Wise Dan (foaled February 20, 2007) is a champion
American Hall of Fame and
Canadian Hall of Fame 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. He is the first horse to win the same three
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 ...
s in consecutive years, having been named American
Horse of the Year,
Champion Older Male and
Champion Male Turf Horse in 2012 and 2013.
In a racing career which began in 2010, he has won nineteen
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a thoroughbred horse race in the United States that meets the criteria of the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA). A specific grade level (I, II, III or listed) is the ...
s, including victories on turf, dirt, and two types of
synthetic surface. Unraced as a two-year-old, Wise Dan won the
Phoenix Stakes
The Phoenix Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is sc ...
in 2010 but was well beaten when taking on top-class opposition in the
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 ...
. In the latter half of 2011, he won twice at Grade II level before winning the Grade I
Clark Handicap
The Clark Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in late November at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Among the oldest races in the United States, it was first run in 1875, the year the racetrack opened for business. C ...
in November. In 2012, Wise Dan won five more races, including
Woodbine Mile
The Woodbine Mile is a Grade I stakes race on turf for Thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up held annually in mid September at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Canada. Currently sponsored by Ricoh, the Woodbine Mile offers a purse of Can ...
,
Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes
The Coolmore Stud, Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes is a Graded stakes race, Grade I American thoroughbred horse race for three year olds and older over a distance of one mile on the Grass, turf held annually in October at Keeneland Race Course in Lexing ...
, and
Breeders' Cup Mile
The Breeders' Cup Mile is a Grade 1 Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up, run on a grass course. It has been conducted annually as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships since the event's incepti ...
. By autumn, he was the most highly rated active racehorse in North America. In 2013, Wise Dan won six of his seven races, repeating his wins in the Woodbine Mile and the Breeders' Cup Mile as well as taking the
Maker's Mark Mile Stakes
The Maker's Mark Mile Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for horses age four years old and older over a distance of one mile on the turf held annually in early April at Keeneland Race Course, Lexington, Kentucky during the spr ...
and the
Woodford Reserve Turf Classic. After two wins in early 2014, he underwent surgery for
colic
Colic or cholic () is a form of pain that starts and stops abruptly. It occurs due to muscular contractions of a hollow tube (small and large intestine, gall bladder, ureter, etc.) in an attempt to relieve an obstruction by forcing content out. ...
in mid-May and was out for over two months for recovery. Returning to racing with a victory in the Grade II
Bernard Baruch Handicap
The Bernard Baruch Handicap is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-years-old and older run over a distance of miles on the turf annually in early August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The event current ...
, he also won the Shadwell Turf Mile for a second time, after which he developed an ankle injury that sidelined him until the following year. Although he went back into training and was preparing for another run in the 2015 Woodbine Mile, he developed a tendon injury unrelated to the fracture suffered in 2014 and was retired on September 7, 2015.
Background
Wise Dan is a
chestnut gelding with a narrow white
blaze, 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 his owner
Morton Fink, a
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
-born businessman. He is the most successful racehorse to date sired by Wiseman's Ferry, whose biggest win came in the 2002
West Virginia Derby. Wise Dan's dam, Lisa Danielle, a daughter of the
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
n champion Wolf Power, was named after Fink's granddaughter. Apart from Wise Dan, she has produced
Alysheba Stakes winner Successful Dan. Wise Dan has been trained throughout his racing career by
Charles Lopresti.
Racing career
2010: three-year-old season
Wise Dan began his racing career on the
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 trac ...
surface at
Turfway Park
Turfway Park is an American horse racing track located within the city limits of Florence, Kentucky, about south of the Ohio River at Cincinnati. The track conducts live Thoroughbred horse racing during two meets each year—Holiday (December), ...
in early 2010. After finishing fifth in his debut
he wona six-
furlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one eighth of a mile, equivalent to 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains or approximately 201 metres. It is now mostly confined to use in hor ...
maiden race by fifteen
lengths. In May, he moved to
Churchill Downs, wher
he won an allowance raceon the undercard of
Super Saver's win in the
Kentucky Derby. After a break of five months, Wise Dan returned 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 i ...
in October t
win the Grade III Phoenix Stakes beating the four-year-old Hollywood Hit by half a length. In his final appearance as a three-year-old, he stepped up markedly in class to contest the
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 ...
at Churchill Downs on 6 November. Starting at odds of 8/1, he reached third place in the straight before finishing sixth of the twelve runners behind
Big Drama.
