Assault (horse)
Encyclopedia
Assault
was an American
Hall of Fame Thoroughbred
racehorse who won the U.S. Triple Crown
in 1946.
in Texas
, Assault was sired by Bold Venture
, who had won the Kentucky Derby
and Preakness Stakes
, and his dam was the unraced Igual, by the Horse of the Year, Equipoise. Assault's third dam was Masda, who was a full sister to Man o' War.
Assault seemed unlikely to amount to anything on the track, much less become a Triple Crown winner. Described as being "on the delicate side" by his later jockey, Eddie Arcaro
, he was plagued with injuries and illnesses from the start. As a youngster, he stepped on what is believed to be a surveyor's stake, driving it through his front right hoof. The hoof was permanently deformed, and the colt developed an unattractive limp to accommodate the odd shape of his foot; however, the "Club-footed Comet", as he would later be dubbed, showed no signs of abnormality when he was at a full gallop. Throughout his career, Assault also overcame kidney, splint bone, fetlock
, knee and bleeding problems.
Aside from his physical troubles, Assault faced another major hurdle on his quest to the top echelon of horse-racing. He had been foaled and bred at King Ranch, a Texas ranch that primarily raised cattle and Quarter horses for racing. At the time, the vast majority of major stakes-winners were bred and foaled in Kentucky
(indeed, Assault remains the only Texas
-bred Triple Crown winner).
's training, Assault made his racing debut as a two-year-old in 1945, unceremoniously finishing 12th. He had two wins from nine starts that year, surprisingly capturing the Flash Stakes
in a four-way photo finish
, but nothing to be overly impressed with. Early in his three-year-old season, he was victorious in the Wood Memorial, but his run in the Derby Trial
made him somewhat of an outside chance in the Kentucky Derby. With jockey Warren Mehrtens
aboard, he raced past rivals to take the first race of the Triple Crown by eight lengths, the longest margin of victory to date. Assault was then made the favorite for the Preakness Stakes a week later. Aggravated by traffic early in the race, Mehrtens decided to push Assault earlier than usual. He was four lengths in front with a furlong
to go and tiring, Assault managed scored a neck victory over Lord Boswell.
The crowds saw this as a stamina issue, and made Lord Boswell the favorite in the 1½-mile Belmont Stakes
. After stumbling at the start, Assault trailed the field throughout much of the race. Mehrtens allowed him to take his time and find his bearings instead of rushing him. In the final 200 yards, Assault exploded past the leaders to win the Belmont by three lengths. He was the seventh Triple Crown winner ever, and the third during the 1940s.
Two weeks after his Belmont victory, Assault won the Dwyer Stakes
, and the general public opinion finally conceded that he was the best three-year-old in training (but that it was also a poor crop to choose from). However, his embarrassing last-place finish in the Arlington Classic
made him "just an average horse" again. After the Arlington Classic, it was discovered he had a kidney
infection and needed some rest. Assault returned to the track, but something had changed. He was running well, but not winning. After a string of seconds, thirds, and fourths, trainer Max Hirsch made the decision to change jockeys. Assault's original jockey Mehrtens was replaced by Eddie Arcaro. As if to reward Hirsch's judgment, Assault trounced his competitors in both the Pimlico Special
and Westchester Handicap
with Arcaro aboard, and was voted 1946 Horse of the Year
honors.
Over the winter, Assault developed into a handsome, mature four-year-old. The colt was constantly hungry, charging grooms if he was not fed on time. He paid such close attention to his exercise riders that when it seemed that they were gazing off or not fully attentive, he would leap to the side, leaving them mid-air, and gallop around the track riderless.
As a four-year-old, Assault won five of seven races and never finished worse than third. He was victorious in some of the biggest handicap races in history, including the Brooklyn
and Suburban Handicap
s, while carrying weights of up to 135 pounds. During 1947, he and his rival Stymie
battled for the top money-earner title, swapping it back and forth several times. However, in a $100,000 winner take all match race
at Belmont Park
on September 27, 1947, Arcaro and Assault were defeated by eight lengths by Calumet Farm's
Armed
, ridden by Douglas Dodson
, who would earn 1947 Horse of the Year honors.
Assault returned to the track as a five-, six-, and seven-year-old, although he never returned to the full winning form he displayed as a three- and four-year-old.
