The first time I attended a live, parimutuel horse race was at Waterford Park (aka Mountaineer) on July 4, 1970. In one of the claiming races (there were only two levels there in those days - $1200 and $1500) was an 8yo gelding whose whole presence - build, conformation, the way he carried himself - argued that he was a breed apart from the others in the field. And so he was; he was Knight's Plume, a son of Round Table from Leallah, by Nasrullah, and a minor SW in his younger days. Three of his half-brothers (all stakes horses) became classic sires, or at least the sire of SWs, around the world, but gelding Knight's Plume kept on racing, eventually winning 22 of 88 starts. Don't know whatever happened to him after that. There were fewer horses around in those days - 20-30 foal crops for stallions, Northern tracks didn't run in the winter - and since he was sound he may have found a second career. One hopes so.
|
02-12-2011, 11:04 AM
Hybrid Mode
