OldandNewFriendsExcerpt11-11C

BARBARA D. LIVINGSTON

“Don’t rush. Take your time. Savor these moments
as you reconnect with these horses. And who better
to guide us than Barbara Livingston?”
– Michael Blowen,

President, Old Friends



Go for Gin

ONanedwlFd riends

BARBARA D. LIVINGSTON

6 Old and New Friends

Diligence

Old and New Friends 7

Contents

Foreword by Michael Blowen..................6 Gander..................................................... 76 Praise the Prince, With Anticipation.....152
Go for Gin...............................................80 Prospect Point.......................................156
A.P. Indy...................................................8 Groupie Doll, Brass Hat..........................82 Quiet American.....................................159
A Fine Romance......................................12 Gygistar, Rigoletto..................................87 Rachel Alexandra..................................162
American Pharoah...................................16 Hallowed Dreams....................................91 Ricks Natural Star.................................165
Aper......................................................... 22 Halo America..........................................88 Runaway Dancer...................................168
Benchmark.............................................. 24 Hansel..................................................... 97 Serena’s Song........................................171
Better Talk Now, Gala Spinaway............26 Holy Bull...............................................100 Siena Wind............................................174
Calico Cat, Comical Cat Inside Information.................................103 Silver Charm.........................................177
and Fountain Lake...................................29 Kingmambo.. .........................................106 Sir Bear, Sir Leon..................................179
Kitten’s Joy...........................................109 Smarty Jones.........................................182
Candytuft................................................. 32 La Ville Rouge, You’d Be Surprised..... 112 Successful Dan, Wise Dan....................185
Ceridwen, Fortunate Faith, Perfect Arc...34 Larry the Legend................................... 116 Tapit...................................................... 189
Chapel of Dreams, Missy’s Mirage..........37 Lava Man.............................................. 118 The Mares of Taylor Made Farm..........192
Cigar........................................................ 40 Lord Avie..............................................121 The Tin Man..........................................198
Clever Trevor..........................................44 Lure....................................................... 126 Thunder Gulch......................................201
The Mares at Darby Dan.........................47 Macoumba, Malibu Moon....................129 Tom Kitten............................................204
Declan’s Moon........................................52 McDynamo........................................... 132 Top Rung...............................................207
Diligence................................................. 55 Meadow Flyer.......................................135 Unbridled’s Song..................................210
El Dorado Shooter, by Jon Forbes..........57 Mixed Pleasure......................................138 Unusual Heat.........................................213
Elmhurst and Friends..............................61 Naughty Natisha....................................141 Xtra Heat...............................................216
Empire Maker.........................................66 No Matter What....................................145
Fly Till Dawn, Dearest Jack....................68 Old Friends Acknowledgments................................. 220
Free Spirit’s Joy.....................................72 Hidden Lake, Ogygian, Slamming........148 About the Author...................................221
Fusaichi Pegasus.....................................74

8 Old and New Friends

Malibu Moon

Old and New Friends 9

When Barbara Livingston’s first “Old Friends” book was Michael Blowen. Blowen was moving to Kentucky to open a
released in September 2002, the simple concept of farm specializing in older horses, and he asked if he could use
chronicling famous – and some not-so-famous – Thorough- the name “Old Friends” for his farm. More than a decade
breds in their senior years lit a spark within horse-racing afi- later, Old Friends now receives nearly 20,000 visitors a year.
cionados. Through heartwarming photos and stories, the book
highlighted the fact that many Thoroughbreds are greatly loved Among the nearly 100 horses featured in this “Old and New
throughout their lives, whether or not they have financial value. Friends” are several of Blowen’s equine retirees, including dual
classic winner Silver Charm and champion Hidden Lake. In
“Old Friends” sold out quickly and a second printing sold addition, the country’s oldest-ever recorded Thoroughbred,
out quickly as well. “More Old Friends” (2007) followed five Prospect Point, graces a chapter. And in a slight departure
years later and it, too, proved highly popular. In 2014, Living- from the earlier editions, Livingston also features some young-
ston collaborated with author Ellen Harvey for “Standardbred er subjects this time, including the 2009 Horse of the Year Ra-
Old Friends.” chel Alexandra and the 2015 Triple Crown winner American
Pharoah.
Just a year after the publication of the first “Old Friends,”
Here’s to old – and new – friends.
Livingston received a call from former Boston Globe film critic

A.P. Indy

Dk. b./br. h. 1989, by Seattle Slew – Weekend Surprise, by Secretariat

Only once has a horse worn this triple crown: The highest-priced year- initials “A.P.” for several equine purchases. For this record colt, he added a
ling of his crop, then a Horse of the Year, and then America’s leading tip-o’-the-hat to the Indy 500.
sire – twice, nonetheless.
Expectations ran high when A.P. Indy first raced at Del Mar in August
And as an exclamation point? He recently became the nation’s leading 1991, but the blazed-faced beauty ran fourth. Trainer Neil Drysdale felt the
broodmare sire, and his grandson reigns as the country’s leading sire. colt was hindered by an undescended testicle, and it was removed. A.P. Indy
then rattled off four straight wins, including the Santa Anita Derby, before
He is A.P. Indy, and his accomplishments over the past quarter-century heading to Churchill Downs. There, he’d have been a solid second-choice
will likely never be matched. Articles call the Lane’s End legend “the com- to Arazi in the Kentucky Derby, but a quarter crack necessitated his being
plete racehorse” and “a genetic masterpiece” – yet even those titles fall scratched the morning of the race.
short. Words can’t possibly capture his greatness.
Drysdale shipped the colt to Belmont, where he won the Peter Pan and
But when groom Asa Haley leads A.P. Indy from his stall and he casts then the Belmont Stakes in 2:26.13, the third-fastest time in the race’s his-
that famous white-rimmed eye your way? As you look A.P. Indy over, he tory. Soon afterward his breeders, Farish and Kilroy, along with Harold
does the same to you. Oh, sure, you may notice his slight nod to the pass- Goodman, bought back in.
ing of time, perhaps – the sway to his back, especially – but you can’t help
but be awed, to feel reverence. And if you’re like me, you can’t help but get A.P. Indy ran an uncharacteristic fifth in the Molson Export Million and
actual goose bumps in knowing that, somehow, he knows exactly who he is. then, in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, the bay colt was third after stumbling
and being squeezed at the start.
A.P. Indy, by Seattle Slew and out of a multiple stakes-winning daughter
of Secretariat named Weekend Surprise, was born March 31, 1989. Week- He emerged from that race with a battered hoof, but three weeks later
end Surprise, a daughter of foundation broodmare Lassie Dear, earned A.P. Indy, at 2.10-1, dominated in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. He came home
$402,892 in a 31-race career for her breeder/owners Will Farish and Wil- two lengths in front in 2:00.20 for the mile and a quarter and took his earn-
liam Kilroy. ings to $2,979,815, surpassing his yearling price.

