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Hall of Fame: Happy Times Ahead
Original article written by Julia H posted 2 years 0 weeks agoIt was the year 35, when a small grey colt was born. For his dam, Fantastic Gift, this cute guy was only her second foal – but he would be the best of her progeny, as we will see later. After being galloped, Abe Froman, who owned the grey colt, gave him a name. Happy Times Ahead. Maybe he knew, that there was a bright future in front of him. All in all, he hit the nail on the head. There could be no better name for the Super Satelite son, who was out of his sires first crop. For his parents and of course for his breeder Abe Froman, Happy Times Ahead was a lucky strike. Neither his dad nor his mum ever had any progeny like him, not even one getting any near his class. But let us take a look at this outstanding racehorse, who absolutely deserves his place in the SIM Hall of Fame!
Happy Times Ahead broke his maiden at his debut, where he left a twelve headed field behind him. Two weeks later, the 2-year-old left unbeaten by winning his second race against five others. These performances where the only ones he did not ran on stakes level, but they turned out to be his stepping stone to upper class races.
He hit the track another four times as a two-year-old. Three times, there was always one horse hitting the wire in front of him, which lead to a row of second places for Happy Times Ahead. After five starts, three of them on stakes level, with a 5: 2-3-0 stats, the first group win was only a question of time. But no one excepted it to happen in the Two Year Old Sprint Championship, where Happy Times Ahead had to run against eight opponents. One of them was “Aircraft”, who had already beaten the grey colt. The chestnut filly “She Looks Wicked” was another well known participant, who worked the 11th fastest 3 furlongs on Turf the last year (36). Both of them already won on stakes level. The mentioned three fought out an enormous battle, divided by a neck only. She Looks Wicked lead all the way, but the colts came from the back of the pack. In the stretch, all three horses where in front, but in a line. With the better end for Happy Timed Ahead. With 750.000$ of prize money, that win may have been his ‘happiest time’, but there was more to come.
Happy Times Ahead hit the track again as a three year old. The ice was broken, and the stunning grey colt took away four more stakes wins. He confirmed his Sprint Championship win by leaving Aircraft and She Looks Wicked behind him again. After having a white west in the three year old season, Abe Froman tried to attack with Happy Times Ahead in the Steward’s Cup Sprint. As the gates opened, Happy Times Ahead set the pace until the third call, but he was passed by three others before hitting the wire. “Maserati” took the win, for Happy Times Ahead was left the 4th place, beaten by only to lengths to the winner. But it was worth to try, and he did not perform bad.
Year 39, the now 4-year-old Happy Times Ahead came back on track. The final goal: a revenge in the Steward’s Cup Sprint. He ran 4 preparation races, one every three weeks. All of them at least on group 2 level. And what should I say: He won them all. The most impressive win was by far the Desert Golden Sprint, a group 1 race, where Happy Times Ahead flew to a win by over 3 lengths. He took the lead right after the start and never gave it away. That was his style to win, always in front of the pack. He fought like a lion and let nobody pass him.
The end of year 39 was near, and so was the Steward’s Cup Sprint. Happy Times Ahead broke quickly and rushed in front, chased by She Looks Wicked. As always, he led the field by passing the third call. In the stretch he was attacked by the hind runners, they came nearer and nearer. Just before reaching the saving finish line, he was passed on the outside by another grey colt named Challenge Accepted.
Happy Times Ahead took away the second place beaten by a neck, but it felt like a huge loss. But not for his owner. Abe Froman dominated that years’s Steward’s Cup Sprint by owning the first two placed horses. Challenge Accepted had a bright career before that win, but at a four-year-old, he never came back to his old form. And he didn’t get a place in the Hall of Fame. In contrast to the second placed Happy Times Ahead. He got retired after that race and began his life at stud. Out of 17 races, the grey colt won 12, 4 times he crossed the line being second. Every time he entered the starting gate, he came out the race with earned money. With over 2,8$ million of earnings at the track, he had a good start as a sire.
Year 52, he was welcomed in the Hall of Fame. Sadly, he passed away three years later at the age of 20. But this outstanding stallion should live on in plenty of his progeny and will always be remembered.
His total progeny of over 800 horses almost hit the 50$ million mark of earnings. Happy Times Ahead sired horses like “He Breathes Fire” with over 3$ million of earnings. His daughter “Gales” won year 44 Steward’s Cup Juvenile Fillies Sprint and fulfilled her daddy’s dream of a Steward’s Cup win. Also, he is known as a good damsire. His sired mares produced horses like Diabolical X, Togo, Turn the Tables, Buildyouanempire and World Gone Mad. He lives on in the pedigree of numerous of stakes winning thoroughbreds. And there are some happy times ahead for all of them!