Concern (February 14, 1991 – March 26, 2015) was a multi-millionaire

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

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 sired by top stallion

Broad Brush Broad Brush (April 16, 1983 – May 15, 2009) was an American thoroughbred racehorse foaled in Maryland. He was by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame stallion Ack Ack (horse), Ack Ack out of the Hoist The Flag mare Hay ...

, who in turn was a son of Ack Ack. His dam was Fara's Team. Foaled in

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, Concern was best known for his wins in the 1994

Breeders' Cup Classic The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3-year-olds and older run at a distance of on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships in late October o ...

and the grade two

Arkansas Derby The Arkansas Derby is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually in April at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is currently a Grade I race run over a distance of 1 1/8 miles (9 furlongs) on dirt. In 2004, t ...

. Born at owner Robert Meyerhoff's Fitzhugh Farm in

Phoenix, Maryland Phoenix is an unincorporated community located in Baltimore County in the State of Maryland, United States. It is located at latitude 39°30'59" North, longitude 76°36'59" West. The United States Postal Service has assigned Phoenix the ZIP code ...

. To date, Concern is one of only four Maryland-bred horses ever to surpass the three million dollar mark in earnings. The other three were

Cigar A cigar is a rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco leaves made to be smoked. Cigars are produced in a variety of sizes and shapes. Since the 20th century, almost all cigars are made of three distinct components: the filler, the binder l ...

Knicks Go Knicks Go (foaled January 29, 2016) is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse who was the 2021 American Horse of the Year after winning five of seven starts, including the Breeders' Cup Classic, Whitney Stakes and Pegasus World Cup. The year before he ...

and Awad. He finished racing with a record of 7-7-11 in 30 starts and career earnings of $3,079,350.

Two-year-old season

At age two, Concern developed late in the year. He raced a total of four times winning both a maiden special weight race in his second attempt and an allowance race. He placed third in the $60,000 Rollicking Stakes for 2-year-old Maryland-breds at

Laurel Park Racecourse Laurel Park, formerly Laurel Race Course, is an American thoroughbred racetrack located just outside Laurel, Maryland which opened in 1911. The track is miles in circumference. Its name was changed to "Laurel Race Course" for several decades unt ...

Three-year-old season

Concern established himself as one of his crop's top three-year-olds by winning two big races and finishing in the money in each of his twelve starts as a sophomore. He started the season with three stakes placings in the spring at

Oaklawn Park Oaklawn Plantation may refer to: *Oaklawn (Huntsville, Alabama), listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) *Oaklawn Plantation (Leon County, Florida) *Oaklawn Plantation (Natchez, Louisiana) The Oaklawn Plantation is a historic pl ...

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...

. In each successive stakes, he improved, beginning with a third-place finish in the Great West Stakes. He followed that up with a runner-up finish under jockey

Francine Villeneuve Francine Alicia Villeneuve (born July 22, 1964) is a Canadian retired thoroughbred jockey and racing pioneer. She is sometimes referred to by the nickname "The Queen of Fort Erie" because of a long affiliation with the border oval. With 1,001 v ...

in the grade three

Rebel Stakes The Rebel Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses at a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt run annually in March, at Oaklawn Park Race Track in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The event currently offe ...

to Judge T. C. In April, Concern scored the second biggest win of his career under

Garrett Gomez Garrett Keith Gomez (January 1, 1972 – December 14, 2016) was an American Thoroughbred jockey who won two Eclipse Awards and thirteen Breeders' Cup races during his career. Racing career Early career Gomez learned to ride by watching his fathe ...

in the $500,000 grade two

. He ran the 1-1/8 mile distance in 1:48.1 in a field of nine, defeating Blumin Affair and Silver Goblin. His connections then made the decision to bypass the Kentucky Derby in favor of being fresh for the hometown $750,000 grade one

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs () on ...

Pimlico Race Course Pimlico Race Course is a thoroughbred horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of Ol ...

. In the second leg of the Triple Crown, Concern was taken way back early trailing 15 lengths down the backstretch. Then he unleashed his late rush and made up about a dozen lengths, finishing third behind

Tabasco Cat Tabasco Cat (April 15, 1991 – March 6, 2004) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was best known for his performances in 1994 when he won the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes, the second and third legs of the Triple Crown Series. ...

and Derby winner

Go for Gin Go for Gin (April 18, 1991 – March 8, 2022) was an American thoroughbred racehorse best known as the winner of the 1994 Kentucky Derby. He was sired by Cormorant out of the dam Never Knock. He was ridden in the Derby by Chris McCarron, who h ...

in the "Run for the Black-Eyed Susans." After his Preakness placing, Concern wheeled back in three weeks to place third in the grade three

Round Table Stakes The Round Table Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race run on dirt and on turf forty-four times between 1961 and 2007. First run at Washington Park Race Track in Homewood, Illinois as the Round Table Handicap, in 1963 it was moved to Arlin ...

Arlington Park Arlington International Racecourse (formerly Arlington Park, the name was Arlington Park Jockey Club from as soon as 1948 up to 1955) was a horse race track in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois. Horse racing in the Chicago regi ...

. Two weeks later, he raced in the $300,000 grade two

Ohio Derby The Ohio Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in mid-to-late June at Thistledown in North Randall, Ohio. The Grade III stakes for three-year-olds is run on dirt over a distance of 1 miles. The race currently offers a purs ...

and finished second in the field of nine to Exclusive Praline. He then finished third in the $500,000

Haskell Invitational The Haskell Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run over a distance of miles on the dirt held annually in July at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. The event is a signature event at Monmouth P ...

Holy Bull Holy Bull (January 24, 1991 – June 7, 2017) was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse. Although he finished a disappointing twelfth in the 1994 Kentucky Derby, his major wins that year in the Florida Derby, Blue Grass Stakes, Metropolitan Handicap ...