Weekend Surprise’s first foal to live was 1990 Preakness winner Sum- And then it was over. After 8 wins in 11 starts, A.P. Indy was retired to
mer Squall and, just two months after that classic race, A.P. Indy – then the his Lane’s End home. Even in the pre-Internet days, the clamoring over his
yearling Seattle Slew-Weekend Surprise colt – was offered at the Keeneland retirement at age 3 was mighty loud, both before and after he was crowned
July sale. He was gorgeous with excellent conformation and a strong air of the 1992 Horse of the Year.
self-confidence.
“He’s lightly raced, very sound, and such a brilliant horse, but we de-
That combination of pedigree, looks, and attitude proved irresistible to cided it would be taking a tremendous risk with a great sire prospect,” Will
Japanese owner Tomonori Tsurumaki, who shelled out $2.9 million – the Farish told Daily Racing Form. “Everyone involved concluded that this was
top price paid for a yearling in 1990. Tsurumaki owned a Japanese automo- the right thing to do.”
bile racetrack named Autopolis International Racing Course and used the
What A.P. Indy would have done had he continued racing is unknown,

A.P. Indy 9

Prospect Point

B. h. 1978, by First Dawn – Our Vivian, by Tronado (Died, 2016)

The morning of April 4, 2016, it was the same old song for Gail and Gail was told his previous owner tried him at polo, but he hadn’t cared
Polo. for it. She nicknamed him Polo and decided to try show jumping. A forward
“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, dear mover, Polo clearly enjoyed the challenge, and he and Gail were soon jump-
Polo, happy birthday to you,” Gail Earle sang as she walked to the paddock. ing three-foot fences, winning ribbons at horse shows.
“How old are you now...”
In 1992, the barn in which Polo was boarded burned and eight horses
Polo, standing at the gate, didn’t seem to hear her at first. He didn’t seem died. He was shifted to a new location where one day, when Gail was riding
to see her, either, until she got close. But that’s only natural, you see, because him, she felt something pull in his back. Around that same time, he also
Prospect Point is 38 years old. stepped on a rock. Polo became lame in his left hind and, despite her best
attempts, he was never quite right again. They eventually just hacked around
That’s right: 38. That number means he’s not only ancient but it ties him for fun. Polo last felt a saddle when he was 32.
with Merrick for the title of all-time oldest American Thoroughbred. Gail
has sung him “Happy Birthday” every morning since he turned 37. I visited Gail and Polo at their rural Pageland, South Carolina, home on
April 4, 2016. Behind Gail’s ranch house is a tidy, one-stall barn. The stall
Nobody knows the actual oldest Thoroughbred ever, because the Jockey has two doors – one which opens into a nice four-acre paddock and the
Club doesn’t require death certificates. Merrick, who died in 1941, landed in other a closed half-door that looks into a small barnyard.
the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest known Thoroughbred.
Prospect Point has actually lived more days than Merrick, who died March Polo has quite a barnyard view – bantam chickens, Indian running ducks,
31 of his 38th year. Prospect Point was still going strong in September of a white Silkie chicken, and an unusually kind-hearted white turkey named
Year 38. Pearl. Several wind chimes help set the scene. Most importantly, Polo has
his donkey girlfriend Sally. His young, long-eared gal is just 16.
Gail Earle hadn’t heard of Merrick – she doesn’t even use the Internet –
when she called the Jockey Club in 2015 to see if anyone was interested in Polo is surprisingly agile for 38, but it’s clear he’s no spring chicken. His
her 37-year-old. She wasn’t concerned with records, but as a lifelong horse- face is covered with white hairs that now trickle down his neck. He moves
woman, she knew her horse was very, very old. slowly and his knees sometimes click when he walks. He stands with his
hind legs a little under himself – Gail thinks due to his back injury – and he
It wasn’t the first time Gail reached out to the Jockey Club. Almost 30 seems to have trouble hearing and seeing. He’s not deaf or blind, but, as the
years ago, after buying a 10-year-old bay Thoroughbred, she jotted down his saying goes, “he hears what he wants to hear.”
lip tattoo number and called to learn his name: Prospect Point.
Polo just might be getting a bit senile, too. He sometimes seems to forget
Prospect Point, born in 1978, raced a solid 72 times over six seasons, where he’s going or what he’s doing. He naps a lot, too, naturally enough,
including 22 starts at age 3. His final start was a $1,500 claimer at Waterford and enjoys hanging out in his open stall.
Park – now Mountaineer – in which he ran 11th. His career tally was 72-7-
8-10, with earnings of $28,553. He seemed to enjoy being posed when I visited as long as Sally was

Prospect Point 157