2011: four-year-old season
Wise Dan's four-year-old campaign began with three losing efforts. He finished fourth when favorite for the
Commonwealth Stakes
The Commonwealth Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for horses that are four years old or older, over a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt held annually in early April at Keeneland Race Course, Lexington, Kentucky during ...
at Keeneland, and when moved up in distance to nine furlongs he finished eighth of the nine runners behind
First Dude First Dude may refer to:
* First Dude (horse), an American Thoroughbred racehorse
* First Gentleman
First lady is an unofficial title usually used for the wife, and occasionally used for the daughter or other female relative, of a non-monarch ...
in the
Alysheba Stakes. After Wise Dan's unplaced effort on dirt at Churchill Downs in June, Lopresti tried him on the same venue's turf course. After working well on the surface, Wise Dan was entered in the Grade II Firecracker Handicap over one mile on July 4 and won by two and three quarter lengths.
After a break of two months, he reappeared at
Presque Isle Downs
Presque Isle Downs & Casino is a casino and horse racing track near Erie, Pennsylvania, owned and operated by Churchill Downs Inc.
History
The developer, MTR Gaming Group, broke ground in October 2005 for the new facility, which opened on February ...
in September. Racing on
Tapeta Footings, he carried top weight of 124 pounds to victory in the Presque Isle Mile Stakes. In October, Wise Dan returned to Grade I class for the first time since the Breeders' Cup when he ran in the Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes at Keeneland and finished fourth to
Gio Ponti
Giovanni "Gio" Ponti ( ͡ʒo18 November 1891 – 16 September 1979) was an Italian architect, industrial designer, furniture designer, artist, teacher, writer and publisher.
During his career, which spanned six decades, Ponti built more than a ...
. Three weeks later, he captured his third graded stakes race when he won the Fayette Stakes on Keeneland's polytrack, beating Ioya Bigtime by four lengths. In his final start of 2011, he returned to Grade I company for the Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs. Racing over nine furlongs on dirt, he took the lead in the straight and drew away to win by nearly four lengths from a field which included
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 s ...
winner Flat Out and
Belmont Stakes winner
Ruler on Ice
Ruler on Ice (foaled April 2, 2008) is a Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 2011 Belmont Stakes. He was bred and foaled in Kentucky by Brandywine Farm in partnership with Liberation Farm on. He is a chestnut gelding sired by Hill 'n' Dale ...
. The Clark was the first occasion on which Wise Dan was ridden by
John R. Velazquez, who then became the regular rider of the gelding in most races thereafter.
In the 2011
World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings
The Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings (LWBRR), known as World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings (WTRR) before 2012, are horseracing's equivalent to World Rankings by other major sporting organizations such as ATP Tennis Rankings, World Golf R ...
, Wise Dan was given a rating of 121, placing him in equal 38th place. Only five horses trained in the United States were rated more highly.
2012: five-year-old season
In his first race of 2012, Wise Dan returned to the polytrack at Keeneland for the Grade III
Ben Ali Stakes
The Ben Ali Stakes is an American race for thoroughbred horses run in the Spring of each year at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. For 4-year-olds and up, it is a Grade III event set at a distance of one mile and one eighth mile on t ...
on April 22. Carrying top weight of 123 pounds, he won by ten and a half lengths from Big Blue Kitten in a track record time of 1:46.63. After the race, Velazquez claimed that his only difficulty came when trying to pull up the horse after the finish. In June, Wise Dan started odds-on favorite for the Grade I
Stephen Foster Handicap
The Stephen Foster Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three and older over a distance of miles on the dirt run annually in mid-June at Churchill Downs Spring Meet in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is named in ...
, run over the same course and distance as the Clark. In a rough finish, he overtook leader Nate's Mineshaft in the closing stages but was caught on the post and beaten a head by
Ron the Greek. According to Charles Lopresti, Velazquez said he had been focusing his attention on Nate's Mineshaft and "never saw that horse (Ron the Greek) coming". The unplaced horses in the Stephen Foster included
Fort Larned, who subsequently won the important
Whitney Handicap
The Whitney Stakes (run as the Whitney Handicap through 2013 and still sometimes referred to as such) is an American Grade 1 stakes race for Thoroughbred racehorses three years of age and older run at a distance of miles. The current purse is $1, ...
at
Saratoga and the
Breeders' Cup Classic
The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3-year-olds and older run at a distance of on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships in late October ...
at Santa Anita in November.
A week after the Whitney, Wise Dan ran on turf in the Fourstardave Handicap at the same venue. He started the 6/4 favorite and won by five lengths from Corporate Jungle. In September, he took on international competition for the first time when he was sent north to contest the Woodbine Mile in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
, which attracted the European-trained horses
Cityscape
In the visual arts, a cityscape (urban landscape) is an artistic representation, such as a painting, drawing, Publishing, print or photograph, of the physical aspects of a city or urban area. It is the urban equivalent of a landscape. ''Town ...
and Worthadd. Velazquez tracked the leaders before moving to the front in the straight, and Wise Dan drew away to win by three and a quarter lengths. By mid-September, he was the highest-rated active racehorse in the United States, according to the World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings (
I'll Have Another
I'll Have Another (foaled April 1, 2009) is a champion American Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who won the 2012 Kentucky Derby and 2012 Preakness Stakes, Preakness Stakes.