Assault raced 42 times, with 18 victories (15 in stakes races), 6 second-place finishes, and 7 third-place finishes. He earned $675,470. In 1946, he was voted Horse of the Year, the most prestigious honor in American thoroughbred racing, as well as winning Champion 3-Year-Old honors.
alongside his sire
at King Ranch. However, none of the mares he was mated with became pregnant; it was apparent that he was sterile
. He was returned to racing until the age of seven, where he won a few more races, including one more running of the Brooklyn Handicap
. He was then permanently retired to King Ranch. There were some rumors that he was allowed to pasture breed with some of King Ranch's quarter horse mares, but there are no records that any of those foals made it to the track. He did sire two quarter horse foals and they were registered with AQHA. Assault died on September 1, 1971, at age 28, at King Ranch, and the gravesite is on the King Ranch (in Kingsville, Texas
).
in 1964. In The Blood-Horse
ranking of the top 100 U.S. Thoroughbred champions of the 20th Century, Assault was ranked #33.
was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Hall of Fame Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorse who won the U.S. Triple Crown
United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
In the United States, the "Triple Crown" is usually the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a series of three Thoroughbred horse races for three-year-old horses run in May and early June of each year consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes.While Daily Racing Form...
in 1946.
Early life
Foaled at King RanchKing Ranch
King Ranch, located in south Texas between Corpus Christi and Brownsville, is one of the world's largest ranches. The ranch, founded in 1853 by Captain Richard King and Gideon K. Lewis, includes portions of six Texas counties, including most of Kleberg County and much of Kenedy County, with...
in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, Assault was sired by Bold Venture
Bold Venture (horse)
Bold Venture , was an American Thoroughbred racehorse that won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.He was sired by the multiple British stakes winner, St Germans, who, after his importation to stand at Greentree Stud in Lexington, Ky., became the leading sire of 1931 when his son Twenty Grand...
, who had won the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
and Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
, and his dam was the unraced Igual, by the Horse of the Year, Equipoise. Assault's third dam was Masda, who was a full sister to Man o' War.
Assault seemed unlikely to amount to anything on the track, much less become a Triple Crown winner. Described as being "on the delicate side" by his later jockey, Eddie Arcaro
Eddie Arcaro
George Edward Arcaro , known professionally as Eddie Arcaro, was an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who won more American classic races than any other jockey in history and is the only rider to have won the U.S. Triple Crown twice...
, he was plagued with injuries and illnesses from the start. As a youngster, he stepped on what is believed to be a surveyor's stake, driving it through his front right hoof. The hoof was permanently deformed, and the colt developed an unattractive limp to accommodate the odd shape of his foot; however, the "Club-footed Comet", as he would later be dubbed, showed no signs of abnormality when he was at a full gallop. Throughout his career, Assault also overcame kidney, splint bone, fetlock
Fetlock
Fetlock is the common name for the metacarpophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal joints of horses, large animals, and sometimes dogs. It is formed by the junction of the third metacarpal or metatarsal bones proximad and the proximal phalanx distad...
, knee and bleeding problems.
Aside from his physical troubles, Assault faced another major hurdle on his quest to the top echelon of horse-racing. He had been foaled and bred at King Ranch, a Texas ranch that primarily raised cattle and Quarter horses for racing. At the time, the vast majority of major stakes-winners were bred and foaled in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
(indeed, Assault remains the only Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
-bred Triple Crown winner).
Racing career
Under Max HirschMax Hirsch
Maximilian J. "Max" Hirsch was an American Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse trainer.Born in Fredericksburg, Texas, Hirsch became one of the most successful trainers in Thoroughbred horse racing history. He spent part of his formative years working as a groom and jockey at Morris Ranch in...
's training, Assault made his racing debut as a two-year-old in 1945, unceremoniously finishing 12th. He had two wins from nine starts that year, surprisingly capturing the Flash Stakes
Flash Stakes
The Flash Stakes was an important and prestigious race for two-year-old Thoroughbred horses and one of the longest running horse racing events in America. Run before races were graded, the Flash was won by a host of starry names...
in a four-way photo finish
Photo finish
A photo finish occurs in a sporting race, when two competitors cross the finishing line at near the same time. As the naked eye may not be able to discriminate between which of the competitors crossed the line first, a strip photo, a series of rapidly triggered photographs, or a video taken at the...
