Commentator (horse)
Encyclopedia
Commentator is an American
Thoroughbred
race horse by the stallion
Distorted Humor
, sire of 2003 Kentucky Derby
winner Funny Cide
. Like Funny Cide, Commentator is a New York
bred as well as a gelding
. Distorted Humor also sired the sensational Hystericalady
.
His dam, Outsource, was a daughter of Storm Bird
, at two a champion in both England
and Ireland
and a stamina-producing sire. Storm Bird, by Northern Dancer
, also sired Storm Cat
and Summer Squall
. Outsource was born small and deformed so never raced or was trained. Instead she was bred to Distorted Humor at only two years of age, and the result was Commentator, making Outsource one of the youngest mares ever to produce a Grade I
winner. (In 2002, Outsource was purchased in foal to Chief Seattle by Kentucky Governor Brereton Jones
of Airdrie Stud near Midway, Kentucky
for $25,000 at the Keeneland January mixed sale. She has a yearling full sister to Commentator, and delivered another Distorted Humor filly on February 16, 2008.)
Bred by Michael Martinez in New York, Commentator went for $45,000 as a yearling (hip # 3231) in the Keeneland November yearling sales, but by two years of age his price was $135,000 when he went to Tracy Farmer, who still owns him . From the beginning he’s been trained by Hall of Fame
trainer, Nick Zito
.
Eight years old in 2009, the gelding made only 24 lifetime starts due to several small injuries (emerging from his races with foot problems and operated on for cannon-bone fracture injuries), but each time he came back as good as he was before. Nick Zito said of Commentator, “There's no speed like him. Who in their right mind would go with that horse? Who could? Is there a faster horse in the world?”
At three he won the seven furlong
Perryville Stakes, setting a track record of 1:25.19 for the distance. At four, on August 5, 2005, he went wire to wire in the Grade I nine furlong Whitney Handicap
, beating that year’s American Horse of the Year Saint Liam
. 32,287 people crowded onto the Saratoga Race Course
to watch Commentator, ridden by Gary Stevens
, set the pace, then seem to tire as Saint Liam made his move. But Commentator dug in, finding the heart and the speed to beat Saint Liam to the finish wire. At five, he won the Mugatea Stakes at Belmont Park
and at six, he placed in the Tom Fool Handicap
, then took the Richmond Runner Stakes for New York–breds by 11 and a quarter lengths. In the Richmond Runner, he ran 6 ½ furlongs in 1:15.69.
On October 27, 2007, entered in the Breeders' Cup Sprint
at Monmouth Park he finished seventh on a very “sloppy track.” But then, in January 2008, he won a Gulfstream Park
allowance race in a 14 ½ length romp that set a track record. Under jockey
John Velazquez he went 1:33:71 for a mile on the “fast” track.
Commentator, again ridden by Velazquez, won the Grade II Richter Scale Breeders' Cup Sprint Championship Handicap
on March 9, 2008 by 13 and ¾ lengths, Pushed by Elite Squadron through early fractions of 22 seconds and 45.04, he led by five lengths at the top of the lane, and then increased his lead with every stride. Track announcer Larry Colmus called, "Here comes Commentator, the fastest horse in America." Asked to comment on that call, Zito said, "Not only is that plausible, it has the added advantage of maybe being true."
Commentator covered the Richter Scale's seven furlongs in 1:23.23.
On May 26, 2008 he ran a very game second in the Metropolitan Handicap
at Belmont Park
. On July 26, 2008 he took his second Whitney Handicap
wire-to-wire, at age 7 becoming the second oldest horse to win that race. (Kelso
won it at age 8 in 1965.) The race was run in deep mud after a deluge of rain at Saratoga. Earning a 120 Beyer Speed Figure
, Commentator, leading all the way and winning by 4¾ lengths, came home almost spotless. With that win, he gained an automatic entry into the 2008 Breeders' Cup Classic
.
On September 20, 2008, Commentator won the Massachusetts Handicap
at Suffolk Downs
by a record 14 lengths. He was hand ridden throughout the stretch. The Mass Cap win carried an automatic entry into the Breeders' Cup Classic, which Commentator already had from his win in the 2008 Whitney. Zito expressed a slight reluctance to ship Commentator to California's synthetic surface for the Breeders' Cup, to be run at Santa Anita in 2008.
