In Reality (March 1, 1964 – May 8, 1989) was an American bred racehorse. Bred 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 ...

, he was a son of Intentionally and out of the mare My Dear Girl, the 1959 American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly. His damsire was

Santa Anita Derby The Santa Anita Derby is an American Grade 1 thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run each April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is currently run at a distance of miles on the dirt and carries a purse of $400,000. It is one ...

winner Rough'n Tumble, who sired U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee Dr. Fager. In Reality is best remembered for his win in the

Florida Derby The Florida Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses held annually at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Since 2005, it has been run five weeks before the Kentucky Derby, which is held on the first Sat ...

and his runner-up performance in the

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 () o ...

to Eclipse Award Champion and millionaire Damascus.

Race career

In Reality started his stakes career with a second-place finish in the Cowdin Stakes to the young Dr. Fager and then ran second in the Sapling Stakes. He finished his two-year-old season with a run in the Pimlico Futurity, beating out that year's champion two-year-old, Successor, for the win. In his three-year-old season, In Reality started the year with a win in the Hibiscus Stakes. In Reality then finished second in the Florida Breeders' Stakes and the Flamingo Stakes before he won the

Fountain of Youth The Fountain of Youth is a mythical spring which allegedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks or bathes in its waters. Tales of such a fountain have been recounted around the world for thousands of years, appearing in the writings of Herod ...

and the Florida Derby. He then moved on to the

Preakness Preakness may refer to: * The Preakness or Preakness Stakes, an American flat thoroughbred horse race held in Baltimore, Maryland * Preakness (horse), an American thoroughbred racehorse from Preakness Stables * Preakness, New Jersey, a section of W ...

, where he finished second to Damascus. This effort was followed by wins in the Jersey Derby, Rumson Handicap and Choice Stakes. In Reality next met up again with Damascus in the

American Derby The American Derby is a Thoroughbred horse race in the United States run annually at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Illinois. The inaugural American Derby was held at Chicago's old Washington Park Race Track on the city's South Side and ra ...

and came in second once more. Against Dr. Fager in the New Hampshire Sweepstakes Classic, he finished second again. In Reality made one more attempt at another stakes in the

Jerome Handicap The Jerome Stakes is a stakes race for thoroughbred horses run each January at Aqueduct Racetrack. Open to three year olds, the race is run at one mile and carries a purse of $150,000. It is a Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifying race, with the wi ...

and again was second; after that, he laid off for the rest of the season. In his four-year-old season, he finished third in both the

Royal Palm ''Roystonea regia'', commonly known as the Cuban royal palm or Florida royal palm, is a species of palm that is native to Mexico, parts of Central America and the Caribbean, and southern Florida. A large and attractive palm, it has been planted ...

and the

Seminole Handicap The Seminole Handicap is a discontinued American Thoroughbred horse race first run as the Inaugural Handicap on the January 14, 1932 opening day of the newly constructed Hialeah Park Race Track in Hialeah, Florida. Shut down in 1926 as a result of ...

. After taking a month off, he won the John B. Campbell Handicap, Carter Handicap, and Metropolitan Handicap. In Reality retired soon after his win in the Metropolitan to stand at stud for Frances A. Genter in Florida.

Stud career

In Reality was bred and raced by

Frances A. Genter Frances A. Genter (February 17, 1898 – November 24, 1992) was a major figure in American Thoroughbred horse racing. She is best known as the owner of Unbridled, the 1990 American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse and winner of the 1990 Kentuck ...

and became an outstanding sire of three Champions and a good sire of sires. In Reality's male line remains one of the only male lines directly descended from

Man O' War Man o' War (March 29, 1917 – November 1, 1947) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who is widely regarded as the greatest racehorse of all time. Several sports publications, including ''The Blood-Horse'', ''Sports Illustrated'', ESPN, and t ...

. In Reality is the sire of: *

Desert Vixen Desert Vixen (1970–1982) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. She was the leading American filly of her generation, winning an Eclipse Award at the ages of both three and four. She was later inducted into the U. S. Racing Hall of Fame. Ra ...

