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Hall of Fame - Right Hand Man
Original article written by Nathan Klein posted 3 years 0 weeks agoKing's Best was a great sire and one of the first great sires for turf sprinters. Ease was one of his best, making it into the Hall Of Fame in year 55. He was valuable even as a yearling being sold for $850,000 and then being re-sold at age 3 for $2,650,000. A hefty horse worth his price tag. Which was made even more ironic as he wasn't King's very best runner. The greatest horse that King's Best ever made was sold at the age of 2 for just $2,500.
Laura Pony was given an inauspicious bay horse with a simple star on his face. A look that many horses have dawned before. But with such a bargain price it was nearly impossible for the horse known as Right Hand Man to not make a profit. In fact he made back his price tag with performance. He was entered into a maiden race against Tears Of Triumph who would become a champion turf router and 5 time Simmy Award winner in the South Pacific. But before that ever happened he was racing in a turf sprint race against another future legend.
Right Hand Man was full of energy right out of the gate he didn't know what expectations were he just wanted to go and went right to the lead. The rest was history as he blitzed around the track in mesmerizing fashion. His pure speed carried him to the wire as ran home 5 lengths in front and only .05 seconds off the world record. The race was considered a real surprise he has earned $15,000 6 times his price tag in one race. Next start he was upgraded to a mile distance in the Niigata Nisai Stakes. It was the only time he finished off the board as he finished fifth. It was safe to say that sprinting was where it was at for him.
A start later he was back at 7 furlongs, ready to taste a stakes victory. He turned out to be a nervous wreck approaching the gate delaying the start. But once the gates flew open he didn't waste a second going right to the front with Valparaiso right at his neck. But Right Hand Man was clear in the stretch opening up four lengths even showing off a bit as he drifted towards the center of the track late. He was a clear winner but drifting was not what anyone needed. He was given blinkers for the first time in his next start. But even with a better attitude, he faced a beast in Whileaworldsleeps. Even at his fastest he just could not keep up with the grey and had to settle for second.
A good finish to the year but he was back to work in the first week. He took a change of pace stalking the pace at the start but it ended the same way he ran away the winner by two lengths with a major eight-length deficit between second and third. But his schedule after his Week 1 debut was erratic. He took four weeks off and returned with a close second in the Hibiscus Stakes a length short.
But that was his only hiccup going into his Steward's Cup Turf Sprint. He rattled off three straight races first, taking the Clasico Santiago Lawrie by four lengths than the Turf Sprint Handicap by an awe-inspiring ten lengths. And then reversing his second in the Hibiscus with a win in the Miami Turf Sprint over Stage Magic the horse who beat him in the Hibiscus. All that was left was the second annual Steward's Cup Turf Sprint. Featuring the previous year's winner Whileaworldsleeps and multiple Grade 1 winner on turf and dirt Adjust The Lens. The race was a real tooth and nail fight as eleven horses all running their hearts out. Right Hand Man stayed near the outside but was right with the leaders early.
But as they headed into the far turn Whileaworldsleeps began to fall and Right Hand Man went for the lead head and head with Y are U Here. But with a big move Adjust The Lens swept by. There was nothing he could do as Adjust The Lens ran on by. Right Hand Man barely held onto to second by a nose but Adjust The Lens was a clear three lengths in front.
But with a new year came a new horse who wanted a Steward's Cup more than anything. He started with a small field in the Grade 2 Tokyo Shimbun Hai. Despite being harshly checked he was a clear winner in the stretch when he opened up 6 and 1/2 lengths. Then he redeemed himself in the Hibiscus Stakes and then some. Instead of falling a length short he stayed mid-pack and surged powerfully to win by 10 lengths flat. five weeks later people lined up in the Turf Sprint Handicap ready to see him explode in the stretch again.
He hit hard again winning by nine lengths in an effortless performance of speed and skill. By the Grade 2 Miami Turf Sprint, he had taken some liberties and started becoming a bit cocky. Showing off his ability to overcome self-made obstacles he went wide around the turn. But even so, the rank horse looked second-place finisher Link right in the eye and drew off late to win by 2 and 1/4 lengths.
He came ready for a rematch with Adjust The Lens from a year before. But heartbreak struck again for Right Hand Man. He fought Snuggle for the lead but then Adjust The Lens and Stand Up Speak Up ran him down. Again he just had to watch as the two passed him. Stand Up Speak Up was a clear three-length winner like Adjust The Lens was a year before. Adjust The Lens came second and a quarter of a length back was Right Hand Man. But Laura refused to let her little horse who could go out in such a manner even after two failed attempts this was the closest she had ever been to a Steward's Cup winner and if she didn't take another chance she may never have it again.
In a change of pace, he wouldn't go after another running of the Hibiscus but instead seek Grade 1 wins. Not just the Steward's Cup he first went to Hong Kong for the Grade 1 Centenary Sprint Cup. Gates flew open and Right Hand Man was down as he stumbled. Not a promising start but he recovered with a bit of urging keeping his will up. By the last quarter, he was full of run romping one hiccup wasn't stopping Right Hand Man today as he cruised to a 5 and 3/4 length win and his first Grade 1 victory.
He then shipped down to South Africa for Grade 1 win number two in the Cape Flying Championship. There he fought against Whileaworldsleeps once more. But even a legend like Whileaworldsleeps was not a challenge for Right Hand Man today. In the last quarter, he romped again opening up 4 and 3/4 lengths over Whileaworldsleeps, Grade 1 win number two down. As his final preps, he aimed for hat tricks in the Turf Sprint Handicap and Miami Turf Sprint. First, he overcame a bumpy start in the Turf Sprint Handicap to be in the lead strides later after that it was a coronation show as he ran away 9 and 1/4 lengths ahead. Then as a final prep, he won the Miami Turf Sprint. For most of it, he stayed with the pack but with one move he snuck on the rail and blasted ahead by 5 and 1/2 lengths. He couldn't be any better going into his last Steward's Cup Turf Sprint. Stand Up Speak Up was back for another win and a future Hall Of Famer in Jolly Good was also ready to go.
For the third and final time, Right Hand Man went into the starting gate for the Steward's Cup. The three favorites broke fast and went ready to fight. It was a tense opener as Jolly Good, Stand Up Speak Up, and Right Hand Man fought head and head for supremacy. But when they reached the far turn everyone was on their feet they just had to wait for who would give up first. Another furlong goes by, it seemed like nothing was changing but soon Right Hand Man started inching clear. Jolly Good and Stand Up Speak Up began to fall back as the $2,500 horse was about to get his highest honors for the fifteenth and last time Right Hand Man crossed the wire first. By the end, there wasn't a dry eye as the win was a bittersweet goodbye for the horse that told the sim world that a champ can come from anywhere. As a final coronation, he was awarded African Champion Sprinter and Asian Champion Sprinter.
But the fairytale doesn't end just yet as Right Hand Man was now ready to become a stallion and a remarkable one at that. Compared to the likes of Perfect Night he had $72,211,160 in progeny earnings and over 183 different stakes winners. As well as eight separate millionaires and seven Steward's Cup victories. With champs such as South Pacific Champion Two Year Old Male Mr. Right. Asian Champion Sprinter Act Civil Act Now. South Pacific Champion Two Year Old Female and Asian champion Three Year Old Female Isle Of Wishes. And African Champion 3-year-old male, sprinter, and Horse of the Year Just. With that Right Hand Man had left his legacy on the turf sprinting division. Three Grade 1's two Simmy Awards one Steward's Cup win and hundreds of right-hand men to carry him on through the generations.