He was bred in Kentucky, owned by Canadian businessman J. Paul Re ...
and
Bodemeister had been retired).
In October, Wise Dan completed a hat trick on turf by winning the Shadwell Mile at Keeneland. On this occasion, he was ridden by
Jose Lezcano
Jose Lezcano (born April 20, 1985 in Panama) is a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing. He rides in New York in the spring, summer and fall and spends the winter in Florida. His big break came in 2008 when he won a Breeders' Cup race.
Ca ...
and won by two and a quarter lengths from Willcox Inn. After the race, Lopresti announced that the gelding would go to the
Breeders' Cup
The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I Thoroughbred horse races, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, ...
at
Santa Anita but declined to specify a race, saying that while he would "lean toward" the
Mile, a run in the
Classic
A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or highest quality, class, or rank – something that exemplifies its class. The word can be an adjective (a ''c ...
had not been ruled out.
On 3 November, Wise Dan contested the
Breeders' Cup Mile
The Breeders' Cup Mile is a Grade 1 Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up, run on a grass course. It has been conducted annually as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships since the event's incepti ...
against a field which included European milers
Excelebration
Excelebration (foaled 13 April 2008) is an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse. As a three-year-old he recorded wins in the Mehl-Mülhens-Rennen and Hungerford Stakes, before winning his first Group 1 in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp. After fin ...
and
Moonlight Cloud as well as the 2011
Kentucky Derby winner,
Animal Kingdom. In what ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' described as "an unequivocal championship performance" Wise Dan overtook the front-running gelding Obviously at the top of the stretch and won from Animal Kingdom with Excelebration in fourth. The time of 1:31.78 was a track record and came within .37 seconds of the world record. To highlight this achievement, the champion miler
Dr. Fager set the world record of 1 mile on any surface of 1:32.25 on August 24, 1968.
In the
2012 World Thoroughbred Rankings The 2012 World Thoroughbred Rankings was the 2012 edition of the World Thoroughbred Rankings. It was an assessment of Thoroughbred racehorses
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by ...
, Wise Dan was assigned a rating of 129, making him the best horse trained in the United States and the fifth best racehorse in the world. At the
Eclipse Awards
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 ...
for the 2012 season, he was voted
Champion Male Turf Horse,
Champion Older Male Horse and
American Horse of the Year. He was the first horse to win all three awards since
John Henry in 1981.
2013: six-year-old season
Wise Dan began his 2013 campaign in the
Maker's 46 Mile Stakes at
Keeneland
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 ...
on April 12 when he started the 2/5 favorite and won by a length from Data Link, the winner of the race in 2012. On May 4, at the Kentucky Derby meeting, Wise Dan started 3/5 favourite for the
Woodford Reserve Turf Classic, after his main rival, Point of Entry, was scratched shortly before the race. Ridden by
Jose Lezcano
Jose Lezcano (born April 20, 1985 in Panama) is a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing. He rides in New York in the spring, summer and fall and spends the winter in Florida. His big break came in 2008 when he won a Breeders' Cup race.
Ca ...
(Velazquez had been committed to riding Point of Entry), the gelding coped well with the slick conditions, taking the lead in the straight and drawing away to win by four and three quarter lengths from Optimizer.
On June 29, Wise Dan attempted to win the Firecracker Handicap for the second time, carrying 128 pounds in a race run in heavy rain. Velasquez kept the horse "bottled up" until the straight when he accelerated through a gap on the inside rail (brushing against the hedge which serve as the running rail) and going clear to win by two lengths from Lea at odds of 1/5. Wise Dan took his winning run to eight on August 10 when he won the Fourstardave Handicap for the second time, despite carrying 129 pounds, 11 pounds more than any of his opponents. Commenting on the performance, Lopresti said that "to prove that he's a great horse like everybody's talking about, he had to carry that weight... he proved he's a great horse today."
On September 15, 2013, Wise Dan won his ninth consecutive race by taking the Grade I Woodbine Mile for the second time in succession, breaking the track record when he came home in 1:31.75. On October 5, he started 1/2 favorite to win his second
Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes
The Coolmore Stud, Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes is a Graded stakes race, Grade I American thoroughbred horse race for three year olds and older over a distance of one mile on the Grass, turf held annually in October at Keeneland Race Course in Lexing ...
, a race which was switched to the synthetic track at Keeneland after heavy rain made the turf course unraceable. In a huge upset, Wise Dan failed to catch the front-running four-year old
Silver Max
Silver Max (foaled March 8, 2009) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse and the winner of the 2013 Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes.
