Sham (horse)
| Sham | |
|---|---|
| Sire | Pretense |
| Grandsire | Endeavour |
| Dam | Seqoia |
| Damsire | Princequillo |
| Sex | Stallion |
| Foaled | 1970 |
| Country | USA |
| Colour | bay |
| Breeder | Claiborne Farm |
| Owner | Claiborne Farm Sigmund Sommer |
| Trainer | Frank "Pancho" Martin |
| Jockey | Laffit Pincay Jr |
| Record | 13: 5-5-1 |
| Earnings | $204,808 |
| Major wins | |
|
Santa Catalina Stakes (1973) Kentucky Derby 2nd (1973) Preakness Stakes 2nd (1973) |
|
| Honours | |
| Sham Stakes at Santa Anita Park | |
| Horse (Equus ferus caballus) | |
| Last updated on January 22, | |
Sham (April 9, 1970–April 3, 1993), an American thoroughbred 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. 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.
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[edit] 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 (G1) beating Secretariat who finished third. Most impressive however that spring was his effort in the Santa Anita 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 (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 11⁄8 miles of 1:47 in front of 49,654 fans, which was set in 1965 by Lucky Debonair. 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.
[edit] 1973 Triple Crown chase
[edit] 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. 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 1:592⁄5 for the 11⁄4 miles, the first horse to break two minutes in the Kentucky Derby. (The previous record was 2:00, set by Northern Dancer 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 21⁄2 lengths behind Secretariat, Sham ran the distance in either 1:594⁄5 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 won it in 2001 in an electronically timed 1:59.97, which is by convention converted to 1:594⁄5. No other horse, through and including the 2011 running of the Kentucky Derby, has ever been below two minutes. Sham's Derby time was thus no worse than the fourth fastest time in history (behind Secretariat, Monarchos, and Northern Dancer) 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 233⁄5s 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 whose closing time of 233⁄5s stood for 32 years; and Secretariat who closed it in 23 seconds flat. Whirlaway won the Triple Crown in 1941.
[edit] The 98th running of The Preakness Stakes
With a Maryland racing record audience of 61,653 looking on, Secretariat defeated Sham for the second time in two weeks in the 98th running of the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes. 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.
[edit] 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 11⁄2 miles on a dirt track.
[edit] 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. [1] Sham was first sent to stud duty at Spendthrift Farm and later to Walmac International near Lexington, Kentucky. 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.
[edit] 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.
