Page 8 - April 2007 The Game

8 The Game, April 2007
Canada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper
Runaway Groom Pensioned at 28
Runaway Groom winning the Travers Stakes at Saratoga
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When the Vinery horse farm in Lexington Kentucky announced that their stallion Runaway Groom had been retired from stud duty, it evoked exciting memories from 25 years ago. Any information of this nature about Runaway Groom is noteworthy simply because of the excellent record he has compiled as a stallion – his progeny have earned in excess of $54 million - but as a Canadian racing fan in the early 80s, I respond in an almost personal sense to his changing status.
As a three year old, the handsome grey, a son of Blushing Groom out of Yonnie Girl, entered the 1982 Queen’s Plate with a noticeable lack of preparation. I remember distinctly dismissing his chances because his last race had occurred in April and was just a seven furlong test; hardly the kind of preamble that sets a horse up for a mile and a quarter. I was only slightly right; Runaway Groom did not win the Queen’s Plate that day - Son of Briarctic did - but as the winner was leading the gang down the back- stretch, Runaway Groom made an eye-catching run along the inside, passing most of the field as he moved from the back of the pack into second place. Son of Briarctic and
Runaway Groom (who went off at odds of more than 38-1) ran 1-2 all the way down the stretch to set up a juicy exactor that I didn’t have.
Of course, Canadian thoroughbred history
shows that Runaway Groom went on to win the
Prince of Wales Stakes and the Breeders’ Stakes
and was subsequently chosen as Canada’s Champion horse of 1982. As wonderful as those accomplishments are, it was what he did in August
at Saratoga that stamped Runaway Groom as exceptional. Entered in the Travers Stakes, Runaway Groom was virtually ignored by the
bettors and the experts who were swept away by the
notion that this particular installment of the ‘Midsummer Derby” featured the three winners of
the American Triple Crown – Gato Del Sol who
had taken the Kentucky Derby, Preakness victor Aloma’s Ruler, and Conquistador Cielo, first in the Belmont. Debate raged as to which of the great American horses would win the Travers. To an extent, ridicule was poured on Runaway Groom and his trainer John DiMario
for even having the gall to enter against the Triple Crown winners.
Runaway Groom, ridden by Canadian jockey Jeffrey Fell, went off at 13-1 and trailed by 15 lengths after half a mile. But similar to the impressive run he made in the Queen’s Plate two months earlier, he began to rally from the rear, closing in relentlessly on the leaders. In the stretch, he overhauled Aloma’s Ruler to win by almost a length, and that’s where it got almost funny. The American broadcasters, certain that one of the Triple Crown winners would prevail, seemed to have no backup plan and were practically apoplectic about Runaway Groom’s stunning upset. Through a certain amount of stammering and improvising, it was almost as if they didn’t even
Mike Heitzman speaks with fatherly pride of the 28 year old grey horse.
“Runaway Groom is a great stallion,” says Heitzman, “He’s a Grade One winner who also produced Grade One winners on both turf and dirt. His progeny would run at any distance and on any surface. He was a horse that was always on the general sires list year after year, always had a better average earning index (AEI) than the comparative earning index. In other words, when he bred a mare, compared to other stallions breeding the same mare, he improved the mare.”
Vinery had planned to have the great Canadian colt meet and greet a full book of mares this year, but nature seems to have taken its course.
“His libido is still good,” says Heitzman. “But he just can’t get the job done in the end. Seeing how tough it was on him, we decided it was time.”
Runaway Groom finished his on-track career with 6 wins in 18 races and earnings of $347,737. As a stallion, he was both prolific and reliable; he has sired 674 winners and 70 stakes winners from 1,097 foals of racing age. Among his more successful offspring are 1994 Champion Sprinter Cherokee Run, Grade 3 winner Najran and Grade 1 winners Down the Aisle and Wekiva Springs. Of more recent vin- tage, his daughter, Joint Effort, won the Grade 3 Sunshine Millions Distaff on January 27 at Santa Anita. - PG
Request For Nominations
The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame Thoroughbred Nominating Committee is seeking public participation in the nomination of candidates to be considered for induction in 2007 to the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.
The classification of Inductees are - Horses, Builders, Jockeys and Trainers.
Submissions must include as much detail as possible concerning the record and/or merits of the candidates nominated.
The submissions, if mailed, must be post-marked, or delivered by hand, or faxed no later than April 17, 2007 to:
Chair of the Thoroughbred Nominating Committee Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
Woodbine Racetrack
555 Rexdale Blvd., Rexdale, ON M9W 5L2 416-675-3993 ext. 2399 Fax:416-213-2126
Submissions will be considered carefully by the Thoroughbred Nominating Committee and, if approved, will be presented to the Election Committee which will vote by secret ballot on the nominees. A candidate must receive 75% of the votes cast to be declared.
For further information regarding eligibility contact: Louis Cauz at 416-239-6009 or 416-675-3993 ext. 2399
want to admit what had happened.
As for Runaway Groom’s career as a stud, Vinery Stallion Manager
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