age of 3 as well as taking the Simmy for North American Champion Three Year Old Female. But a year after Garden's retirement a tall black colt would step onto the track for the first time. He would prove to be the best son for both his mother and father Triple Crown winner Awake As I Am. This horse would be known as You Are I Am

The race began and he immediately was bumped around. Despite the setback he quickly overcame it stalking in second before taking the lead by the far turn. He won the race with minimal effort and went back into the gates 2 1/2 weeks later in the Grade 3 Don't Hesitate Stakes. The race began normally and immediately the field got spread across the track. He started in third but made his way to second early. But Owlpha had separated himself from the rest of the pack leading for nearly the whole way. By the first half a mile he was nearly 5 lengths in front. But by the far turn, You Are I Am had started to make a move. Owlpha's lead had shorted to 2 1/4 lengths when they hit the far turn. You Are I Am picked up speed as Owlpha desperately tried to hold him off. The 2 locked heads with less than 100 yards left to run but You Are I Am had more horse left and dove his head right on the line. He had successfully clinched his first graded stakes win

But things wouldn't go as well next time out in the Grade 3 Cape Stakes. He started further back than usual, being fifth early, but he eventually started picking off horses approaching the final turn. But, Are Lions Real had a 2 1/2 length lead on You Are I Am. You Are I Am slowly tried wearing down Are Lions Real stride by stride but Are Lions Real had saved just enough ground and dug in. Are Lions Real would hang on by a neck and give You Are I Am his first defeat. But in the Steward's Cup Juvenile, he got back at Are Lions Real by making an earlier move. By the far turn, he was only a neck behind Are Lions Real. After that, he went for broke opening up in the stretch slowly. Keyboard Courage would come flying late from last but it wasn't enough You Are I Am won the Juvenile by 1 1/2 lengths.

To start his 3-year-old season he would start the season with quite an eventful first outing. The gates flew open and You Are I Am stumbled horrifically. Out of the gate, he was on his knees with his face inches above the ground. But he recuperated himself in just a few strides before being rushed into second place by the first quarter of a mile. He would settle after that letting Facility set the pace. Despite being alone on the lead at the start Facility would be worn down by the far turn being head and head with You Are I Am. As they ran down the stretch the bruised warrior took over and began to open up a lead. But as the finish approached Working The Sky began coming late. Despite a good late kick, it wasn't enough, You Are I Am held him off by 1 length. But the gutsy win took a small toll on him, next time out in the Louisville Derby he was no match finishing 8 1/2 lengths off Are Lions Real in sixth place. He would bypass the rest of the Triple Crown series and take a good rest. When his break was over he came back strong winning the El Rival Decade. He then was way more carefree in the Long Island Handicap taking the lead and going wide around the turns but still easily winning by 2 1/2 lengths. His final big highlight would be the Steward's Cup Classic, where he faced off against regular rivals, Are Lions Real and Keyboard Courage. Are Lions Real would set the pace while You Are I Am stayed towards the back of the pack. But by the far turn, the field had begun to bunch up. You Are I Am was still sixth but only 2 lengths behind Are Lions Real. He picked it up late, sweeping past all rivals except for one. Are Lions Real fought back and the 2 got into a head to head duel. Keyboard Courage joined the fray flying late. The 2 horses were less than half a length apart as they hit the wire but You Are I Am inched past Are Lions Real and held off Keyboard Courage to win the Classic. With that win, no debate was made on who was North American Horse Of The Year and 3-year-old. You Are I Am swept both titles and came back ready for another season.

The start of the season would begin at a low point in the Dessert Challenge Round 2, simply unable to catch Vanquish and Amaroq and finishing third beating only 1 horse. But he was just warming up as he got back into his groove in the Dessert World Cup. He got pinched out of the gate but it was a small setback as he took second place letting Are Lions Real runaway on the lead by 5 lengths. Are Lions Real would tire in the stretch giving You Are I Am the shot he needed passing him in the stretch and holding off Keyboard Courage by half a length. When he returned home he put on a great return going gate to wire to win the Grade 2 Metropolitan Handicap. But his 2 most visually impressive wins came at the end of his career. In the Prefamagaps Stakes, he stalked closely in third but in the far turn, he opened up a 4 length lead and was ready for the Steward's Cup Marathon. The race would prove to be the best race he ever ran. At the start, he took on the pacesetter Death And Rats and tired him out in the final turn. He opened up 2 1/2 lengths by the turn but after that, it turned into a parade. As with minimal asking, he opened up his lead. The horse's long strides took him twice as far as the other horses. By the finish line, he had won by 10 1/2 lengths. Even with an unorthodox end to his year his win in the Dessert World Cup and his ultra-impressive win in the Marathon secured him North American Older Male and North American Horse of the Year again. With repeat horse of the year titles, he retired immediately. He had done it all and continued his success in the shed. Producing 265 individual winners and over 40 million in progeny earnings. The highlight of which was a fellow horse of the year winner, You Are Not Alone.

---

Back to Hall of Fame articles