Majestic Prince
Majestic Prince | |
---|---|
Sire | Raise a Native |
Grandsire | Native Dancer |
Dam | Gay Hostess |
Damsire | Royal Charger |
Sex | Stallion |
Foaled | March 19, 1966 |
Died | April 22, 1981(1981-04-22) (aged 15) |
Country | United States |
Colour | Chestnut |
Breeder | Leslie Combs II |
Owner | Frank McMahon |
Trainer | Johnny Longden |
Rider | Bill Hartack |
Record | 10: 9–1–0 |
Earnings | $414,200 |
Major wins | |
Los Feliz Stakes (1969) San Vicente Stakes (1969) Santa Anita Derby (1969) Stepping Stone Purse (1969) American Triple Crown wins: | |
Honours | |
U.S. Racing Hall of Fame (1988) #46 - Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century | |
Last updated on September 17, 2006 |
Majestic Prince (March 19, 1966 – April 22, 1981) was a Thoroughbred racehorse. One of the leading North American horses of his generation, he won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in 1969.
Background
In September 1967, Majestic Prince was purchased by Calgary, Alberta, oilman Frank McMahon at the Keeneland yearling sale for a then-record price of $250,000 ($2.3 million inflation adjusted).[1] The California-based colt, that grew to 1,120 pounds, was trained by another Albertan, Johnny Longden, a longtime friend of Frank McMahon, who had retired in 1966 as the winningest jockey of all time.
Racing career
Early races
Raced lightly as a two-year-old, Majestic Prince won both of his starts in his 1968 fall campaign. Ridden by Bill Hartack, at age three, he quickly became the dominant three-year-old in West Coast racing, capping it off with an eight-length victory in the Santa Anita Derby.[2] Unbeaten, Majestic Prince headed for Louisville and the Kentucky Derby.
Kentucky Derby
The 1969 Derby had a very strong field that deterred entries, and as such, only eight horses went to the starting gate. Majestic Prince was the betting favorite, followed by Top Knight, winner of the 1968 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Two-Year-Old Male Horse. The third favorite was the highly regarded Claiborne Farm colt Dike, and Paul Mellon's Arts and Letters was the fourth choice. The remaining four horses entered were all at very long odds.
Majestic Prince drew the last post position. Arts and Letters, racing along the rail, took the lead by the time they reached the mile pole and were about to head for the stretch run. Majestic Prince ran the entire race on the outside, but pulled up alongside Arts and Letters into second place as they came down the homestretch, then moved ahead to win by a neck. The victory made Majestic Prince the first unbeaten Kentucky Derby champion in 47 years. Johnny Longden became the only person in history to ever win the Derby both as a jockey and as a trainer, a feat that as of 2019 has not been matched.
Preakness Stakes
The heavy favorite going into the second leg of the U.S. Triple Crown, Majestic Prince again met Arts and Letters, and the two dueled to the finish, with "The Prince", as the media dubbed him, winning his 9th consecutive race by a head. However, the morning after his victory, Longden advised the media that Majestic Prince came out of the race with a problem in his right front tendon. Longden stated the horse would not be able to run his best in the Belmont Stakes, so he was being shipped back to California to be rested until the fall. When asked by a reporter, McMahon said he concurred with Longden's view, adding, "We want a Triple Crown, not a Crippled Crown."
That the horse with the best chance in 21 years to win the Triple Crown was pulling out brought a frenzy of publicity and questions, particularly because Longden had said the injury was a developing problem, but Majestic Prince could still run, although not at his best. The idea that someone in those circumstances would pass up the chance to achieve American racing immortality seemed incomprehensible.
Belmont Stakes
To this day, speculation abounds as to why McMahon changed his mind and raced Majestic Prince in the Belmont, but the pressure from the press was intense, including Whitney Tower's article in Sports Illustrated entitled "The Prince Ducks the Big One". The decision to run never sat well with Longden, and despite his well-documented shouting match with the horse's owner in the days leading up to the race, Majestic Prince was still sent out to compete in the Belmont Stakes. The first horse in history to enter the race undefeated, having won the Derby and the Preakness, finished second, beaten by Arts and Letters by 5½ lengths. Majestic Prince never raced again.[3] This feat was later matched by Smarty Jones in 2004.[4]
Jockey Bill Hartack told reporters, "The horse was hurting. We should never have run in [the Belmont]." Longden later commented that Majestic Prince had what was called a check ligament in his right front [leg]. "When he bore out in the Preakness, that was a warning. We never should have run him in the Belmont." Longden said that he tried to bring Majestic Prince back to racing later in 1969 and then again the following year, but could not, and the horse was sold to a racing syndication for $1.8 million. Retired to Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, Majestic Prince sired 33 stakes winners before he died of a heart attack in 1981.[5] Among his progeny was Coastal, winner of the 1979 Belmont Stakes.[6]
Honors
In 1988, Majestic Prince was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. In the 2000 Blood-Horse ranking of the top 100 U.S. Thoroughbred champions of the 20th century, he was ranked #46.
