He's A Smoothie (foaled 1963 in

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

) was a Canadian

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 ...

Champion A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, an ...

and

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

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 ...

who set track records on both dirt and

turf Sod, also known as turf, is the upper layer of soil with the grass growing on it that is often harvested into rolls. In Australian and British English, sod is more commonly known as ''turf'', and the word "sod" is limited mainly to agricultu ...

. Bred and raced by William R. Beasley, his sire was the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee

Round Table The Round Table ( cy, y Ford Gron; kw, an Moos Krenn; br, an Daol Grenn; la, Mensa Rotunda) is King Arthur's famed table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that e ...

. His dam was Ratine, a daughter of Bahram, the Aga Khan's 1935 British Triple Crown champion. A successful sire of two British Classic winners, Bahram was purchased in 1940 by an

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 ...

syndicate led by

Alfred G. Vanderbilt II Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt Jr. (September 22, 1912 – November 12, 1999) was a British-born member of the prominent Vanderbilt railroad family, and a noted figure of American thoroughbred horse racing. He was the youngest-ever member of The Jockey ...

, who brought him to stand at stud 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 ...

1966

He's a Smoothie was trained by the owner's son, Warren Beasley, who said, "I was listed as the trainer but Bobby (

Bateman Bateman may refer to: Places *Bateman, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth, Australia **Electoral district of Bateman, an electorate of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, centred on the suburb *Batemans Bay, a town and bay in New South W ...

) was really the trainer.

Slow to develop, the colt did not race at age two. At age three, he earned his first win in May 1966 on the dirt at the

Fort Erie Racetrack Fort Erie Race Track is a horse racing facility in Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, that opened on June 16, 1897. The racetrack is often referred to as "the border oval" because of the track's proximity (barely a mile as the crow flies) to the U.S. bo ...

Fort Erie, Ontario Fort Erie is a town on the Niagara River in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. It is directly across the river from Buffalo, New York, and is the site of Old Fort Erie which played a prominent role in the War of 1812. Fort Erie is one of N ...

. He went on to win the Mohawk Handicap, the Fairbanks Handicap, the first of two straight Seagram Cup Handicaps, the Valedictory Handicap at 1 miles, and a Canadian Classic, the

Prince of Wales Stakes The Prince of Wales Stakes is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Fort Erie Race Track in Fort Erie, Ontario. Restricted to only three-year-old horses bred in Canada, it is contested on dirt over a distance of miles (1.9 km; ...

1967 Horse of the Year

In 1967, He's a Smoothie raced in both Canada and the United States. His major victories came in the

Canadian Maturity Stakes The Canadian Maturity Stakes was a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race run annually in late November at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. Inaugurated in 1953, the race was restricted to four-year-old horses bred in Canada. It was contested on t ...

, the Durham Cup Handicap, the

Eclipse Stakes The Eclipse Stakes is a Group races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Sandown P ...

, his second straight Seagram Cup Handicap, and the most prestigious win of his career, the Canadian International Championship. Based on his performances in Canada, He's a Smoothie was invited to compete against some of the best American and European horses in the November 12, 1967

Washington, D.C. International Stakes The Baltimore Washington International Turf Cup is an American Grade III invitational horse race run over one mile. Inaugurated in 1952, it was raced at Laurel Park Racecourse on the turf in Laurel, Maryland, at a distance of miles (12 furlongs ...

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 ...

. He's a Smoothie ran fourth after he was given seven more pounds to carry that the great

Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...

and race winner

Fort Marcy Fort Marcy may refer to: * Fort Marcy (Virginia), earthwork fort completed in 1862, now a public park * Fort Marcy (New Mexico), fort in Santa Fe used during the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War * Fort Marcy (horse) Fort Marcy ...

On December 9, He's A Smoothie was sent to

Aqueduct Racetrack Aqueduct Racetrack is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and casino in the South Ozone Park, Queens, South Ozone Park and Jamaica, Queens, Jamaica neighborhoods of Queens, New York City, United States. Aqueduct is the only racetrack locate ...

to compete in the Display Handicap. Once again he was high-weighted, given a handicap of nine pounds more than winner Quicken Tree. Nonetheless, he still came from far back in the two-mile race to finish second, just three-quarters of a length behind the winne

He's a Smoothie was voted 1967

Canadian Horse of the Year The Canadian Horse of the Year is a thoroughbred horse racing honour given annually since 1951 by the Jockey Club of Canada. It is the most prestigious honour in Canadian thoroughbred horse racing. Part of the Sovereign Awards program since 1975, ...

honors.

1968

Wintered in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, at

Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park, owned by The Stronach Group, is a Thoroughbred race track, casino and outdoor entertainment and shopping destination in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Thoroughbred horse racing occurs year-round, defined by three distinct race meets ...

He's a Smoothie ran second in a division of the January 24, 1968 Palm Beach Handicap, then earned a third in the February 11

Bougainvillea Handicap The Bougainvillea Handicap was a Thoroughbred horse race run between 1940 and 2001 at Hialeah Park in Hialeah, Florida. A race for horses age three and older, it was run at a distance of 1 1/8 miles on turf. The race was named for the purple bouga ...