Commentator’s average winning margin in his 14 career victories is over 10 lengths. Over the years, he's won by margins of 7 lengths three times, 8 lengths, 9¾ lengths, 10½ lengths, 11¼ lengths, 13¾ lengths, 14 lengths twice, and 16½ lengths. He's also earned Beyer Speed Figure
s of 119, 121, and 123.
Of all horses racing in 2008 (Big Brown
, Curlin, Zenyatta
, etc.), Commentator had the highest recorded Beyer Speed Figure both under and over a mile.
Commentator was a finalist for the Eclipse Award
's American Champion Older Male Horse for 2008. Curlin took the award. In 2007 and 2008, Commentator was New York Horse of Year.
On June 12, 2009, 8 year-old Commentator easily took the Kashatreya Stakes at Belmont Park
by seven lengths as a prep towards yet again winning the Whitney Handicap
. This win raised his bankroll to over $1,900,000 and kept him unbeaten in his six races against New York State breds.
in Georgetown, Kentucky
as his permanent home.
On September 6, 2009 the New York Racing Association (NYRA) paid tribute to Commentator at Saratoga Race Course. They named that day's fifth race, an overnight stakes race for New York–bred 3-year-olds and up, “The Commentator.”
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
race horse by the stallion
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...
Distorted Humor
Distorted Humor
Distorted Humor is an American Thoroughbred racehorse and a successful sire.-Bloodline:Distorted Humor's sire is Forty Niner, 1987's Eclipse Award winning Outstanding Two-Year-Old Male Horse by the champion sire, Mr. Prospector. Distorted Humor's dam was Danzig's Beauty by Danzig. Distorted...
, sire of 2003 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...
winner Funny Cide
Funny Cide
Funny Cide is a Thoroughbred race horse who won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes in 2003. He is the first New York-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby and the first gelding to win since Clyde Van Dusen in 1929.-Bloodlines:...
. Like Funny Cide, Commentator is a New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
bred as well as a gelding
Gelding
A gelding is a castrated horse or other equine such as a donkey or a mule. Castration, and the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male horse to be calmer and better-behaved, making the animal quieter, gentler and potentially more suitable as an everyday...
. Distorted Humor also sired the sensational Hystericalady
Hystericalady
Hystericalady , is a multiple stakes winning American Thoroughbred race horse. Bred in Kentucky by Abbott Properties, Hystericalady is the best daughter of the leading sire Distorted Humor, a half sister to dual Classic winner Funny Cide, and still racing at five. She’s a daughter of 1991 Chilean...
.
His dam, Outsource, was a daughter of 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...
, at two a champion in both England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and a stamina-producing sire. Storm Bird, by 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"....
, also sired 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 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...
. Outsource was born small and deformed so never raced or was trained. Instead she was bred to Distorted Humor at only two years of age, and the result was Commentator, making Outsource one of the youngest mares ever to produce a Grade I
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
winner. (In 2002, Outsource was purchased in foal to Chief Seattle by Kentucky Governor Brereton Jones
Brereton Jones
Brereton Chandler Jones is a horse breeder and politician from the US state of Kentucky. From 1987 to 1991, he served as lieutenant governor of Kentucky and from 1991 to 1995, he was the state's 58th governor...
of Airdrie Stud near Midway, Kentucky
Midway, Kentucky
Midway is a city in Woodford County, Kentucky, United States. Its population was 1,620 at the 2000 census. It is located midway between Frankfort and Lexington along the single-track railroad between them. It is part of the Lexington-Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town is home to a...
for $25,000 at the Keeneland January mixed sale. She has a yearling full sister to Commentator, and delivered another Distorted Humor filly on February 16, 2008.)
Bred by Michael Martinez in New York, Commentator went for $45,000 as a yearling (hip # 3231) in the Keeneland November yearling sales, but by two years of age his price was $135,000 when he went to Tracy Farmer, who still owns him . From the beginning he’s been trained by Hall of Fame
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
trainer, Nick Zito
Nick Zito
Nicholas Philip "Nick" Zito is an American Thoroughbred horse trainer.Zito began his career as a hot walker and worked his way up to a groom, to an assistant trainer, and to a trainer...
.
