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Nar
Original article written by Douglas Marley posted 2 years 3 weeks agoThe horseracing season, like most sports seasons has an ebb and flow to it. In thoroughbred racing spring brings the triple crown and fall the Breeder’s cup. In Quarter horse racing the Tres Corona begins in early spring and ends on Labor Day with the All-American Futurity after the best of the best face each other in the Champion of Champions. Between these marquee events are stakes and handicap races that showcase the best of each of the breeds that year. At the end of the year champions are named by various breed associations. While each year produces new champions not every yearend champion, Kentucky Derby, All American Futurity, or Breeder’s Cup winner becomes a legend, in fact many are very forgettable. Like fine wine some years produce great vintage and other years we are given only cheap jug wine.
I was introduced to horseracing in the mid 1970’s, a time when legendary champions seemed to have sprouted from the earth like weeds. During this period thoroughbreds had three triple crown winners in five years. The mention of their names, Secretariat, Seattle Slew and Affirmed are the standard we measure current champions by.
During that time Standardbred fans watched the unforgettable Niatross roll out 37 wins out of 39 starts, only being beaten by himself when he broke stride or when he spooked and fell over the hub rail. Not to be out done, Quarter Horses had their legend, Dash for Cash, who became the first horse to win the prestigious Champion of Champions twice.
During these periods watching legends face legends becomes commonplace. During the 70’s undefeated 1977 triple crown winner, Seattle Slew faced 1978 Triple Crown winner Affirmed in the 1978 Marlboro Cup Handicap. After that hard-won victory, Seattle Slew had to face grass champion Exceller in his next two starts.
Becoming a fan during that time jaded my view of the sport. I thought every year should include a Triple Crown winner. The 37 year “Triple Crown Drought” taught me to appreciate the “vintage years” with their champions.
In Y23 six new breeds were added to the SIMRacing universe (Arabian, Appaloosa, Paint, Quarter Horse and Standardbred trotters and Pacers). For a few years after that legends faced each other regularly. One of those legends was Nar, a sprinter that during his three-year career, entered the starting gate sixteen times. All but one of those starts was against stakes company. The results of these starts were a 16: 11-4-1 record with purse winnings of $486,100. Nar was owned by Amy Atkins, who purchased him for $5,000 in preseason Y23.
During Nar’s career, he faced future hall of famer, Rian, seven times, Y23-Arabian Champion Older Male, and future hall of famer, Midnihte three times, and El Pantera Y23-Arabian Horse of the Year, Y23-Arabian Champion Three-Year-Old Male, and Hall of famer, three times. In these matches Midnihte and Rian, could only squeeze out one victory each against the mighty Nar. El Pantera did a little better with two wins against Nar.
Nar began his stellar career in the second week of Y23, at Los Angelitos in a five-furlong maiden special weight contest against nine other maidens. Nar toyed with the field romping across the finish line by two lengths.
After this easy win, Nar faced stakes horses for the first time in the $50,000 One Wonder Stakes at five furlongs. The competition was tougher, but the results were the same. Nar crossed the finish line a length and a half ahead of the field.
Three weeks later, in the five furlong, $80,000, June Weather Stakes. This race was the first time he faced future champion and hall of famer, Midnihte. The presence of a champion did not change anything. Even with a poor start, Nar was able to come under the wire a half a length ahead of Midnihte. With three wins in three starts, Nar should have been on the way to a Simmy award . . . but then Nar came up against El Pantera.
In Nar’s last two starts of Y23, were the On the Stretch Out stakes and the Arabian Cup, he faced old friends Rian, in the On the Stretch and Midnihte in the Arabian Cup. That didn’t raise any red flags as Nar had defeated these two easily before. The new shooter in the mix was El Pantera.
El Pantera, like Nar was undefeated at this point, both having won their first three starts. Unlike, Nar, El Pantera’s starts were all in stakes company. The On the Stretch was to be a match-up of champions. El Pantera broke well but ran rank during the race. Nar ran well until the turn where he went wide. At the wire El Pantera put a nose ahead of Nar, with Rian a well beaten fifth. Nar first defeat while disheartening did not show any chink in his armor. The very nature of horseracing requires that sprinters must run a perfect race every time. There simply isn’t enough time in sprint races to regroup. Any misstep or mistake on the part of the jockey can lead to defeat. After Nar’s first defeat, the racing world was anxious for a rematch.
