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When the son of Fusaichi Pegasus stepped into the auction ring, nobody knew what to expect. His Kentucky Derby winning sire was known for his fractious behavior and random outbursts, and this son certainly looked like him. But being out of the blue hen mare Sahara Gold, nobody would care how he acted in the ring. With his pedigree and looks, the only thing that mattered about Loki Masterpiece is how he acted on the track.
The leggy bay colt took his place in front of the auction podium and the bidding climbed in quick, steady increments. The price increased and excitement filled the Trial By Summer Sales Pavilion, but Loki Masterpiece stayed composed until the hammer fell at $5 million for new owner Robin Tan. After Tan signed the ticket she hoped the yearling’s behavior would keep up when he started training. If he remained professional, she could have a real racehorse on her hands. Little did she know just how much he would need that professionalism during his career.
In his career debut, Loki Masterpiece defeated eventual multiple Grade 1 winning sprinter Ghostly Image going 5 furlongs. His win was impressive enough that Tan put him into stakes competition. That’s the only competition he would run against for the rest of his stellar career. After winning his first four starts, Loki Masterpiece entered the Steward’s Cup Juvenile undefeated and exited it the same way.
The two-year-old champion was made the early favorite for the Louisville Derby. Tan elected to send her colt west to California to prepare for his run for the roses. He won his three-year-old debut and then demolished the competition in the Arcadia Derby by 7 ½ lengths.
Meanwhile, a colt named Gaze Unwavering was coming into his own in Florida. He showed enough talent at two to garner a chance in the Steward’s Cup, but he was not quite ready for that competition yet. But age and distance was turning the colt into another force to be reckoned with. Eventually two other colts would emerge and the quartet would come to be known as “The Big Four.”
When Loki Masterpiece first met Gaze Unwavering, they were in a contentious Louisville Derby field. A superstar filly was looking to take on the boys, and the colt who ran second to Loki Masterpiece in the Steward’s Cup was back for revenge. Sent off at odds of 5-1, Loki Masterpiece called on his impeccable pedigree and consummate professionalism to find the wire first, just holding off Gaze Unwavering. Charm’s Tribute took another crack at Loki Masterpiece, but was still held off as Tan’s colt also won the Baltimore Crown.
Entertaining the Long Island Classic undefeated with a champion should usually produce an air of confidence for a trainer, but the 1 ½ mile test shaped up the most difficult leg of the Triple Crown for Loki Masterpiece. Gaze Unwavering was back, and with a week’s rest and another furlong to work with he looked to be a very formidable foe. The short field of five lined up in the gate, but it might as well have been a match between the two big horses. Gaze Unwavering was allowed to relax in last position while Loki Masterpiece controlled the early part of the race. In the stretch, Loki Masterpiece looked destined to become racing’s newest Triple Crown winner, but Gaze Unwavering was just beginning to roll and he nailed Loki Masterpiece at the wire, stealing the Long Island Classic by a nose.
Following a grueling race through the Triple Crown, Loki Masterpiece was allowed to relax until the Midsummer Classic. The colt was back to his winning ways and Tan entered him in the Steward’s Cup Classic. But an undefeated colt named Walkover was in the race. He hadn’t been running on the main stage, but trainer Jon Xett was a seasoned professional and knew what he had. The long year had taken it’s toll on Loki Masterpiece, and the colt finished a valiant third behind this newcomer and brilliant older horse No Tears Here, though he did hold off rival Gaze Unwavering this time. The three-year-old stars would all return at four and would soon have a new face to share victory with.
After an embarrassingly easy victory in his first start at four, Loki Masterpiece hopped a plane for racing’s biggest stage – the Desert World Cup. The race figured to be another showdown between three brilliant colts as Walkover and Gaze Unwavering would also be making the trip. And the race did come down to the three stars. This time, Gaze Unwavering came out on top, just a length ahead of Loki Masterpiece and Walkover who deadheated for second. It was eight long lengths back to the fourth horse.
Upon his return to the states, Loki Masterpiece received a break to prepare for his final Steward’s Cup appearance. In his first race back he easily handled old rival Charm’s Tribute and then had another facile victory in his final Steward’s Cup prep.
The Steward’s Cup Classic would again feature Loki Masterpiece and his now familiar opponents Walkover and Gaze Unwavering. But this time the race would also include a new competitor, in the form of a big, black colt named Conduit. Ara Davies’ son of Symbol was undefeated coming into the race, and although he’d never faced the likes of Loki Masterpiece and company before, he was easily winning his races and could not be ignored. This race would be an epic battle between four amazing colts from the same foal crop.
Turning for home at Louisville Downs the stage was set. Loki Masterpiece and Walkover hit the lead together after sitting just off the pace the entire race and began to duke it out. But Conduit had been allowed to relax comfortably midpack, and when given his cue he made a huge move to pass the two dueling colts and his the wire two and a half lengths in front. Loki Masterpiece never gave up, determined to finally get the better of Walkover and did finish a neck in front of that rival. Their old foe Gaze Unwavering was too far back that day and had to settle for fifth.
And so goes the story of Loki Masterpiece’'s part in “The Big Four.” The brilliance of one cannot be told without praising the rest, for they only added to each other’s legacy and each brought something different. Loki Masterpiece was the beautifully bred and ideal racehorse throughout his entire career. He had a brilliant championship two-year-old season and became a Derby winner at three, with a record that any other year would have earned another championship award. And then at four he traveled the world and had another huge season. His talent and professionalism gave him the ability to compete against three other colts of his high level of quality. He finished his career with 17 starts and 13 wins, never finishing off the board.
At stud, Loki Masterpiece was not able to replicate himself, although he did produce a Derby winner in his son Monet. It seems fitting that his offspring’s biggest claim to fame will be as a Derby winner, because Loki Masterpiece himself will always be remembered as the entity of “The Big Four” that took home the roses – and that’s something that none of them will ever be able to take from him.