Hall of Fame - Benjamin Franklin

Original article written by Danny Warren posted 12 years 0 weeks ago

Benjamin Franklin, the man, is known as “The First American”. He was one of the founding fathers of the United States and was perhaps the most influential American of all time with his work in science, inventing, politics, writing, printing and particularly his work with electricity, making him one of the most important people in the history of mankind.

His SIMWorld namesake could also be regarded as one of the most influential horses the SIMWorld has ever known, with his racetrack exploits legendary and a long and outstanding career in the Breeding barn.

The Steward believed that outstanding filly Gift of Angels, who had five starts for four wins and a second behind fellow female legend of the turf, Sai Yah, would be an interesting match with the new and mysterious George Washington. Gift of Angels had already had some success as a broodmare, having produced future millionaire and stallion Bound For Heaven, but a risky date with an unraced, unproven stallion turned out to produce one of the finest racehorses, and one of the best milers who ever graced the track.
George Washington would only have three crops, producing two millionaires, in Benjamin Franklin and also Thomas Jefferson in his first season, while Gift of Angels would prove to be a magnificent producer, with four millionaires and five other foals breaking into the six figure mark for prize money earned, giving her nearly $8 million from her foals.

Benjamin Franklin was a solid sort of a bay yearling, with an apt lightning bolt shaped star on his intelligent forehead. He was sent into the salering, where Mac Silver won the bidding with $286,000 and after a yearling preparation designed for a sprinter, Benjamin Franklin took a trip to Argentina to begin what would be a brilliant career.

The 5f turf maiden saw five opponents oppose the calm youngster, but after running with the pack for the most part, all they saw was his tail disappearing into the distance as Benjamin Franklin opened his account with a massive seven length win in the smart time of 59.76.
After such an impressive win, Mac had no hesitation in testing Benjamin Franklin in the Gr.3 Clasico Congreve over 6f where he would meet the handy Princes Inthetower. Most of the young horses raced greenly and came around the turn in every direction imaginable, but Benjamin Franklin confirmed that he was a star on the rise with a comfortable three and a half length win.
Mac decided to step Benjamin Franklin up again, both in distance and class by entering him in the 7f Gr.2 Gran Premio Raul y Raul E Chevalie worth $100,000. He looked to have a much harder task with the entry of Weekend, who had made a big impact in Japan with two very easy wins, but when Benjamin Franklin eased to the outside and strode past Weekend like he was nailed to the fence, Weekend’s heart was broken and he would never win again. Benjamin Franklin disposed of another potential rival by a ridiculously easy five and a quarter length victory, and Mac knew he just had to take him north to strut his stuff in America.
After sifting through his various options, where he could have continued to sprint or try a mile, Mac eventually went to New York for a run at the mile in the Gr.3 Pilgrim Stakes. Benjamin Franklin settled down well in New York but with the like of Money Maker, Truth Hurts and Yastrzemski, this race would be a good guide to where to go next. Benjamin Franklin again waited until the turn to make his move and then burst through between his rivals and with the field spreadeagled in his wake, ran away for another strong win.
The SIMWorld seemed to have a new star on their hands and much was made in the media over Mac’s decision to tackle the Gr.1 Steward’s Cup Juvenile Turf over the mile journey and worth a cool million in prizemoney.
A hot lineup assembled in Kentucky, with five of Benjamin Franklin’s rivals to go on and become stallions themselves, with Do Something, Aupollo, Sixagonal and Performing Tricks all expected to run big races. Performing Tricks and Sixagonal set a quick pace, with Benjamin Franklin, sitting behind Do Something and Aupollo. The leaders slowed to make the turn and this was the signal for Benjamin Franklin, who dipped through between them and shot away. The others missed the kick, and by the time they got their momentum back, Benjamin Franklin was long gone and went on to record a magnificent win of nearly five lengths, with a stunned Mac Silver staring in disbelief from the stands at his horse who would be named American Champion Two Year Old Colt and South American Champion Two Year Old Colt at the year end SIMMY Awards night after an undefeated juvenile year and $657,500 earned in just five runs.

With the mantle of dual SIMMY winner and Steward’s Cup winner, the placing of Benjamin Franklin for his three year old season weighed heavily on Mac’s mind, but finally he decided to try his luck in Europe, kicking off with a run in the Warm Up Stakes in Munich, sponsored by Mac himself. The hopes of a nice, easy wander went out the window with the entries of Coriander, fresh from a Gr.3 second in Italy and Pinnacle who had set tongues wagging with two five length wins at his last two starts. To the gasps of the crowd and with the colour draining from Mac’s face, Benjamin Franklin stumbled badly at the start and had to chase the field who took off to try and take advantage of the colts misfortune. Slowly but surely, the now muscular bay reeled in the pack. Pinnacle was flying out in front and had already seen off Coriander, but with the crowd on their feet, Benjamin Franklin motored along the rail and breezed past with ease, eventually powering away with a five and a half length win, which had the German crowd in a standing ovation as he returned to the scales.
If the SIMWorld didn’t realise before that Mac Silver had a superstar, they certainly knew after his effort in Germany and a huge crowd packed into London Gallops to watch him put on a show when winning the time honoured Gr.1 English Two Thousand Guineas in a canter over Aupollo and Irish Dreams.
Mac chose to send Benjamin Franklin on a short boat trip over to Ireland for an attempt at the British Two Thousand Guineas double in the Irish Two Thousand Guineas. Performing Tricks, who after the Steward’s Cup ran away with the Barbados Derby was back for a rematch and they were joined by Thomas Jefferson who after this race would go to Australia and begin a six race winning streak. Performing Tricks had no problem getting to the lead, but then Thomas Jefferson pushed up to drive the pace. Benjamin Franklin’s jockey could be seen with a smirk on his face, while simply waiting. The two leaders kept battling each other, and Benjamin Franklin peeled to the outside and tore past in a blur down the short straight to win by nearly three lengths against two of his better peers.
With the frightening record of eight starts for eight wins, just three horses lined up against Benjamin Franklin for the Gr.1 Palace of the Saints Stakes back in England and he never even broke a sweat in winning by six lengths.
Another Steward’s Cup run was the obvious path and Benjamin Franklin flew back to a hero’s welcome, arriving in New York for a lead up run in the Gr.2 The Fine Tuning Challenge. Weekend was here as was four time winner Arabian Coffee among Benjamin Franklin’s four rivals, but the Long Island crowd had a long time to stand and cheer as he streeted away to a phenomenal sixteen length win.

