Harlan's Holiday
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Harlan's Holiday (April 6, 1999 – November 1, 2013) was an American
Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...
racehorse who won three
Grade 1 First grade (also 1st Grade or Grade 1) is the first year of formal or compulsory education. It is the first year of elementary school, and the first school year after kindergarten. Children in first grade are usually 6–7 years old. Examples ...
stakes before retiring to
stud Stud may refer to: 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 bar in San Francisco * ...
where he had become a successful sire.


Background

Harlan's Holiday was a bay horse bred by Double D Farm Corp. He was originally sent into training with
Kenneth McPeek Kenneth G. McPeek (born August 2, 1962) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer and bloodstock agent. McPeek gained prominence in 2024 by winning the 150th Kentucky Derby in a three-horse photo finish with the 18:1 underdog Mystik Dan an ...
. He was sired by the
Vosburgh Stakes The Vosburgh Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Run at the end of September/early October, it is open to horses three-years-old and up of either gender. A Grade III sprint race, it is ...
winner Harlan, whose other progeny have included the Haskell Invitational Stakes winner Menifee.


Racing career


2001: two-year-old season

As a two-year-old, Harlan's Holiday won the Cradle Stakes at River Downs Racetrack and finished second to Siphonic in the
Breeders' Futurity Stakes The Breeders' Futurity Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early October at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. Currently offering a purse of $600,000, the race is open to two-year-old horses and is run ...
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 ...
in October. His most significant performance of 2001 came on 4 November at
Churchill Downs Churchill Downs is a horse racing complex in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States that hosts the annual Kentucky Derby. It opened in 1875 and was named for Samuel Churchill, whose family was prominent in Kentucky for many years. The first ...
when he contested the one-mile Iroquois Stakes. Ridden by A. J. d'Amico, he won the Grade III event by two and three quarter lengths from Request for Parole.


2002: three-year-old season

In 2002, Harlan' Holiday established himself as a leading contender for the Triple Crown races. After narrowly losing to Booklet in the
Fountain of Youth Stakes The Fountain of Youth Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida in late February. A Grade II event open to three-year-olds willing to race one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt, it ...
, he won the
Florida Derby The Florida Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses held annually at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Since 2005, it has been run five weeks before the Kentucky Derby, which is held on the first Saturd ...
by three and a half lengths and the Blue Grass Stakes by four and a half lengths. Harlan's Holiday went into the 2002
Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby () is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of . Colt (horse), Colts and geldin ...
as the betting favorite but finished seventh to winner
War Emblem War Emblem (February 20, 1999 – March 11, 2020) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2002 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and was later exported to Japan as a breeding stallion. Background War Emblem was bred by ...
. He then finished fourth to War Emblem in the
Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually on Armed Forces Day, the third Saturday in May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland (except in 2026 when it will move to Laurel Park (race track), Laurel Park dur ...
. In early June, 2002, Harlan's Holiday's trainer was changed to
Todd Pletcher Todd Pletcher (born June 26, 1967, in Dallas, Texas) is an American thoroughbred horse trainer. He won the Eclipse Award eight times as Trainer of the Year, four of these in consecutive years. His horses Super Saver (2010) and Always Dreaming ( ...
. In the autumn, he won the Pennsylvania Derby at
Parx Parx Casino and Racing (formerly Philadelphia Park Racetrack and Casino) is a Thoroughbred horse racing venue and the largest casino gaming complex in Pennsylvania. Parx is located in Bensalem Township in Bucks County, northeast of the city of ...
and finished third to Evening Attire in the
Jockey Club Gold Cup The Jockey Club Gold Cup, established in 1919, is a thoroughbred flat race, held at the Saratoga Race Course in the United States, that is open to horses of either gender three-years-old and up. It has traditionally been the main event of the fal ...
before finishing unplaced in 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 in the United States as part of the Breeders' Cup World Champion ...
.


