Landaluce

Landaluce (1980–1982) was a champion American Thoroughbred race horse. She was out of the first crop sired by Seattle Slew, 1977’s Horse of the Year and the 10th winner of America's Triple Crown. Her dam was Strip Poker, by Bold Bidder, who was sired by Bold Ruler.

History

Bred by Francis Kernan in Kentucky on Spendthrift Farm, the yearling Landaluce was chosen at auction for buyers L. R. French and Barry Beal by Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Her price tag was $650,000. Lukas said he noticed her “tremendous heart girth.” Beal and French named their new filly after a guide on a Spanish ranch they'd once visited, Francisco Landaluce.

Racing only at two, during that year Landaluce started five times and won each race. Her combined winning margin was 46 ½ lengths, 21 of those lengths coming in the Grade II Hollywood Lassie Stakes.

She debuted at Hollywood Park Racetrack on July 3, 1982, in a 6-furlong Maiden Special Weight in the time of 1:08 1/5. (The horse who placed seven lengths behind her, Some Kinda Flirt, won her next race by a huge margin.) Her jockey was Hall of Famer Laffit Pincay, Jr.. Riding her once, Pincay chose to continue riding her. He said, “Normally, I am not a superstitious man, but I walk around these days hoping nothing happens to her. When I see Wayne Lukas walking towards me, my instinct is to turn away. I am afraid he is going to tell me something has gone wrong. I never want to hear that she has turned a hair.”

On July 10, Landaluce won the 6-furlong Hollywood Lassie by 21 lengths in 1:08. Her margin of victory remains the largest ever run in any race by a two-year-old at Hollywood Park. Her time is said to be the fastest clocking ever for a juvenile filly in a one-turn, 6-furlong race.

Lukas was quoted as saying, “You search and you look, and then all of a sudden, it comes, that star, and you know you have been blessed with something special.”

At Del Mar Racetrack on September 5, Landaluce won the one mile Del Mar Debutante Stakes. She then went to Santa Anita Park for the October 11 running of the 7-furlong Grade II Anoakia Stakes, which she won by eight lengths.

Her last race and her last victory was the one and one sixteenth mile Grade I Oak Leaf Stakes at Santa Anita.

Lukas was now pointing her towards the Grade I Hollywood Starlet Stakes, scheduled to run on November 28. But on November 22, Landaluce became ill. Lukas, knowing it was a virus, was still hopeful she’d make the Starlet. However, Landaluce had Colitis X, a disease that nearly killed her sire.^[1] At that point, Lukas hoped she’d make the Hollywood Futurity. Landaluce, though, steadily weakened from the blood clots formed by a severe bacterial invasion. She died with her head in Lukas’ arms on December 11, 1982.

Landaluce was awarded the American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly for 1982. It was given posthumously.

The Hollywood Lassie Stakes was renamed the Landaluce Stakes in her honor, and she was buried in the infield at Hollywood Park.

See also

• List of Undefeated horses

References

• “D. Wayne, the High Rolling and Fast Times of America’s Premier Horse Trainer,” by Carlo DeVito, McGraw-Hill, Professional, 2002
• "Champions, The Lives, Times, and Past Performances of America's Greatest Thoroughbreds, Champions from 1893-2004," Revised Edition (2005), by the Editors and Writers from the Daily Racing Form DRF Press ISBN 1-932910-02-6
• Landaluce’s pedigree, racing stats, and photo