Legends and Memories in the Buckeye State
By Tom Ferry
Midwest Thoroughbred
www.mwtmag.com
Celebration. It is what millions of Americans did during last Monday’s Labor Day holiday. Racing fans of historic River Downs racetrack in Cincinnati were no different as they came out for the meet’s traditional final day of live racing and for that matter, summer.
Another celebration occurred at this venue that has hosted thoroughbred racing since 1925, however, and this one paid tribute to the reason so many of us love the sport, the horse.
And, not just any horse, but two of them. Between the afternoon’s races, Ohio fans honored and spent time in the paddock with a 10-year-old, two-time Ohio Horse of the Year and a 14-year-old journeyman believed to be the oldest thoroughbred to ever record a win in the 86-year history of River Downs and quite possibly the oldest horse in training in America today.
For 14-year-old Eagle Time, fans came to say goodbye. Owner/trainer Rick Jordan bought the horse as a two-year-old in training for $4,000 back in 1999. “I won’t run him as a 15-year-old,” says Jordan. “He’s just been too good to me.”
Eagle Time’s career has taken the stallion down many different roads. In 2000, he won the Texas Derby in his sixth career start and won the Memorial Day Handicap the following year at Mountaineer. “He has taken me all over the continental U.S.,” says Jordan. “And he was competitive every step of the way.”
Eagle Time was retired from racing at age 7, but returned to racing five years later when his book fell off. He goes out on top with one win and two seconds in 2011 and retires with career earnings of more than $273,000.
For the 10-year-old Ohio powerhouse Catlaunch, however, retirement is not on the horizon as the millionaire has four stakes wins and counting in 2011. The son of Noble Cat has run and won every year since he was a 2-year-old and his 22 career stakes victories are a record for an Ohio-bred.
“He doesn’t want to retire,” says his longtime trainer Ivan Vazquez. “He loves what he does too much.” What he has done is compile a record of 88 lifetime starts, 18 wins, 17 seconds and 9 third place finishes for career earnings of $1,013,344.
Perhaps what is so remarkable about Catlaunch is his versatility. “He has won at 6 furlongs and at a mile and a quarter during his career,” says Vazquez. And Ohio fans know him for his thrilling stretch runs and have dubbed him Ohio’s “Superman.”
When January 1 rolls around each year, every thoroughbred becomes a year older. We grow attached to our favorite 3-year-olds of a given year and as fans of the sport, can often feel disappointment when they fail to return as racing four-year-olds in favor of a breeding career. However, it is often the longtime blue-collar horses that compete year after year in near obscurity and may not have household names nationally that capture our hearts and populate our memories across the long haul.
As Catlaunch moves on to Thistledown racecourse in Cleveland to take on another stakes championship, we bid a pleasant farewell to Eagle Time. “I’ve seen this horse make my husband cry,” said Melody Jordan about husband Rick’s relationship with Eagle Time.
Our equine heroes run into our hearts and never leave.
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| Owner/Trainer Rick Jordan and granddaughter Shelbi celebrate 14-year-old Eagle Time's farewell to racing. |
10-year-old millionaire Catlaunch |
Photos Compliments of Tom Ferry