Sham (horse)
Encyclopedia
Sham an American
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, was one of the fastest horses of the 20th century, but was overshadowed by his larger-than-life peer and half-cousin, 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...

. He was a dark seal brown in color. While racing, he wore green and yellow blinkers. His preferred running style was that of a stalker.

Kentucky Derby preparation

In 1973 at the age of three Sham won the Santa Catalina Stakes (G2) and took second place in the Wood Memorial Stakes
Wood Memorial Stakes
The Wood Memorial Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually at Aqueduct Racetrack in Jamaica, New York. It is currently a Grade I race run over a distance of 9 furlongs on dirt....

 (G1) over 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...

 who finished third. Most impressive however that spring was his effort in the Santa Anita Derby
Santa Anita Derby
The Santa Anita Derby is an American Grade 1 thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run each April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California and carries a purse of $1 million. Inaugurated in 1935, it is considered the most important West Coast stepping-stone to the Kentucky Derby...

. Prior to the Santa Anita Derby he was easily beaten by Linda's Chief in the San Felipe.

On March 31, 1973, at Santa Anita Derby
Santa Anita Derby
The Santa Anita Derby is an American Grade 1 thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run each April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California and carries a purse of $1 million. Inaugurated in 1935, it is considered the most important West Coast stepping-stone to the Kentucky Derby...

 (GI), California's primary Kentucky Derby prep race, Sham scored a 2 ½ length surprise victory over 1-2 favorite Linda's Chief, under jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. and equaling the Santa Anita Derby record for the 1 miles of 1:47 in front of 49,654 fans, which was set in 1965 by Lucky Debonair
Lucky Debonair
Lucky Debonair was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 1965 Kentucky Derby. He was bred by owners Dan and Ada Rice of Wheaton, Illinois at their Danada Farm satellite operation on Old Frankfort Pike near Lexington, Kentucky, a property that once was part of the legendary...

. Sham provided Pincay with his third win in the Santa Anita Derby and was greatly helped by his stablemate Nightly Dawn cutting off Linda's Chief and forcing him back causing him to lose many lengths just after the start.

99th running of the Kentucky Derby, May 5, 1973

Before 134,476 fans, the largest crowd to see a horse race in the United States to that date –Sham ripped two teeth out on the starting gate at the 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...

. Although bleeding from the start of the race, Sham still finished in second place behind Secretariat, who came away with a 2 ½ length victory running 1:59 for the 1 miles, the first horse to break two minutes in the 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...

. (The previous record was 2:00, set 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"....

 in 1964.) When asked about the effect Sham's accident later on, Laffit Pincay said "It's difficult to see how he could have run much better than almost 1:59 4/5, and yet, logically, hitting his head on the gate and losing the teeth couldn't have helped him." By running 2 lengths behind Secretariat, Sham ran the distance in either 1:59 or 2:00. As races were not timed to 1/100th of a second, and nonwinning times were not taken, no exact time is available; but, it was clear both horses were running an unusually fast pace.

It wouldn't be until 2001 that another horse won the Derby with a time under two minutes. Monarchos
Monarchos
Monarchos is a stallion Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Kentucky Derby in 2001. This thoroughbred's time was 1:59.97 for 1¼ miles. This is the second-fastest winning time in the race's history, behind 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat, who ran 1:59...

 won it in 2001 in an electronically timed 1:59.97, which is by convention converted to 1:59. No other horse, through and including the 2011 running of the 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...

, has ever been below two minutes. Sham's Derby time was thus no worse than the fourth fastest time in history (behind Secretariat, Monarchos
Monarchos
Monarchos is a stallion Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Kentucky Derby in 2001. This thoroughbred's time was 1:59.97 for 1¼ miles. This is the second-fastest winning time in the race's history, behind 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat, who ran 1:59...

, 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 may have been the second fastest time in history, with the only faster time run by another horse in the same race.

Sham's individual time of 23s in the closing quarter of the race puts him into company with an elite group of horses that closed it in under 24 seconds: Whirlaway
Whirlaway
Whirlaway was an American champion thoroughbred racehorse.The chestnut horse was sired by English Derby winner Blenheim II, out of the broodmare Dustwhirl. Whirlaway was bred at Calumet Farm in Lexington, Kentucky....

 whose closing time of 23s stood for 32 years; and Secretariat who closed it in 23 seconds flat. Whirlaway won the Triple Crown in 1941.

The 98th running of The Preakness Stakes

With a Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

 racing record audience of 61,653 looking on, 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...

 defeated Sham for the second time in two weeks in the 98th running of the Grade 1 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...

. With a field of just six horses, Sham finished second to Secretariat by 2-½ lengths again. Before the race, Sham was given only bottled water to drink.

Belmont Stakes

Under orders, Pincay was to keep Sham with Secretariat from the start. Sham was on the outside throughout which cost more endurance than Secretariat on the rail. This strategy worked through the first turn and into the backstretch as Secretariat and Sham led the field and then began to pull away from the field by a half-dozen lengths with Sham taking a brief lead at several points. Halfway through the race, Secretariat pulled ahead as Sham began to tire, and fell back. With Pincay easing back to protect the exhausted horse, Sham ultimately finished last as Secretariat pulled away to a win later recorded at 31 lengths. The time of 2:24 flat remains a world record for 1 miles on a dirt track.

Retirement and death

While Sham did not race again after the Belmont Stakes, he was not retired until July 1973. A hairline fracture of his leg was discovered while Sham was being prepared to meet Secretariat again at Saratoga, and his racing career was officially ended. Sham was first sent to stud
Horse breeding
Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses...

 duty at Spendthrift Farm and later to Walmac International near Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...

. Some of his progeny included stakes winners Arewehavingfunyet (f), Jaazeiro, and Safe Play who was Dam to stakes winner Defensive Play. He died of a heart attack on April 3, 1993 at the age 23. At autopsy, his heart was found to weigh 18 pounds, about twice the average Thoroughbred heart. He is buried on the Walmac farm.

Sham: Great Was Second Best

A book was released in December 2010 titled Sham: Great Was Second Best authored by Phil Dandrea. It blends historical analysis and interviews with Sham’s jockeys, trainer and owner. The book gives readers an in-depth look at Sham’s career and his famous rivalry with Secretariat as they raced for the 1973 Triple Crown.

External Links

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