Star Standard
Encyclopedia
Star Standard is a millionaire American Thoroughbred
racehorse and successful sire. Bred in Kentucky
by Highclere, Inc. & Louis Roussel III and raced under the William Condren banner as his owner. He was sired by top stallion Risen Star, who in turn was a son of the great Secretariat
. His dam was Hoist Emy's Flag daughter of graded stakes winner Hoist The Flag
. He finished racing with a record of 7-4-3 in 25 starts with career earnings of $
1,121,512. Star Standard was best known for his win in the grade one Pimlico Special
and his runner-up finish in the grade one Belmont Stakes
.
, Suave Prospect and Mecke in the Florida Derby
he shipped to Kentucky. Nick Zito had three races circled on his schedule to choose from, they included; the Blue Grass Stakes, the Lexington Stakes and the Arkansas Derby. The path of least resistance
seemed to point Star Standard in the direction of the grade two Lexington Stakes. In that race, Star Standard broke well and shot right to the lead. Jockey Pat Day
kept him at a stout but restrained pace and the rest of the field was content to sit back. Day continued one of his patented rides and took Star Standard wire to wire for a three length win over Royal Mitch and Guadalcanal. With only two weeks until the Kentucky Derby
, Zito decided to pass the Derby and run in the second jewel of the Triple Crown
, the Preakness Stakes
.
In the $500,000 Preakness, Star Standard was bumped coming out of the gate. He was pushed back into the rear tier but jockey Chris McCarron
charged him up to the leader Mystery Storm. At the 5/16th pole he put a head in front while splitting rivals. He held on well until the final sixteenth and weekend to finish fourth still earning a check. Nick Zito had a legitimate excuse in the Preakness and decided to send him on to the Belmont. In the Belmont Stakes, Star Standard ran the race of his life and finished second to Dual Classic winner Thunder Gulch.
In the late summer and early fall of the year, Zito decided to run Star Standard against the best older horses in training in two races. In the first of those races he finished a strong second in September to the incomparable Cigar
in the grade one Woodward Stakes
at Saratoga Race Course
. In the second, Cigar again dominated the field in the grade one Jockey Club Gold Cup
in October as Star Standard ran third to he and Unaccounted For.
leading almost the entire race. Near the wire the gray Wekiva Springs wore down Star Standard a beat him by a half length.
Later that year, Star Standard began to train like gangbusters and Zito needed to find a race to test his sharpened skills. He entered him in the $600,000 grade one Pimlico Special
Handicap at "Old Hilltop" in Baltimore, Maryland. Star Standard broke from gate four and rushed straight to the lead under jockey Pat Day
. He was the longest shot in the short field at Pimlico Race Course
at 6-1 but he didn't act that way. Going into the far turn, Star Standard had led every step of the way in the first three quarters of a mile. At the top of the stretch, Key of Luck, Geri and Wekiva Springs all made a strong bid at the leader but failed to ever gain even terms. Star Standard won by an even length in front of Key of Luck. Geri finished almost seven lengths back in third and the 4-5 favorite Wekiva Springs could do no better than fourth, nine lengths back. Star Standard avenged his Gulfstream loss. Later that year he broke down while racing and was euthanized.
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 and successful sire. Bred 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...
by Highclere, Inc. & Louis Roussel III and raced under the William Condren banner as his owner. He was sired by top stallion Risen Star, who in turn was a son of the great 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...
. His dam was Hoist Emy's Flag daughter of graded stakes winner Hoist The Flag
Hoist The Flag
Hoist The Flag was an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by New York City Investment banker, John Schiff, he was out of the mare Wavy Navy, a daughter of the 1937 U.S. Triple Crown champion, War Admiral...
. He finished racing with a record of 7-4-3 in 25 starts with career earnings of $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
1,121,512. Star Standard was best known for his win in the grade one 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 his runner-up finish in the grade one 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...
.
Two year-old season
Star Standard was highly sought after at the auction ring being the grandson of Secretariat. Star Standard got a late start to his racing career and only raced twice as a two year-old and only won a maiden special weight race in his second attempt.Three year-old season
As a three year-old, Star Standard began improving in the spring of 1995. After a disappointing ninth place finish to Thunder GulchThunder Gulch
Thunder Gulch is a Champion American thoroughbred racehorse who left the starting gate at 25-1 odds in 1995 and went on to win the Kentucky Derby in 2:01.2 from post 16. He was ridden by jockey Gary Stevens. D...
