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Hall of Fame - Tickle

Original article written by Danny Daniels posted 14 years 2 weeks ago

It's strange the way that horses connect and intersect with human lives. There are many cultures in which horses were considered animals of the gods. And in some cases, horses were gods. They were either gods manifest as horses to walk among us, or they were actually the gods themselves in equine perfection. They were an integral part of creation, racing through the heavens, life created in their wake. Horses have always traveled along side us in our myths and in our psyche. They're in our constellations, and they come to us at night as we sleep, bringing omens of the future, and they exist on a more terrestrial plane, too. They were an essential part of the evolution of farming, hence the evolution of modern civilization. Once upon a time they were even an crucial part of war, and in our minds we can still hear their hooves rumbling like stampeding thunder across long, flat, barren planes.

That is where we come in. Those who have been to a horse race cannot forget the sound of the horses as they roar past you on the track. A breathtaking, choreographed stampede toward the finish line, that is at once exhilarating and on some primal level, terrifying. And then again, there is the gentle side of horses, the way that we bond with them, the poetic symmetry that they posses in either repose or action.

That fine balance is what strikes me as I write the Hall of Fame Induction for Jon Xett's brilliant mare,"Tickle". Such a playful name for a horse who was once so fearless and powerful as she charged around the track battling her way toward an 8-1-0 record in only ten races; earning $1,727,540 and winning three Grade-One Stakes races (two against the boys) in the process. When I asked Jon to tell me a few things about Tickle, it was the name that he brought up first. I could almost see his eyes spark with a mischievous twinkle as he said, "The name came from growing up with my siblings when tickling was a form of "Punishment" from my brothers and sister... if they could catch me or if I could tackle them and pin them down."

I love that image, the image of the sibling "tickle" fight. The way you laugh until tears are streaming from your eyes, or as Jon put it, "The way you plead that 'we were just playing around' or it was 'All In Fun' when someone ended up crying... or if the parents found out."

Xett's image/origin of Tickle's name, casts her in a whole new light. I now see her as a sort of "trickster" running along with that smooth gait, divots of turf flying behind her. She made it look so easy, made it seem like so much fun, even when she was racing in the deadly serious world of G1 Stakes races against the boys.

A striking, diminutive, black filly; standing only 15.1 hands, Tickle was the top earner for the sire, "Punishment". Which is even more impressive when you realize that Punishment sired five horses who won over a million dollars in their racing careers. By the way, she was also the top earner for her dam, "All in Fun". It was all in fun... that phrase returns, and again we have perfect symmetry.

Among all of her great victories, one of Tickle's greatest feats came in the form of a draw when she tied "Playingforthecrowd"- a powerful colt and one of the greatest turf-milers of all time- in the The "Oak Tree Steward's Cup Turf Mile". This had to be one of the most hyped and anticipated races of the year, maybe of any year. It's always a highly anticipated race when the great fillies match against the great colts. In this case, however, it was a filly matching against on of the great turf-mile colts of all time. You take that and you add the fact that these two had matched up just a little under a year earlier in a classic duel for "The Steward's Cup Turf Mile". (a race that Tickle went on to win a year later) The icing on the cake, the thing that had to have all of the Sim World buzzing, was that The Steward's Cup Mile had been an believable battle; two great horses dueling right down to the wire, to a photo-finish... Playingforthecrowd inching it out by a nose. The Rematch? The rematch lived up the hype. Again, both horses pushed each other. Again, both horses dug deep, burning around the track to that final stretch where they dug deeper still. And, yet again, they crossed the wire at the same time. The finish... it was too close to call. And as it should be, both horses were alone at the end, with the next closest horse three lengths behind.

But, as we all know, racing is only part of a racehorse's legacy. There's also the continued legacy of the progeny they leave behind, who race on after they have retired, who race on after their dams and sires have moved on to those vast, eternal, flowing green pastures. As she always had, Tickle proved that she was one of the rare horses. She gave birth to three million-plus winners. (Stand Up Speak Up, Do Something and Tackle) Her progeny have totaled over six-million dollars in winnings to date, with several still of racing age. And one, yet to race. The aptly named filly foal "Last Attraction". Who is jet black and stands 15.1 hands- just like her dam. She is the last gift that Tickle had to give. As Xett's great racehorse/great dam left us, this past March, for that eternal green pasture. She passed away while foaling. And I can't help but wonder if maybe... maybe, as she did in her final race, Tickle saved her greatest for last.

The Last Race:

As mentioned earlier, Tickle saved her greatest win- and what had to be one of owner/breeder Xett's greatest races- for last. The race was the Year Thirteen "Steward's Cup Turf Mile". If we are given to granting horses human emotions, it could be said that Tickle ran this race with a sense of purpose. Her previous Steward's Cup mile ended with her losing by mere inches. This time, the second place horse was two-lengths behind, but Jon Xett was still cheering. Not only did Tickle ad the denouement to her fantastic career, she did it in a one-two-three sweep by Xett owned horses... fillies finishing one and two. I can just imagine his elation as they turned down the final stretch and he realized what was happening. And I can also only imagine who he was pulling for.

Jon Xett's has had a Hall of Fame career. He has had many- and will have many more- great horses. But there are special horses. Horses that transcend their brief time on the track. Horses whose blood lives on. Horses that remind us that, if we walk outside into the dark quiet hours, we can still see their images drawn in the stars. And last, they remind us that they still have the power to touch us and carry us with them in those fleeting moments as they round that final turn and carry our memories with them as they run on into that eternal green.


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