Lawyer Ron (March 1, 2003 – July 11, 2009) was 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 ...

race horse 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 ...

Background

Lawyer Ron was bred and owned by James T. Hines, Jr., an

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who started his first company
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in

Owensboro, Kentucky Owensboro is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Daviess County, Kentucky, United States. It is the fourth-largest city in the state by population. Owensboro is located on U.S. Route 60 and Interstate 165 about southwest of Lou ...

, in 1966 and turned it into a multimillion-dollar business. Hines became involved in

horse racing in 1995 but died at the age of 69 in a drowning accident in his home swimming pool on February 20, 2006, just before Lawyer Ron's victory in the

Rebel Stakes The Rebel Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses at a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt run annually in March, at Oaklawn Park Race Track in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The event currently offe ...

. The estate and Lawyer Ron's racing career were both managed by Mr. Hines' lawyer, Ron Bamberger, for whom the horse was named. Stonewall Farm of

Midway, Kentucky Midway is a home rule-class city in Woodford County, Kentucky, in the United States. Its population was 1,641 at the time of the year 2010 U.S. census. It is part of the Lexington-Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town sits just off ...

, bought a majority interest in Lawyer Ron in the week preceding the 2006

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...

. He raced as a 4-year-old in 2007 under the banner of Hines Racing LLC, and stood at stud for Stonewall Stallions Farm after he retired.

Racing career

Lawyer Ron broke his maiden on October 10, 2005, in a maiden race at

Keeneland Race Course Keeneland Association, Inc. is an equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky. It includes two distinct divisions: the Keeneland Race Course, a Thoroughbred racing facility, and Keeneland Sales, a horse auction complex. It is also known for its ...

. It was his first race on a dirt track, and he won by 3 1/2 lengths. On December 9, 2005, in an allowance race at

Louisiana Downs Louisiana Downs Casino & Racetrack is a horse racing 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 i ...

, Lawyer Ron drew away from the field to win by ten lengths. He then won the Diamond Joe Stakes at

Evangeline Downs Evangeline Downs Racetrack & Casino is a racetrack in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, just east of Opelousas. It is owned and operated by Boyd Gaming. With a one-mile oval track, the facility provides close to 1,000 horse stalls for Thoroughbred f ...

on December 31, 2005, by eight lengths. Although Lawyer Ron dominated in races on the dirt, his performances on the turf and

polytrack The track surface of a horse racing track refers to the material of which the track is made. There are three types of track surfaces used in modern horse racing. These are: *Turf, the most common track surface in Europe *Dirt, the most common track ...

surfaces were mediocre. Overall he was 0-7 away from the dirt, finishing in the money only four times. However, he won nine of his next twelve races (and placed second in one) on dirt. In the 2006 Grade III

Risen Star Stakes The Risen Star Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses at a distance of one and one-eighth miles on the dirt run annually in February, usually during the President's Day weekend at Fair Grounds Race Course i ...

held at

on January 14, Lawyer Ron broke well and was second heading into the first turn. He stayed just to the outside of the leader, Mark of Success, before passing him early on the

backstretch Backstretch refers to either: (1) the portion of an oval racetrack on the far side of the grandstand, parallel to the homestretch, or, (2) particularly in North America, the area near the racetrack where horses are stabled and the daily work of main ...

. Lawyer Ron and Mark of Success battled down the backstretch and into the final turn with Mark of Success on the inside and Lawyer Ron on the outside. Mark of Success continued to press Lawyer Ron for the lead early in the stretch until Lawyer Ron opened up and pulled away to an 8 length victory. The 2006

Southwest Stakes The Southwest Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses at a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt run annually in late January at Oaklawn Park Race Track in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The event cu ...

was held on February 25 at

Oaklawn Park Oaklawn Plantation may refer to: *Oaklawn (Huntsville, Alabama), listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) *Oaklawn Plantation (Leon County, Florida) *Oaklawn Plantation (Natchez, Louisiana) The Oaklawn Plantation is a historic pl ...

featuring Lawyer Ron as the odds-on

favorite A favourite (British English) or favorite (American English) was the intimate companion of a ruler or other important person. In post-classical and early-modern Europe, among other times and places, the term was used of individuals delegated si ...

