Favorite Trick
Encyclopedia
Favorite Trick was an American
Thoroughbred
racehorse
who in 1997 became the first 2-year-old in twenty-five years to be voted United States Horse of the Year
.
Bred at Wintergreen Farm in Midway, Kentucky
by Max Wood and his wife, Sylvia, Favorite Trick was out of the mare
Evil Elaine. His sire was the successful sprint
horse, Phone Trick, who retired with a record of nine wins and a second in ten career starts. A descendant of the great Nearco
through both his sire and mare, Favorite trick was selected by trainer Patrick B. Byrne
at an auction in February 1997 who purchased him for Joseph LaCombe
.
in all his races, at age two Favorite Trick went undefeated in eight starts. He scored victories in major races such as the Hopeful Stakes and Breeders Futurity
. He then capped off his year with a convincing win in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile
after avoiding a near-collision on the first turn. He ran away from the field to win by a five increasing lengths while setting a new Breeders' Cup Juvenile record of 1:41.47.
Favorite Trick's performances in 1997 earned him the Eclipse Award for Outstanding 2-Year-Old Male Horse
and he became the first two-year-old since Secretariat
in 1972 to be voted the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year
. Going into the 1998 racing season, comparisons were regularly being between the two horses and like Secretariat, Favorite Trick was the winterbook favorite for May's Kentucky Derby
. However, there were some turf writers and other racing people who noted that Favorite Trick had not clocked any remarkably fast times and that six of his wins had been at distances between five and seven furlong
s with both the Breeders Futurity
and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile
at 1 1/16 miles. As a son of a sprint horse, some believed that it remained to be seen if Favorite Trick could compete at the longer distances of the American Classic Races.
horseman, Frank Stronach
. Under Mott, Favorite Trick opened his 3-year-old season with a win in the 7-furlong Swale Stakes
at Florida's Gulfstream Park
but in the Arkansas Derby
, his first attempt at 1⅛ miles (9 furlongs), he tired near the end and suffered his first defeat, winding up third behind winner, Victory Gallop
.
By the time parimutuel betting
closed for the May 2, 1998 Kentucky Derby
, Favorite Trick was the second choice to the John R. Gaines colt, Indian Charlie
and only slightly favored over third choice, Overbrook Farm's Florida Derby
winner, Cape Town. Starting from post position seven in the Derby, Favorite Trick moved up to fourth by the half mile pole but fell back to wind up eighth in the fifteen horse field behind the winning 8:1 outsider, Real Quiet
.
Not raced in the Preakness
or Belmont Stakes
, Favorite Trick did not go back to the track until July 19 when he won the 8.5 furlong Long Branch Breeders' Cup Stakes
at Monmouth Park. He followed up with an August 9 win in the 9 furlong Jim Dandy Stakes
at Saratoga Race Course
then after a disappointing fifth place on the same track in the Grade II King's Bishop Stakes, he was sent to Keeneland Race Course where in October he won the important Keeneland Breeders' Cup Mile Stakes
. Favorite Trick's strong performance led to him being made the betting favorite in November's Breeders' Cup Mile
at Churchill Downs
but he finished eighth in a field of fourteen to winner, Da Hoss
.
duty at Walmac International near Lexington, Kentucky
. He would later stand at Cloverleaf Farms II in Ocala, Florida
and finally at JEH Stallion Station near Hondo
, New Mexico
where he and five other horses died in a barn fire on June 6, 2006. A modestly successful sire of both Thoroughbreds and American Quarter Horse
s, Favorite Trick sired 16 stakes winners.
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...
racehorse
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
who in 1997 became the first 2-year-old in twenty-five years to be voted 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....
.
Bred at Wintergreen Farm in Midway, Kentucky
Midway, Kentucky
Midway is a city in Woodford County, Kentucky, United States. Its population was 1,620 at the 2000 census. It is located midway between Frankfort and Lexington along the single-track railroad between them. It is part of the Lexington-Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town is home to a...
by Max Wood and his wife, Sylvia, Favorite Trick was out of the mare
Mare (horse)
A mare is an adult female horse or other equine.In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse age three and younger. However, in Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four years old; in harness racing a mare is a...
