FIVE YEAR OLD HORSE-SADLER’S WELLS-MILL REEF-JACINTO

Owner: WIN

Record: 22/ 11-6-3

Earnings: $3,975,000

Stakes:

1st: Canada Mile (G1), The Brian Ex Birthday Special (G1), The Late Night Turf Classic (G1), Bottle Rocket Stakes (G3), Oceanport Stakes (G3), The Kentuckiana Cup Mile (G3), The Good and Plenty Stakes, The Beach Breeders Bowl Stakes

2nd: Japan Sprint (G1), Japan Cup (G1), Japan Mile (G1), Eddie O Handicap (G1), Fu Man Chu Stakes (G2), Winchester Handicap (G3)

3rd: Breeders Bowl Mile (G1), Fort Lauderdale Handicap (G3), Best Jockey Mile Stakes

Trainer Win watched his horse, Enough Knock, fall farther and farther behind as the horses were coming to the top of the stretch in Florida’s Pan Americana Handicap GII. ‘Man he sure fooled me. I really thought he was a lot better than this,’ he puzzled as he watched his little black horse ultimately finish last, beaten more than a sixteenth of a mile. One could understand his being confused. The well-made little son of Sadler’s Wells had looked like a world-beater in his first two starts of the year, a pair of nine furlong allowance races where he shot to the front in each, opened a huge lead, and galloped home uncontested by five and nine lengths respectively. This had been the right move. The horse was training outstandingly. He was eating well and his coat gleamed with good health. Win couldn’t understand it. The little dude was such a joy to work with and be around, and was doing everything with enthusiasm. Win shook his head as he waited at the gap for the jock to bring his horse back to him. One gracious fan shouted at him, “Hey Win, take him over to Hollywood Dog Track tonight. He didn’t run here, maybe he can compete over there!” Where DO I go from here he thought?

As he stood there waiting for his horse, how could he know that he was going on the ride of a lifetime with the little black horse? He didn’t know that the journey he was about to embark on was to the top of the racing world, as winner of an Eclipse Award as ‘Champion Turf Male’. He would accompany Enough Knock to Japan, Europe, and Canada, as well as many stops all over the U.S.A. When the ride was over for the year, the little champion would have won eight stakes races, three of them Grade I, and almost $4 million dollars in prize money and be on the board in 20 of 22 starts.

As the little black colt jogged back, his jockey let out a sigh of relief and handed a broken rein over to Win. “Win,” he said, “I’m lucky to get back alive. This thing broke about three jumps out of the gate, and I never could ride him. He was confused all the way around. All we could do was follow the pack home. He’s such a gentleman, he didn’t do anything crazy.” Now Win understood. It all made sense. Never had he felt such relief at the losing of a horse race. The last place finish didn’t matter now. His little horse was back safe and sound and would race another day. Boy, would he!

Three more consecutive losses followed, although they were very competitive losses in graded stakes. Win was still searching for the answer. The diminutive colt just wasn’t finishing his races. He had the lead in all three races only to falter in the very late stages of each. Then came the race where Win added the hood with the cup blinkers to Enough Knock’s equipment. It was the final piece to the puzzle. The little black bullet started on a string of races that would bring him acclaim as the best turfer in the sport, and earn him legions of fans all over the world. Over his next ten starts, he won eight, each in wire-to-wire fashion. He used his blazing speed to the utmost advantage, taking control of each race by gunning to the lead and daring any to catch him. Most times they couldn’t. During this streak, ‘The Midnight Express’, as he was dubbed by one writer, took home the gold in three Grade I, three Grade III, and two other stakes. It was a fantastic achievement. Now, widely held as the best turf horse in America, he began a globe -trotting exodus that would carry him thousands of miles.

From Europe and back and back again, he continued his arduous campaign. When it was all over, he had won only one more race, but had finished second in four and third in another, on the board in all of them. It was as glorious a year as any horse could possibly have. He was first or second 17 times in 22 starts against the best the world could offer, and he battled every inch of the way, always stamping each race with his own personal mark. No horse could meet his unmatchable speed and no horse ever made the race for him, he always made his own. We will be a long time forgetting the year he had or seeing his faultless stride as he leveled off in the stretch and watching him as he lowered his head even more as he propelled himself to the wire. Let’s hope he returns, as good as he left. After all, he is a Champion.

