Charismatic (horse)
Encyclopedia
Charismatic is a stallion
Thoroughbred
horse
, and is known as one of the closest challengers to the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
since the last winner, Affirmed
, accomplished the feat in 1978. He was trained by D. Wayne Lukas
, and famously ridden in the Triple Crown races by Chris Antley
. Today, he stands at stud at Iburi Stallion Station
in Japan, operated by the Japan Bloodhorse Breeders Association.
His sire was Summer Squall
, making him a third-generation descendant of both Secretariat
and Northern Dancer
, and his broodmare was Bali Babe. His succession from Weekend Surprise
gives him blood relation to A.P. Indy
, while his grandsire, Storm Bird
, gives him blood relation to Storm Cat
and Birdstone
. He was bred under a foal-sharing arrangement between William S. Farish and the Parrish Hill Farm of Dr. Ben and Tom Roach.
Charismatic did well as a two-year-old, but was put on claiming races
by his owner, Bob Lewis, twice, as recently as February 11, 1999, only three months prior to the Kentucky Derby.
He was a 31-1 longshot in the 125th Kentucky Derby
on May 1, 1999, but won the race with a time of 2:03.20 around the 1¼ mile track. Charismatic finished by a head in front of Menifee
, giving Menifee's trainer Elliott Walden his second Kentucky Derby place showing in only his second entry. Cat Thief
, also trained by Lukas, was third, and had led most of the race. The win denied Lukas' rival trainer Bob Baffert
of his third straight Derby victory. His three entered horses, two of which were co-favorites at 9-2 odds, failed to make the top three.
Charismatic also won the 124th Preakness Stakes
on May 15 with a time of 1:55.20 around the 1 3/16 mile track. He was 1½ lengths ahead of Menifee
, again second, with Badge finishing third. Despite the Kentucky Derby win, Charismatic was still not the favorite to win, posting 8-1 odds. Menifee was actually the favorite at 5-2.
At the 131st Belmont Stakes
on June 5, however, Charismatic was a 2-1 favorite, with Menifee second in odds at 7-2. The rivalry between Charismatic and Menifee was compared to Affirmed
and Alydar
in 1978. Charismatic looked like he would become the first horse in 21 years to win the Triple Crown, taking the lead in the final furlong. However, the horse faded, and lost the lead to eventual winner Lemon Drop Kid
with 1/8 mile to go, ultimately finishing third behind second-place Vision and Verse. Sensing something wrong, Chris Antley
dramatically jumped off Charismatic and held up the colt's left front leg. Indeed it was broken in two places. Many say Antley's actions saved Charismatic's life, and the horse underwent career-ending surgery the following morning. The moment was selected by racing fans as the 1999 National Thoroughbred Racing Association Moment of the Year
.
It was revealed later that Antley felt the break in the final furlong and actually eased Charismatic up to avoid a catastrophic injury.
Charismatic finished his career with 5 wins, 2 places and 4 shows in 17 career starts, for total earnings of $2,038,064. He won the Eclipse Award
s for 3-year-old Colt of the Year
and Overall Horse of the Year
for 1999.
In 2002, Charismatic was shipped to Japan to stand at stud. His current fee is ¥500,000 (about $5,000) for live cover.
A film about Charismatic and Chris Antley is being produced by Asylum Entertainment as part of ESPN
's 30 for 30
series. It will air on ESPN on Tuesday, October 18, 2011, at 8 p.m.
Stallion
A Stallion is a male horse.Stallion may also refer to:* Stallion , an American pop rock group* Stallion , a figure in the Gobot toyline* Stallion , a character in the console role-playing game series...
Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
, and is known as one of the closest challengers to the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing consists of three races for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment of a Thoroughbred racehorse...
since the last winner, Affirmed
Affirmed
Affirmed was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the eleventh and most recent winner of the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing...
, accomplished the feat in 1978. He was trained by D. Wayne Lukas
D. Wayne Lukas
Darrell Wayne Lukas is a former educator who became one of the most successful horse trainers in American Thoroughbred horse racing history and a U.S...
, and famously ridden in the Triple Crown races by Chris Antley
Chris Antley
Christopher Wiley Antley was a champion American jockey.He was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida but grew up in Elloree, South Carolina. He left school at sixteen to ride horses professionally at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. His first win was on a horse named Vaya Con Dinero...
