Groovy (horse)
Encyclopedia
Groovy was an American
Thoroughbred
Champion
sprint
racehorse known for his love of jelly donuts. As at 2011, he is the last horse to break the 130 Beyer Speed Figure
having accomplished that milestone in his first two starts of 1987. In the Roseben Handicap
at Aqueduct Racetrack
he earned a 131 rating and then a 134 in the True North Handicap
.
Bred in Texas
by Marshall T. Robinson, Groovy was out of the mare Tinnitus and sired by 1976 Canadian Horse of the Year Norcliffe
who was a son of U.S. Racing Hall of Fame
inductee, Buckpasser
. Groovy was purchased at auction in February of 1985 for $81,000 by Edith Libutti, the daughter of agent, Ralph Libutti. Two months later, she sold the colt to New Jersey
banker, Theodore V. Kruckel.
.
As a result, Kimberly Hardy saddled the colt in his racing debut on September 2, 1985 and won the Forever Casting Stakes at Meadowlands Racetrack
at a distance of six furlong
s. With Adams back as trainer, Groovy raced four more times that year with his best results at Belmont Park
where he ran second in both the Grade I
Champagne Stakes and the Futurity Stakes, However, in each of these races Groovy took the lead from the start but then tired badly including the Champagne in which he finished second but still 9¾ lengths behind winner, Mogambo
.
on January 8th, Groovy won the Spectacular Bid Stakes
at six furlongs.
Before his next start, Houston, Texas
real estate developer John Ballis paid $1 million for a half interest in the horse but again.
Groovy was shipped from Florida to New York where under Petro Peters, his sixth trainer, he lost three straight races but ran third in the Wood Memorial Invitational Stakes
.
. Nonplussed, his owners entered him in the mile and three-sixteenths Preakness Stakes
. Once again, the distance was too much and he struggled home sixth in a seven-horse field. He did not run him in the mile and a half Belmont Stakes
, the final leg of the U.S. Triple Crown
series.
who had trained Lakeville Miss
the American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly of 1977 as well as Wayward Lass
the 1981 American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly. Martin accepted the job on the understanding that he would decide which races and what distances the colt would compete in. As such, Martin entered him in the July 4 Firecracker Stakes, a six furlong sprint at Belmont Park which he won easily by 2¾ lengths. On July 20, Groovy next won the seven furlong Tom Fool Handicap
, a Grade II event at Belmont Park. He followed this up with another Grade II win in the seven furlong Forego Handicap
at Saratoga Race Course
. Stretched to one mile (8 furlongs) in the Jerome Handicap
, Groovy could do no better than fourth. Now firmly fixed as a sprint horse, he was shipped to California
to prepare for the November 1, 1986 Breeders' Cup Sprint
. In a tune-up, on October 15 he won the six furlong Ancient Title Handicap at Santa Anita Park
in the impressive time of 1:08 1/5. On the same track and at the same distance, Groovy was sent off as the overwhelming favorite to win the Breeders' Cup Sprint but finished fourth, some 2½ lengths behind winner, Smile. Following another inexplicable fourth place finish in the November 15 Sport Page Handicap at Aqueduct Racetrack, X-rays revealed Groovy had a bone chip in the right knee that required surgery
.
at Belmont Park and received a Beyer Speed Figure
of 131. In the ensuing June 21 True North Handicap
at Belmont Park, while carrying high weight, Groovy established a track record of 1:07 4/5 for six furlongs on dirt and earning a Beyer Speed figure of 134 on a muddy track. Groovy then competed in and won the July 5 Breeders' Cup Stakes at Farmington, New York's
Finger Lakes Race Track, setting another track record for six furlongs on dirt with a time of 1:09 2/5. After winning the July 18 Tom Fool Handicap
for the second year in a row and his fourth race in four 1987 starts, John Ballis sold Groovy for $4 million to the Prestonwood Farm of brothers Jack, Art and J.R. Preston. For his new owners, Groovy went on to win his next two starts including the Grade I Vosburgh Stakes
on October 10. Undefeated for the year, Groovy was again the heavy favorite to win November's Breeders' Cup Sprint , hosted in 1987 by Hollywood Park Racetrack. In what would be his last race, for the second straight year Groovy was upset in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, finishing second by four lengths to the filly
, Very Subtle
. A leading contender for American Horse of the Year honors, Groovy's loss very likely cost him the title but he was voted the Eclipse Award
as the 1987 American Champion Sprint Horse.
at Prestonwood Farm in Kentucky for eleven seasons and two more for the farms new owners who operate as WinStar Farm
. He sired more than 220 winners of which 18 were stakes winners. The top earner among his progeny at $636,664 was Brutally Frank (b. 1994) whose wins included the Grade 1 Carter Handicap
.