The stage was now set for the three year old, with Mac’s only concern was that this was to be Benjamin Franklin’s first race against the older horses and the Gr.1 Steward’s Cup Turf Mile worth $2 million is an extremely tough race. This was also one of the finest Turf Mile fields ever assembled with eventual millionaires, Rely On The Stars, Bound For Heaven, Fleet Admiral, Test of Strength, Crystal Magic, Test My Heart and Can’t Live in Fear all parading around the mounting yard as was the very handy Blackest cat and unbeaten super filly Pop Idol. This talented field of milers broke in a good line with Test My Heart the early leader, but with most of the field hot on his heels. The turn loomed and the huge crowd didn’t know where to look as the runs came from everywhere. Pop Idol found the lead with just 50 yards to go, but was then grabbed by Fleet Admiral and Crystal Magic, who were in turn caught by Test of Strength. Benjamin Franklin flashed through on the fence, but just missed out by a neck in one of the great races in SIMHistory. He still however was good enough to win the European Champion Three Year Old Colt Simmy.

A shattered Mac Silver took a while to get over his colt’s defeat, but put all his efforts into planning the game bay’s next campaign.
Benjamin Franklin needed a break and didn’t appear at the races again until week four in the Gr.1 Monaachi Mile in Kentucky for a virtual match race with Fleet Admiral. The two other runners went out to an early lead, but Benjamin Franklin and Fleet Admiral charged to the lead together at the turn and went head for head all the way down the stretch to tumultuous cheering and at the wire, the small difference in fitness told and Fleet Admiral stuck his neck out just in time to pick up a memorable win, with seven lengths of daylight separating Benjamin Franklin and the third horse over the line.
Both Benjamin Franklin and Fleet Admiral took the journey over to California for a rematch in the Gr.1 Golden Bridge Mile against the very smart Classic. Benjamin Franklin sat peacefully in third place on the outside of Fleet Admiral, and when the horses swung for home, Benjamin Franklin went to the outside and with a clear run, gained his revenge for his last start loss by an easy margin from Fleet Admiral and Classic.
Michelle Calderoni opted against running her gun colt Fleet Admiral in the Steward’s Cup and headed to South America, which left Benjamin Franklin with a slightly easier than expected lead up run in the Gr.2 Oceanside Mile. Benjamin Franklin nearly ended up on his nose at the start, but recovered well and left the field in his wake with a slashing run late to win by nearly five lengths.
The Steward’s Cup was to be run in New Jersey this year and another fine field opposed Benjamin Franklin, including old rivals Thomas Jefferson and Test My Heart. Three year olds dominated the rest of the field with young up and comers Tom Sawyer, Red White and Blue, World of Races, Good Memories and Best Use of Time all looking magnificent as they prepared for one of the biggest races of their lives. To the surprise of many, Benjamin Franklin went to the early lead unopposed and kicked clear turning for home. Sadly though, he had set himself up as a sitting shot and the field came with a rush. World of Races and Red White and Blue surged past and looked certain to fight it out, but Benjamin Franklin was not done with and at the post he had fought back to within half a length of Red White and Blue and had stuck his head just in front of World of Races for second.

With the heartbreak of two narrow losses in Steward’s Cup races in successive years, Mac decided to retire his champion, a decision he has second guessed on numerous occasions, but his wonder horse retired as arguably the best turf miler to this time with a record of 12 wins and 3 seconds from 15 races with $2,483,000 in prize money to his credit with five Gr.1 wins.

On retirement, his fee was set at $50,000 and mare owners snapped up the chance to have one of his foals.
Benjamin Franklin is now approaching the end of his Breeding career, but currently has 425 foals produced. 364 of those have raced and won 593 times for a fine percentage of 64 for winners to runners, with his oldest foals now nine years of age. He has also sired 54 stakes winners meaning that nearly 15% of his foals have gone on to win in stakes company.
Benjamin Franklin is the proud father of four millionaires so far, the fine mares Helen Keller, Emily Dickinson and This Day Forward and promising young stallion Astute Scholar.

Silver Screen Star’s dominance through year’s 28 and 29 put up a compelling argument that he was in fact the greatest turf miler in SimHistory, at least the best since Benjamin Franklin retired. It is of course impossible to truly compare horses of days gone by with newer stars, but in a fantasy world where the crème de la crème would meet, these two horses would provide one amazing mile race and stand atop the mountain when people discuss the best milers ever in the SIM.

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