No Le Hace was an American 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 ...

foaled on March 18, 1969, No Le Hace is best remembered for his runner-up performances in the $200,000 grade 1 Preakness Stakes to Bee Bee Bee and the

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 ...

behind Riva Ridge.

Background

No Le Hace was a chestnut horse bred by Nuckols Brothers. He was sired by Candy Spots and was a grandson of Nigromante. He was out of the mare Tasma. He was trained by

Homer C. Pardue Homer Chesley Pardue (March 5, 1910 – January 5, 1979) was an American trainer and owner of Thoroughbred racehorses. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, across the street from Churchill Downs, Pardue began working in the racing industry as an exerci ...

. After retiring No Le Hace was sold and sent to Japan for stud duty.

Racing career

1971: two-year-old season

At age two No Le Hace won four of his first five races including his maiden and two allowance races. In December 1972, his connections ran him in his first stakes race at six furlongs on the dirt in the Sugar Bowl Handicap at Fair Grounds Race Course. He won that race going away by four lengths.

1972: three-year-old season

In the lead-up to the 1972 U.S. Triple Crown series, No Le Hace won the Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. He then won the mile and one sixteenth Louisiana Derby at the Fair Grounds Race Course in late March. In April, he was sent to Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas, where he won the Arkansas Derby. Ridden by

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

Phil Rubbicco in his prep races, No Le Hace was listed as the third favorite on the morning line of the

at 9–2. He finished second to 3-2 favorite Riva Ridge. Two weeks later on Saturday, May 20, 1972, No Le Hace was entered in the $200,000 Preakness Stakes run at a mile and three sixteenths on dirt at Pimlico Race Course in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...

. On the morning line, he was the third favorite at 6–1 in a field of seven. Derby winner Riva Ridge was the prohibitive odds-on favorite as 1–3. No Le Hace broke very poorly in last. Under Rubbicco, he was aggressively rated back going into Pimlico's famous "Clubhouse Turn." No Le Hace was taken to the outside by Rubbicco and moved into sixth going down the backstretch. Fractions were blistering on the front end, with the first quarter in :231/5 and the half in :47 seconds flat. A 19-1 longshot, Bee Bee Bee, led, followed by Key To The Mint one length back. At three quarters of a mile, No Le Hace was six lengths back, and at the mile he was four lengths back as the leader tipped the clock at 1:362/5. No Le Hace closed steadily to finish second to Bee Bee Bee by a length and a half. He took home 20% of the purse, $30,000, in the 97th running of the Preakness.

References

{{Reflist 1969 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Thoroughbred family 3-o