Hall of Fame - Tremendous

Original article written by Karl Smythe posted 15 years 2 weeks ago

Tremendous is one of the most famous horses stabled at Racing Heroes Pension and Hospital. Bred and raced by Hall of Famer Jon Xett, he is nineteen years old and retired from the racetrack after three seasons of racing. On the track Tremendous had nine wins, four seconds and one third in fifteen starts. He was fourth in his final lifetime start to finish his career with earnings of $6,047,400. Tremendous was voted Champion Three Year Old Colt and Horse of the Year of Year 8 on the strength of his Triple Crown victory. He shared the Horse of the Year title with Sim Goddess, another Hall of Fame Hero.

Tremendous hails from two great horses of the SIM.
He is the only foal from the mating of Event of the Year and Pike Place Dancer.
In conversation with Jon Xett I found out that he “bred him with the hope that he would have the tremendous machine that was Secretariat’s racing heart”. He also informed me that “because he used Event of the Year, a two time Steward’s Cup winner, I had very high hopes for Tremendous and I hoped he would live up to his name”.

Event of the Year was named Horse of the Year and Champion at three and four with seven wins including two Steward’s Cup Classics and two legs of the Triple Crown, the Louisville Derby and Long Island Classic. Event of the Year is a member of the Hall of Fame along with three of his foals, Three Day Event, Tremendous and Priceless Forever.
Amongst his progeny he had thirteen millionaires with multiple champions. His son Tremendous is the second highest earner for his sire.

Pike Place Dancer was a real life import that produced seventeen foals with earnings of $36,807,840. One of the Blue Hen mares of the SIM, “Pike” inspires brilliance in all lineage she has graced and continues to be a major influence in the SIM long after her death.

Tremendous took his first three starts at two. He started his season with a workmanlike victory in a Maiden event going four and one half furlongs. He then followed it up with an allowance win five weeks later over seven furlongs and made it three in a row with a smart win over Contest in the Futurity Stakes going one mile at Long Island Park. Jon Xett informed me that he did not know how significant those results at a sprint distance were for routers at the time.
Tremendous finished his season with a third place finish behind Loki Brilliance, the Oceanside Futurity winner and Here Comes Silver, the Champagne winner, in the Steward’s Cup Juvenile.
The loss at the Steward’s Cup was ok but left Jon Xett mildly upset, his great colt had been beaten and he would now have to regroup to prepare for the Classics.

Tremendous was named Champion Three Year Old Colt and Horse of the Year after seven starts at three. He would find the winner’s circle four times with three narrow defeats. Tremendous started his campaign with back to back second place finishes in the Lone Star Derby and Arkansas Derby to the aptly named Lucifer. These losses almost led to Tremendous not running in the Triple Crown. Jon Xett had other horses he believed better suited to the grueling Triple Crown and considered changing direction with him or even resting him for a later campaign. Jon Xett also owned Symbol, “a monster” and undefeated winner of the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes and also had the Steward bred Ichi Forever, winner of the recent Florida Derby gearing up for the Derby. Not to forget Lucifer would join them in the starting gate after defeating Tremendous twice in a row.
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“With a full field entered, I just could not see subjecting the small colt to the rodeo that the Derby was shaping up to become. I had bred him, I had saddled him with the lofty name that he didn't seem capable of living up to; I felt like I had failed as his trainer. Then I quit feeling sorry for him and listened to that voice of reason; ENTER HIM. My pride was damaged but I thought give him a shot.”

He hit his best stride when the time counted and took the Triple Crown in three easy steps. He defeated his stablemate Symbol and Tejano Causeway in the Louisville Derby
and followed it up with another win over Symbol in the Baltimore Classic. He entered SIM immortality with his amazing win in the Long Island Classic. This was his fourth start in four weeks and he would take a break before returning to take the California Cup Classic three weeks later.
“When he won the Derby, I was more amazed than anyone; I was shocked. Finishing 1-2-4 in the Derby will always be one of my favorite memories. I had no idea he was Triple Crown material. My twisted training plan was to win the Triple Crown with three different horses. After Tremendous won the Louisville Derby, I sent Symbol out to take the Baltimore Crown and a fresh Ichi Forever to win the Long Island Classic! As it turned out, Tremendous did have that tremendous racing heart; he won the Triple Crown over a hall of fame group of horses. The small chestnut colt had a huge heart; tremendous!”
Tremendous faced the starter once more against his elders in the Steward’s Cup Classic. He would take a one length defeat to the Jennifer Stewart owned Serena Success. Amongst the beaten field, such stars as Tejano Causeway, Derby Fever, Contest and Nightmare Reality.

