Icabad Crane (foaled April 9, 2005, in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

) is 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 ...

by Jump Start out of Adorahy. In February 2007, he was purchased as a two-year-old at the Ocala Breeders Sale for $110,000. Icabad Crane is consistent, finishing in the money in 23 out of his 29 starts for his trainer H. Graham Motion.

Racing career

2008: three-year-old season

In his three-year-old season, Icabad Crane placed third in the Rushaway Stakes at

Turfway Park Turfway Park is an American horse racing track located within the city limits of Florence, Kentucky, about south of the Ohio River at Cincinnati. The track conducts live Thoroughbred horse racing during two meets each year—Holiday (December), ...

in March, then won the 2008

Federico Tesio Stakes The Federico Tesio Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Laurel Park in Laurel, Maryland over a distance of miles on the dirt for three-year-old horses. Run during the latter part of April/early May, the race can be a st ...

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 April. His connections entered him in the 2008

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 ...

, where he started in post position 3. Icabad Crane broke well and settled along the inside passing the stands for the first time. He commenced a strong rail run going into the far turn but was taken up and steadied by his jockey,

Jeremy Rose Jeremy Rose (born April 1, 1979 in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse jockey. He began his career as a professional rider at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Delaware and in 2001 was his breakout year and he was voted t ...

, when a hole closed up on him. At that point, he lacked room to continue his run on the inside. Angling out near the quarter pole, he split horses in the upper stretch and closed late to finish third to dual classic winner Big Brown and

Grade I In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

winner

Macho Again Macho Again (foaled 2005 in Florida) is a retired American thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was sired by the 2000 American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt Macho Uno, who in turn was a son of leading sire Holy Bull. He is out of the mare Go Donna ...

. Icabad Crane earned $110,000 and paid $5.60 on a $2.00 show ticket. Later that year, he placed second in the Itaka Stakes and Alex M. Robb Handicap, both run at

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 ...

2009: four-year-old season

In his four-year-old season, he placed in several allowance races and smaller ungraded stakes races.

2010: five-year-old season

As a five-year-old, in March 2010, Icabad Crane won the Kings Point Handicap at

at one and one eighth miles on the dirt in 1:50. He then ran on the

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 agricult ...

in the West Point Stakes at Saratoga over one and one eighth miles, finished third. He next finished second to Grade I winning Giant Moon by a neck in the July 26, 2010, Evan Shipman Handicap at 1-1/8 miles on the dirt at

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 followed that up with another second place finish on October 23, 2010, at Belmont in the Empire Classic Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on the dirt. On Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 2010 Icabad Crane finished second again in the Tinchen's Prince Stakes at one mile on the dirt at Aqueduct. In the final start of his four-year-old season, he won the Alex M. Robb Stakes over Aqueduct’s inner track on New Year's Eve, December 31, 2010. He took off the rail at the three-sixteenths pole and ran down Giant Moon and Manteca in the final 70 yards. Icabad Crane covered the 1-1/16 miles in 1:44.48 and returned $4.90 as the favorite.

2011: six-year-old season

At age six, Icabad Crane won the February 17, 2011, G'day Mate Stakes at a mile and seventy yards on the Inner Dirt Track at

over a field of six in 1:43.63 by 2-1/4 lengths as the favorite. In May 2011, on the

undercard, he ran in the grade three $100,000

William Donald Schaefer Handicap The William Donald Schaefer Memorial Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the third week of May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. A Grade III event open to three-year-old horses and up, it is contested o ...

at one and one sixteenth miles at

on conventional dirt. In that race, Icabad Crane rallied late and came in third to four-time stakes winner Apart, who won by a neck. On July 3, 2011, Icabad Crane raced in the grade two

Suburban Handicap The Suburban Stakes is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is now run at the mile distance on dirt for a $700,000 purse. Named after the City and Su ...

and finished sixth. On July 25, 2011, he won the $75,000 Evan Shipman Handicap at

finishing the mile and one eighth in 1:51.42. On December 31, 2011 he finished second to Spa City Fever in the Alex M. Robb Stakes at a mile and one sixteenth at

. Overall, Icabad Crane has been either first or second in half his starts. He has been in the money in 24 out of 30 starts and has earned $580,895.

2013: eight-year-old season

Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Graham Motion and his wife, Anita retired Icabad Crane at the age of 8. From 33 starts during his racing career, he had 7 wins, 7 seconds and 9 thirds, with total earnings of $585,980.

Post Racing Career

Herringswell Stables partnered with Phillip Dutton Eventing http://phillipdutton.com/ to show what retired race horses can do in new careers, and Icabad Crane entered into training with Phillip Dutton to become a three-day eventing athlete. After being entered in the 2014 Thoroughbred Makeover Challenge, Icabad Crane and Mr. Dutton won the title as America's Most Wanted Thoroughbred in the discipline of eventing.

References

Icabad Crane's pedigree and partial racing stats
Eventing 2005 racehorse births Thoroughbred family 4-r Racehorses bred in New York (state) Racehorses trained in the United States