Groovy was pensioned in 2001 due to neurological issues and on January 26, 2006 at age twenty-three was humanely euthanized at WinStar farms due to infirmities of old age.
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...
Champion
Eclipse Award
The Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. The Eclipse Awards, honoring the champions of the sport, are sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association , Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers...
sprint
Sprint race
The term Sprint race may refer to:*Sprint running events in track and field*Sprint cycling events*Short horse racing competitions*Short-distance speed skating races*Sprint car racing...
racehorse known for his love of jelly donuts. As at 2011, he is the last horse to break the 130 Beyer Speed Figure
Beyer Speed Figure
The Beyer Speed Figure is a system for rating the performance of Thoroughbred racehorses in North America designed in the early 1970s by Andrew Beyer, the syndicated horse racing columnist for The Washington Post...
having accomplished that milestone in his first two starts of 1987. In the Roseben Handicap
Roseben Handicap
The Roseben Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually from 1940 through 1995. Hosted by Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, it was open to horses age three and older. A Grade III event at the time of its cancellation, it was contested on dirt over a distance of six...
at Aqueduct Racetrack
Aqueduct Racetrack
Aqueduct Racetrack is a thoroughbred horse-racing facility and racino in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. Its racing meets usually are from late October/early November through April.-History:...
he earned a 131 rating and then a 134 in the True North Handicap
True North Handicap
The True North Handicap is an American thoroughbred horse race run annually in early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The race is a Grade II event, offering a purse of $200,000 and is open to three-year-olds and up willing to race six furlongs on dirt...
.
Bred 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...
by Marshall T. Robinson, Groovy was out of the mare Tinnitus and sired by 1976 Canadian Horse of the Year Norcliffe
Norcliffe
Norcliffe was a Canadian Thoroughbred racehorse. He was sired by U.S. Hall of Fame Champion Buckpasser out of the mare Drama School by Northern Dancer.Owned by Charles Baker's Norcliffe Stable, he was trained by Roger Attfield...
who was a son of U.S. Racing Hall of Fame
National 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...
inductee, Buckpasser
Buckpasser
Buckpasser was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who won he won nine of his eleven race starts for international record winnings for a two-year-old of $586,090. Buckpasser was leading broodmare sire in 1983, 1984 and 1989....
. Groovy was purchased at auction in February of 1985 for $81,000 by Edith Libutti, the daughter of agent, Ralph Libutti. Two months later, she sold the colt to New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
banker, Theodore V. Kruckel.
Racing at age two
Mismanaging by his owner resulted in Groovy being handled by several trainers during his race conditioning period and then during his first season of racing. Trained by Jack Adams, who determined that Groovy was not able to compete at distances of more than seven furlongs, he was soon replaced by the owner who dreamed of running in the mile and a quarter Kentucky DerbyKentucky 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...
.
As a result, Kimberly Hardy saddled the colt in his racing debut on September 2, 1985 and won the Forever Casting Stakes at Meadowlands Racetrack
Meadowlands Racetrack
The Meadowlands Racetrack is a horse racing track at the MetLife Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States.The track hosts both thoroughbred racing and harness racing...
at a distance of six 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 Adams back as trainer, Groovy raced four more times that year with his best results 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...
where he ran second in both the Grade I
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
Champagne Stakes and the Futurity Stakes, However, in each of these races Groovy took the lead from the start but then tired badly including the Champagne in which he finished second but still 9¾ lengths behind winner, Mogambo
Mogambo (horse)
Mogambo is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse whose wins included a nine-length victory in the Grade I Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Bred and raced by Peter M. Brant, Mogambo was sired by the outstanding Champion stallion, Mr. Prospector...
.
