The first world champion bred in California, Occident came out nowhere in the early 1870s and tied Goldsmith Maid’s absolute world record in 1873. It was very different to a few years earlier when he was living a life of abuse and ill-treatment. Later he would play a key role in the development of both picture technology but also our understanding of horse gaits.
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The royally-bred colt was not a traditional early talent like many top US trotters. Only at 4 was Peter the Brewer ready to compete at a high level, but then he became an elite trotter in no time and was seen as a likely candidate to be one of the first 2:00 trotters.
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Notoriously lame and struggling with unsoundness in his two seasons on the track, San Francisco was a tremendously talented trotter whose bravery and willingness to run through pain and lameness left a huge impression. In his debut, blood was dripping from his hooves with every step yet the Californian trotter finished faster than anybody else.
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A $2,000 yearling at the Tattersalls Select Yearling Sale in September 2001, the price tag gave no indications of what was to come from Mr Muscleman. The gentle giant overcome numerous problems enroute to stardom and left a lasting impression on every life he touched.
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The blue-blooded Kentuckian excelled in Europe, becoming the first horse to win an international race at Vincennes and later went on to be a stallion champion, siring the first European-bred 2:05 trotter and multiple Derby-winners.
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She was the undisputed queen, not only of France but the whole world trotting. In fact, she was so superior that she was excluded from the betting in her 1967 Elitlopp elimination! Roquepine won races all over the world, at every track, distance and position. To top it off, she then gave birth to possibly the most influential stallion in French trotting history, Florestan.
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An exceptionally fast trotter with soundness problems and chronic mental issues, Arndon sometimes posed a huge challenge to his legendary trainer. But when he did what he was supposed to he was a terrifyingly good trotter – and the first three-year-old to trot in 1:54.
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He was the unlikeliest of Hambletonian heroes. His breeder felt forced to buy his dam despite not wanting her, and also felt cheated when he first saw his new broodmare. His trainer cheered for another horse. His driver felt so sure he couldn’t win that he didn’t even invite his family. But in the 1992 Hambletonian final, Mickey McNichol and Alf Palema found the tiniest of openings to sprint to victory.
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