Your Host (horse)
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| Your Host | |
|---|---|
| Sire | Alibhai |
| Dam | Boudoir |
| Damsire | Mahmoud |
| Sex | stallion |
| Foaled | 1947 |
| Country | USA  |
| Colour | Chestnut |
| Breeder | Louis B. Mayer |
| Owner | William Goetz |
| Trainer | H. L. Daniels |
| Record | 23:13-5-2 |
| Earnings | $384,795 |
| Major Racing Wins, Awards and Honours | |
| Major Racing Wins | |
| California Breeders' Champion Stakes (1949) Del Mar Futurity (1949) Santa Anita Derby (1950) San Felipe Stakes (1950) Thanksgiving Day Handicap (1950) Golden Gate Breeders' Handicap (1950) Kent Stakes (1950) Dick Welles Stakes (1950) Sheridan Handicap (1950) Santa Catalina Handicap (1951) |
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| Infobox last updated on: September 18, 2006. | |
Contents |
[edit] Inauspicious Beginning
Born in California in 1947, Your Host (eventually called "The Magnificent Cripple"), was a physical disaster as thoroughbred race horses go. By the imported British stallion Alibhai out of the Irish mare Boudoir by the French stallion Mahmoud, this funny little chestnut horse had a right eye and ear set a good inch higher than his left eye and ear, his neck was crooked, his withers were too low, and his flanks seemed light, a little thin...meaning no behind which meant no engine. Most said the twisted neck was because of a youthful injury, but his groom swore he carried his head in such an odd way to make up for the mismatched eyes. When he was young, he was difficult: nervous, headstrong, and often uncontrollable. With four white socks (another disaster, as four white socks were considered unlucky, but really meant all four of his hooves were light colored and light colored hooves tended to split sooner than dark hooves), a nervous disposition, unratable, and racing with a tilted head, no one had any idea he would become a great racehorse. What's more, when his racing days were done, Your Host sired Kelso, five times Horse of the Year and one of the best runners America ever produced. (Kelso was also runty and difficult, difficult enough to get himself gelded...but he had twice the stamina of his sire.)
Added to all this, at the age of two, Your Host became seriously ill. Only the skill of his veterinarians and his own indomitable will to live saved his life.
Bred in the stables of the movie mogul, Louis B. Mayer, the head of Metro Goldwyn Mayer, Your Host was owned by Mayer's son-in-law, the Hollywood film producer, William Goetz, and trained by H. L. Daniels.
[edit] It's Not What You See
At two, he won the California Breeders' Champion Stakes, the Del Mar Futurity, and came second in the Salinas Handicap and the Homebred Stakes.
At three, he won the San Felipe Stakes and the Santa Anita Derby. He also took a race at Keeneland by six and a half lengths in a new track record, beating the Flamingo Stakes winner, Oil Capital, and the winner of the Blue Grass Stakes, Mr. Trouble. It was obvious that the Magnificent Cripple was Kentucky Derby worthy. Not only worthy, but favored to win the 76th Derby in the year of 1950.
Your Host arrived in Kentucky to great fanfare, certainly as much fuss greeted him as greeted the great Longfellow when he showed up at Monmouth Park for his match race with Harry Bassett seventy eight years earlier (and almost as much fuss as Silky Sullivan merited eight years later); the sign on his Hollywood connections railroad car stated flat out: "1950 Kentucky Derby Winner." But something went very wrong in the Derby for the skinny horse from California. Though ridden by the great Johnny Longden (inducted into both the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame and the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame), and valiantly dueling for a mile with Mr. Trouble—and leading, Your Host began fading badly. In the second fastest Derby yet run, timed at 2:01 3/5, he lost to Middleground, coming home ninth and exhausted. Like the idea of his crooked neck being caused by a youthful injury, most said he lacked the stamina for the Derby distance. But a few others said that a hypodermic needle was later found in his body, somehow broken off and left to fester. Whatever the reason (though it was probably that he wasn't built for stamina), Your Host returned to California and shorter races. For the rest of the season, he was a terror on the track. He won the Thanksgiving Day Handicap, the Golden State Breeders' Handicap, the Kent Stakes, the Dick Welles Stakes and the Sheridan Handicap. He placed in the Premiere Handicap and came third in the American Derby and the Arlington Classic. In this third year, he beat the eventual Horse of the Year, Hill Prince, who had beaten him by coming second in the Derby. He also beat Ponder, the son of Pensive, both Kentucky Derby winners.
[edit] It's What's Inside
In 1951, Your Host's fourth season, he looked like he was going to shine brighter than ever. Still skinny, still running awkwardly, he could also still run. He was second to Bolero while conceding five pounds in the San Carlos Handicap, and then won the Santa Catalina Stakes under 130 pounds. During this race, Your Host's saddle slipped forward, almost losing him his jockey. The jockey certainly lost the reins, holding on to Your Host's mane for dear life. Your Host then did something remarkable; he made sure his jockey kept his balance by weaving all over the track. At the same time, the Magnificent Cripple set a new track record of 1:48 1/5 for the 1 1/8 mile.
On January 13th, entered in the San Pasqual Handicap, Your Host clipped heels with Renown and fell. His jockey, Eric Guerin, who had been having a hard time rating him, rolled clear, but Your Host came down heavily on his right shoulder. The crowd became absolutely silent as the horse struggled to get up. The ulna bone of his right foreleg was fractured in four places, his right shoulder and upper leg were also fractured. The first to get to him was his exercise rider, Tuffy Morlan. Morlan later said, "There he stood, broken and in horrible pain, but his funny cock-eyed head was up and he whinnied at me, a faint, desperate sound. It was the first time he had ever asked me for help. I knew he needed me then and I could do nothing but take him by the head and weep. I don't think I ever felt so empty and lost as at that moment."
Everyone thought Your Host was dead. Taken off the track, no one who witnessed the fall thought he would see another day. His injury too severe, the vets said he could not be saved. They said there was no point prolonging his suffering. But Your Host would not go down. He refused to die though his prognosis was more than dire. Insured by Lloyds of London, the insurers paid off. But instead of destroying Your Host, they did everything they could to save him. Sent to the Circle S. Ranch of George Stratton, he was tended by Dr. John Walker. John Walker tried everything to immobilize the injury. In the end, he packed the horse in sand to keep him steady. Your Host eventually recovered; however, his right foreleg healed shorter than his left, and as twisted as his neck.
[edit] A Suitable Ending
Lloyds, who now owned the horse, sent him to stud. Your Host became almost immediately an immensely successful stallion. In his first California crops he sired stakes winners Miss Todd, Social Climber, and Blen Host. He also produced Windy Sands who in turn sired Crystal Water.
Eventually he went to stand at Meadow View Farms in New Jersey. It was there he made the acquaintance of Maid of Flight (daughter of Count Fleet, and granddaughter of Man o' War). From this meeting came Kelso.
Your Host ran in 23 races, won 13 times, placed 5 times, and came in third twice. In his lifetime he won $384,795. His life ended in 1961. He was fifteen years old.
