Greater than 75 years in the past, Quotation unleashed one of many best three-year-old seasons in Thoroughbred racing. Blessed with true pace, endurance, and a unending need to win, Quotation made his coach Jimmy Jones boldly say, “My horse can beat any horse that has hair.”
Quotation gained 19 of 20 races in 1948. He gained at each distance, gained at 10 totally different tracks, and gained in seven totally different states whereas touring by the countryside on dusty vans and sweltering railroad vehicles. He gained the race by a complete of 66 lengths and dominated the Triple Crown race by a complete of 17 lengths. Victories within the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes had been all a part of his 16-game profitable streak.
The quotation represented the proud Calumet Farm and its non-public coach, The Jones Boys. The Parnell, Missouri natives have gained the Kentucky Derby eight occasions and constructed a dynasty that has by no means been matched. Well-known coach Ben Jones, large, stocky and feared as a brawler, informed his son on the eve of the 1948 Kentucky Derby, “Jimmy, you are going to sleep properly tonight. And take this as gospel. You possibly can catch any horse that may see a quotation. And he has good imaginative and prescient.”
Quotation is the product of a outstanding mixture of bloodlines from Warren Wright’s Calumet Ranch within the rolling inexperienced hills of Fayette County, Kentucky, the place Wright matched two comparatively obscure racehorses. The stallion was Bull Lee, and in 1938 he completed second within the Kentucky Derby with a file of three wins and 1 loss, ending in a disappointing eighth place. Deciding to attempt just a little international blood, within the spring of 1941 he bought a Quotation dam, Hydroplane II, from Lord Derby.
That was the straightforward half. Nonetheless, bringing her to the USA on the outbreak of World Battle II was a dilemma. Throughout the conflict, to keep away from torpedoes from U-boats within the Atlantic Ocean, Wright ordered Hydroplane II to make the time-consuming Pacific route. Finally, Bull Lee and Hydroplane II teamed up and produced the Bay Stallion on April 11, 1945. Wright despatched the yearling to Jones Stables in Florida to study horse racing classes. He then headed to Maryland to start racing in 1947.
Proving to be a basic horse from the beginning, Quotation ran 9 occasions as a 2-year-old, profitable eight occasions and ending second, and was named Champion 2-year-old. The colt spent the winter at Hialeah Park, the place he gained 4 straight races. After profitable the Flamingo Stakes, Quotation’s common jockey Al Snyder tragically drowned off the coast of Florida in a fishing accident. Coach Jones referred to as certainly one of Snyder’s greatest pals, Eddie Arcaro.
Quotation, Arcaro’s first horse, completed second to Saggy within the Chesapeake Path Stakes on a muddy monitor.
“I may have caught him,” Arcaro declared after the race.
5 days later, Quotation defeated Saggy by 11 lengths within the Chesapeake Stakes, taking revenge. Though he gained the Derby Trial per week earlier than the Kentucky Derby, the speak at Churchill Downs was centered on Coaltown, one other Calumet contender who had damaged the monitor file within the Blue Grass Stakes the earlier week. He was skilled by Ben Jones.
About an inch of rain fell on the day of the derby. It should be a lazy 1 1/4 miles. When the gates opened, Coaltown jumped to the entrance, and on the half-mile mark the stallion was cruising with a six-length lead. Arcaro then gave the sign to Quotation, who simply evaded the secure horse and gained by 3 1/2 lengths. The amiable Jimmy Jones was Quotation’s coach, and the colt ran within the Derby beneath the identify Ben Jones, tying coach HJ “Darby Dick” Thompson’s file of 4 Kentucky Derby wins. Arcaro gave his good friend Snyder’s widow a share of the purse.
When the Preakness rolled over, Coaltown acquired a go. Huge Rhino dominated the race, sprinting to the entrance and cantering previous Vulcan’s Forge by 5 and a half lengths. After an 11-horse run within the Jersey Stakes, Quotation headed to the Belmont Stakes together with his sights set on the ultimate jewel within the Triple Crown.
On June 12, as Quotation rounded the far flip at Belmont Park’s high-speed monitor, Arcaro clung to the stallion’s flying mane and accelerated down the straight to win by eight lengths over Higher Self. Quotation tied Depend Fleet’s stakes file of two:28 1/5 and have become horse racing’s eighth Triple Crown winner (Calumet’s second).
“Quotation was one of the best ever. He was so quick it was scary,” Arcaro stated.
Written by legendary turf author Joe Palmer. blood horse“I could not see Arcaro transferring. However with a slight drop of his hand, he launched the increasing power of the good racer beneath him. The quote unfold. He was three-sixteenths away, however at house. Earlier than he hit the furlong pole, the Belmont crowd started to roar. This observer dropped his glasses, received previous the assorted photographers, and went downstairs to get some champagne.”
In 1948, Quotation gained 9 extra begins. He gained 19 of his 20 begins, starting from six-furlong sprints to 16-furlong marathons. After two years of racing, Quotation’s resume is spectacular. He raced 29 occasions, gained 27 occasions, positioned runner-up twice, and earned a world file $865,150.
He was awarded Horse of the Yr in 1948. Nonetheless, a bone and tendon damage in his left entrance ankle prevented him from racing in 1949. On January 11, 1950, Quotation gained his first race in precisely 13 months, profitable the allowance race by 1 1/2 lengths, extending his profitable streak to 16 races.
The 5-year-old ran eight extra occasions in 1950, profitable as soon as and ending second within the remaining seven races. A few of these losses had been heartbreaking. Within the Santa Anita Handicap, Quotation carried 132 kilos, 22 kilos greater than the profitable horse, and misplaced to Nour by 1 1/4 lengths.
When Warren Wright died in 1950, his will stipulated that the Jones boys would proceed Quotation coaching lengthy sufficient to interrupt the $1 million mark. Initially of the 12 months, Quotation was making $938,630, however the getting older legend earned simply $830 for his first three begins.
He completed outdoors the prize cash for the primary time in his profession within the Hollywood Premiere Handicap Quotation after operating third twice. On July 14, 1951, Quotation gained the Hollywood Gold Cup at Inglewood, incomes $1,085,760 and marking the tip of his racing profession.
epilogue
The losses Quotation suffered on the finish of his profession tarnished his stellar popularity. Nonetheless, the efficiency of Quotation’s two-year-old and three-year-old horses, maybe the strongest American racing has ever produced, will in all probability by no means be matched.
In 1951, Quotation was returned to his hometown of Calumet Farm. Though his stallion profession didn’t match his racing potential, Silver Spoon sired a champion mare, 1956 Preakness winner and Derby runner-up Fabius.
Quotation died on August 8, 1970 on the age of 25 and was buried close to his sire and dam in Calumet’s well-known horse cemetery. Jimmy Jones’ Corridor of Fame contemporaries James Fitzsimmons and Max Hirsch thought of “Quotation” to be one of the best factor that they had ever seen, and watched “Man O’ Battle” in its early years.
Quotation was inducted into the Nationwide Museum of Horse Racing’s Corridor of Fame in 1959, ending third in voting. blood horsePrime 100 racehorses of the twentieth century.
