Sweetnorthernsaint
Encyclopedia
Sweetnorthernsaint is a Thoroughbred
race horse. A Florida
foal of March 2003, he was a top contender for the Triple Crown
in 2006. Late in his two year-old season he was very hard to handle, so much so that they could not get him to focus enough to train on the track and his owners made the decision to geld him. He lost his only start as start as a two year-old finishing 12th in a maiden race on the turf at Colonial Downs
.
at Laurel Park Racecourse winning by ten lengths over his eight rivals. In the Gotham Stakes his connections tested him by seeing if he could rate. He was too keen early and his jockey fought him most of the way and the "Saint" finished third. They shipped him to Chicago to the speed favoring Hawthorne Race Course
. Sweetnorthernsaint never looked back rating right off a fast pace. He won the $500,000 grade two Illinois Derby
by wide margin at 9 ½ lengths as he blew past pacesetting Mister Triester at the top of the stretch and demolished his foes in the lane, stamping his ticket for the Kentucky Derby
. He completed the 1-1/8-mile assignment in 1 minute and 49-4/5 seconds, to earn the winners share of $300,000 for owners Joseph J. Balsamo and Ted Theos. The race earned him a 107 Beyer Speed Figure, which was the highest recorded that year by a three year-old.
As the gates opened Sweetnorthernsaint assumed the role as post-time favorite in the Kentucky Derby. Doing what he did best, the "Saint" was close to lead on a very fast pace. The front-runners burned each other out as the race fell apart. Barbaro
, winner of the Florida Derby went on to win by six lengths as Sweetnorthernsaint faded to sixth in the full field of twenty colts.
Two weeks later in the second jewel of the Triple Crown, Barbaro went off as an odds-on favorite. Barbaro crashed through the gate prior to the bell and had to be re-loaded. Less than an eighth mile out of the gate, Barbaro pulled up. Sweetnorthernsaint eventually pulled in front and led most of the race, then around the far turn, eventual Eclipse champion Bernardini
passed him and won. Sweetnorthernsaint placed second in the grade-one Preakness Stakes
in front of his home town crowd.
After the Preakness Stakes, Sweetnorthernsaint won twice more in 2006. He won an allowance race at Laurel and won the Odessa Stakes at Delaware Park.
in Grande Prairie, Texas at 8.5 furlongs and the grade three Hal's Hope Handicap at 8 furlongs at Gulfstream Park
.
In 2008 as a five year-old Sweetnorthernsaint won the Primal Stakes at Calder Race Course
at 8.5 furlongs and as a six-year old the gelding won the 2009 edition of the Wadsworth Memorial Handicap at 9 furlongs at Finger Lakes Race Course.
. Sweetnorthersaint was bred in Florida
by Eduardo Azpurura.
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...
race horse. A Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
foal of March 2003, he was a top contender for the Triple Crown
Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing consists of three races for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment of a Thoroughbred racehorse...
in 2006. Late in his two year-old season he was very hard to handle, so much so that they could not get him to focus enough to train on the track and his owners made the decision to geld him. He lost his only start as start as a two year-old finishing 12th in a maiden race on the turf at Colonial Downs
Colonial Downs
Colonial Downs is a racetrack for Thoroughbred flat racing and Standardbred harness racing located in New Kent County, Virginia adjacent to Interstate 64, halfway between Richmond, Virginia and Williamsburg, Virginia.-History and information:...
.
Three year-old season
In his three year old season Sweetnorthernsaint trained at Laurel Park Racecourse in Maryland for trainer Michael Trombetta. He broke his maiden at Laurel in his first race of the year but was disqualified and placed fourth. He then shipped to Aqueduct Racecourse and won a second higher purse maiden race and then went straight into stakes races. Sweetnorthernsaint won by smashing the stakes record in the Miracle Wood StakesMiracle Wood Stakes
The Miracle Wood Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held in February at Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland. The Miracle Wood, is open to three-year-olds willing to race seven furlongs on the dirt. It was the 15th running of the stakes race in 2009.An ungraded stakes, it offers a...
at Laurel Park Racecourse winning by ten lengths over his eight rivals. In the Gotham Stakes his connections tested him by seeing if he could rate. He was too keen early and his jockey fought him most of the way and the "Saint" finished third. They shipped him to Chicago to the speed favoring Hawthorne Race Course
Hawthorne Race Course
Hawthorne Race Course is a race track for horse racing in Stickney/Cicero, Illinois, near Chicago.The oldest continually-run family-owned racetrack in North America, in 2009 the Horseplayers Association of North America introduced a rating system for 65 Thoroughbred racetracks in North America...