Eight years old in 2009, the gelding made only 24 lifetime starts due to several small injuries (emerging from his races with foot problems and operated on for cannon-bone fracture injuries), but each time he came back as good as he was before. Nick Zito said of Commentator, “There's no speed like him. Who in their right mind would go with that horse? Who could? Is there a faster horse in the world?”
At three he won the seven furlong
Furlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to 220 yards, 660 feet, 40 rods, or 10 chains. The exact value of the furlong varies slightly among English-speaking countries....
Perryville Stakes, setting a track record of 1:25.19 for the distance. At four, on August 5, 2005, he went wire to wire in the Grade I nine furlong Whitney Handicap
Whitney Handicap
The Whitney Handicap is an American Grade 1 handicap race for Thoroughbred racehorses three years of age and older run at a distance of 1⅛ miles. In 2007, the Breeders' Cup Ltd...
, beating that year’s American Horse of the Year Saint Liam
Saint Liam
Saint Liam was an American thoroughbred racehorse who was voted 2005 Eclipse Award Horse of the Year honors....
. 32,287 people crowded onto the Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.-History:John...
to watch Commentator, ridden by Gary Stevens
Gary Stevens (jockey)
Gary Lynn Stevens is an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey, television personality and sports anchor who works for both HRTV and NBC Sports as a horse racing analyst....
, set the pace, then seem to tire as Saint Liam made his move. But Commentator dug in, finding the heart and the speed to beat Saint Liam to the finish wire. At five, he won the Mugatea Stakes at Belmont Park
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...
and at six, he placed in the Tom Fool Handicap
Tom Fool Handicap
The Tom Fool Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early March at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, New York. It was formerly held at Belmont Park. The race is a Grade III event open to horses age three and up who are willing to race the six furlong distance on dirt.The...
, then took the Richmond Runner Stakes for New York–breds by 11 and a quarter lengths. In the Richmond Runner, he ran 6 ½ furlongs in 1:15.69.
On October 27, 2007, entered in the Breeders' Cup Sprint
Breeders' Cup Sprint
The Breeders' Cup Sprint is an American Weight for Age Grade I Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds & up. Run on dirt over a distance of 6 Furlongs , the race has been held annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World...
at Monmouth Park he finished seventh on a very “sloppy track.” But then, in January 2008, he won a Gulfstream Park
Gulfstream Park
Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino is a racetrack and county-approved racino in Hallandale Beach, Florida, in the United States. During its annual meet, which spans December through April, it is one of the most important venues for horse racing in America....
allowance race in a 14 ½ length romp that set a track record. Under jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
John Velazquez he went 1:33:71 for a mile on the “fast” track.
Commentator, again ridden by Velazquez, won the Grade II Richter Scale Breeders' Cup Sprint Championship Handicap
Richter Scale Breeders' Cup Sprint Championship Handicap
The Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the second week of February at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida...
on March 9, 2008 by 13 and ¾ lengths, Pushed by Elite Squadron through early fractions of 22 seconds and 45.04, he led by five lengths at the top of the lane, and then increased his lead with every stride. Track announcer Larry Colmus called, "Here comes Commentator, the fastest horse in America." Asked to comment on that call, Zito said, "Not only is that plausible, it has the added advantage of maybe being true."
Commentator covered the Richter Scale's seven furlongs in 1:23.23.
On May 26, 2008 he ran a very game second in the Metropolitan Handicap
Metropolitan Handicap
The Metropolitan Handicap, frequently called the "Met Mile," is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the last week of May at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is contested on dirt over a distance of one mile .The Met Mile was first...
at Belmont Park
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...
. On July 26, 2008 he took his second Whitney Handicap
Whitney Handicap
The Whitney Handicap is an American Grade 1 handicap race for Thoroughbred racehorses three years of age and older run at a distance of 1⅛ miles. In 2007, the Breeders' Cup Ltd...
wire-to-wire, at age 7 becoming the second oldest horse to win that race. (Kelso
Kelso (horse)
Kelso was an American thoroughbred race horse considered among the best racehorses of the 20th century. In the list of the top 100 U.S. thoroughbred champions of the 20th Century by The Blood-Horse magazine Kelso ranks 4th, behind only Man o' War , Secretariat and Citation...
won it at age 8 in 1965.) The race was run in deep mud after a deluge of rain at Saratoga. Earning a 120 Beyer Speed Figure
Beyer Speed Figure
The Beyer Speed Figure is a system for rating the performance of Thoroughbred racehorses in North America designed in the early 1970s by Andrew Beyer, the syndicated horse racing columnist for The Washington Post...