. Today, he stands at stud at Iburi Stallion Station
Iburi Stallion Station
Iburi Stallion Station is a Japanese thoroughbred horse farm located on the island of Hokkaidō. Operated by the Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association , it is located in Iburi Prefecture....
in Japan, operated by the Japan Bloodhorse Breeders Association.
His sire was Summer Squall
Summer Squall
Summer Squall is an American thoroughbred Stallion racehorse. He was sired by Storm Bird, who in turn was a son of 1964 U.S. Champion 3-Yr-Old Colt Northern Dancer, "one of the most influential sires in Thoroughbred history." His dam was Weekend Surprise, a daughter of the great U.S. Triple Crown...
, making him a third-generation descendant of both Secretariat
Secretariat (horse)
Secretariat was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, that in 1973 became the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in 25 years, setting new race records in two of the three events in the Series—the Kentucky Derby , and the Belmont Stakes —records that still stand today.Secretariat was sired by Bold...
and Northern Dancer
Northern Dancer
Northern Dancer was a Canadian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and the most successful sire of the 20th Century. The National Thoroughbred Racing Association calls him "one of the most influential sires in Thoroughbred history"....
, and his broodmare was Bali Babe. His succession from Weekend Surprise
Weekend Surprise
Weekend Surprise was an American Thoroughbred racehorse and dam of 1992 American Horse of the Year A.P. Indy and 1990 Preakness Stakes winner Summer Squall. She was sired by the famous Triple Crown winner Secretariat....
gives him blood relation to A.P. Indy
A.P. Indy
A.P. Indy is a champion stallion Thoroughbred racehorse bred in Kentucky, USA, by William Farish III and William Kilroy. He is known for his ancestry, his own record, and his successful progeny. He was sired by Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew through mare Weekend Surprise, who herself was sired...
, while his grandsire, Storm Bird
Storm Bird
Storm Bird was a Canadian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse in Ireland. He was a son of 1964 U.S. Champion 3-Yr-Old Colt Northern Dancer, "one of the most influential sires in Thoroughbred history." At age 2,trained by Vincent O'Brien, he won all five starts and was voted Champion in England and Ireland...
, gives him blood relation to Storm Cat
Storm Cat
Storm Cat was an American Thoroughbred stallion whose breeding fee during the peak of his stud career was $500,000, the highest in the world. As such, he was one of the few horses with a 24-hour armed guard....
and Birdstone
Birdstone
Birdstone is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2004 Belmont Stakes and is gaining notoriety as a fantastic sire....
. He was bred under a foal-sharing arrangement between William S. Farish and the Parrish Hill Farm of Dr. Ben and Tom Roach.
Charismatic did well as a two-year-old, but was put on claiming races
Thoroughbred horse race
Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: Flat racing and National Hunt racing...
by his owner, Bob Lewis, twice, as recently as February 11, 1999, only three months prior to the Kentucky Derby.
He was a 31-1 longshot in the 125th Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
on May 1, 1999, but won the race with a time of 2:03.20 around the 1¼ mile track. Charismatic finished by a head in front of Menifee
Menifee
Menifee is an American Thoroughbred racehorse that competed in the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing in 1999. His rivalry with Triple Crown contender Charismatic was compared at times with the rivalry between 1978 contenders Affirmed and Alydar, who won and placed in all three races that year....
, giving Menifee's trainer Elliott Walden his second Kentucky Derby place showing in only his second entry. Cat Thief
Cat Thief
Cat Thief is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Regally bred, he is the son of Storm Cat, an outstanding Champion sire and the grandson of both the 20th Century's most important sire, Northern Dancer and whose damsire was the legendary U.S. Triple Crown champion, Secretariat. Cat Thief's dam was...
, also trained by Lukas, was third, and had led most of the race. The win denied Lukas' rival trainer Bob Baffert
Bob Baffert
Robert A. "Bob" Baffert is an American horse owner and trainer, whose horses have won three Kentucky Derbies, five Preakness Stakes, one Belmont Stakes and two Kentucky Oaks. He graduated from the University of Arizona's with a Bachelor of Science degree. -Early career:Bob Baffert began his...
of his third straight Derby victory. His three entered horses, two of which were co-favorites at 9-2 odds, failed to make the top three.
