ALYSHEBA (Alydar), one of the most popular champions of the 1980s who
Alysheba fell in his stall on Friday afternoon and was not able to get
“Due to a chronic degenerative spinal condition that led to ataxia and
|
Before coming to the Kentucky Horse Park, Alysheba spent the previous eight
years of his life in the royal stables of His Majesty King Abdullah of Saudi
Arabia.
Bred by Preston Madden at Hamburg Place in Lexington, Alysheba was produced
from the Lt. Stevens mare Bel Sheba, and was purchased for $500,000 by the late
Dorothy Scharbauer at the 1985 Keeneland July Selected Yearling Sale. Scharbauer,
the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Turner, who owned 1959 Kentucky Derby winner *Tomy
Lee, would campaign Alysheba in partnership with her daughter Pamela.
Conditioned by Hall of Fame horseman Jack Van Berg, at the time the world’s
all-time winningest trainer, Alysheba made a favorable impression during his
juvenile season of 1986. Breaking his maiden by eight lengths at Turfway Park in
his third start, the bay colt then finished a close second in both the In
Memoriam S. at Turfway and the Breeders’ Futurity (G2) at Keeneland. Sent to
California for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Santa Anita, Alysheba raced
near the back of the field early before closing rapidly to finish third behind
eventual champion Capote. Alysheba was again denied an initial stakes triumph in
his next start, finishing second by a neck in the Hollywood Futurity (G1).
After finishing fourth in an allowance in his three-year-old debut, Alysheba
rebounded to finish a close second in the San Felipe H. (G1) at Santa Anita.
Found to have an entrapped epiglottis, Alysheba had corrective surgery before
resuming his career in the Blue Grass S. (G1) at Keeneland, then contested nine
days before the Kentucky Derby (G1). Ridden for the first time by Chris McCarron,
who would ride the colt for the remainder of his career, Alysheba bore out into
Leo Castelli during the stretch run and was subsequently disqualified from first
to third.
Despite not having an official stakes victory to his credit, Alysheba still
received a fair amount of support at Churchill Downs, starting at 8-1 in the Run
for the Roses. Far back early, Alysheba advanced to third approaching the turn
for home and had the leading Bet Twice in his sights passing the quarter-pole.
In one of the more dramatic stretch runs in the race’s history, Alysheba avoided
a potentially devastating fall after clipping heels with Bet Twice at the top of
the stretch, raced erratically through the lane, but ultimately prevailed over
Bet Twice by three parts of a length in a time of 2:03 2/5.
In what would be the third of nine meetings with Bet Twice, Alysheba again
prevailed over that rival in the Preakness S. (G1) to win by a half-length, thus
setting himself up to become the first Triple Crown winner since 1978, when
Affirmed swept the three-race series over Alysheba’s sire Alydar. Racing without
the benefit of Lasix, which at the time was banned in New York, Alysheba was
swamped in the Belmont S. (G1) by Bet Twice, who finished more than 14 lengths ahead
while Alysheba struggled home fourth.
The two rivals were reunited in the Haskell Invitational (G1), and again Bet
Twice got the better of the two to win by a neck in a three-race battle that
also included upstart Lost Code. Neither Alysheba nor Bet Twice were a factor in
the Travers S. (G1), which was contested over a sloppy track, a condition
Alysheba was known not to handle. Defeated by more than 20 lengths when
finishing sixth in the Midsummer Derby, Alysheba rebounded to take the Super
Derby (G1) at Louisiana Downs in his next start, then narrowly missed catching
1986 Kentucky Derby winner and eventual Horse of the Year Ferdinand in an epic
renewal of the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Hollywood Park. Alysheba’s
late-season heroics following a disappointing summer campaign propelled him to
champion three-year-old colt honors.
Alysheba had an even better campaign at four, kicking off his season with a
three-length triumph in the Charles H. Strub S. (G1), then turning the tables on
Ferdinand in both the Santa Anita H. (G1) and San Bernardino H. (G2), which he
won by a half-length and a nose, respectively. Alysheba next made his way to
Pimlico for the revival of the Pimlico Special H., where he was sent away the
odds-on choice under 127 pounds, an impost he would carry three times during the
season. However, he could not successfully concede three pounds to arch-nemesis
Bet Twice, who stormed home the winner with Alysheba more than four lengths
behind in fourth.
Returned to California, Alysheba again ran below par in the Hollywood Gold
Cup (G1) when finishing a distant second to Cutlass Reality, but a more mature
horse would be reappear two months later in the Philip H. Iselin H. (G1) at
Monmouth Park. Shedding the blinkers that had been a staple since his maiden
win, Alysheba ran down Bet Twice over that rival’s home track to win by three
parts of a length. Alysheba next headed to New York for the Woodward H. (G1) at
Belmont Park and, showing he was not dependent on Lasix, prevailed by a neck
over champion Forty Niner in a track record 1:59 2/5 for 1 1/4 miles.
Diverted from the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) after the Belmont Park main track
came up sloppy, Alysheba met Bet Twice for the final time under the lights in
the Meadowlands Cup (G1). Carrying 127 pounds, Alysheba gutted out a neck
victory over the persistent Slew City Slew while Bet Twice finished far back. It
was another track-record performance for Alysheba, who got 10 furlongs in a
swift 1:58 4/5 and edged Bet Twice in their long rivalry 5-4.
The stars seemed to be aligned against Alysheba as post time for the
Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs approached. Not only had his main rival
for Horse of the Year honors, Personal Ensign, prevailed in a memorable finish
earlier in the day in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) to retire undefeated, but
the track on the cold, dreary afternoon had come up muddy, conditions Alysheba’s
connections had judiciously avoided running him over since his Travers debacle.
Despite the wet track, and facing arguably one of the best fields in the race’s
history, Alysheba was still sent off as the 3-2 favorite.
Run under the cover of darkness, Alysheba settled into fourth early and
always appeared to handle the footing, which had a firmer bottom than previous
wet tracks he had competed over. Making his usual bid for the lead through the
stretch, Alysheba struck the front and dug in gamely when challenged by the top
three-year-old Seeking the Gold to pull off a half-length victory. Given the
moniker “America’s Horse” by track announcer Tom Durkin as he crossed the wire,
Alysheba’s score pushed his career earnings to a record $6,679,242, surpassing
John Henry’s previous total of $6,597,947. Alysheba would hold the title until
1996 when dual Horse of the Year Cigar established a new record for North
American-based runners with $9,999,815 in earnings.
Alysheba, retired with a mark of 26-11-8-2, was voted champion older male of
1988 and edged Personal Ensign in the voting for Horse of the Year. He was
inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1993.
Retired to stud at William S. Farish’s Lane’s End Farm in Versailles,
Kentucky, Alysheba had modest success at stud. His most successful offspring,
which included 1994 Canadian Horse of the Year Alywow, fared best on turf.
Alysheba gained greater fame as a broodmare sire, with his daughters producing
the ill-fated European superstar George Washington (Ire) (Danehill) as well as
French highweights Bright Sky (Ire) (Wolfhound) and Vespone (Ire) (Llandaff).
Alysheba was purchased by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia in 2000 and was returned
to the United States as a gift of the monarch last fall.
A memorial service for Alysheba, who was buried next to John Henry at the
Kentucky Horse Park, will be announced at a later date.
“He stuck out like a diamond in a rock pile,” Van Berg once observed of his
most successful pupil. “He was so smart he knew what he was doing all the time.”