Remembering Alysheba

As I listened to the home opener at the “new” Yankee Stadium on Thursday afternoon and heard the legends of the pinstripes announced to the roar of the crowd. I thought back to the days of my youth in the mid seventies when I first fell in love with the New York Yankees. Being a fan of major league baseball since I started collecting baseball cards thirty five years ago in 1974, baseball was my passion and the Yankees were my team. I can remember every stat on the back of those TOPPS baseball cards right up until I graduated from high school in 1982. A few years later, the same passion continued with thoroughbred racing and one of those horses from that time era was Alysheba.

On March 27th, the 1987 Kentucky Derby champion was euthanized at Kentucky Horse Park’s Hall of Champions in Lexington Kentucky. Alysheba had recently returned from Saudi Arabia after serving stud duty for Saudi King Abdullah for eight years. When returning stateside nearly five months ago, he took up residence at the park but was injured in a stall accident and the twenty five year old stallion could not survive his injuries. While I wasn’t a big fan of this horse, the impact he make on the sport when I was first getting interested in it was major when the sport was at a crossroads.

I really followed the Triple Crown trail for the first time in 1987. That year the lukewarm favorite was a runner named Demon’s Begone, who took the Arkansas route to the derby. I fancied a horse named Bet Twice, who was ridden by Craig Perret for New Jersey connections. Hall of Famer trainer; Jack Van Berg brought a runner to the first Saturday in May that year off of a race in the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland. In the race, Alysheba was disqualified from first in running and came into the derby with only a maiden victory. This son of Alydar was dismissed at 8-1 odds and over came nearly falling in the stretch to win the 113th Kentucky Derby. Bet Twice was second and those two runners would hook up again in the Preakness Stakes in which Alysheba once again was victorious. In the Belmont Stakes; three weeks later, Alysheba was entered without the use of lasix (which at the time was not allowed in New York) and this time Bet Twice turned the tables on Alysheba who was never a factor and denied him the Triple Crown. After the triple crown, he would run second in the Haskell Stakes and once again “up the track” in the Travers Stakes (again because without lasix). He would finish his three year old campaign with a Super Derby victory and a nose defeat to 1986 Kentucky Derby winner; Ferdinand in the Breeder's Cup Classic, but the best was yet to come the following year.

Alysheba would win seven out of nine starts as a four year old in 1988, winning races in California (Strub, Santa Anita Handicap and San Bernardino) in New Jersey (Iselin and Meadowlands Cup) and the Woodward at Belmont Park. But, his biggest victory was at the spot where he achieved his great feat; Churchill Downs in the 1988 Breeder’s Cup Classic. He retired with 11 victories in 26 lifetime starts and earned nearly 6.7 million dollars. At stud, he wasn’t that good as he was on the track, but did sire; Alywow who was a champion in Canada. Three year old champion of 1987 and 1988 Horse of the Year, Alysheba was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1993. He was horse that I never played, but one that I respected and now he is gone along with fellow Derby winner; Lil E Tee who passed away just days before. Now, Strike the Gold is the oldest living Kentucky Derby winner and as time goes by the memories of my youth following thoroughbred racing seem to go farther and farther away. But there will ALWAYS be the memories.