Charismatic (horse)
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Charismatic (March 13, 1996 – February 19, 2017) 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 best known for winning the first two legs of the
Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, often shortened to Triple Crown, is a series of horse races for Thoroughbreds, often restricted to three-year-olds. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplis ...
in 1999. Early in his career, Charismatic was entered in claiming races but he improved rapidly during his three-year-old year. After winning the 1999 Kentucky Derby and
Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs () o ...
, Charismatic had the lead in the stretch of the Belmont Stakes before suddenly falling back and finishing third. He was quickly pulled up by jockey
Chris Antley Christopher Wiley Antley (January 6, 1966 – December 2, 2000) was an American National Champion and U.S. Racing Hall of Fame jockey. Biography He was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and grew up in Elloree, South Carolina. He left school at ...
, who dismounted and cradled the horse's fractured foreleg to prevent further injury. The aftermath of the Belmont was later named the
National Thoroughbred Racing Association Moment of the Year The National Thoroughbred Racing Association Moment of the Year award, first awarded in 1999, celebrates or honors one moment that occurred during a given year that most thoroughly exemplifies the spirit and ethos of the sport of Thoroughbred horse ...
. Charismatic never raced again, but was still voted 1999 Horse of the Year. He successfully recovered from his injuries to become a stallion, first in the United States and then in Japan. On October 26, 2016, it was announced that Charismatic was being retired from stud to live at
Old Friends Equine Old Friends is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) equine retirement facility in Georgetown, Kentucky, accredited by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA). The organization started with one leased paddock and two horses, but now owns 136 acres, Dreamchase ...
near Lexington, Kentucky. He died just over two months after arriving.


Background

Charismatic was a chestnut horse with four white stockings on his legs and a white stripe on his forehead. He was bred under a foal-sharing arrangement between William S. Farish and the Parrish Hill Farm of Dr. Ben and Tom Roach. His sire was Summer Squall, who had won the 1990 Preakness Stakes. Summer Squall was a half-brother to leading sire A.P. Indy as both were out of the outstanding broodmare Weekend Surprise by
Secretariat Secretariat may refer to: * Secretariat (administrative office) * Secretariat (horse) Secretariat (March 30, 1970 – October 4, 1989), also known as Big Red, was a champion American thoroughbred racehorse who is the ninth winner of the Ame ...
. Summer Squall's sire
Storm Bird Storm Bird (19 April 1978 – 3 December 2004) was a Canadian-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was the outstanding European two-year-old of 1980, when he was unbeaten in five races, including the Anglesey Stakes, Natio ...
, by
Northern Dancer Northern Dancer (May 27, 1961 – November 16, 1990) was a Thoroughbred who, in 1964, became the first Canadian-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby. He then became one of the most successful sires of the 20th century. He is considered a Canad ...
, was also the sire of
Storm Cat Storm Cat (February 27, 1983 – April 24, 2013) was an American Thoroughbred stallion whose breeding fee during the peak of his stud career was $500,000, the highest in North America at the time. He was the leading sire in North America in 1999 ...
, another leading sire. Charismatic's
dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...
was Bali Babe, by Drone. Bali Babe, winless in two starts, was 16 when she foaled Charismatic, a fairly advanced age for a broodmare. Charismatic was purchased as a weanling by Bob and Beverly Lewis for $200,000. He was trained by D. Wayne Lukas and ridden in the Triple Crown races by
Chris Antley Christopher Wiley Antley (January 6, 1966 – December 2, 2000) was an American National Champion and U.S. Racing Hall of Fame jockey. Biography He was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and grew up in Elloree, South Carolina. He left school at ...
.