. Sweetnorthernsaint never looked back rating right off a fast pace. He won the $500,000 grade two Illinois Derby
Illinois Derby
The Illinois Derby is a race for Thoroughbred horses held in early April each year. First run in 1923, the Derby takes place at Hawthorne Race Course located in Stickney/Cicero, Illinois, just west of Chicago...
by wide margin at 9 ½ lengths as he blew past pacesetting Mister Triester at the top of the stretch and demolished his foes in the lane, stamping his ticket for 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...
. He completed the 1-1/8-mile assignment in 1 minute and 49-4/5 seconds, to earn the winners share of $300,000 for owners Joseph J. Balsamo and Ted Theos. The race earned him a 107 Beyer Speed Figure, which was the highest recorded that year by a three year-old.
As the gates opened Sweetnorthernsaint assumed the role as post-time favorite in the Kentucky Derby. Doing what he did best, the "Saint" was close to lead on a very fast pace. The front-runners burned each other out as the race fell apart. Barbaro
Barbaro
Barbaro was an American thoroughbred who decisively won the 2006 Kentucky Derby, but shattered his leg two weeks later in the 2006 Preakness Stakes, ending his racing career and eventually leading to his death....
, winner of the Florida Derby went on to win by six lengths as Sweetnorthernsaint faded to sixth in the full field of twenty colts.
Two weeks later in the second jewel of the Triple Crown, Barbaro went off as an odds-on favorite. Barbaro crashed through the gate prior to the bell and had to be re-loaded. Less than an eighth mile out of the gate, Barbaro pulled up. Sweetnorthernsaint eventually pulled in front and led most of the race, then around the far turn, eventual Eclipse champion Bernardini
Bernardini
Bernardini is a thoroughbred race horse foaled on March 23, 2003 at Darley Stable in Kentucky. A son of A.P. Indy, he is out of Cara Rafaela who won almost a million dollars over the course of her racing career...
passed him and won. Sweetnorthernsaint placed second in the grade-one 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 front of his home town crowd.
After the Preakness Stakes, Sweetnorthernsaint won twice more in 2006. He won an allowance race at Laurel and won the Odessa Stakes at Delaware Park.
Older seasons
As a four year-old (2007) Sweetnorthernsaint won the H. E. Johnson Memorial Handicap at 9 furlongs at his home track Laurel Park. He also finished second in the grade three National Jockey Club Handicap at 9 furlongs at Hawthorne, the grade three Lone Star Park HandicapLone Star Park Handicap
The Lone Star Park Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the last week of May at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas. A Grade III event open to horses age three and older, it is contested on dirt over a distance of 11/16 miles .The Lone Star Park Handicap was...
in Grande Prairie, Texas at 8.5 furlongs and the grade three Hal's Hope Handicap at 8 furlongs at 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....
.
In 2008 as a five year-old Sweetnorthernsaint won the Primal Stakes at Calder Race Course
Calder Race Course
Calder Casino & Race Course is a casino and horse racetrack in Miami Gardens, Florida in the United States.-History:In the mid-1960s, real estate developer Stephen A. Calder envisioned summertime racing in Florida; in 1965, on the advice of Mr. Calder, the Florida Legislature approved a bill...
at 8.5 furlongs and as a six-year old the gelding won the 2009 edition of the Wadsworth Memorial Handicap at 9 furlongs at Finger Lakes Race Course.
Connections
Sweetnorthernsaint is owned by Joseph Balsamo and Ted Theos and trained by Michael Trombetta. He is ridden by Kent DesormeauxKent Desormeaux
Kent Jason Desormeaux is an American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who holds the U.S. record for most races won in a single year, 1989.-Brief biography:...
. Sweetnorthersaint was bred in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
by Eduardo Azpurura.