. He broke strongly to take an early lead. Heading down the stretch,

Steppenwolfer Steppenwolfer (March 16, 2003 - June 21, 2018) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was sired by Aptitude, who in turn was the son of the 1992 U.S. Horse of the Year and U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee, A.P. Indy, out of the mare, Wo ...

made a strong challenge for the lead, but Lawyer Ron held him off to win by 3/4 length. In the 2006 Grade III

held at

on March 18, Lawyer Ron got a poor start and was trapped against the

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in fifth. Coming out of the first turn, he moved to the outside but remained in fifth down the

. Under jockey

John McKee John McKee may refer to: * John McKee (politician) (1771–1832), American politician * John McKee (American football) John Sasser McKee (July 16, 1877 – April 22, 1950) was an American college football coach and physician. He served as the hea ...

, he made his move at the start of the second turn. Moving strongly up the field, he took the lead by the time he came out of the turn and won by three lengths. The 2006

Arkansas Derby The Arkansas Derby is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually in April at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is currently a Grade I race run over a distance of 1 1/8 miles (9 furlongs) on dirt. In 2004, t ...

was a $1 million

Grade II 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 ...

stakes race run at

Hot Springs, Arkansas Hot Springs is a resort city in the state of Arkansas and the county seat of Garland County. The city is located in the Ouachita Mountains among the U.S. Interior Highlands, and is set among several natural hot springs for which the city is n ...

, on April 15, 2006. Lawyer Ron was the odds-on favorite. Early in the race, he was bottled in between horses in fourth but moved up on the rail coming out of the first turn to gain the lead. Lawyer Ron was then challenged by Private Vow coming out of the second turn but pulled away and won by 2¾ lengths over a late-surging

Past Performances

In most of Lawyer Ron's victories, he jumped out to an early lead and set the pace. All of his wins were characterized by a strong driving finish. In the 2006

, Lawyer Ron demonstrated the ability to come from the back of the field as well. His ability to both start and close a race made him a favorite to win the 2006

, according to many experts. He left the gate in 6th place in the Derby but after the first turn moved quickly to 2nd place, where he remained down the long back side. He tired at the top of the stretch and finished 12th. On August 25, 2006, Lawyer Ron won the

inaugural In government and politics, inauguration is the process of swearing a person into office and thus making that person the incumbent. Such an inauguration commonly occurs through a formal ceremony or special event, which may also include an inaugur ...

running of the St. Louis Derby at Fairmount Park Race Track in

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

. Ridden by

John Velazquez John R. Velazquez (born November 24, 1971) is a Puerto Rican jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing. He began his career in Puerto Rico and moved to New York in 1990. In 2004 and 2005 he was the United States Champion Jockey by earnings and both yea ...

and hard to handle in the early part of the race, on September 30 Lawyer Ron lost to

Curlin Curlin (foaled March 25, 2004, in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who was the American Horse of the Year in both 2007 and 2008. He retired in 2008 as the highest North American money earner with over US$10.5 ...

by a neck in a stretch duel in the

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 ...

Jockey Club Gold Cup The Jockey Club Gold Cup, established in 1919, is a thoroughbred flat race open to horses of either gender three-years-old and up. It has traditionally been the main event of the fall meeting at Belmont Park, just as the Belmont Stakes is of the sp ...

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 ...

. Early in the race, he ran in second place behind the early fractions of 24:26, 47:88, and 1:11:66 set by Brother Bobby.

Jockeys

Through his early racing career, while Bob Holthus was trainer, Lawyer Ron was ridden by John McKee, who called the colt one of the best horses he had ever ridden. McKee was the primary rider for Lawyer Ron's trainer, Bob Holthus. Prior to the 2006

, McKee had two Derby mounts: Greater Good in 2005 and Pro Prado in 2004. Beginning in October 2006, Lawyer Ron was conditioned by multiple Eclipse Award winning trainer Todd Pletcher. On February 11, 2007, Lawyer Ron, who continued to be rank throughout his career (probably contributing to his loss in the 2006 Breeders' Cup Classic which went to Invasor), was ridden by jockey

for an optional/allowance claiming race at Gulfstream Park. Velazquez kept control of the headstrong

colt Colt(s) or COLT may refer to: * Colt (horse), an intact (uncastrated) male horse under four years of age People *Colt (given name) *Colt (surname) Places * Colt, Arkansas, United States *Colt, Louisiana, an unincorporated community, United State ...