Racing career

Charismatic lost his first five starts as a two-year-old. Lukas then took a calculated risk by entering him in a maiden claiming race on November 21, 1998, with a "tag" of $62,500. Lukas later commented, "I don't think I've ever been fooled so much by a horse... I felt I wasn't pushing the right buttons. But I felt he hadn't won a race and needed some confidence." The gamble paid off when the colt went unclaimed and then won the race. Charismatic raced once more as a two-year-old, losing in allowance company, and then started his three-year-old season the same way, finishing fifth in both an allowance race and the Santa Catalina Stakes. Lukas decided to again roll the dice, entering the colt in another claiming race on February 11, 1999. "Quite frankly I had given up on the horse," said Bob Lewis. "I wanted to get back as much of that $200,000 (purchase price) as I could. The reason he was in that race was because Wayne wanted him to see what it was like on the front end instead of the back end." Again unclaimed, Charismatic finished second but was given the win when the first-place finisher was disqualified. Lukas then put the colt on a demanding schedule, racing him eight days later on February 19 in an allowance race, followed by a start on March 6 in the
El Camino Real Derby The El Camino Real Derby is a Listed American Thoroughbred horse race held in February at Golden Gate Fields in Albany, California. The race is open to three-year-olds willing to race one and one-eighth miles (9 furlongs) on Tapeta, a synthetic ra ...
. Charismatic finished second in both those races, but could only manage a fourth in the
Santa Anita Derby The Santa Anita Derby is an American Grade 1 thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run each April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is currently run at a distance of miles on the dirt and carries a purse of $400,000. It is one ...
on April 6. Lukas shipped the horse to
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 ...
for the
Lexington Stakes The Lexington 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 April during at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky during their s ...
on April 18, the last chance for a win on the Kentucky Derby trail. Charismatic responded with a record setting performance in his first stakes victory. Charismatic was a 31-1 longshot in the 125th Kentucky Derby on May 1, facing a field of 18 other horses. Valhol set a slow early pace tracked by Cat Thief, who took over the lead rounding the final turn. Charismatic raced in mid-pack for the first three-quarters of a mile, then started closing ground rapidly on the leaders. He passed Cat Thief in deep stretch, then withstood a late charge from Menifee to win by a head. Cat Thief, also trained by Lukas, was third. The time for miles was a slow 2:03.29 The win denied trainer
Bob Baffert Robert A. Baffert (born January 13, 1953) is an American racehorse trainer who trained the 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify. Baffert's horses have won a record six Kentucky Derbies, seven Preakn ...
his third straight Derby victory. His three entries, two of which were co-favorites at 9-2 odds, failed to make the top three. Charismatic also won the 124th
Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs () o ...
on May 15 with a time of 1:55.20 for the -mile distance. He was 1½ lengths ahead of Menifee, again second, with Badge finishing third. Despite the Kentucky Derby win, Charismatic was not the Preakness favorite, posting 8-1 odds. Menifee was the favorite at 5–2. At the 131st Belmont Stakes on June 5, Charismatic was a 2-1 favorite, with Menifee second in odds at 7–2. The rivalry between Charismatic and Menifee was compared to
Affirmed Affirmed (February 21, 1975 – January 12, 2001) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who is the eleventh winner of the American Triple Crown. Affirmed was well known for his famous rivalry with Alydar, whom he met ten times, includi ...
and
Alydar Alydar (March 23, 1975 – November 15, 1990) was an American Thoroughbred race horse and sire. A chestnut colt, he was most famous for finishing a close second to Affirmed in all three races of the 1978 Triple Crown. With each successive ...
in 1978. Charismatic looked like he would become the first horse in 21 years to win the Triple Crown, taking the lead at the 3/16ths pole. However, the horse abruptly slowed down and lost the lead to eventual winner
Lemon Drop Kid Lemon Drop Kid (foaled May 26, 1996) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Best known for winning the 1999 Belmont Stakes, he was also the champion older horse of 2000 after winning the Brooklyn, Suburban, Whitney Handicaps and the ...
with 1/8 mile to go, ultimately finishing third behind second-place Vision and Verse. Sensing that something was wrong with the horse, jockey
Chris Antley Christopher Wiley Antley (January 6, 1966 – December 2, 2000) was an American National Champion and U.S. Racing Hall of Fame jockey. Biography He was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and grew up in Elloree, South Carolina. He left school at ...
eased Charismatic up in the final furlong, jumped off right after the finish line and then held up the colt's left front leg. Charismatic's foreleg had fractured in multiple places involving the cannon bone and sesamoids, and Antley's actions probably saved his life by avoiding a more catastrophic injury. As it was, the horse was taken off the track in a van and underwent surgery the next day. His surgeon Stephen Selway said, "The fracture f the cannon bonehappened first. As the horse went on, the damaged piece hit the sesamoids and caused them to fracture." The damaged area of the cannon bone extended about six inches: four screws were inserted to provide stability. There was no sign of pre-existing injury. The footage of a tearful Antley holding Charismatic was selected by racing fans as the 1999
National Thoroughbred Racing Association Moment of the Year The National Thoroughbred Racing Association Moment of the Year award, first awarded in 1999, celebrates or honors one moment that occurred during a given year that most thoroughly exemplifies the spirit and ethos of the sport of Thoroughbred horse ...
. Charismatic finished his career with 5 wins, 2 places and 4 shows in 17 career starts, for total earnings of $2,038,064. He won the
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 for 3-year-old Colt of the Year and Overall Horse of the Year for 1999.