The rematch came a short two weeks later in the Arabian Cup. The start of the five-furlong Arabian Cup was marred by El Pantera being bumped. Nar had a better start. At the finish El Pantera had an insurmountable two length over Nar. The remainder of the field was well strung out behind the leaders with Midnihte finishing fifth. It was no surprise that El Pantera was named both Y23-Arabian Horse of the Year and Y23-Arabian Champion Three-Year-Old Male. Many in the racing community wondered if Nar the stuff of legend or merely a good horse. The answer to this question would come at the end of a hard fought four-year-old campaign.
Nar’s four-year-old campaign started out as planned. He was entered in the $50,000, Sun and Surf Stakes at five furlongs. Nar broke well opened a length and a quarter lead by the second call. During the race three of the four challengers tried to challenge Nar but failed to pass the leader, the last of these being Rian who crossed under the wire a well beaten half length. It looked like Nar was on the path to redemption after his loss to El Pantera.
In his next race, the $125,000 Week 5 Stakes, at five furlongs. In that race Nar again faced Rian and a forgettable field of three others. The result of the race was a third-place finish behind champion Rian and Zamil, who was, at best a minor stakes winner. The race would be his career worst, even if it was only a third-place finish against a future hall of famer.
Nar’s next start was something of a working vacation in the $75,000, Racing the Wind Stakes at five furlongs. Not surprisingly, the short field of four included Rian. Nar easily bested Rian by one and a quarter lengths with what was called a mild drive.
Two weeks later, in the five-furlong, $75,000 Inauguration Stake, Midnihte finally overcame Nar by a length and a quarter after three races against each other.
All mythical champions need that moment in they face where they face all challengers in a mythic battle. That moment for Nar was the $150,00, Y24 Arabian Cup at five furlongs.
In the Y24 Arabian Cup, Nar face all the horses that could brag that they had, in the past bested Nar. They were all there, Rian, Midnihte, Zamil, and El Pantera.
When the gates opened in the Arabian Cup, Nar broke smoothly and was immediately challenged by Midnihte, with El Pandera held mid-pack seventh. Midnihte went hammer and tong against Nar. At a quarter mile, Nar and Midnihte had opened over two lengths on the rest of the field. By the top of the stretch, Midnihte was finished and El Pantera was in full flight with his jockey, Zachary Woodruff going hand, boot and whip on his mount. At the finish line Nar had retained a head lead over hard charging El Pantera. The time at the finish was 1:05.18, a world record that was not been beaten for over 28 years. This tour de force earned Nar a Simmy as Y24-Arabian Champion Older Male and saw El Pantera, Nar’s chief rival retiring to the breeding shed after a stellar career.
Having earned his first two Simmys, Nar came back for his five-year-old career with two stakes wins in the $40,000 Red Fire Stakes at six furlongs and the $50,000 Asir Stakes at five furlongs. In each race Nar won by a half length each. Of concern was the finish of the Asir Stakes as Nar won the race with a lackluster start and mild drive at the finish.
Nar lost his next start, the June Weather Stakes at five furlongs. The winner of that race was Pollini a stakes winner who had finished behind Nar in their two previous starts.
Nar next start was in the Coma Stakes where he again faced Pollini at six furlongs. Nar put in a convincing performance. Nar lead the field by four and a quarter lengths at the half and coming in the wire under a half a length ahead of his challengers under a hand ride.
Nar met and defeated Rian and Pollini in his last two starts, the Inaugural and the Arabian Cup, both at five furlongs. In both races Nar broke on top and won from flag fall to that’s all. Pollini and Rian finished second and fourth and third and second respectively. Nar was ready to leave the racetrack and enter the breeding shed with his third Simmy as Y25-Arabian Horse of the Year.
Nar stood at stud for ten years, siring 331 foals, with 141 winners, and 19 stakes winners. Nar had two champions, Where Am I and Qairan. Where Am I won two Simmys as Y32-Arabian Champion Older Female and, Y31-Arabian Champion Three-Year-Old Female. She was later voted into the Hall of Fame. Qairan also won two Simmys as Y33-Arabian Champion Older Male, Y32-Arabian Champion Three-Year-Old Male. Both joined their sire in the Hall of Fame.
After ten years at stud Nar was pensioned in Y35 and died of natural causes seven years later.
Competition on the racetrack is like testing gold by fire. Not every defeat is a sign of weakness but a chance to show true courage and heart. Nar regularly faced proven champions. All the horses that defeated Nar, save one, could only beat him once in several meetings. The only horse to beat Nar more than once was El Pantera, a horse of proven quality. Just as steel sharpens steel, El Pantera was able to draw Nar’s best performances on the track giving us true racing gold.