, forcing him to settle and then steady behind the field until finding his opening for the win. In the $500,000 Oaklawn Handicap on April 7, 2007 Lawyer Ron was ridden for the first time by Edgar Prado. Although previously a headstrong horse, he settled early and moved to the lead on the outside passing the three-eighths pole and entered the stretch with a clear advantage. He pulled away to win by 4 lengths. Prado never used the whip on him.

rode him to a track record time of 1:46.64 in the 2007 Whitney Stakes and then again a few weeks later, in the Woodward Stakes, which he won over a fast track by 8¼ lengths in a time of 1:48.60. In late October, he finished seventh in the 2007 Breeders' Cup Classic at Monmouth Park Racetrack on a sloppy track.

Death

In November 2007, Lawyer Ron retired with an initial stud fee of $30,000 at Stonewall Farm in Versailles, Kentucky. On July 11, 2009, he died from complications after colic surgery. At the age of six, he was standing his second season. His first crop of foals arrived in 2009.

Races

{, class="wikitable" , - , Finish , Race , Distance , Track , Condition , - , 7th , Breeders' Cup Classic , One and one-quarter miles , Monmouth Park , Sloppy , - , - , 2nd ,

, One and one-quarter miles ,

, Fast , - , - , 1st , Woodward Stakes , One and one-eighth miles , Saratoga Race Course , Fast , - , - , 1st , Whitney Stakes , One and one-eighth miles , Saratoga Race Course , Fast , - , - , 3rd ,

Salvator Mile Handicap The Salvator Mile Stakes (formerly the Salvator Mile Handicap) is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in June or July at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. Open to horses age three and older, it is contested on dirt at ...

, One mile , Monmouth Park , Fast , - , - , 2nd , Metropolitan Handicap , One mile ,

, Fast , - , 1st , Oaklawn Handicap , One and one-eighth miles ,

, Fast , - , 1st , Optional/Allowance Claiming , One Mile , Gulfstream Park , Fast , - , 9th , Breeders' Cup Classic , One and one quarter miles ,

Churchill Downs Churchill Downs is a horse racing complex located on Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, famed for hosting the annual Kentucky Derby. It officially opened in 1875 and was named for Samuel Churchill, whose family was ...

, Fast , - , 1st , St. Louis Derby , One and One-Sixteenth Miles , Fairmount Park Race Track , Fast , - , - , 12th ,

, One and One-Quarter Miles ,

, Fast , - , - , 1st ,

, One and One-Eighth Miles ,

, Fast , - , - , 1st ,

, One and One-Sixteenth Miles ,

, Fast , - , 1st ,

, One Mile ,

, Fast , - , 1st ,

, One and One-Sixteenth Miles , Fair Grounds Race Course at Louisiana Downs , Fast , - , 1st , Diamond Jo Stakes , One Mile ,

, Fast , - , 1st , Allowance Opitional Claiming , One Mile , Fair Grounds Race Course at Louisiana Downs , Fast , - , 4th , Grand Canyon Handicap , One and One-Sixteenth Miles (Turf) ,

, Firm , - , 3rd , Allowance , One and One-Sixteenth Miles (Turf) ,

, Firm , - , 1st , Maiden , Seven Furlongs ,

, Sloppy (Sealed) , - , 5th , Maiden , Six and One-Half Furlongs , Turfway Park , Fast , - , 2nd , Maiden Claimer , Six Furlongs , Turfway Park , Fast , - , 7th , Maiden , One Mile (Turf) , Ellis Park Racecourse , Firm , - , 3rd , Maiden , One Mile (Turf) , Ellis Park Racecourse , Firm , -

References

Lawyer Ron's stats and bio

Lawyer Ron Kentucky Derby 2006 Entrant Page

External links

SI Lawyer Ron's Record Time at the Whitney Handicap Upheld

NTRA Curlin Reels in Lawyer Ron in the Gold Cup
2003 racehorse births 2009 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Brown County, Ohio Eclipse Award winners Thoroughbred family 3-l