Ernie T. Poulos
Encyclopedia
Ernest T. Poulos was an American
Thoroughbred
horse trainer
. A native of Chicago
, he conditioned horses at local tracks for many years but gained national attention when he took over the training of Black Tie Affair
in 1989. Poulos guided the three-year-old colt through three highly successful years, capped off in 1991 with a win in the Breeders' Cup Classic
and United States Horse of the Year
honors.
Such was the admiration for Ernie Poulos in Chicago that when he died in 1997, his funeral
was held at the Arlington Park
race track. For his significant contribution to the Thoroughbred racing industry, in 2000 he was the posthumous recipient of the Governor's Award from the Racing Industry Charitable Foundation (RICF).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
horse trainer
Horse trainer
In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...
. A native of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, he conditioned horses at local tracks for many years but gained national attention when he took over the training of Black Tie Affair
Black Tie Affair
Black Tie Affair was a thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by American businessman Stephen D. Peskoff, he was out of the mare Hat Tab Girl and sired by Miswaki, who also sired Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Urban Sea and who was a two-time Leading broodmare sire in Great Britain & Ireland.Black Tie...
in 1989. Poulos guided the three-year-old colt through three highly successful years, capped off in 1991 with a win in the Breeders' Cup Classic
Breeders' Cup Classic
The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3 year olds and older run at a distance of 1¼ miles on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships...
and United States 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.
Such was the admiration for Ernie Poulos in Chicago that when he died in 1997, his funeral
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
was held at the Arlington Park
Arlington Park
Arlington Park is a horse race track in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois. Horse racing in the Chicago region has been a popular sport since the early days of the city in the 1830s, and at one time Chicago had more horse racing tracks than any other major metropolitan area...
race track. For his significant contribution to the Thoroughbred racing industry, in 2000 he was the posthumous recipient of the Governor's Award from the Racing Industry Charitable Foundation (RICF).