Charismatic also won the 124th Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
on May 15 with a time of 1:55.20 around the 1 3/16 mile track. He was 1½ lengths ahead of Menifee
Menifee
Menifee is an American Thoroughbred racehorse that competed in the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing in 1999. His rivalry with Triple Crown contender Charismatic was compared at times with the rivalry between 1978 contenders Affirmed and Alydar, who won and placed in all three races that year....
, again second, with Badge finishing third. Despite the Kentucky Derby win, Charismatic was still not the favorite to win, posting 8-1 odds. Menifee was actually the favorite at 5-2.
At the 131st Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
on June 5, however, Charismatic was a 2-1 favorite, with Menifee second in odds at 7-2. The rivalry between Charismatic and Menifee was compared to Affirmed
Affirmed
Affirmed was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the eleventh and most recent winner of the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing...
and Alydar
Alydar
Alydar was a chestnut colt and an American thoroughbred race horse who was most famous for finishing a close second to Affirmed in all three races of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a feat not achieved before or repeated since.-Racing career:Trained by John M...
in 1978. Charismatic looked like he would become the first horse in 21 years to win the Triple Crown, taking the lead in the final furlong. However, the horse faded, and lost the lead to eventual winner Lemon Drop Kid
Lemon Drop Kid
Lemon Drop Kid is a Champion American Thoroughbred racehorse.-Background:He is among many stakes-winning Thoroughbreds to be descended from Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew. Seattle Slew is the son of, Charming Lassie. Kingmambo was his sire, himself a son of the very important Champion sire Mr...
with 1/8 mile to go, ultimately finishing third behind second-place Vision and Verse. Sensing something wrong, Chris Antley
Chris Antley
Christopher Wiley Antley was a champion American jockey.He was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida but grew up in Elloree, South Carolina. He left school at sixteen to ride horses professionally at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. His first win was on a horse named Vaya Con Dinero...
dramatically jumped off Charismatic and held up the colt's left front leg. Indeed it was broken in two places. Many say Antley's actions saved Charismatic's life, and the horse underwent career-ending surgery the following morning. The moment was selected by racing fans as the 1999 National Thoroughbred Racing Association Moment of the Year
National Thoroughbred Racing Association Moment of the Year
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association Moment of the Year award, begun in 1999, celebrates or honors one moment that occurred during a given year that most exemplifies the sport of Thoroughbred horse racing in the United States....
.
It was revealed later that Antley felt the break in the final furlong and actually eased Charismatic up to avoid a catastrophic injury.
Charismatic finished his career with 5 wins, 2 places and 4 shows in 17 career starts, for total earnings of $2,038,064. He won the Eclipse Award
Eclipse Award
The Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. The Eclipse Awards, honoring the champions of the sport, are sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association , Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers...
s for 3-year-old Colt of the Year
Eclipse Award for Outstanding 3-Year-Old Male Horse
The American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually in Thoroughbred flat racing. It became part of the Eclipse Awards program in 1971....
and Overall Horse of the Year
Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year
The American Award for Horse of the Year is the highest honor given in American thoroughbred horse racing. It has been awarded since 1887 to the horse, irrespective of age, whose performance during the racing year is deemed the most outstanding....
for 1999.
In 2002, Charismatic was shipped to Japan to stand at stud. His current fee is ¥500,000 (about $5,000) for live cover.
A film about Charismatic and Chris Antley is being produced by Asylum Entertainment as part of ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's 30 for 30
30 for 30
30 for 30 is the umbrella title for a series of documentaries airing on ESPN and its sister networks. The series, which premiered in October 2009 and concluded in December 2010, chronicles 30 stories from the "ESPN era," each of which detail the issues, trends, people, teams, or events that...
series. It will air on ESPN on Tuesday, October 18, 2011, at 8 p.m.
Pedigree
External links
- Charismatic at the JBBA website (in JapaneseJapanese languageis a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
) - Charismatic at the Japan Bloodstock Information System (in English)
- Charismatic's Kentucky Derby
- Preakness winners
- Watch Charismatic's dramatic 1999 Kentucky Derby win at the Kentucky Derby website (incompatible with Mozilla FirefoxMozilla FirefoxMozilla Firefox is a free and open source web browser descended from the Mozilla Application Suite and managed by Mozilla Corporation. , Firefox is the second most widely used browser, with approximately 25% of worldwide usage share of web browsers...
) - Charismatic's pedigree
- Charismatic: Three-year-old Male of the Year