Retirement

In 2000, Charismatic entered stud at Lane's End Farm in Kentucky. After the 2002 season, he was shipped to Japan, where he stood at the JBBA's
Shizunai Stallion Station Shizunai Stallion Station is a Japanese Thoroughbred horse farm was opened in 1963 and is located on the island of Hokkaidō. Operated by the Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association (JBBA), it is located in Shizunai whose sister city is Lexingto ...
. His fee was ¥500,000 (about $5,000) for a live foal. At the time of his retirement from stud in October 2016, Charismatic had sired 371 starters from 424 foals of racing age and 263 winners who had combined earnings of more than $44.5 million. His best runner in the United States was Sun King, who won four graded stakes and earned more than $2.2 million. In Japan, his most successful offspring was Wonder Acute, a multiple group stakes winner. On October 26, 2016, it was announced that Charismatic would be retired from stud and would reside at
Old Friends Equine Old Friends is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) equine retirement facility in Georgetown, Kentucky, accredited by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA). The organization started with one leased paddock and two horses, but now owns 136 acres, Dreamchase ...
near Lexington, Kentucky. The costs of transporting the horse were covered by a fund set up by his former owners and additional donations from Tito's Handmade Vodka. "We are ecstatic that we are able to participate in bringing horse racing stars like Charismatic back home, where they can be revered by the public and help raise awareness for the cause," said Eric Barlund, Tito's vice president of sales. "Charismatic's star shone very brightly, though only for a few weeks in 1999," said Beverly Lewis. "We are all looking forward to visiting him when he arrives." Charismatic died on the morning of February 19, 2017 at Old Friends due to severe bleeding caused by a pelvic fracture. He was thought to have sustained the injury during the night without sounding alarm, and did not appear to have been in distress when he was found. The cause of the fracture was unknown. Shortly after his passing, Charismatic's best son, Sun King, arrived at Old Friends to live out his retirement. A film about Charismatic and Chris Antley was produced by Asylum Entertainment and directed by Steven Michaels,
Joel Surnow Joel Surnow (born December 18, 1955) is an American television writer, producer and director. He is the co-creator of the action series '' La Femme Nikita'' and '' 24''. Life and career Joel Surnow is of Jewish descent. He was raised in Mic ...
, and Jonathan Kochas for
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). Th ...
's 30 for 30 series. It aired on Tuesday, October 18, 2011, at 8 p.m.


Pedigree


References


External links


Charismatic
at the JBBA website (in
Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...
)
Charismatic
at the Japan Bloodstock Information System (in English)
Charismatic's Kentucky DerbyCharismatic: Three-year-old Male of the Year
{{DEFAULTSORT:Charismatic horse 1996 racehorse births 2017 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States American Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Kentucky Derby winners Preakness Stakes winners Eclipse Award winners American Grade 1 Stakes winners Thoroughbred family 10-a Old Friends Equine Retirement