Equipoise
The chestnut racehorse named Equipoise was affectionately known to his fans as the Chocolate Soldier. He was bred by Harry Payne Whitney and owned by his son, Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney. He was born in 1928 and was elegant as well as fast. He was foaled from Pennant-Swinging and Broomstick. From the very start, Equipoise was a wonderful horse, and his potential was evident to all.
His racing career started as a two-year old, with his first stakes race victory being the Keene Memorial Stakes. His most memorable
race win
of his career, that is still remembered by many, was the 1930 Pimlico
Futurity that took place that same year. Equipoise’s jockey, Raymond
Workman, also known as Sonny Workman, got stuck in the gates to start
with
and Equipoise lost two shoes in the muddy ground. But Equipoise had
determination and the heart of a lion, and he showed it by catching up
to
the race leaders, and winning the race, defeating his competition, Mate
and
Twenty Grand. After the race, Sonny Workman was asked by reporters if
he had
just won his greatest race, to which he replied: “My greatest race?
Hell, it
might have been the greatest race anybody ever saw.” And it remained
the
race that Sonny held onto throughout his career, still looking back on
Equipoise as the best horse he has ever ridden, and the 1930 Pimlico
Futuriy
as his own best performance.
Equipoise was plagued by hoof problems throughout his entire life,
and it
was due to a quarter crack that he was forced to retire from his second
racing season. He only entered into three races during his three-year
old
season. But he came back with a new lease on life in his third season,
as a
four-year old. He won the Stars and Stripes Handicap, the Whitney
Stakes and
the Metropolitan Handicap. At Arlington Park, he set a new world record
by
completing a mile in a time of 1:34. He secured 10 wins in total.
At the age of five, Equipoise won seven races, took one second place
and
one third place. During his season as a six year old, he won three
races,
and claimed a second and a third place. Throughout his racing career,
he
showed pride, courage and determination. His chronic problems with his
hooves held him back from many races and restricted his career. However, he still
managed to
earn the honor of Horse of the Year in 1932 and in 1933, together with
the
title of U.S. Champion Older Male Horse three years in a row, namely
1932,
1933 and again in 1934.
After retiring, he sired one of his most famous sons, Shut Out.
Everyone
was reminded of his strength and endurance, when Shut Out won the
Belmont
Stakes and the Kentucky Derby in 1942. Equipoise died at the young age
of
10, in 1938, and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and
Hall of
Fame in 1957.