Breeding
Sweetnorthernsaint is the son of Sweetsouthernsaint, out of the mare Ice Beauty. To date, he has started thirteen times and won six of his races.Races
| Finish | Race | Distance | Track | Condition |
| 1st | Wadsworth Memorial Handicap Wadsworth Memorial Handicap The Wadsworth Memorial Handicap is a Thoroughbred race for three year olds and up of either gender set at a distance of one and one eighth miles on the dirt... |
One and one-eighth mile | Finger Lakes Race Track Finger Lakes Gaming and Race Track Finger Lakes Gaming and Race Track is a thoroughbred horse-racing track and racino located in Farmington in western New York State, approximately 25 miles southeast of Rochester. The facility is about one mile south of New York State Thruway exit 44.... |
fast |
| 1st | Primal Stakes | One and one-sixteenth mile | Calder Race Course Calder Race Course Calder Casino & Race Course is a casino and horse racetrack in Miami Gardens, Florida in the United States.-History:In the mid-1960s, real estate developer Stephen A. Calder envisioned summertime racing in Florida; in 1965, on the advice of Mr. Calder, the Florida Legislature approved a bill... |
fast |
| 1st | Harrison E. Johnson Memorial Handicap | One and one-eighth mile | Laurel Park | muddy |
| 2nd | National Jockey Club Handicap Bill Hartack Memorial Handicap The Bill Hartack Memorial Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run at Hawthorne Race Course in Stickney/Cicero, Illinois in the early spring of the year. The ungraded stakes race is for horses three-year-olds and older, and is set at a distance of one and one-eighth of a mile... (Grade 3) |
One and one-eighth mile | Hawthorne Race Course Hawthorne Race Course Hawthorne Race Course is a race track for horse racing in Stickney/Cicero, Illinois, near Chicago.The oldest continually-run family-owned racetrack in North America, in 2009 the Horseplayers Association of North America introduced a rating system for 65 Thoroughbred racetracks in North America... |
|
| 2nd | Lone Star Park Handicap Lone Star Park Handicap The Lone Star Park Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the last week of May at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas. A Grade III event open to horses age three and older, it is contested on dirt over a distance of 11/16 miles .The Lone Star Park Handicap was... (Grade 3) |
One and one-sixteenth mile | Lone Star Park Lone Star Park Lone Star Park is a horse racing track located in Grand Prairie, Texas.-History:Lone Star Park opened in 1997. The track offers separate meets for Thoroughbred racing and Quarter Horse racing. In October 2002, Magna Entertainment Corp. , based in Aurora, Ontario, leased the facility and acquired... |
|
| 2nd | Hal's Hope Handicap Hal's Hope Handicap The Hal's Hope Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race run at Gulfstream Park located in Hallandale Beach, Florida, the first graded stakes race run at Gulfstream each year... (Grade 3) |
One mile | 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.... |
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| 5th | Sunshine Millions Classic Sunshine Millions Classic The Sunshine Millions Classic is an American race for thoroughbred horses held annually in January at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California and at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida... |
One and one-eighth mile | 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.... |
|
| 1st | Odessa Stakes | One and One-Sixteenth Miles | Delaware Park Racetrack | Fast |
| 1st | Allowance Race | One and One-Eighth Miles | Laurel Park | Fast |
| 2nd | 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... (GRADE 1) |
One and Three-Sixteenths Miles | 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... |
Fast |
| 7th | 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... (GRADE 1) |
One and One-Fourth Miles | 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... |
Fast |
| 1st | Illinois Derby Illinois Derby The Illinois Derby is a race for Thoroughbred horses held in early April each year. First run in 1923, the Derby takes place at Hawthorne Race Course located in Stickney/Cicero, Illinois, just west of Chicago... (Grade 2) |
One and One-Eighth Miles | Hawthorne Race Course Hawthorne Race Course Hawthorne Race Course is a race track for horse racing in Stickney/Cicero, Illinois, near Chicago.The oldest continually-run family-owned racetrack in North America, in 2009 the Horseplayers Association of North America introduced a rating system for 65 Thoroughbred racetracks in North America... |
Fast |
| 3rd | Gotham Stakes Gotham Stakes The Gotham Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses run in early March at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. A Grade III event with a purse of $250,000, it is set at a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt... (Grade 3) |
One and One-Sixteenth Miles | 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:... |
Fast |
| 1st | Miracle Wood Stakes Miracle Wood Stakes The Miracle Wood Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held in February at Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland. The Miracle Wood, is open to three-year-olds willing to race seven furlongs on the dirt. It was the 15th running of the stakes race in 2009.An ungraded stakes, it offers a... |
One Mile | Laurel Park | Sloppy |
| 1st | Maiden | Six Furlongs | 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:... |
Fast |
| 4th (DQ from 1st) | Maiden Claiming | Six Furlongs | Laurel Park | Fast |
| 12th | Maiden | One Mile (Turf) | Colonial Downs Colonial Downs Colonial Downs is a racetrack for Thoroughbred flat racing and Standardbred harness racing located in New Kent County, Virginia adjacent to Interstate 64, halfway between Richmond, Virginia and Williamsburg, Virginia.-History and information:... |
Firm |