Big Spruce (1969–2001) was an American

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

. He was an outstanding middle to longer distance runner on both dirt and grass called "one of North America's leading runners in the early 1970s" by the ''

Thoroughbred Times The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are con ...

Background

Big Spruce was bred by Maxwell H. Gluck at his

Elmendorf Farm Elmendorf Farm is a Kentucky Thoroughbred horse farm in Fayette County, Kentucky, involved with horse racing since the 19th century. Once the North Elkhorn Farm, many owners and tenants have occupied the area, even during the American Civil War. M ...

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

and trained for Gluck by Lefty Nickerson.

Racing career

Big Spruce won races in

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and

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, including two

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events. As a three-year-old, he won the 1972 Lexington Handicap at

Belmont Park Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse racing facility in the northeastern United States, located in Elmont, New York, just east of the New York City limits. It was opened on May 4, 1905. It is operated by the non-profit New York Racin ...

then in 1973, he defeated future National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee Cougar II to win the San Luis Rey Handicap at Santa Anita Park and captured the first of his two consecutive editions of the Gallant Fox Handicap at Belmont Park. He ran second to Secretariat (horse), Secretariat in the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, U.S. Triple Crown champion's last race, the Canadian International Stakes, Canadian International at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto. That same year, he also finished second to U.S. Racing Hall of Fame filly Dahlia (horse), Dahlia in the Washington, D.C. International Stakes, Washington, D.C. International at Laurel Park Racecourse, Laurel Park in Maryland. In 1974, he finished second to Dahlia again in the Canadian International. In 1974, Big Spruce won his second straight Gallant Fox Handicap as well as the Graded stakes race, Grade Ones Governor Stakes and defeated the great Forego to win the Marlboro Cup Invitational Handicap at Belmont Park.

Stud record

Retired to Stud (animal), stud duty for the 1975 season, Big Spruce sired forty-three stakes race winners including Acaroid, whose wins included the United Nations Handicap, United Nations and Manhattan Handicaps, multiple stakes winners Berry Bush and Catatonic, and millionaire runner Super Moment, who won three consecutive editions of the Bay Meadows Handicap. Big Spruce was retired from stud duties in 1997. Due to the infirmities of old age, on December 28, 2001, he was humanely Animal euthanasia, euthanized at Gainesway Farm where he had stood throughout his stud career.

References

{{reflist 1969 racehorse births 2001 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States American Grade 1 Stakes winners Thoroughbred family 9-f