"Black Gold" on TCM 8/20
 

Monday at 8:45am, they're showing the 1947 film about the Derby winner Black Gold and his connections on TCM. It stars Anthony Quinn and Katherine DeMille and runs 90 min.

Black Gold's dam was owned by an Indian. She was a tough speedball that won 34 of 122 starts.

In her final career start, she was claimed out of a race at Jaurez Mexico ... her owner/breeder/trainer refused to give her up.

The horse was suspended for life and the owner was ruled off all horse tracks for life. Every year, the DRF would post horse suspensions ... and in all the years I looked, I hadn't seen a similar incident like that. The guy ruled off was the breeder of Black Gold...but he died, and his wife owned him.





Here is a story about his dam Useeit, just one week after she was ruled off for life along with her owner/trainer.

Past performances for Useeit.

At age 8, in the year 1915, she ran 6 furlongs in 1:12 flat at the Fairgrounds.

Black Gold by Marguerite Henry was one of my favorite books as a kid. I understand that her verison of the story was perhaps more true than the movie, but I want to check it out anyway. Thanks for the heads up.

Here is his profile at the Hall of Fame.

http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall-of-...w.asp?varID=31


He did not have it anymore when he returned off an almost 3-year layoff and broke down running in a claiming race.

have all her stuff. no idea how many times i've read some of her books. i think king of the wind was probably my favorite.

calzone, that is interesting stuff. i'd never heard of someone refusing to give up a claimed horse.

I don't know another instance of it happening ever...the penalties were harsh. Horse suspended from racing for life and owner/trainer ruled off the turf for life.

Some of the suspensions were crazy. They would publish a list for every owner, trainer, jockey, horse, and stable employee who got suspended.

Here's an example of suspensions from the year 1919.

John Veitch's grandfather had all of his entries refused at Saratoga after many believed he stiffed a horse in a steeplechase race there. The DRF called the race "a farcical"




Owners suspended for the year:

'malicious conversation'. that stokes my curiosity!