. Later that summer, he attempted to run down

again in the $750,000 grade one

Travers Stakes The Travers Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is nicknamed the "Mid-Summer Derby" and is the third-ranked race for American three-year-olds according to internation ...

Saratoga Race Course Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track located on Union Avenue in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. Opened in 1863, it is often considered to be the oldest major sporting venue of any kind in the country, but is actua ...

. He finished second by a neck but defeated Dual Classic winner

. In the autumn of 1994, he shipped to Canada to race in the nine furlong grade two Molson Export Million Stakes placing third to Dramatic Gold. Two weeks later, he lost narrowly to Soul of the Matter in the $750,000 grade one

Super Derby The Super Derby is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually in September at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, Louisiana. Inaugurated in 1980, the Super Derby is open to three-year-olds and the distance is miles on the dirt. Currently a Gr ...

. Concern achieved his greatest success using his come-from-behind running style in moving from last to first, again beating Tabasco Cat and Dramatic Gold in the 1994 Breeders' Cup Classic.

Four-year-old season

At age four, Concern won the $200,000 grade two

New Orleans Handicap The New Orleans Classic Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. Open to horses four years old and up, the race is run at a distance of one and one-eighth miles on the dirt. ...

in March at

Fair Grounds Race Course Fair Grounds Race Course, often known as New Orleans Fair Grounds, is a thoroughbred racetrack and racino in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is operated by Churchill Downs Louisiana Horseracing Company, LLC. As early as 1838 Bernard de Marigny, Ju ...

. Mike Smith piloted him to the win over Fly Cry and Tossofthecoin. In the summer of 1995, he won the $275,000 grade one

Californian Stakes The Californian Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in late April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California (relocated from the now closed Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California). The Grade II event is open to hor ...

Hollywood Park Hollywood Park may refer to: Places United States * Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California * Hollywood Park, Chicago, a neighborhood in North Park, Chicago, Illinois * Hollywood Park, Inglewood, an entertainment complex and m ...

. In that race he beat Tossofthecoin again and Tinners Way under jockey Smith and Best Pal. He also placed third in three different grade one races in his four-year-old season. Those races included the

Pimlico Special Handicap The Pimlico Special is a Grade 3 American thoroughbred horse race for horses age three and older over a distance of miles ( furlongs) held at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland in mid May. The race currently offers a purse of $300,000. ...

, the

Oaklawn Handicap The Oaklawn Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in April at Oaklawn Park Race Track in Hot Springs, Arkansas. A Grade II event raced on dirt, since 1984 it has been contested over a distance of miles (9 furlongs). It use ...

and the

Meadowlands Cup The Monmouth Cup Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-years-old and older run over a distance of miles annually in early July at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey. The event currently offers a purse of $400,000 ...

to Peaks and Valleys. After finishing eighth to

in the muddy Breeder's Cup Classic at Belmont Park, Concern returned to the Fair Grounds Race Course, where he began the year with a win in the

, to win in an Allowance Race on November 24, 1995, two days after Thanksgiving, his career finale.

Retirement

A descendant of the great sire

Nearco Nearco (January 24, 1935 – June 27, 1957) was an Italian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse described by ''Thoroughbred Heritage'' as "one of the greatest racehorses of the Twentieth Century" and "one of the most important sires of the century." He ...

, Concern was retired to

stud Stud may refer to the following terms: Animals * Stud (animal), an animal retained for breeding ** Stud farm, a property where livestock are bred Arts and entertainment * Stud (band), a British progressive rock group * The Stud (bar), a gay bar ...

in 1996 at Northview Stallion Station in

Chesapeake City, Maryland Chesapeake City is a town in Cecil County, Maryland, United States. The population was 736 at the 2020 census. The town was originally named by Bohemian colonist Augustine Herman the Village of Bohemia — or Bohemia Manor — but the name was ...

until 2003. He then moved to the Oklahoma Equine Reproductive Center in

Washington, Oklahoma Washington is a town in McClain County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 618 as of the 2010 census. History A post office called Washington has been in operation since 1904. The town was not named after George Washington, first Presi ...

, where he stood from 2004 until being pensioned in 2011. While Concern has sired a number of winners, his offspring have had some success in

graded stakes race A graded stakes race is a thoroughbred horse race in the United States that meets the criteria of the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA). A specific grade level (I, II, III or listed) is then ...

s but never to the level that their sire accomplished. The best of his progeny has actually been Good Night Shirt, a

steeplechase Steeplechase may refer to: * Steeplechase (horse racing), a type of horse race in which participants are required to jump over obstacles * Steeplechase (athletics), an event in athletics that derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing ...

runner who was voted the 2007 and 2008

Eclipse Award The Eclipse Award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th-century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. An Eclipse Award Trophy is presented to the winner in each division that is made by a few small selected American ...

American Champion Steeplechase Horse The American Champion Steeplechase Horse is an American horse racing honor awarded as part of the Eclipse Award program since its inception in 1971. It is awarded annually to the top horse in steeplechase racing. Flatterer is the only horse to wi ...

and was elected to th
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
in 2017. A press release on March 26, 2015 announced Concern's death at the age of 24. He was buried at Oklahoma Equine.

References

External links

Concern's pedigree and partial racing stats

Video at YouTube of Concern's Arkansas Derby win

Video at YouTube of the 1994 Travers Stakes: Holy Bull vs. Concern

Video at YouTube of Concern's 1994 Breeder's Cup Classic win
{{Breeders' Cup Classic Winners 1991 racehorse births 2015 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Maryland Racehorses trained in the United States Breeders' Cup Classic winners Thoroughbred family A5