Evil Elaine. His sire was the successful sprint
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
horse, Phone Trick, who retired with a record of nine wins and a second in ten career starts. A descendant of the great Nearco
Nearco
Nearco was an Italian bred Thoroughbred racehorse described by Thoroughbred Heritage as "one of the greatest racehorses of the Twentieth Century" and "one of the most important sires of the century." He was not only unbeaten, winning 14 races at distances from 5 furlongs to 1 mile 7 furlongs ,...
through both his sire and mare, Favorite trick was selected by trainer Patrick B. Byrne
Patrick B. Byrne
Patrick B. Byrne is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer who has won three Breeders' Cup races and who in 1997 conditioned Favorite Trick to American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt and American Horse of the Year honors and Countess Diana to American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly honors.A native of...
at an auction in February 1997 who purchased him for Joseph LaCombe
Joseph LaCombe
Joseph P. LaCombe is a retired American businessman and owner of Joseph LaCombe Stable Inc., a Thoroughbred horse racing stable...
.
Undefeated Horse of the Year
For Joseph Lacombe, who previously had owned several horses in partnership with others, the colt would provide him with an amazing year of racing in 1997. Trained by Byrne and ridden by Pat DayPat Day
Patrick Alan "Pat" Day is an American jockey. He is a four-time winner of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1991...
in all his races, at age two Favorite Trick went undefeated in eight starts. He scored victories in major races such as the Hopeful Stakes and Breeders Futurity
Lane's End Breeders' Futurity
The Breeders' Futurity Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early October at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. Currently offering a purse of $500,000, the race is open to two-year-old horses and is run at a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the...
. He then capped off his year with a convincing win in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile
Breeders' Cup Juvenile
The Breeders' Cup Juvenile is a Thoroughbred horse race for 2-year-old colts and geldings raced on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships....
after avoiding a near-collision on the first turn. He ran away from the field to win by a five increasing lengths while setting a new Breeders' Cup Juvenile record of 1:41.47.
Favorite Trick's performances in 1997 earned him the Eclipse Award for Outstanding 2-Year-Old Male Horse
Eclipse Award for Outstanding 2-Year-Old Male Horse
The American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually in Thoroughbred flat racing. It became part of the Eclipse Awards program in 1971....
and he became the first two-year-old since Secretariat
Secretariat (horse)
Secretariat was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, that in 1973 became the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in 25 years, setting new race records in two of the three events in the Series—the Kentucky Derby , and the Belmont Stakes —records that still stand today.Secretariat was sired by Bold...
in 1972 to be voted the Eclipse Award for 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....
. Going into the 1998 racing season, comparisons were regularly being between the two horses and like Secretariat, Favorite Trick was the winterbook favorite for May's 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...
. However, there were some turf writers and other racing people who noted that Favorite Trick had not clocked any remarkably fast times and that six of his wins had been at distances between five and seven 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....
s with both the Breeders Futurity
Lane's End Breeders' Futurity
The Breeders' Futurity Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early October at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. Currently offering a purse of $500,000, the race is open to two-year-old horses and is run at a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the...
and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile
Breeders' Cup Juvenile
The Breeders' Cup Juvenile is a Thoroughbred horse race for 2-year-old colts and geldings raced on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships....
at 1 1/16 miles. As a son of a sprint horse, some believed that it remained to be seen if Favorite Trick could compete at the longer distances of the American Classic Races.
Three-Year-Old racing season
For 1998, Favorite Trick's conditioning was taken over by Bill Mott after Patrick Byrne accepted an offer to take over the stable of the prominent CanadianCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
horseman, Frank Stronach
Frank Stronach
Frank Stronach, CM is an Austrian-Canadian businessman. He is the founder of Magna International, an international automotive parts company based in Aurora, Ontario, Canada, and Magna Entertainment Corp., which specializes in horse-racing entertainment...
. Under Mott, Favorite Trick opened his 3-year-old season with a win in the 7-furlong Swale Stakes
Swale Stakes
The Swale Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early February at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. A Grade II sprint race for three-year-olds, it is run on dirt over a distance of 7 furlongs...
at Florida's Gulfstream Park
Gulfstream Park
Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino is a racetrack and county-approved racino in Hallandale Beach, Florida, in the United States. During its annual meet, which spans December through April, it is one of the most important venues for horse racing in America....
but in the Arkansas Derby
Arkansas Derby
The Arkansas Derby is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is currently a Grade I race run over a distance of 9 furlongs on dirt....
