HANDICAP PERFECTION

(This is the final part of a five part series.)

In April 1954, it was reported that Gaga, the dam of Tom Fool, was named Broodmare of the Year for 1953 by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Breeders Association. Her recognition was undoubtedly due largely to the merits of her son, the great racing champion. It was now up to him to pass along his gifted genes to future generations, not yet born.

PART FIVE: THE GENERATIONS

Returning to Greentree, Tom Fool began what would become a successful career as a stallion, with a starting fee of $5,000. Within a few years he was syndicated at $50,000 per share for a total of thirty shares, with Greentree retaining fifteen.

Tom Fool produced 280 foals, and was represented with 203 starters for progeny earnings of $8,574,504. Many of his children possessed good range, and competed well at both sprints and distances.

THE SIRE

Tom Fool was the father of thirty-six black-type winners. A few of his kids are discussed below:

Jester – Bay colt, b.1955

Jester was out of Golden Apple by the multiple stakes winner Eight-Thirty.  From eighteen career starts, Jester won the Futurity at two, and finished third in the Cowden, and third the following year in the Jerome Handicap.

Dunce – Bay colt, b.1956

Out of the Mahmoud (Fr.) grey mare Ghazni, Dunce was a multiple stakes winner and multiple stakes placed from thirty-nine starts. At age two, he finished second in the Arlington Futurity, and third in Belmont Park’s Futurity Stakes. After turning three, Dunce captured the one mile Arlington Classic and 1 1/8 mile American Derby, and posted runner-up scores in the Blue Grass Stakes, behind future Kentucky Derby winner Tomy Lee, and a third place effort in the Preakness Stakes. Later, against older horses, Dunce finished second in the Washington Park Handicap behind the great champion and reigning Horse of the Year Round Table.  As a four-year-old, Dunce showed good form and stamina on the turf, winning the 1 3/16 mile Stars and Stripes Handicap, and running second in the 1 1/2 mile Bowling Green Handicap. On the main track he ran third in the seven furlong Carter.

Tompion – Brown colt, b.1957

Tompion, out of the unraced Count Fleet mare Sunlight, started thirty-nine times. He won the 6 1/2 furlong Hopeful Stakes, and was runner-up in the Hollywood Juvenile Champion Stakes, Saratoga Special, and Champagne Stakes, all at six furlongs. At three, Tompion annexed the Santa Anita Derby, and Blue Grass Stakes, and went into the Kentucky Derby as the favorite, finishing fourth. Later, he won the Travers Stakes. He finished second in both the 1 5/8 mile Lawrence Realization, and 1 1/8 mile Jersey Derby. As a four-year-old, Tompion won the Aqueduct Handicap and finished second in the San Fernando Stakes, and United Nations Handicap.

Funloving – Bay filly, b.1958

Funloving was out of the stakes placed mare Flitabout by two-time Horse of the Year Challedon. Funloving, from twenty-eight career starts, posted a victory in the Mother Goose, a second in the 1 1/4 mile Coaching Club American Oaks, and third place efforts in the Delaware and Monmouth Oaks.

Dinner Partner – Bay filly, b.1959

Dinner Partner was out of the winning mare Bluehaze by Horse of the Year Blue Larkspur. Dinner Partner was a black-type winner from twenty-nine starts and the future dam of Jim French, winner of the Santa Anita Derby, runner-up in the 1971 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, and third place finisher in the Preakness Stakes.

Silly Season – bay colt, b.1962

Silly Season was out of the bay mare Double Deal II (GB) by Epsom Derby winner Straight Deal (GB). He raced in England, and at age two won the Dewhurst Stakes, and the following year the Champion Stakes, while finishing second in the Two Thousand Guineas and Sussex Stakes.

Two of Tom Fool’s sons deserve special mention:

Tim Tam – Dark bay colt, b.1955

Owned by Mrs. Gene Markey, the former widow of Calumet Farm’s original owner Warren Wright, of all the horses this writer has studied, there were none more courageous than Tim Tam. The colt’s dam was the two-time champion Two Lea, another Calumet standout, and a daughter of the great stallion Bull Lea, also the father of racing immortal Citation. Tim Tam raced only once as a two-year-old, finishing fourth in a Maiden Special Weight. The following year he was outstanding, and the first legitimate Triple Crown threat in ten years. Tim Tam, doing much of his prepping in Florida, hit the ground running, and won six and seven furlong allowances within a span of five days in January, the latter on a muddy track. After dropping his next two races, he went on an eight race winning streak, going through two-thirds of the classics. He began on February 15, with a victory in the 1 1/8 mile Everglades on a good track. Two weeks later, he annexed the 1 1/8 mile Flamingo Stakes upon disqualification of Jewel's Reward for interference. Tim Tam followed this with wins in the 1 1/16 mile Fountain of Youth, and 1 1/8 mile Florida Derby, before cutting back to annex a seven furlong allowance at Keeneland. Under rider Ismael Valenzuela, Tim Tam captured the one mile Derby Trial at Churchill Downs five days before the Derby itself. He then won the Derby and followed it up with the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico.

