Vigors (1973–1994) 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 ...

racehorse known as "The White Tornado." Called by '' Bloodhorse.com'' in a 2011 article "the great California closer," Vigors earned the affection of racing fans because of his dramatic come-from-behind running style.

Background

Vigors was bred in

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

by William R. Hawn, a

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...

businessman who was the president and a shareholder of

Del Mar Racetrack The Del Mar Fairgrounds is a event venue in Del Mar, California. The annual San Diego County Fair is held here, which was called the Del Mar Fair from 1984 to 2001. In 1936, the Del Mar Racetrack was built by the Thoroughbred Club with foundi ...

Del Mar, California Del Mar (; Spanish for "Of the Sea") is a beach town in San Diego County, California, located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Established in 1885 as a seaside resort, the city incorporated in 1959. The Del Mar Horse Races are hosted on the ...

, and a founding partner of the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

. The horse was named for William Hawn's friend

Tim Vigors Wing Commander Timothy Ashmead Vigors, (22 March 1921 – 14 November 2003) was a Royal Air Force fighter pilot and flying ace during the Second World War, in which he fought in the Battle of Britain and in the Far East. In civilian life, Vigors ...

, a

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

fighter ace and founder of Ireland's renowned

Coolmore Stud Coolmore Stud, in Fethard, County Tipperary, Ireland, is headquarters of the world's largest breeding operation of thoroughbred racehorses. Through its racing arm, Ballydoyle, Coolmore also has raced many classic winners and champions. The operat ...

Racing career

Raced mainly on grass, in 1977 the late developing Vigors won the Hollywood Invitational Handicap and the Rolling Green Handicap. The following year, trainer Larry Sterling entered him in the San Marcos Handicap, a race of a mile and an eighth on dirt. Under jockey

Darrel McHargue Darrel G. McHargue (born September 26, 1954 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) is a retired American Champion jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing. One of five children from a family not connected to horse racing, he was first introduced to riding as a te ...

, Vigors won easily then with the same rider followed up with a win in the San Antonio Stakes in track record time on dirt. In the most important win of his career, Darrel McHargue brought Vigors from dead last to win the

Santa Anita Handicap The Santa Anita Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early March at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is a Grade I race for horses four years old and up and was once considered the most important race for o ...

by two lengths, again on dirt. For jockey McHargue, the win topped off an extraordinary day in which he won six races. Vigors did not race again until early June when he won the

Bel Air Handicap The Bel Air Handicap was a Thoroughbred horse race run in mid July at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California. Open to horses age three and older, it was contested on dirt at a distance of a mile and a sixteenth. In its final year it was ...

on dirt. Assigned top weight in the

Hollywood Gold Cup The Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes is a Grade I American thoroughbred horse race for horses age three and older over a distance of miles on the dirt held at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California in May. The race currently offers a purse of $400,000 ...

, Vigors ran third in what was his final race before retiring to

stud Stud may refer to the following terms: Animals * Stud (animal), an animal retained for breeding ** Stud farm, a property where livestock are bred Arts and entertainment * Stud (band), a British progressive rock group * The Stud (bar), a gay ba ...

duty.

Stud career

Vigors stood at

Jonabell Farm Jonabell Farm is an 800-acre Thoroughbred breeding farm located in Lexington, Kentucky. It was founded in 1954 by John A. Bell and his wife Jessica and sold in 2001 to Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum for his Darley Stud American division. History ...

, near

Lexington Kentucky Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County. By population, it is the second-largest city in Kentucky and 57th-largest city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 28th-largest ...

. He was the successful sire of numerous winners including multiple stakes winners, Royal Mountain Inn, Exemplary Leader and Lovlier Linda, among others. He also sired millionaires Hodges Bay and Real Connection and had five other of his progeny earn more than half a million dollars in racing. Vigors is also the damsire of

Ginger Gold Ginger Gold is a yellow apple variety which entered commerce in the 1980s, though the original seedling dates from the late 1960s. According to the US Apple Association website, , it was one of the fifteen most popular apple cultivars in the Uni ...

, the 2001

Canadian Champion Two-Year-Old Filly The Canadian Champion Two-Year-Old Filly is a Canada, Canadian Thoroughbred horse racing honor. Created in 1975 by the Jockey Club of Canada, it is part of the Sovereign Awards program and is awarded annually to the top 2-Year-Old Filly Thoroughbre ...

. Vigors died at age twenty-three on September 27, 1994 due to health problems.

Pedigree

References

{{reflist

External links

YouTube video of Vigors, the "White Tornado", winning the 1978 Santa Anita Handicap

Vigors' pedigree
1973 racehorse births 1994 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Horse racing track record setters Thoroughbred family 32