Racing at age three
Making his 1986 debut at Florida's Gulfstream ParkGulfstream 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....
on January 8th, Groovy won the Spectacular Bid Stakes
Spectacular Bid Stakes
The Spectacular Bid Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at the beginning of January at Gulfstream Park race track in Hallandale Beach, Florida...
at six furlongs.
Before his next start, Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
real estate developer John Ballis paid $1 million for a half interest in the horse but again.
Groovy was shipped from Florida to New York where under Petro Peters, his sixth trainer, he lost three straight races but ran third in the Wood Memorial Invitational Stakes
Wood Memorial Stakes
The Wood Memorial Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually at Aqueduct Racetrack in Jamaica, New York. It is currently a Grade I race run over a distance of 9 furlongs on dirt....
.
Triple Crown disaster
Trainer Peters was replaced by Howard Crowell and his owners sent him to run in the Kentucky Derby where the colt again immediately took the lead and held it for the first three-quarters of a mile before tiring badly and finishing sixteenth and last, some 49 lengths behind winner, FerdinandFerdinand (horse)
Ferdinand was a Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1986 Kentucky Derby and 1987 Breeders' Cup Classic. He was voted the 1987 Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year.He entered stud in 1989 and was later sold to a breeding farm in Japan in 1994....
. Nonplussed, his owners entered him in the mile and three-sixteenths 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...
. Once again, the distance was too much and he struggled home sixth in a seven-horse field. He did not run him in the mile and a half 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...
, the final leg of 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...
series.
Eighth and last trainer
In June of 1986, a month after his poor showing in the Preakness, Groovy's owners turned his race conditioning over to the very capable Jose MartinJose A. Martin
Jose A. Martin was an American Thoroughbred horse racing trainer who trained three Champions as well as multiple Grade I winner, Noble Nashua.Jose Martin was the son of U.S. Racing Hall of Fame trainer Frank "Pancho" Martin...
who had trained Lakeville Miss
Lakeville Miss
Lakeville Miss was an American Thoroughbred Champion racehorse bred and raced by Great Neck, New York businessman Randolph Weinsier who in 1979 received the P.A.B...
the American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly of 1977 as well as Wayward Lass
Wayward Lass
Wayward Lass was an American Thoroughbred Champion racehorse. Bred in Florida by Hall of Fame trainer Horatio Luro, Wayward Lass was bought in 1980 by Carl Lizza, Jr. for $30,000 at the then-Florida Breeders Sales Co. She was raced under the nom de course, Flying Zee Stable, a racing partnership...
the 1981 American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly. Martin accepted the job on the understanding that he would decide which races and what distances the colt would compete in. As such, Martin entered him in the July 4 Firecracker Stakes, a six furlong sprint at Belmont Park which he won easily by 2¾ lengths. On July 20, Groovy next won the seven furlong Tom Fool Handicap
Tom Fool Handicap
The Tom Fool Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early March at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, New York. It was formerly held at Belmont Park. The race is a Grade III event open to horses age three and up who are willing to race the six furlong distance on dirt.The...
, a Grade II event at Belmont Park. He followed this up with another Grade II win in the seven furlong Forego Handicap
Forego Handicap
The Forego Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Open to horses three years old and up, it is run at a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt...
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...
. Stretched to one mile (8 furlongs) in the Jerome Handicap
Jerome Handicap
The Jerome Stakes is a Grade II race for thoroughbred horses run each fall at one mile on the dirt at Belmont Park. It is open to three-year-olds and carries a purse of $150,000. The race is a prep race to several races of the Breeders' Cup....
, Groovy could do no better than fourth. Now firmly fixed as a sprint horse, he was shipped to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to prepare for the November 1, 1986 Breeders' Cup Sprint
Breeders' Cup Sprint
The Breeders' Cup Sprint is an American Weight for Age Grade I Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds & up. Run on dirt over a distance of 6 Furlongs , the race has been held annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World...
. In a tune-up, on October 15 he won the six furlong Ancient Title Handicap at Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita Park is a thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent racing events in the United States during the winter and in spring. With its backdrop of the purple San Gabriel Mountains, it is considered by many as the world's most beautiful race...
in the impressive time of 1:08 1/5. On the same track and at the same distance, Groovy was sent off as the overwhelming favorite to win the Breeders' Cup Sprint but finished fourth, some 2½ lengths behind winner, Smile. Following another inexplicable fourth place finish in the November 15 Sport Page Handicap at Aqueduct Racetrack, X-rays revealed Groovy had a bone chip in the right knee that required surgery
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
.