, but nothing to be overly impressed with. Early in his three-year-old season, he was victorious in the Wood Memorial, but his run in the Derby Trial
Derby Trial
The Derby Trial Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at the end of April at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Held one week before the Kentucky Derby, it was first run in 1924 and every year since, with the exception of 1928...
made him somewhat of an outside chance in the Kentucky Derby. With jockey Warren Mehrtens
Warren Mehrtens
Warren Mehrtens was an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey best known for winning the U.S. Triple Crown in 1946....
aboard, he raced past rivals to take the first race of the Triple Crown by eight lengths, the longest margin of victory to date. Assault was then made the favorite for the Preakness Stakes a week later. Aggravated by traffic early in the race, Mehrtens decided to push Assault earlier than usual. He was four lengths in front with a furlong
Furlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to 220 yards, 660 feet, 40 rods, or 10 chains. The exact value of the furlong varies slightly among English-speaking countries....
to go and tiring, Assault managed scored a neck victory over Lord Boswell.
The crowds saw this as a stamina issue, and made Lord Boswell the favorite in the 1½-mile Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
. After stumbling at the start, Assault trailed the field throughout much of the race. Mehrtens allowed him to take his time and find his bearings instead of rushing him. In the final 200 yards, Assault exploded past the leaders to win the Belmont by three lengths. He was the seventh Triple Crown winner ever, and the third during the 1940s.
Two weeks after his Belmont victory, Assault won the Dwyer Stakes
Dwyer Stakes
The Dwyer Stakes is an American Grade II stakes race for three-year-old thoroughbred racehorses held annually at Belmont Park racetrack in Elmont, Long Island, New York. Run in early July, it is open to three-year-old horses and is raced over a distance of 1 1/16-miles on dirt...
, and the general public opinion finally conceded that he was the best three-year-old in training (but that it was also a poor crop to choose from). However, his embarrassing last-place finish in the Arlington Classic
Arlington Classic
The Arlington Classic Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race for 3-year-old horses held annually at the end of June at Arlington Park race track near Chicago, Illinois...
made him "just an average horse" again. After the Arlington Classic, it was discovered he had a kidney
Kidney
The kidneys, organs with several functions, serve essential regulatory roles in most animals, including vertebrates and some invertebrates. They are essential in the urinary system and also serve homeostatic functions such as the regulation of electrolytes, maintenance of acid–base balance, and...
infection and needed some rest. Assault returned to the track, but something had changed. He was running well, but not winning. After a string of seconds, thirds, and fourths, trainer Max Hirsch made the decision to change jockeys. Assault's original jockey Mehrtens was replaced by Eddie Arcaro. As if to reward Hirsch's judgment, Assault trounced his competitors in both the Pimlico Special
Pimlico Special
The Pimlico Special is an American thoroughbred horse race held at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland in mid May. It is raced on dirt over a distance of 1³/16 miles . The race is currently open to horses age three and older and offers a purse of $250,000.The Pimlico Special was first run in...
and Westchester Handicap
Westchester Handicap
The Westchester Handicap is a one mile thoroughbred horse race at Belmont Park on Long Island, New York. It is run in early May for horses three years old and up. It is a Grade III race with a purse of $100,000 added....
with Arcaro aboard, and was voted 1946 Horse of the Year
Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year
The American Award for Horse of the Year is the highest honor given in American thoroughbred horse racing. It has been awarded since 1887 to the horse, irrespective of age, whose performance during the racing year is deemed the most outstanding....
honors.
Over the winter, Assault developed into a handsome, mature four-year-old. The colt was constantly hungry, charging grooms if he was not fed on time. He paid such close attention to his exercise riders that when it seemed that they were gazing off or not fully attentive, he would leap to the side, leaving them mid-air, and gallop around the track riderless.
