Winter's Tale (1976–2002) 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 Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, 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 bas ...

Background

Winter's Tale was bred by owner

Paul Mellon Paul Mellon (June 11, 1907 – February 2, 1999) was an American philanthropist and a horse breeding, breeder of thoroughbred horse racing, racehorses. He is one of only five people ever designated an "Exemplar of Racing" by the National Muse ...

. His sire was U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee

Arts and Letters Arts and letters is a historical and traditional term for arts and literature, implying a comprehensive appreciation or study of visual arts, performing arts, and literary arts or literature. The concept is similar to the liberal arts and has been ...

, a son of a

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

an superstar, the undefeated runner and British Champion sire Ribot. His dam, Christmas Wind, was a Canadian daughter of E. P. Taylor's sire

Nearctic The Nearctic realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting the Earth's land surface. The Nearctic realm covers most of North America, including Greenland, Central Florida, and the highlands of Mexico. The parts of North America ...

, the sire of

Northern Dancer Northern Dancer (May 27, 1961 – November 16, 1990) was a Thoroughbred that, in 1964, became the first Canadian-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby. After being retired from racing, he became one of the most successful Stallion, sires of the 2 ...

. He was conditioned for racing by Hall of Fame trainer

MacKenzie Miller MacKenzie "Mack" Todd Miller (October 16, 1921 – December 10, 2010) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer and owner/breeder. During his forty-six-year career, he conditioned seventy-two stakes winners, including four Eclipse Award cha ...

Racing career

Winter's Tale began racing at age three in 1979 and, because he was a

gelding A gelding (Help:IPA/English, /ˈɡɛldɪŋ/) is a castration, castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. The term is also used with certain other animals and livestock, such as domesticated Camelidae, camels. By compa ...

, continued to race through age seven. In 1980, he won many of the top dirt races for older horses in the pre-

Breeders' Cup The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Graded stakes race, Grade I Thoroughbred racing, Thoroughbred horse races, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was ...

era. At

Belmont Park Belmont Park is a thoroughbred racing, thoroughbred horse racetrack in Elmont, New York, just east of New York City limits best known for hosting the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the American Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United Stat ...

, he began a three-race win streak with a record seven and three-quarter length victory in the June 15

Nassau County Handicap The Nassau County Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, Nassau County, New York. A Grade III event, it is open to three-year-old fillies willing to run the distance of seven furlongs on dirt. The ...

. Then, in what the ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' headlined as a "''Most Perfect Ride''", jockey

Jeffrey Fell Jeffrey J. Fell (born June 20, 1956, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada) is a retired jockey and a Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee who was also a successful rider in the United States. On June 17, 1978, Jeffrey Fell rode Tiller to victory i ...

rode Winter's Tale to victory in the July 4, 1980,

Suburban Handicap The Suburban Stakes (also known Suburban Handicap) is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is now run at the mile distance on dirt for a $350,000 pu ...

, also at Belmont. He then won the July 19th

Brooklyn Handicap The Brooklyn Stakes (formerly known as the Brooklyn Handicap) is an American Thoroughbred horse race run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, on Long Island. It currently is a Grade II event open to four-year-olds and up willing to race one and ...

and although he suffered shin problems, in September Winter's Tale earned his eighth win from eleven career starts with a victory in the

Marlboro Cup The Marlboro Cup Invitational Handicap was a Thoroughbred horse race first run in September 1973 at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. A Grade 1 race for horses 3 years old and up, it was raced over a distance of miles on a dirt track. The race c ...

at Belmont Park. In 1983, at age seven, Winter's Tale won his second Nassau County Handicap and his second Suburban Handicap.

Retirement

Winter's Tale was retired from racing to Paul Mellon's farm in Virginia, where he died in 2002 at age twenty-six.

References

{{reflist
Winters' Tale's pedigree and partial racing stats
1976 racehorse births 2002 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Virginia Racehorses trained in the United States Thoroughbred family 6-b