2003: four-year-old season

Harlan's Holiday began his four-year-old season by winning a nine-furlong allowance race at
Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park is a Thoroughbred racing, Thoroughbred horse race track, casino and outdoor entertainment and shopping destination in Hallandale Beach, Florida, Hallandale Beach, Florida, United States. It is among the most important venues for ...
on February 2. He then won the Grade I
Donn Handicap The Donn Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually from 1959 through 2016 at Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park is a Thoroughbred racing, Thoroughbred horse race track, casino and outdoor entertainment and shopping destinati ...
over the same course and distance three weeks later, beating Hero's Tribute by two and a half lengths. He was then sent to
Nad Al Sheba Racecourse Nad Al Sheba Racecourse was Thoroughbred horse racing facility in Dubai, United Arab Emirates opened in 1986. It had a 2,200 m left-handed dirt race track and a left-handed grass, turf course of the same distance. It operated from November throug ...
for the
Dubai World Cup The Dubai World Cup (Arabic: كأس دبي العالمي) is a Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1996 and contested at the Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The race is operate ...
, in which he lost by five lengths to
Moon Ballad {{Infobox racehorse , horsename = Moon Ballad , image = , caption = , sire = Singspiel (horse), Singspiel , grandsire = In the Wings (horse), In The Wings , dam = Velvet Moon , damsire = Shaadi (horse), Shaadi , sex = Stallion (horse), ...
.


Stud record

Harlan's Holiday was the Champion juvenile sire of 2012, a year in which he established a North American record for 2-year-old earnings of $2,954,556. Among Harlan's Holiday's progeny are
Shanghai Bobby Shanghai Bobby (foaled February 27, 2010) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. In 2012 he was unbeaten in five races including the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and was awarded American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt at the Eclipse Awards. Background Sh ...
, the 2012
American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt The American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually in Thoroughbred flat racing. It became part of the Eclipse Awards program in 1971. The award originated in 1936 when the ''Daily Racing F ...
; Denis of Cork, in 2008 a second-place finisher in the
Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over the worldwide classic distance of . Colt (horseracing), Colt ...
and third-place finisher in the
Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually on Armed Forces Day, the third Saturday in May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland (except in 2026 when it will move to Laurel Park (race track), Laurel Park dur ...
;
Willcox Inn Willcox may refer to: *Willcox, Arizona, a city in the United States *Willcox AVA, an American Viticultural Area in Arizona *Willcox (surname), people with the surname ''Willcox'' See also *Wilcox (surname) *Wilcox (disambiguation) Wilcox may refer ...
, winner of the 2011
American Derby The American Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race first run at Chicago's old Washington Park Race Track on the city's South Side and raced there until 1905 when the facility was closed following the state's ban on gambling, and horse ra ...
,
Hawthorne Derby The Hawthorne Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1965 at Hawthorne Race Course in Stickney, Illinois near Chicago. Raced in October, it is open to three-year-old horses. In 2024, it was contested for a purse of $150,00 ...
, and
Arlington Classic The Arlington Classic Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three year old horses over a distance of miles on the turf held annually in late May at Arlington Park race track near Chicago. History The event was inaugurated ...
; and
Into Mischief Into Mischief (foaled March 28, 2005) is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire. During his racing career, he won three of six starts including the CashCall Futurity. Since his retirement, he has developed into an outstanding s ...
, six times leading sire in north america. In late 2010,
WinStar Farm WinStar Farm is an American Thoroughbred horse breeding and horse racing, racing farm near Versailles, Kentucky, owned by Kenny Troutt. It won the 2010 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Owner and 2016 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder, Outstandi ...
became a part-owner of Harlan's Holiday, and he was moved to their breeding operation near
Versailles, Kentucky Versailles is a home rule-class city in Woodford County, Kentucky, United States. It lies by road west of Lexington and is part of the Lexington-Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. Versailles has a population of 10,534 according to 2024 ce ...
. Harlan's Holiday's stud career is profiled in the June 22, 2013, issue of ''
The Blood-Horse ''The Blood-Horse'' (also referred to simply as ''Blood-Horse'' and displayed on its nameplate in upright all-capital letters without hyphenation as BLOODHORSE) is a news magazine that originated in 1916 as a monthly bulletin of the Thoroughbred ...
''. On November 1, 2013, Harlan's Holiday suddenly collapsed after returning to his stall, having lost use of his hind end. His intestine prolapsed from his rectum, and he went into shock. After multiple attempts to repair the prolapse, the horse was euthanized.


Pedigree


References

{{reflist 1999 racehorse births 2013 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Ohio Racehorses trained in the United States Thoroughbred family 4-m