(b. 1970) - U.S. Racing Hall of Fame Filly *

Smile A smile is a facial expression formed primarily by flexing the muscles at the sides of the mouth. Some smiles include a contraction of the muscles at the corner of the eyes, an action known as a Duchenne smile. Among humans, a smile expresses ...

(b. 1982) - Won 1986

Breeders' Cup Sprint The Breeders' Cup Sprint is an American Weight for Age Grade I Thoroughbred horse race for horses three years old and older. Run on dirt Corrected grade for Santa Anita sprintover a distance of 6 Furlongs ( mile), the race has been held annually s ...

, American Champion Sprint Horse, Damsire of

Smarty Jones Smarty Jones (February 28, 2001) is a champion Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and came second in the Belmont Stakes. Background Born at Fairthorne Farm in Chester County, Pennsylvania, the horse was n ...

* Known Fact (b. 1977) - Won the 1979

Middle Park Stakes The Middle Park Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old colts. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is ...

& the 1980 2,000 Guineas Stakes, English Champion Three-Year-Old Colt *

Relaunch Relaunch (March 16, 1976 – November 5, 1996) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Background Relaunch was a gray horse bred in Kentucky by Three Chimneys Farm & Taylor Made Farms. During his racing career he was owned by Glen Hill ...

(b. 1976) - Won

Del Mar Derby The Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby is an American thoroughbred horse race run annually during the first week of September at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. A Grade II race open to three-year-old horses, it is contested on turf over ...

. Grandsire of Hall of Fame inductee

Tiznow Tiznow (foaled March 12, 1997 in California) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for his wins in the Breeders' Cup Classic in 2000 and 2001, becoming the only horse to win this race twice. He was the 2000 American Horse of the Year an ...

. Damsire of 2004 World's Top Ranked Horse

Ghostzapper Ghostzapper (foaled April 6, 2000) is a Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Breeders' Cup Classic in 2004, outdistancing Roses in May by three lengths in a track record time of 1:59.02. His gate-to-wire Classic victory completed a 4-for-4 season, ...

and Real Shadai, the 1993

Leading sire in Japan The list below shows the leading Thoroughbred sire of racehorses in Japan for each year since 1924. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the season. ---- * 1924 - Ebor (1) * 1925 - Ebor (2) * 1926 ...

* Believe It (b. 1975) Won

Wood Memorial Stakes The Wood Memorial Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually in April at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. It is run over a distance of 1 1/8 miles (9 furlongs) on dirt. The Wood Memorial ...

, third in Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. Damsire of 1998 Kentucky Derby and

and

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 ...

winner

Real Quiet Real Quiet (March 7, 1995 – September 27, 2010) was an American Eclipse Award, Champion Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse. He was nicknamed "The Fish" by his trainer due to his narrow frame. He is best remembered for winning the first ...

. In Reality is also the damsire of: * Commendable (b. 1997) - Won 2000 Belmont Stakes * Mane Minister (b. 1988) - Won 1991

Santa Catalina Stakes The Robert B. Lewis Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three year old horses at the distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt held annually in late January or early February at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif ...

* Toussaud (b. 1989) - Won 1993

Gamely Stakes The Gamely Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares age three and older over a distance of miles on the turf run in late May annually at Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, California. History The race was inaugurated ...

and

Kentucky Broodmare of the Year The Kentucky Broodmare of the Year is selected each year by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. The title is considered the highest honor an American thoroughbred broodmare can receive, as the majority of American breeding s ...

Meadow Star Meadow Star (May 19, 1988 – April 11, 2002) was an American Thoroughbred Champion racehorse. She was described by Breeders' Cup Inc. as "one of the greatest 2-year-old fillies ever". Foaled in Florida, Meadow Star was bred by Jaime Carrion a ...

(b. 1988) - Won 1990 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly

Pedigree

In Reality is inbred 3x3 to War Relic, meaning War Relic appears twice in the third generation of his pedigree.

References

{{reflist

External links

In Reality's pedigree and partial racing stats
1964 racehorse births 1989 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Florida Racehorses trained in the United States Thoroughbred family 21-a Godolphin Arabian sire line Chefs-de-Race