Going into the 1 ½ mile Belmont Stakes on June 7, 1958, Tim Tam was poised to become the first American Triple Crown winner since Citation. He faced seven other three-year-olds including an Irish-bred named Cavan.

“In the backstretch, he and Cavan ran virtually in tandem and coming for home, the Irish-bred was close to the rail, with Tim Tam to his outside. After about ten furlongs, Valenzuela went to the stick and the colt bore out, then as he urged the colt once more, Tim Tam was unsteady...Cavan was long gone and hit the wire six lengths in front...Tim Tam was lame, yet on only three good legs and in obvious distress, he gallantly pushed himself in the final quarter to secure second money…”

Cavan finished first. But there was another runner in the race who was equally a winner, if not more so. And his name was Tim Tam.”  (1)

Tim Tam had fractured a sesamoid in his right front leg, which ended his career; but for his campaign the colt was deservedly chosen Champion Three-Year-Old Male. As a stallion Tim Tam perpetuated the legacy of his sire. To name just a few of his offspring were champions Tosmah and Davana Dale, and through his daughter, Tamerett, European champion Known Fact. Tamerett was also the second dam of Gone West. 

Tim Tam passed away in 1982, and three years later was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Tim Tam, the model of courage, was certainly Tom Fool’s finest offspring of the 1950s.

Buckpasser – Bay colt, b.1963

“He was a perfectly conformed, nearly 17 hand horse, and beautiful to look at.” (2)

Without question Tom Fool’s greatest progeny was Buckpasser, an extraordinary racehorse and a real looker. In each of his three seasons, the great colt won or shared a championship. After finishing fourth in his juvenile debut in 1965, Buckpasser rattled off eight straight victories. Voted that year’s Champion Two-Year-Old Male, he was so good that despite missing the entire Triple Crown series the following season, he was voted Horse of the Year in 1966. After losing the first race of his sophomore campaign, Buckpasser went on another tear and won fifteen races in a row before his streak was finally snapped when he attempted the turf for the first time in the 1 5/8 mile Bowling Green Handicap. Carrying 135 pounds, he finished third behind Poker and Assagai, assigned 112 and 127 pounds respectively. A horse who tended to pull himself up when on the lead, Buckpasser’s wins were not by substantial margins, but were none-the-less consistent. In his last start, he met two fellow racing greats in the “Race of the Decade,” the 1967 Woodward Stakes, and finished second, just ahead of the speed marvel Dr. Fager. Buckpasser, plagued with a sore foot, was subsequently retired and went on to become an tremendously influential stallion.

Buckpasser sired thirty-five stakes winners including Relaxing ,the dam of the great Easy Goer, and Eclipse Two-Year-Old Champion Filly Numbered Account, the dam of Private Account, sire of the extraordinary undefeated filly champion Personal Ensign.

Buckpasser was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1970, and died in 1978.

THE BROODMARE SIRE

Tom Fool’s daughters produced ninety stakes winners, including the following:

Meadow Court (Ire.) – Chestnut colt, b.1962

Meadow Court, by Court Harwell, out of Tom Fool’s daughter,  Meadow Music, was foaled in Ireland and became a multiple group winning and placed runner in England and Ireland, and Irish Champion at age three. Among Meadow Court’s wins were the Irish Sweeps Derby, and King George VI & Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. He recorded runner-up efforts in the Dante Stakes, Epsom Derby, and St. Leger Stakes. In the Derby he finished behind the European legend Sea-Bird (Fr.).

