Golden Arrow (April 9, 1961 – 1989) was a Thoroughbred race horse that endeared himself to many New Englanders during the 1960s and 70s. Golden Arrow won 58 times in his extensive career . The Thanksgiving Day Handicap at Lincoln Downs in 1965 was his biggest stakes win. At that point in time, he was trained by George R. Handy and ridden to victory by jockey Frankie Solimena. He would win the East Providence Handicap at Lincoln as a five year old. Golden Arrow won 7 races as a four-year-old and 8 races as a thirteen-year-old. The

gelding A gelding is a castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. Castration, as well as the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male equine to be calmer and better-behaved, makin ...

raced every year from age 3 to age 18.

Narragansett Park Narragansett Park was an American race track for Thoroughbred horse racing in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Beginnings On May 18, 1934, Rhode Island voters approved a measure legalizing parimutuel betting by an almost 3 to 1 margin. The following day, ...

gained national attention in the summer of 1978, when the seventeen-year-old Golden Arrow won 4 races at the track for trainer Bill Sienkewicz of Land's End Farm. Much of the training took place on the beaches of Buzzards Bay with the trainer's wife, Phreddy, working and galloping the horse. Golden Arrow was owned by Louis A. Filios and bred in New Jersey. Golden Arrow's story was documented by

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...

in their September 3, 1979 issue (see:) Debbie Riemers, an apprentice jockey, rode the popular old favorite in all of his victories that summer. The

won 5 races out of 7 starts in 1978 with a second and a third place finish as well. His last victory occurred at the

Great Barrington Fair The Great Barrington Fair was a 57-acre site on the floodplain of the Housatonic River in Great Barrington, Massachusetts that once hosted the longest continually operating fair in New England. The fair was incorporated in 1848, with area farmers e ...

on 9/25/78. "I bet on that horse ten years ago", was a common refrain. In the summer of 1967, owner Filios sent Golden Arrow to Canada. While north of the border the 6 year old won two handicap races at old Blue Bonnets in Montreal.

External links

Golden Arrow's pedigree and partial racing stats

References

{{reflist 1961 racehorse births 1989 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in New Jersey Racehorses trained in the United States Thoroughbred family 27-a