Hialeah Park Race Track The Hialeah Park Race Track (also known as the Hialeah Race Track or Hialeah Park) is a historic racetrack in Hialeah, Florida. Its site covers 40 square blocks of central-east side Hialeah from Palm Avenue east to East 4th Avenue, and from East 2 ...

. In the longest and richest of the grass races on the local 1968 race schedule, on February 24 He's a Smoothie was ridden by

Braulio Baeza Braulio Baeza (born March 26, 1940) is an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey and one of the master Thoroughbred jockeys of our time. In 1963, he was the first Latin American jockey to win the Kentucky Derby. Baeza began his ra ...

to victory in the 1½ mile

Hialeah Turf Cup Handicap The Hialeah Turf Cup Handicap is a discontinued American Thoroughbred horse race open to horses aged three and older that was run each year at Hialeah Park Race Track in Hialeah, Florida until the track closed at the end of the 2001 racing season. ...

. The holder of a

Woodbine Racetrack Woodbine Racetrack is a race track for Thoroughbred horse racing in the Etobicoke area of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Owned by Woodbine Entertainment Group, Woodbine Racetrack manages and hosts Canada's most famous race, the King's Plate. The track ...

and a

Greenwood Raceway Greenwood Raceway (originally Woodbine Race Course) was a horse racing facility in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. History Woodbine Race Course Inaugurated in 1874 as Woodbine Race Course at the foot of Woodbine Avenue and Lake Ontario, it was owned a ...

track record on dirt, among his other 1968 wins in Canada He's a Smoothie set a new course record for 1 miles on turf at the

Sale and Death

On July 24, 1968, He's a Smoothie was sold to a

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 ...

syndicate led by William E. Pasko III, who planned to retire the horse at the end of the year to stand at

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 ...

He's a Smoothie was competing in the August 7

Bernard Baruch Handicap The Bernard Baruch Handicap is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-years-old and older run over a distance of miles on the turf annually in early August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The event current ...

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 ...

when he broke down as a result of torn ligaments and had to be humanely

euthanized Animal euthanasia ( euthanasia from el, εὐθανασία; "good death") is the act of killing an animal or allowing it to die by withholding extreme medical measures. Reasons for euthanasia include incurable (and especially painful) conditi ...

In 2003, He's a Smoothie's racing career was honored with induction in the

Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame was established in 1976 to honour those who have made a significant contribution to the sport of harness and Thoroughbred horse racing in Canada. It is located at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. The H ...

Pedigree

{{Pedigree , name = He's a Smoothie , f =

, m = Ratine , ff =

Princequillo Princequillo (1940–1964) was a Thoroughbred racehorse conceived in France and born in Ireland. He is known for his performances in long-distance races and his successes as a sire. Background His sire, Prince Rose, stood at the Haras de Cheff ...

, fm = Knight's Daughter , mf = Bahram , mm = Monel , fff =

Prince Rose Prince Rose (1928–1944) was a British-bred, Belgian-trained Thoroughbred racehorse, often referred to as the best horse in Belgian racing. Background Bred in England by Lord Durham, Prince Rose was sired by Rose Prince out of the mare Indole ...

, ffm = Cosquilla , fmf = Sir Cosmo , fmm = Feola , mff =

Blandford Blandford Forum ( ), commonly Blandford, is a market town in Dorset, England, sited by the River Stour about northwest of Poole. It was the administrative headquarters of North Dorset District until April 2019, when this was abolished and i ...

, mfm = Friar's Daughter , mmf = Sir Greysteel , mmm = La Muiron , ffff =

Rose Prince Rose Prince (or Rose of the Carrier) was a Dakelh woman who has become the subject of a Catholic pilgrimage. Biography Rose Prince was born in Fort St. James, British Columbia, in 1915, the third of the nine children of Jean-Marie and Agathe Pr ...

, fffm = Indolence , ffmf =

Papyrus Papyrus ( ) is a material similar to thick paper that was used in ancient times as a writing surface. It was made from the pith of the papyrus plant, '' Cyperus papyrus'', a wetland sedge. ''Papyrus'' (plural: ''papyri'') can also refer to a ...

, ffmm = Quick Thought , fmff = The Boss , fmfm = Ayn Hali , fmmf = Friar Marcus , fmmm = Aloe , mfff =

Swynford Swynford (January 1907 – 18 May 1928) was a British Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse. Bred at the Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby, 16th Lord Derby's stud in Lincolnshire, England he was sired by John O'Gaunt (horse), John O'Gaunt, a so ...

, mffm = Blanche , mfmf = Friar Marcus , mfmm = Garron Lass , mmff = Roi Herode , mmfm = Grania , mmmf =

Durbar Durbar can refer to: * Conference of Rulers, a council of Malay monarchs * Durbar festival, a yearly festival in several towns of Nigeria * Durbar floor plate, a hot-rolled structural steel that has been designed to give excellent slip resistance o ...

, mmmm = Santa Maria }

References

He's A Smoothie's pedigree and partial racing stats

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20081013071106/http://www.canadianhorseracinghalloffame.com/thoroughbred/2003/Hes_A_Smoothie.html He's A Smoothie at the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame 1963 racehorse births 1968 racehorse deaths Horses who died from racing injuries Racehorses bred in Ontario Horse racing track record setters Racehorses trained in Canada Racehorses trained in the United States Canadian Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductees Thoroughbred family 17-b