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Hall of Fame - Event of the Year
Original article written by The Steward posted 17 years 1 week agoThe defining moment of Event of the Year's career came well after he was retired, and only two years before his death. The moment that would stand out as - perhaps - the moment that sealed Event of the Year's legacy: in a long, drawn out poll taken by trainers everywhere, he was voted the Greatest Horse Of All Time.
He looked like a champion on paper well before his birth. By Seattle Slew and out of the Mr. Prospector mare Classic Event, he had 'success' written all over his pedigree. The dark bay colt was foaled in March and was plagued by injuries as a yearling and a two-year-old. He was taken on by trainer Kellie Whitehead, a relatively new trainer who had been around show horses all of her life. She was immediately impressed by the strapping colt, and then blown away by his workouts. As a three year old, he had matured tremendously, and a workout of 5 furlongs in :58.1 convinced Whitehead that this colt was for real.
"I know it's a bit ambitious," she said the morning after she entered him in the Santa Anita Derby, "but, I think I have something here."
The grade 1 race would be contested at 1 1/8 miles, and only 3 horses would go postward. Event of the Year broke like a rocket and rushed to the lead, setting blistering fractions (:45.0, 1:11.9) before storming under the wire, the winner by 6 lengths.
Going into the Kentucky Derby off one start seemed ludicrous, but he was favored going into the race. 5 other horses challenged him, including future star sire Chilito and future Breeders' Cup Mile winner Skip a Stream.
Event of the Year sat behind an increasingly rapid pace, took command around the far turn, and then drew off impressively in the stretch. The ovation he received was huge and his final time &endash; 1:59.3, was phenomenal.
Heavily favored to win the Triple Crown, the first of the colt's 2 losses would come in the Preakness Stakes. He sat off the pace and then when he rushed up to challenge, the tiring Sweetsouthernsaint bumped him hard. Event of the Year staggered, regained his feet, running on to finish third by two necks.
With the Triple Crown now out of his sight, the pressure was off the colt when he traveled to Belmont for the third leg of the series. He was co-favored in the race and sat just off the pace until the field moved into the far turn, when the colt challenged for the lead and then drew clear to win by a length. He had the three year old championship nearly locked up, but to be Horse of the Year he would need to defeat Silver Charm and Skip Away, who had dominated the older division all year. The Breeders' Cup was held at Belmont that year, and despite facing star older horses and both of the horses who had defeated him in the Preakness, he went postward as the favorite.
In the race, Skip Away went to the lead with Silver Charm 2 wide on his outside and Event of the Year ran tucked along the rail. On the far turn he moved in between the two older stars and then dueled to the wire, winning by a half length and becoming the 6th three year old to win the Classic.
He was awarded Horse of the Year and Champion Three Year Old Colt. He missed the first month of his four year old year when he suffered a quarter crack, but was heavily favored in the Strub Stakes at Santa Anita. He ran in mid-pack early before exploding to a powerful 6 length win over Preakness winner Victory Gallop.
Then came the inevitable ; weight. Event of the Year would carry 131 pounds in the Santa Anita Handicap, 5 more than rivals Silver Charm and Skip Away. Skip Away took a relaxed lead for much of the race, but the freight train that was Event of the Year stormed to a neck victory. Then came the Hollywood Gold Cup, where Event of the Year finally met his equal in ability: the filly Serena's Song. The filly had a similar record and would carry 130 pounds in the then-handicap race. Event of the Year would carry 135.
Under the weight, Event of the Year missed the start and struggled to regain his feet. He was rushed up to run off the pace, and then missed to Serena's Song by a nose. Trainer Whitehead worried about the colt's cracked heels and gave him the rest of the summer off to relax before training up to the Breeders' Cup Classic. The race would be run at Churchill Downs that year and remains one of the finest fields assembled.
Serena's Song would go to the post, as well as Silver Charm and Skip Away, plus that year's Kentucky Derby winner Battle Cry and Belmont winner Bet Me Mom, as well as future Classic winner Storm and Silence. The race was run with much controversy when stakes winner Pulpit savaged Storm and Silence off the turn, but on the front end, Event of the Year was sweeping to the lead after running 4 wide for much of the race. He had a clear lead in the stretch, but the younger Battle Cry and the classy Serena's Song were coming after him quickly. It didn't matter for Event of the Year, he was already under the wire, an easy winner.
After receiving his second Horse of the Year title, as well as Champion Older Horse, Event of the Year retired to stand for $100,000. Many of his offspring became legends as well, including the immortal Priceless Forever, Triple Crown winning Tremendous, fantastic filly Three Day Event, and two year old superstar The Natural. Event of the Year died of a virus only a few years after he retired. Whitehead retired from training shortly before his death. Even though Event of the Year died prematurely, his impact on racing as a sire and a racehorse will last forever.