Race ID	Trk	RST	Srf	Dist	Race	Time	SP#	#	PP	C1	C2	C3	FIN	Odds
516.3409	E2	3yo+	T	6	Japan Sprint -G1	1:09 4/5	101	12	5	2 hd	2 ns	1 1	2 2	4.00
509.3303	E1	3yo+	T	6.5	Alw-56500	1:16 3/5	99	12	4	1 1	1 3	1 2	1 3	.30
495.3312	E1	3yo+	T	12	Japan Cup -G1	2:30 1/5	110	12	9	2 1	1 1	1 5	2 1	1.70
488.3411	E2	3yo+	T	8	Japan Mile -G1	1:34 2/5	111	12	9	1 3	1 6	1 4	2 3	2.90
474.0205	FL	3yo+	T	8	Breeders Bowl Mile -G1	1:33 4/5	109	12	4	1 1	1 1	1 2	3 9	2.00
446.3409	E2	3yo+	T	8.5	Fu Man Chu Stk -G2	1:40 2/5	123	12	2	1 1	1 3	2 hd	2 2	3.10
425.2812	OT	3yo+	T	8	Canada Mile -G1	1:34 3/5	113	12	3	1 3	1 5	1 4	1 1	4.40
418.2006	IN	3yo+	T	8	-G3	1:35 4/5	101	11	5	1 ns	1 1	1 1	1 2	.20
397.0205	FL	3yo+	T	8	Beach Breeders Bowl -Stk	1:34 1/5	117	12	11	1 1	1 1	1 1	1 2	1.70
376.0104	CA	3yo+	T	9	Eddie O Cap -G1	1:47 4/5	108	10	4	1 3	1 4	1 1	2 6	1.20
362.0907	NJ	3yo+	T	8.5	Oceanport -G3	1:42 1/5	110	10	10	1 1	1 2	1 6	1 3	1.50
341.0310	KY	3yo+	T	8	Bottle Rocket Stk -G3	1:34 3/5	113	12	10	1 2	1 3	1 4	1 2	2.70
327.0107	CA	3yo+	T	8	Best Jockey Mile -Stk	1:34 2/5	109	10	6	1 1	1 2	1 1	3 4	4.60
313.2009	IN	4yo+	T	9	The Brian Ex Birthday Special -G1	1:50	98	11	6	1 1	1 3	1 6	1 4	2.40
299.0208	FL	4yo+	T	8	The GOOD AND PLENTY Stakes -Stk	1:35 1/5	107	12	8	1 3	1 1	1 3	1 3	2.60
285.0305	KY	3yo+	T	9	The Late Night Turf Classic -G1	1:47 4/5	115	12	9	1 4	1 7	1 11	1 3	6.10
264.0307	KY	4yo+	T	8	The Killians Mile -G3	1:35 4/5	94	12	2	1 1	1 1	1 2	4 6	12.60
243.0409	NY	3yo+	D	8	Winchester Cap -G3	1:35	105	12	1	1 3	1 1	1 1	2 2	36.10
236.0208	FL	3yo+	T	8.5	Fort Lauderdale Cap -G3	1:43	97	12	6	1 3	1 1	1 1	3 4	14.30
229.0209	FL	3yo+	T	12	Pan Americana Handicap -G2	2.30	26	12	11	6 4-3/4	8 15	12 dist	12 dist	7.60
215.0402	NY	4yo+	T	9	Alw-49200	1.50 4/5	87	7	7	1 2	1 7	1 7-3/4	1 8-1/4	3.00
201.0301	KY	4yo+	T	9	Alw-56500	1.49	105	11	6	1 4	1 5	1 6-1/2	1 4-1/2	10.80
159.0109	CA	3yo+	T	12	The Sandpit Classic -G1	2.30 4/5	92	12	3	1 1/2	1 3-1/4	1 1/4	3 8-1/2	37.70
152.0708	IL	3yo+	T	8	Alw-20800NW2x	1.38	86	8	3	1 1/4	1 3	1 4-1/4	1 6-3/4	5.40
145.1701	VA	3yo+	T	16	Alw-10000NW1x	3.35 3/5	69	12	7	1 1-1/2	1 3-1/2	1 5-3/4	1 2-1/4	4.00
138.1508	AZ	3yo+	T	14	MSW-21400	3.05 3/5	75	12	10	1 1-1/4	1 3	1 7	1 3-1/4	4.40