Career
Silver Max 's first race was on July 31, 2011, at Saratoga, where he came in second. He did not pick up his fi ...
, being beaten one and a quarter lengths. He concluded his campaign by attempting to repeat his 2012 victory in the Breeders' Cup Mile. He started 4/5 favourite ahead of British challenger
Olympic Glory, three-year-old gelding No Jet Lag, and Silver Max. With Velasquez having been hospitalized as the result of a fall earlier on the card, Lezcano took over the ride on Wise Dan. The horse stumbled exiting the starting gate and was well behind in the early stages as Obviously set a very strong pace. The favourite produced his customary strong late run in the straight to take the lead well inside the final furlong and won by three quarters of a length from Za Approval.
In the
2013 World's Best Racehorse Rankings
The 2013 World's Best Racehorse Rankings, sponsored by Longines was the 2013 edition of the World's Best Racehorse Rankings. It was an assessment of Thoroughbred racehorses issued by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities
The Lo ...
, Wise Dan was given a rating of 129, making him the third-best racehorse in the world, the best miler, and the best racehorse in North America. He repeated his successes of the previous year in the Eclipse Awards for 2013, being voted Champion Male Turf Horse, Champion Older Male and Horse of the Year.
2014: seven-year-old season
Wise Dan began his 2014 campaign by winning the Grade I
Maker's 46 Mile Stakes at 2-5 odds over Kaigun on the turf at
Keeneland
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 ...
on April 11, running from the #3 post position in a six-horse field with Velazquez back aboard. The winning time was 1:34.91 On May 3, the same day as the
2014 Kentucky Derby
The 2014 Kentucky Derby was the 140th running of the Kentucky Derby. The race was scheduled to start at 6:24 pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on May 3, 2014, at Churchill Downs and was run as the eleventh race on a racecard with thirteen races. T ...
, he won the
Woodford Reserve Turf Classic, running a mile and an eighth instead of his usual mile and beating
Seek Again by a head.
On May 16, Wise Dan became distressed after his morning workout and was sent to the
Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital was established in Lexington, Kentucky in 1986 as a partnership between veterinarians William Rood and Thomas Riddle. The facility offers a range of services for the treatment of horses. They have cared for many famous ...
. An ultrasound scan revealed an intestinal abnormality, and the gelding underwent emergency surgery for
horse colic. After repair of a piece of intestine that had "looped" over itself, a "best case scenario" for colic surgery, the horse was anticipated to be out for six to eight weeks of recovery time, but the issue was not career-ending.
After a break of over three months, Wise Dan returned in the Bernard Baruch Handicap at Saratoga on August 30. He won by a nose from Optimizer, to whom he was conceding eleven pounds. On October 4, Wise Dan contested the Shadwell Turf Mile again, with his opponents including Silver Max and Optimizer. He came from well off the pace to win in a time of 1:35.6, with Grand Arch second and Sayaan third. On 12 October, LoPresti noticed swelling in the horse's ankle and ordered an x-ray examination which revealed a "non-displaced fracture at the bottom of the cannon bone". Although the injury was expected to heal without surgery, the gelding was not entered in the Breeders' Cup. Discussing Wise Dan's future, Fink said, "Dr Bramlage recommends that we wait at least 30 days and assess his progress before we make any further decisions. He is seven years old, with 30 starts in his career, so we'll let him show us what to do next... He'll be retired if it doesn't grow back normal."
He was given several months off to heal from his injury and returned to training in mid-2015. He was progressing well and pointed to a return in the Woodbine Mile, the only two-time winner and the track record holder for the distance, on September 13. However, the week prior to the race, he developed a tear on the outside edge of his tendon, unrelated to his previous injury, and was retired on September 7, 2015.
John Velasquez said Wise Danis the "greatest horse" he has ever ridden.
Retirement
After the end of his track career, Wise Dan spent his retirement at LoPresti's farm. In 2020 his former trainer said "He's living with his brother Successful Dan, here at our farm. He's happy as can be. He gets a lot of visitors to see him. We took him over to
Old Friends last summer, they had a Wise Dan Day over there, it was really incredible the people that came to see him, the fans that came to see him, and how much money was raised... He walked off that trailer, around that place, like he owned it. He's still a pretty incredible horse. He has a different personality than most horses."
Wise Dan was voted into the
American Hall of Fame in 2020 although the induction ceremony was postponed until 2021 owing to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
.
Pedigree
References
{{reflist
2007 racehorse births
Thoroughbred family 5-h
Racehorses bred in Kentucky
Racehorses trained in the United States
Horse racing track record setters
American Thoroughbred Horse of the Year
Eclipse Award winners
Breeders' Cup Mile winners
United States Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame inductees