Stop the Music – Bay colt, b.1970

Sired by champion Hail to Reason, out of the Tom Fool mare Bebopper, Stop the Music made thirty starts, and was a multiple stakes winner and stakes placed. His wins included the Champagne, Saratoga Special, and Dwyer Stakes. He also finished second in the Laurel and Belmont Futurities, Cowden, and third in the Youthful and Hopeful Stakes. The following year Stop the Music was runner-up in the Travers and Withers Stakes, and at age four ran second in the Stuyvesant and Vosburgh Handicaps, and third in the Whitney Handicap. As a five-year-old, Stop the Music finished second in the Metropolitan and Carter Handicaps, and third in the 1 1/4 mile Brooklyn Handicap.

Stop the Music later sired 1980 Eclipse Three-Year-Old Champion Male Temperence Hill, and multiple stakes winners Dontstop Themusic and Missys Mirage.

Hatchet Man – Grey or roan colt, b.1971

Sired by multiple stakes winner The Axe II, out of Bebopper, Hatchet Man recorded thirty-two starts, and was victorious in the Widener, Haskell Stakes, and Dwyer Handicap. Hatchet Man’s son, the bay gelding Beboppin Baby, won the Washington Park and Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicaps in the latter 1990s.

Late Bloomer – Bay filly, b.1974

Late Bloomer was sired by Three-Year-Old Champion Male Stage Door Johnny, out of Dunce Cap II by Tom Fool. She made twenty-four starts, posted eleven wins, five seconds, five thirds, earned $512,040, from 1976-1979, and was named Eclipse Champion Older Mare in 1978. Her dam, Dunce Cap II, would later become Broodmare of the Year in 1985.

Majesty’s Prince – Chestnut colt, b.1979

Sired by His Majesty, out of the Tom Fool mare Pied Princess, Majesty’s Prince made more than forty starts and was especially good on turf, winning both the Sword Dancer Handicap and Man o’War Stakes twice. He also finished third in the 1 5/8 mile Rothmans International Stakes behind the 1983 Eclipse Horse of the Year, European Champion, and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner All Along (Fr.).

A grandson of Tom Fool, through daughter Fool-Me-Not, also deserves special mention:

Foolish Pleasure – Bay colt, b.1972

“…,Foolish Pleasure became a leading runner right out of the gate,…” (3)

The Florida-bred Foolish Pleasure, sired by What a Pleasure, was Eclipse Two-Year-Old Champion Male in 1974, and the following year won the Kentucky Derby, before finishing second in the Preakness Stakes, a length behind the winner, and second again, by a neck, in the Belmont Stakes. Unfortunately, what this exceptional colt is largely remembered for is his heartbreaking match race with the immortal Ruffian, which cost the beloved filly her life.

“Foolish Pleasure was also a casualty—his sterling reputation dimmed, his place in history tinged with sadness. It’s a harsh reality he didn’t deserve…over an entire career, Foolish Pleasure gave more joy than heartache.” (4)

Foolish Pleasure raced for three years, and posted twenty-six starts, for sixteen wins, 4 seconds, 3 thirds, and earnings of $1,216,705. His outstanding merits on the track were worthy of induction into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1995. 

After retirement from racing, Foolish Pleasure had a successful stallion career at Greentree. He produced 484 foals, of which 401 were starters, for nearly 300 winners, and 41 black-type winners, with over $19 million in progeny earnings. His standouts included European champions Baiser Vole and What Nonsense, and Bayford, a Two-Year-Old Champion in Canada. He also sired Santa Anita Derby winner Marfa, and Sword Dancer Invitational Handicap victor Kiri’s Clown. Foolish Pleasure was damsire of more than forty stakes winners.

The ultimate honor  

Living out his days at Greentree, Tom Fool was pensioned from stud duty four years before his death in 1976 at the age of twenty-seven. Hailed by many as the greatest handicap horse of the 1950s, and by turf writers as that decade's top horse, Tom Fool was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1960. Any discussion of the sport's greatest handicap champions must always include Tom Fool, who earned a significant place in racing history through what he accomplished in that magical season of 1953: perfection. His footprint remains indelible on racetracks, and his name remembered with admiration, respect, and affection.

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,

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Notes

1) John Califano, “Courageous Champion: A Story about Tim Tam,” Gallop Out, http://wwwgallopout.blogspot.com/2011/01/courageous-champion-story-about-tim-tam.html

2) John Califano, “A Salute to Buckpasser,” Gallop Out, http://wwwgallopout.blogspot.com/2010_11_01_archive.html

3) John Califano, “It Was a Pleasure,” BloodHorse.com, http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/finalturn/archive/2010/04/20/it-was-a-pleasure-by-john-califano.aspx

4) Ibid.

Copyright 2013 by John Califano