Winchester..
 

Quietly retired last week.. Looking over his PP's, he had an interesting and slightly strange career. Won 6 races in 25 starts: His maiden (Leopardstown) at 2, an ALW and 4 Grade 1's at ages 3, 4 and 5.

2009 Secretariat
2010 Manhattan
2010 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic
2011 Sword Dancer

The oddity? He was beaten the 5 times he went off as the public choice in the recent (Second 2011 running) G2 McKnight (Musketeer), G3 '11 Stars and Stripes (Free Fighter), G2 '10 Bowling Green (Chinchon), G3 '10 Pan American (Bearpath), G3 '09 Sycamore (Cloudy's Knight) and an OC/N2X at SAR in '09 (Sette e Mezzo). In his G1 wins he beat the likes of Gio Ponti, Rahy's Attorney, Paddy O'Prado, et al..

Looks like they're trying to make a stud deal for him. He's by Theatrical. Feels like there is no shortage of good 'turfy' sires to be had.

Isn't that the truth.

An honest horse, I couldn't help but respect him.

Manhattan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6hkzJB6G3k

Joe Hirsch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdWCvZmBK8k

Sword Dancer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_jVcYg7mJo

In europe he would have been a ok listed animal.. Winchester was the benefactor of horrible turf racing currently residing in America.

He was a 1 1/4 mile horse, no shorter, no longer. Had a tremendous record at that distance and did little else (other than the regularly watered down Sword Dancer) at any other. Made a nice score on him in the Manhattan for that reason alone.

He won the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic over Paddy O'Prado at 1 1/2 miles.

Well he lost a lot more than he won at that distance, but his 1 1/4 mile record was stand out. 1 1/2 miles was generally too far for him.

Possibly a function of Paddy being more of A 10F horse too.

One of the great botch jobs of recent memory was Paddy O'Prado targeting the BC Classic rather than the BC Turf in 2010.

Whether 12f was his optimum distance or not, based on his Joe Hirsch, he would have been a strong contender for win honors in there, especially considering the ultimate result (some listed Euro beating Bourbon Bay archrival Champ Pegasus).

Taking it one step further, with a victory in the BC Turf, he may have supplanted Lookin At Lucky as champion 3yo that year.