As a four-year-old, Assault won five of seven races and never finished worse than third. He was victorious in some of the biggest handicap races in history, including the Brooklyn
Brooklyn Handicap
The Brooklyn Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, on Long Island. It currently is a Grade II event open to three-year-olds and up willing to race one and one-half miles on dirt....
and Suburban Handicap
Suburban Handicap
The Suburban Handicap is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is run at the classic one-and-one-quarter mile distance on dirt for a $400,000 purse....
s, while carrying weights of up to 135 pounds. During 1947, he and his rival Stymie
Stymie (horse)
Stymie was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Stymie was bred by Max Hirsch, and was born on King Ranch, in Texas.As a young horse, Stymie possessed so terrible a disposition that his ability to race was hampered; his trainer did not see much in him...
battled for the top money-earner title, swapping it back and forth several times. However, in a $100,000 winner take all match race
Match race
A match race is a race between two competitors, going head-to-head.The term may be best known as a race between two sailing boats racing around a course...
at Belmont Park
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...
on September 27, 1947, Arcaro and Assault were defeated by eight lengths by Calumet Farm's
Calumet Farm
Calumet Farm is a Thoroughbred breeding and training farm established in 1924 in Lexington, Kentucky, United States by William Monroe Wright, founding owner of the Calumet Baking Powder Company. Calumet is located in the heart of Lexington's blue grass country, the finest horse breeding region in...
Armed
Armed
Armed was an American Thoroughbred gelding race horse. He was sired by the great stakes winner Bull Lea, which made him a half-brother to Citation...
, ridden by Douglas Dodson
Douglas Dodson
Douglas Allan Dodson was a Champion jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing.Douglas Dodson was born in Pickardville, Alberta, Canada, the son of James Floyd and Emma Dodson. His family moved to a ranch in Elk River, Idaho when he was still a child and as a small boy he learned to ride horses...
, who would earn 1947 Horse of the Year honors.
Assault returned to the track as a five-, six-, and seven-year-old, although he never returned to the full winning form he displayed as a three- and four-year-old.
Assault raced 42 times, with 18 victories (15 in stakes races), 6 second-place finishes, and 7 third-place finishes. He earned $675,470. In 1946, he was voted Horse of the Year, the most prestigious honor in American thoroughbred racing, as well as winning Champion 3-Year-Old honors.
Retirement
Assault was originally intended to be retired after his four-year-old season and stand studStud (animal)
A stud animal is a registered animal retained for breeding. The terms for the male of a given animal species usually imply that the animal is entire—that is, not castrated—and therefore capable of siring offspring...
alongside his sire
Father
A father, Pop, Dad, or Papa, is defined as a male parent of any type of offspring. The adjective "paternal" refers to father, parallel to "maternal" for mother...
at King Ranch. However, none of the mares he was mated with became pregnant; it was apparent that he was sterile
Infertility
Infertility primarily refers to the biological inability of a person to contribute to conception. Infertility may also refer to the state of a woman who is unable to carry a pregnancy to full term...
. He was returned to racing until the age of seven, where he won a few more races, including one more running of the Brooklyn Handicap
Brooklyn Handicap
The Brooklyn Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, on Long Island. It currently is a Grade II event open to three-year-olds and up willing to race one and one-half miles on dirt....
. He was then permanently retired to King Ranch. There were some rumors that he was allowed to pasture breed with some of King Ranch's quarter horse mares, but there are no records that any of those foals made it to the track. He did sire two quarter horse foals and they were registered with AQHA. Assault died on September 1, 1971, at age 28, at King Ranch, and the gravesite is on the King Ranch (in Kingsville, Texas
Kingsville, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 25,575 people, 8,943 households, and 6,134 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,848.8 people per square mile . There were 10,427 housing units at an average density of 753.8 per square mile...
).
Honors
Assault was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of FameNational Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
in 1964. In The Blood-Horse
The Blood-Horse magazine
The Blood-Horse is an international weekly news magazine about Thoroughbred horses, horse breeding, and horseracing. It was founded in 1916, the oldest continually published North American Thoroughbred magazine. The magazine is based in Lexington, Kentucky, the Horse Capital of the World...
ranking of the top 100 U.S. Thoroughbred champions of the 20th Century, Assault was ranked #33.
Tabulated pedigree
External links
- Statistics on Assault's Kentucky Derby
- Boyd, Eva Jolene. Assault Eclipse PressBlood-Horse PublicationsBlood-Horse Publications is an American multimedia publishing house focused on horse-related magazines.Blood-Horse Publications is located in Lexington, Kentucky. Their book-publishing arm is Eclipse Press...
(2004) ISBN 978-1581501070 - Assault at Find-A-Grave