Tremendous would make four starts at four with two victories.
In his first start of the season Tremendous would take a backseat to the great Bishoujo Senshi in the Desert World Cup. He had conquered the great mare in the Long Island Classic and she had gained her revenge in the richest race in the world. Once back on American soil Tremendous took his next victory in the Suburban Handicap and followed it up with a win in the Woodward Handicap over his nemesis Bishoujo Senshi.
Three weeks later Tremendous entered the starting gate for his final time. Long Island Park was hosting the Steward’s Cup and a stellar field entered the gate in the Classic. At the end of the mile and one quarter, it was Five Circles taking the victory over Ichi Forever and Bishoujo Senshi. Tremendous was fourth for the first time in his life and was promptly retired to the Stallion Barn.

Tremendous produced nine foals in his first crop. His son Impressive would take home the Steward’s Cup Juvenile at two, a race that had eluded his famous sire. He also took the Travers Stakes at three.
Tremendous would meet up with his old nemesis Bishoujo Senshi in the breeding shed during his first season. The mating resulted in Greatest Triumph, a multiple Grade 1 winner from distances of six furlongs to one mile and three sixteenths. His finest hour came in the Prince of Peace Stakes, second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown.

Tremendous produced six foals in his second crop. His major earner of the season was Extremist. She took the Demoiselle Stakes at two and the CCA Oaks at three. Extremist turned into a prolific producer with four earners of over one million dollars including Lightinginabottle, Extremely, Regal Luck and Noble Aura.

Tremendous produced the major stakes winner Tremendous Strides, an earner of almost two million dollars when mated with sprinter Astridefromvictory in his third season at stud. He would also produce the major earner Colossus, an earner of over one and one half million dollars.

The following season saw him mated to Royalty, the Champion Three Year Old Filly and Steward’s Cup Distaff winner of Year 10. The resulting foal, Cloak, is an earner of over one million dollars and winner of the Louisville Oaks. Cloak is the dam of Edict, Robe and Cape. Cape is this seasons Louisville Derby favourite, based on his success in the Steward’s Cup Juvenile and will most likely be voted Champion Two Year Old Colt of Year 23.

Two seasons later Tremendous produced his first and only Louisville Derby winner. Mighty Big followed in the footsteps of his famous father with a two and a half length victory over Edict in the Run for the Roses. He would go on and finish third in the Baltimore Crown and second in the Long Island Classic. Mighty Big passes on the strong bloodlines to his progeny with earners of over twenty one million dollars.
Dancing on Moonbeams hails from the same crop. He is a Grade 1 winner and was named Islands Champion Older Horse in his five year old campaign.

Tremendous had only two more seasons at stud. His penultimate season produced Tremendous Machine and Cherish the Moment.
Tremendous Machine is a multiple Grade 1 winner over a route of ground. He earned over one million eight hundred thousand dollars and finished his career with a win in the Steward’s Cup Marathon. He has been well received since joining the Stallion ranks and has his first crop reaching the races this season.
Cherish the Moment is another prolific earner of over one million six hundred thousand dollars. She has already produced Babe Ruth, North American Champion Two Year Old Filly.

The millionaire filly Dance hails from the final crop of Tremendous. Dance is a multiple Grade 1 winner and looks to continue his line in the breeding shed.

Tremendous now lives out his days in retirement at Racing Heroes and Pension Hospital in Kentucky. A Triple Crown winner and producer of Champions, Tremendous will be always remembered by his owner and great legion of fans for his “great racing heart”.

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