John Henry (March 9, 1975 – October 8, 2007) was an American champion Thoroughbred

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 Ole Bob Bowers (by Prince Blessed) out of Once Double (by Double Jay). John Henry had 39 wins with $6,591,860 in earnings, was twice voted the

Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year The American Award for Horse of the Year, one of the Eclipse Awards, is the highest honor given in American thoroughbred horse racing. Because Thoroughbred horse racing in the United States has no governing body to sanction the various awards, "Hor ...

, and was listed as #23 on ''Blood Horse'' magazine's Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century.

Background

The horse was named after the folk hero John Henry. As a colt, John Henry had a habit of tearing steel water and feed buckets off stall walls and stomping them flat. This reminded his owners of the legendary John Henry, who was known as a "steel-drivin' man". He was

gelded 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, making th ...

both for his temperament as well as his lack of good breeding, which meant that he would have been unlikely to be in much demand as a breeding stallion. John Henry was a Golden Chance Farm foal. His sire, Ole Bob Bowers, was sired by Prince Blessed and his dam, Once Double, was sired by Double Jay, a graded stakes race winner. John Henry was back at the knee (a flaw in conformation that generally makes a long racing career unlikely), undersized, and plainly bred. He was sold as a yearling for $1,100 at the Keeneland January Mixed sale to John Callaway who is credited with giving John Henry his name.

Racing record

John Henry had a series of trainers, and earned money in minor stakes, allowance races, and mid-level claiming races. In 1978, New York City businessman Sam Rubin and his wife Dorothy paid $25,000 sight-unseen for the three-year-old John Henry. Racing under the Rubins'

Dotsam Stable Dotsam Stable was an American Thoroughbred racing stable owned by New York City businessman Sam Rubin and his wife Dorothy. Sam Rubin (February 23, 1914- February 13, 2006) was a successful bicycle importer and a fan of Thoroughbred horse racing. I ...

banner, he was first conditioned by trainer Robert Donato. Under him, John Henry won 6 of 19 starts and $120,000, starting the year as a cheap claimer and getting his first graded stakes win in the

Round Table Handicap 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 ...

at Arlington Park. In 1979, John Henry was given to a new trainer, Lefty Nickerson. Under him, John Henry won 4 of 11 races in 1979. When the grass season was over in New York, Rubin decided to send the horse to California under trainer Ron McAnally. Under McAnally, John Henry won six stakes races in a row. Racing through the age of nine, John Henry won the 1981 Santa Anita Handicap and repeated in 1982 after Perrault was disqualified. He is one of only three horses with back-to-back victories in the race's 72-year history. He also won the

Arlington Million Stakes The Arlington Million is a Grade 1 flat horse race in the United States for thoroughbred horses aged three years and upward on the turf. It was originally raced at the now-closed Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Illinois over a distance of m ...

twice and won three renewals of both the

Hollywood Invitational Handicap The Charles Whittingham Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for horses age three years old and older over a distance of miles on the turf held annually in late May at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, USA. The event cu ...

and the Oak Tree Invitational Stakes, two Grade I turf stakes in Southern California. He won one of America's most important races for older horses, the 1981 Jockey Club Gold Cup at

Belmont Park Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse racing facility in the northeastern United States, located in Elmont, New York, just east of the New York City limits. It was opened on May 4, 1905. It is operated by the non-profit New York Racin ...

, at 1½ miles on the dirt. This victory clinched his first Horse of the Year title, and as noted on the CBS telecast of that race (October 10, 1981, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHexkk8Xhl0), becoming the sport's all-time leading money earner. A bronze statue called ''Against All Odds'', created by Edwin Bogucki, stands on a balcony overlooking the paddock at Arlington Park. It commemorates one of John Henry's most famous finishes; in 1981, at the inaugural Arlington Million, John Henry won over 5-year-old The Bart in a photo finish. On December 11, 1983, John Henry became the first racehorse to surpass $4 million in career earnings when he won the

Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes The Hollywood Turf Cup is a Graded stakes race, Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-years-old or older over a distance of one and one-half miles (12 furlongs) on the Grass, turf track scheduled annually in late November at Del Mar R ...

with jockey Chris McCarron at Hollywood Park Racetrack. John Henry's last race was the 1984 Ballantine Scotch Classic at the Meadowlands. As he took the lead in the stretch, Meadowlands track announcer Dave Johnson exclaimed, "And down the stretch they come! The old man, John Henry, takes command!" He pulled away to his 39th career victory and his second Horse of the Year title. The final time of 2:13 equaled the track record for 1⅜ mile. John Henry was a late entry into the Inaugural Breeders Cup in 1984 but a strained ligament in his left foreleg caused him to be withdrawn from the race and retired. John Henry's final race record stood at 83 starts, 39 wins, 15 seconds, and 9 thirds with $6,591,860 in earnings. He was twice voted the

in 1981 and 1984; 1981 being the first unanimous election of the winner. That feat was not repeated until 2015 when Triple Crown winner American Pharoah was also elected unanimously.

Retirement

After retirement, Rubin sent John Henry to the Hall of Champions at Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. He joined three time Horse of the Year Forego, as well as Standardbred Rambling Willie, and Throroughbreds Rossi Gold and A Letter To Harry. The Hall Of Champions would in time become home to retired Thoroughbred champions

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 ...

, Da Hoss and Funny Cide. Regular rider Chris McCarron often described John Henry as very smart, commenting: "I'm just along for the ride." John Henry, in the view of many followers of thoroughbred racing, was one of the best come-from-behind horses (or "closers") in recent history. In '' The Blood-Horse'' ranking of the top 100 U.S. thoroughbred champions of the 20th Century, he was ranked #23. John Henry was inducted into the

National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American Thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers. In 1955, the museum moved to its current location on Union Av ...

in Saratoga Springs, New York in 1990.John Henry Memorial Fund

Death

John Henry was

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 ...

at 7:05 pm EDT (2305 UTC) on October 8, 2007, at the age of 32. He developed serious kidney problems and stopped responding to veterinary treatment, so the decision was made to put him down. He was buried on the night of his death in front of the Hall of Champions at a spot in front of his paddock. A memorial service was held at the park on October 19.

John Henry's accomplishments

* Oldest horse to win

- at age 9 * Oldest horse to win a Grade 1 race - at age 9 (tied) * Only horse to win the Arlington Million (G1) twice - 1981 & 1984 * One of only three horses to win the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) twice - 1981 & 1982 * Won more graded stakes than any other Thoroughbred - 25 * Retired as the world's richest thoroughbred - July 28, 1985 * Inducted into

in 1990 * Raced in 46 graded (G1, G2, G3) races * Raced on 18 different North American race tracks * Won inaugural running of the Arlington Million (1981) * Oldest horse at age 9 to win the Arlington Million (1984) * Won on 13 different North American Race Tracks

Pedigree

*Through his sire, John Henry was inbred 4 × 4 to Bull Dog, meaning that this stallion appears twice in the fourth generation of his pedigree.

References

"Retirement Home" UPI August 2, 1985

* ttps://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DE7DA1431F930A2575BC0A960948260 "No Comeback" New York Times August 13, 1986
John Henry's page in the United States' Hall of Fame, with photo and videos

2005 Bloodhorse.com article ''Fans Celebrate John Henry's 30th Birthday''
* Haskin, Steve. ''John Henry''

Eclipse Press Blood-Horse Publications is an American multimedia publishing house focused on horse-related magazines headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky. It began in 1916 through its flagship magazine, ''The Blood-Horse''. From 1961 to 2015, Blood-Horse Publica ...

(2001)
John Henry at the Kentucky Horse Park

External links

A blog site dedicated to John Henry with current information and updates

Official website of the documentary film
{{DEFAULTSORT:John Henry (Horse) 1975 racehorse births 2007 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Horse racing track record setters American Grade 1 Stakes winners American Thoroughbred Horse of the Year United States Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame inductees Eclipse Award winners Horse monuments Thoroughbred family 8-c