A Champion at four
At the end of Groovy's 1986 racing campaign, John Ballis bought out his partner's half interest in the horse for $950,000 and would race under the name, Lone Star Stable. Recovery from surgery saw Groovy out of racing for nearly seven months but he came back with a vengeance, winning his first start by 4¾ lengths on June 6, 1987 in the Roseben HandicapRoseben Handicap
The Roseben Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually from 1940 through 1995. Hosted by Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, it was open to horses age three and older. A Grade III event at the time of its cancellation, it was contested on dirt over a distance of six...
at Belmont Park and received a Beyer Speed Figure
Beyer Speed Figure
The Beyer Speed Figure is a system for rating the performance of Thoroughbred racehorses in North America designed in the early 1970s by Andrew Beyer, the syndicated horse racing columnist for The Washington Post...
of 131. In the ensuing June 21 True North Handicap
True North Handicap
The True North Handicap is an American thoroughbred horse race run annually in early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The race is a Grade II event, offering a purse of $200,000 and is open to three-year-olds and up willing to race six furlongs on dirt...
at Belmont Park, while carrying high weight, Groovy established a track record of 1:07 4/5 for six furlongs on dirt and earning a Beyer Speed figure of 134 on a muddy track. Groovy then competed in and won the July 5 Breeders' Cup Stakes at Farmington, New York's
Farmington, New York
Farmington is a town located in the northern part of Ontario County, New York, United States. The population was 10,585 at the 2000 census. Farmington is about twenty-five miles southeast of Rochester, New York...
Finger Lakes Race Track, setting another track record for six furlongs on dirt with a time of 1:09 2/5. After winning the July 18 Tom Fool Handicap
Tom Fool Handicap
The Tom Fool Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early March at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, New York. It was formerly held at Belmont Park. The race is a Grade III event open to horses age three and up who are willing to race the six furlong distance on dirt.The...
for the second year in a row and his fourth race in four 1987 starts, John Ballis sold Groovy for $4 million to the Prestonwood Farm of brothers Jack, Art and J.R. Preston. For his new owners, Groovy went on to win his next two starts including the Grade I Vosburgh Stakes
Vosburgh Stakes
The Vosburgh Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Run at the end of September/early October, it is open to horses three-years-old and up of either gender...
on October 10. Undefeated for the year, Groovy was again the heavy favorite to win November's Breeders' Cup Sprint , hosted in 1987 by Hollywood Park Racetrack. In what would be his last race, for the second straight year Groovy was upset in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, finishing second by four lengths to the filly
Filly
A filly is a young female horse too young to be called a mare. There are several specific definitions in use.*In most cases filly is a female horse under the age of four years old....
, Very Subtle
Very Subtle
Very Subtle was an American Thoroughbred Filly racehorse who won three Grade I stakes including the 1987 Breeders' Cup Sprint against male opponents in which she defeated the heavily favored Groovy by four lengths....
. A leading contender for American Horse of the Year honors, Groovy's loss very likely cost him the title but he was voted the Eclipse Award
Eclipse Award
The Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. The Eclipse Awards, honoring the champions of the sport, are sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association , Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers...
as the 1987 American Champion Sprint Horse.
As a sire
Groovy stood at 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...
at Prestonwood Farm in Kentucky for eleven seasons and two more for the farms new owners who operate as WinStar Farm
WinStar Farm
WinStar Farm is an American Thoroughbred horse breeding and racing farm near Versailles, Kentucky. Formerly known as Prestonwood Farm, it was owned by Houston, Texas oilmen Jack, Art, and J. R...
. He sired more than 220 winners of which 18 were stakes winners. The top earner among his progeny at $636,664 was Brutally Frank (b. 1994) whose wins included the Grade 1 Carter Handicap
Carter Handicap
The Carter Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early April at Aqueduct Racetrack. Open to horses three-years-old and up, it is raced over a distance of seven furlongs....
.
Groovy was pensioned in 2001 due to neurological issues and on January 26, 2006 at age twenty-three was humanely euthanized at WinStar farms due to infirmities of old age.