, Commentator, leading all the way and winning by 4¾ lengths, came home almost spotless. With that win, he gained an automatic entry into the 2008 Breeders' Cup Classic
Breeders' Cup Classic
The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3 year olds and older run at a distance of 1¼ miles on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships...
.
On September 20, 2008, Commentator won the Massachusetts Handicap
Massachusetts Handicap
The Massachusetts Handicap, frequently referred to as the "MassCap", is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds and up held annually at Suffolk Downs in Boston, Massachusetts. It is currently an Ungraded stakes race run over a distance of 9 furlongs on dirt. The race received...
at Suffolk Downs
Suffolk Downs
Suffolk Downs, a thoroughbred race track in East Boston, Massachusetts, United States opened in 1935. Famous horses that have raced at this track include Seabiscuit, Whirlaway, Funny Cide and Cigar. The MassCap is held there, as well at the annual Hot Dog Safari...
by a record 14 lengths. He was hand ridden throughout the stretch. The Mass Cap win carried an automatic entry into the Breeders' Cup Classic, which Commentator already had from his win in the 2008 Whitney. Zito expressed a slight reluctance to ship Commentator to California's synthetic surface for the Breeders' Cup, to be run at Santa Anita in 2008.
Commentator’s average winning margin in his 14 career victories is over 10 lengths. Over the years, he's won by margins of 7 lengths three times, 8 lengths, 9¾ lengths, 10½ lengths, 11¼ lengths, 13¾ lengths, 14 lengths twice, and 16½ lengths. He's also earned Beyer Speed Figure
Beyer Speed Figure
The Beyer Speed Figure is a system for rating the performance of Thoroughbred racehorses in North America designed in the early 1970s by Andrew Beyer, the syndicated horse racing columnist for The Washington Post...
s of 119, 121, and 123.
Of all horses racing in 2008 (Big Brown
Big Brown
Big Brown is a retired champion American Thoroughbred racehorse and winner of the 2008 Kentucky Derby and 2008 Preakness Stakes. Bred by Dr. Gary B. Knapp's Monticule Farms in Lexington, Kentucky, he won his first five race starts. He was sired by Grade III winner Boundary, a son of North American...
, Curlin, Zenyatta
Zenyatta
Zenyatta is a retired American champion Thoroughbred racehorse, winner of 19 consecutive races in a 20-race career and American record-holder for consecutive victories without defeat in unrestricted races....
, etc.), Commentator had the highest recorded Beyer Speed Figure both under and over a mile.
Commentator was a finalist for 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 American Champion Older Male Horse for 2008. Curlin took the award. In 2007 and 2008, Commentator was New York Horse of Year.
On June 12, 2009, 8 year-old Commentator easily took the Kashatreya Stakes at Belmont Park
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...
by seven lengths as a prep towards yet again winning the Whitney Handicap
Whitney Handicap
The Whitney Handicap is an American Grade 1 handicap race for Thoroughbred racehorses three years of age and older run at a distance of 1⅛ miles. In 2007, the Breeders' Cup Ltd...
. This win raised his bankroll to over $1,900,000 and kept him unbeaten in his six races against New York State breds.
Retirement
After showing in the 2009 Whitney, Commentator's owners announced his retirement, saying he had nothing more to prove. Tracy and Carol Farmer have chosen Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement FarmOld Friends Equine
Old Friends is a nonprofit equine retirement facility in Georgetown, Kentucky. It is the only thoroughbred retirement facility in the United States that accepts stallions....
in Georgetown, Kentucky
Georgetown, Kentucky
Georgetown is a city in Scott County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 29,098 at the 2010 census. The original settlement of Lebanon, founded by Rev. Elijah Craig, was renamed in 1790 in honor of President George Washington. It is the home of Georgetown College, a private liberal arts...
as his permanent home.
On September 6, 2009 the New York Racing Association (NYRA) paid tribute to Commentator at Saratoga Race Course. They named that day's fifth race, an overnight stakes race for New York–bred 3-year-olds and up, “The Commentator.”