, Suave Prospect and Mecke in the 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...
he shipped to Kentucky. Nick Zito had three races circled on his schedule to choose from, they included; the Blue Grass Stakes, the Lexington Stakes and the Arkansas Derby. The path of least resistance
Path of least resistance
The path of least resistance describes the physical or metaphorical pathway that provides the least resistance to forward motion by a given object or entity, among a set of alternative paths. The concept is often used to describe why an object or entity takes a given path.In physics, the path of...
seemed to point Star Standard in the direction of the grade two Lexington Stakes. In that race, Star Standard broke well and shot right to the lead. Jockey Pat Day
Pat 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...
kept him at a stout but restrained pace and the rest of the field was content to sit back. Day continued one of his patented rides and took Star Standard wire to wire for a three length win over Royal Mitch and Guadalcanal. With only two weeks until 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...
, Zito decided to pass the Derby and run in the second jewel of the 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...
, the 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...
.
In the $500,000 Preakness, Star Standard was bumped coming out of the gate. He was pushed back into the rear tier but jockey Chris McCarron
Chris McCarron
Christopher John "Chris" McCarron is a retired American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey. He is currently working as a racing analyst for TVG Network....
charged him up to the leader Mystery Storm. At the 5/16th pole he put a head in front while splitting rivals. He held on well until the final sixteenth and weekend to finish fourth still earning a check. Nick Zito had a legitimate excuse in the Preakness and decided to send him on to the Belmont. In the Belmont Stakes, Star Standard ran the race of his life and finished second to Dual Classic winner Thunder Gulch.
In the late summer and early fall of the year, Zito decided to run Star Standard against the best older horses in training in two races. In the first of those races he finished a strong second in September to the incomparable Cigar
Cigar (horse)
Cigar , is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse, who in 1995 and 1996 became the first American racehorse racing against top-class competition to win 16 consecutive races since the Triple Crown winner, Citation did so in 1948 and 1950...
in the grade one Woodward Stakes
Woodward Stakes
The Woodward Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race and is one of the premier races for older thoroughbred horses in the United States. Named for prominent racehorse owner, George Nicholas Woodward, it is run at 1⅛ miles on the dirt for a purse of $750,000.The Woodward was run as a handicap in...
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...
. In the second, Cigar again dominated the field in the grade one Jockey Club Gold Cup
Jockey Club Gold Cup
The Jockey Club Gold Cup, established in 1919, is a prestigious thoroughbred flat race open to horses of either gender three-years-old and up. It is typically the main event of the fall meeting at Belmont Park, just as the Belmont Stakes is of the spring meeting and the Travers Stakes is of the...
in October as Star Standard ran third to he and Unaccounted For.
Four year-old season
At the beginning of his four year-old season in 1996, Star Standard ran a courageous race in the grade one Gulfstream Park HandicapGulfstream Park Handicap
The Gulfstream Park Handicap is a race for thoroughbred horses run at Gulfstream Park each year. The race is open to horses age four and up, willing to race one mile on the dirt...
leading almost the entire race. Near the wire the gray Wekiva Springs wore down Star Standard a beat him by a half length.
Later that year, Star Standard began to train like gangbusters and Zito needed to find a race to test his sharpened skills. He entered him in the $600,000 grade one 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...
Handicap at "Old Hilltop" in Baltimore, Maryland. Star Standard broke from gate four and rushed straight to the lead under jockey Pat Day
Pat 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...
. He was the longest shot in the short field at Pimlico Race Course
Pimlico Race Course
Pimlico Race Course is a horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of Olde Ben Pimlico's Tavern in London...
at 6-1 but he didn't act that way. Going into the far turn, Star Standard had led every step of the way in the first three quarters of a mile. At the top of the stretch, Key of Luck, Geri and Wekiva Springs all made a strong bid at the leader but failed to ever gain even terms. Star Standard won by an even length in front of Key of Luck. Geri finished almost seven lengths back in third and the 4-5 favorite Wekiva Springs could do no better than fourth, nine lengths back. Star Standard avenged his Gulfstream loss. Later that year he broke down while racing and was euthanized.