, his first attempt at 1⅛ miles (9 furlongs), he tired near the end and suffered his first defeat, winding up third behind winner, Victory Gallop
Victory Gallop
Victory Gallop was an American-based Thoroughbred racehorse. As a three-year-old he won the Belmont Stakes denying Real Quiet the Triple Crown...
.
By the time parimutuel betting
Parimutuel betting
Parimutuel betting is a betting system in which all bets of a particular type are placed together in a pool; taxes and the "house-take" or "vig" is removed, and payoff odds are calculated by sharing the pool among all winning bets...
closed for the May 2, 1998 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...
, Favorite Trick was the second choice to the John R. Gaines colt, Indian Charlie
Indian Charlie
Indian Charlie is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1998 Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, equaling the stakes record time, but is best known as an important sire of Champions....
and only slightly favored over third choice, Overbrook Farm's Florida Derby
Florida Derby
The Florida Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses held annually at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida on the Saturday closest to the end of March or the first of April. Added to the racing schedule in 1952, the Grade 1 race is run at 1⅛ miles on the dirt...
winner, Cape Town. Starting from post position seven in the Derby, Favorite Trick moved up to fourth by the half mile pole but fell back to wind up eighth in the fifteen horse field behind the winning 8:1 outsider, Real Quiet
Real Quiet
Real Quiet was an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. He was nicknamed "The Fish" by his trainer, due to his narrow frame....
.
Not raced in the Preakness
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...
or 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...
, Favorite Trick did not go back to the track until July 19 when he won the 8.5 furlong Long Branch Breeders' Cup Stakes
Long Branch Stakes
The Long Branch Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. Open to three-year-olds, it is contested on dirt over a distance of 11/16 miles...
at Monmouth Park. He followed up with an August 9 win in the 9 furlong Jim Dandy Stakes
Jim Dandy Stakes
The Jim Dandy Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race. The Grade II race has been held annually since 1964 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The race is open to horses age three, willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the dirt. It carries a purse of $500,000. Prior...
at Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.-History:John...
then after a disappointing fifth place on the same track in the Grade II King's Bishop Stakes, he was sent to Keeneland Race Course where in October he won the important Keeneland Breeders' Cup Mile Stakes
Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes
The Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes is a Grade I American thoroughbred horse race run annually since 1986 at Keeneland Race Course near Lexington, Kentucky. Open to horses three-year-old and up, it is raced on turf over a distance of one mile....
. Favorite Trick's strong performance led to him being made the betting favorite in November's Breeders' Cup Mile
Breeders' Cup Mile
The Breeders' Cup Mile is a Grade 1 Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up, run on a grass course. It has been conducted annually as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships since the event's inception in 1984...
at Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs...
but he finished eighth in a field of fourteen to winner, Da Hoss
Da Hoss
Da Hoss by Gone West out of Jolly Saint is a bay Thoroughbred gelding best known for twice winning the Breeders' Cup Mile. He was bred in Kentucky by Fares Farms and originally owned by Prestonwood Farm as well as Wallstreet Racing Stables.Bought for only $6,000 as a yearling at the Keeneland...
.
Career as a sire
Following his Breeders' Cup loss, Favorite Trick was retired to studHorse breeding
Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses...
duty at Walmac International near Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
. He would later stand at Cloverleaf Farms II in Ocala, Florida
Ocala, Florida
Ocala is a city in Marion County, Florida. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 53,491. It is the county seat of Marion County, and the principal city of the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated 2007 population of 324,857.-History:Ocala...
and finally at JEH Stallion Station near Hondo
Hondo, New Mexico
Hondo is an unincorporated community in Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States. It is located about five miles downstream from Ruidosos Downs, where the Rio Bonito and Rio Ruidoso rivers join together to form the Rio Hondo. It is located at the point where U.S. Route 70 is joined by U.S. Route...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
where he and five other horses died in a barn fire on June 6, 2006. A modestly successful sire of both Thoroughbreds and American Quarter Horse
American Quarter Horse
The American Quarter Horse is an American breed of horse that excels at sprinting short distances. Its name came from its ability to outdistance other breeds of horses in races of a quarter mile or less; some individuals have been clocked at speeds up to 55 mph...
s, Favorite Trick sired 16 stakes winners.