Page 88 - September2021

SPECIAL EFFORT
is the sire of 2-Time Mexico Champion Concorde Special, as well as these Champions...
Special Leader, shown winning his 1990 All American Derby trial.
Special Project, shown after winning the 1990 All American Futurity.
Effort in his pursuit of the All American Triple Crown, and that was mud.
The 1981 All American Futurity was run in the mud. Would that affect Special Effort? No. He hit stride coming out of the gate, taking the lead. He won in the mud by 3 3/4-lengths in
a time of :20.60 and a 104 speed index. It was the second fastest 440 yards run in that racing season. He earned $528,000 for the win, giving him a record of nine wins in nine starts and making him a the first two year old to become
a millionaire with earnings of $1,026,722. The industry rewarded the Urschels with the AQHA Racing World Championship, the Champion Two Year Old and the Champion Two-Year-Old Colt titles. After all, he was the first horse to win the All American Triple Crown.
When I asked Tom Dawson about what stood out about Special Effort, he responded, “Physically, I don’t remember anything overwhelming about him. But it was his running style. He didn’t make mistakes away from the gate. He was generally in front three jumps out of the gate and just improved his position. He might have made a minor bobble
Bully Bullion, shown winning the 1987 Ruidoso Handicap.
Sweet N Special, shown winning the 1990 Sunland Park Fall Derby.
here and there, but I don’t recall any time during his two year old year that he made any mistakes. He just overwhelmed the competition.”
He then added, “By the time we got to the All American, it was like the guys running Sham against Secretariat. ‘We have to look at him again!’ I don’t think there was anybody in the All American field that seriously thought they would beat Special Effort.”
Not even in the mud? He reacted, “No, it didn’t matter. He had drawn the outside and generally in those days on that track that was the best place to be in the mud. I don’t think there was any concern in the Special Effort camp and maybe it gave a little false hope to some of the others.”
During the interview process, I noticed something that really stood out and highlighted the speed and heart of Special Effort and his running style. Let’s start with Tom Dawson. “In those days, the Rainbow
and the All American were double elimination trials so Special Effort had to run eight times to win the Triple Crown. Today the horses have to only win six. The first set of trials were order
Easygo Effort, shown winning the 1987 Golden State Futurity.
86 SPEEDHORSE September 2021
Special Phoebe, shown winning the 1995 Real Wind Handicap.
of finish, all you had to do was finish one, two, or three. It was designed so that a good horse that has a stumble or a bobble can pick himself up and run third and still get into the time trial. We always worried about Special Effort in the elimination trials because Billy (jockey Billy Hunt) would have him anchored down so that you thought he was going to break stride. He is running off by himself, and Billy is trying to keep him from running off, knowing he was going to come back in a week. That
was the only fear we had about him because we worried, he was going to forget how to run because Billy never lets him run. But he remembered how to run when it was time.”
David Smith put it this way. “Back then they had two sets of trials where you ran for first, second or third, and then you ran in the time trials. When he ran in the elimination trials, his Jockey Billy Hunt would be literally standing up on him and holding him up. He would come by the grandstand shaking his head back and forth and he would have two or three lengths on the field. It was like the Quarter Horse version of Secretariat.”