Pedigree
Sire Raise a Native | Native Dancer | Polynesian | Unbreakable |
---|---|---|---|
Black Polly | |||
Geisha | Discovery | ||
Miyako | |||
Raise You | Case Ace | Teddy | |
Sweetheart | |||
Lady Glory | American Flag | ||
Beloved | |||
Dam Gay Hostess | Royal Charger | Nearco | Pharos |
Nogara | |||
Sun Princess | Solario | ||
Mumtaz Begum | |||
Your Hostess | Alibhai | Hyperion | |
Teresina | |||
Boudoir II | Mahmoud | ||
Kampala |
See also
References
- ^ "Silver Goblet Wins Thanksgiving 'Cap; Majestic Prince Romps in Debut". The Argus. November 29, 1968. p. 9. Retrieved August 24, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Majestic Prince: A Racehorse Who Lived Up to His Name". www.americasbestracing.net. Retrieved 2022-12-16.
- ^ Whitney Tower (June 2, 1969). "Decrease font Enlarge font June 02, 1969 The Man Takes Charge Of His Horse". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
- ^ "Smarty Jones: An Unlikely Hero". www.americasbestracing.net. Retrieved 2022-10-05.
- ^ "Majestic Prince (horse)". American Classic Pedigrees. Retrieved 2022-10-05.
- ^ "MAILBOX; Coastal's Sire: Majestic Prince". The New York Times. 1983-06-12. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-10-05.
External links
- Majestic Prince's bio
- Majestic Prince's pedigree
- Majestic Prince's offspring at the Triple Crown database by Kathleen Irwin and Joy Reeves
- Jim O'Donnell "The pain and glory of Majestic Prince." Chicago Sun-Times newspaper article, May 31, 2004. (retrieved September 10, 2006)
- June 2, 1969 Sports Illustrated feature story article on Frank McMahon and Majestic Prince titled The Man Takes Charge Of His Horse
- Brennan, Brian. Alberta Originals (2001) Fitzhenry & Whiteside Publishing ISBN 1-894004-76-0
Records | ||
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Preceded by Bold Discovery | Most expensive Thoroughbred colt yearling July 1967 – July 1968 | Next: Reine Enchanteur |
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- 1875 Aristides
- 1876 Vagrant
- 1877 Baden-Baden
- 1878 Day Star
- 1879 Lord Murphy
- 1880 Fonso
- 1881 Hindoo
- 1882 Apollo
- 1883 Leonatus
- 1884 Buchanan
- 1885 Joe Cotton
- 1886 Ben Ali
- 1887 Montrose
- 1888 Macbeth II
- 1889 Spokane
- 1890 Riley
- 1891 Kingman
- 1892 Azra
- 1893 Lookout
- 1894 Chant
- 1895 Halma
- 1896 Ben Brush
- 1897 Typhoon II
- 1898 Plaudit
- 1899 Manuel
- 1900 Lieut. Gibson
- 1901 His Eminence
- 1902 Alan-a-Dale
- 1903 Judge Himes
- 1904 Elwood
- 1905 Agile
- 1906 Sir Huon
- 1907 Pink Star
- 1908 Stone Street
- 1909 Wintergreen
- 1910 Donau
- 1911 Meridian
- 1912 Worth
- 1913 Donerail
- 1914 Old Rosebud
- 1915 Regret ♥
- 1916 George Smith
- 1917 Omar Khayyam
- 1918 Exterminator
- 1919 Sir Barton ₩
- 1920 Paul Jones
- 1921 Behave Yourself
- 1922 Morvich
- 1923 Zev
- 1924 Black Gold
- 1925 Flying Ebony
- 1926 Bubbling Over
- 1927 Whiskery
- 1928 Reigh Count
- 1929 Clyde Van Dusen
- 1930 Gallant Fox ₩
- 1931 Twenty Grand
- 1932 Burgoo King
- 1933 Brokers Tip
- 1934 Cavalcade
- 1935 Omaha ₩
- 1936 Bold Venture
- 1937 War Admiral ₩
- 1938 Lawrin
- 1939 Johnstown
- 1940 Gallahadion
- 1941 Whirlaway ₩
- 1942 Shut Out
- 1943 Count Fleet ₩
- 1944 Pensive
- 1945 Hoop Jr.
- 1946 Assault ₩
- 1947 Jet Pilot
- 1948 Citation ₩
- 1949 Ponder
- 1950 Middleground
- 1951 Count Turf
- 1952 Hill Gail
- 1953 Dark Star
- 1954 Determine
- 1955 Swaps
- 1956 Needles
- 1957 Iron Liege
- 1958 Tim Tam
- 1959 Tomy Lee
- 1960 Venetian Way
- 1961 Carry Back
- 1962 Decidedly
- 1963 Chateaugay
- 1964 Northern Dancer
- 1965 Lucky Debonair
- 1966 Kauai King
- 1967 Proud Clarion
- 1968 Forward Pass (Dancer's Image disqualified)
- 1969 Majestic Prince
- 1970 Dust Commander
- 1971 Canonero II
- 1972 Riva Ridge
- 1973 Secretariat ₩
- 1974 Cannonade
- 1975 Foolish Pleasure
- 1976 Bold Forbes
- 1977 Seattle Slew ₩
- 1978 Affirmed ₩
- 1979 Spectacular Bid
- 1980 Genuine Risk ♥
- 1981 Pleasant Colony
- 1982 Gato Del Sol
- 1983 Sunny's Halo
- 1984 Swale
- 1985 Spend a Buck
- 1986 Ferdinand
- 1987 Alysheba
- 1988 Winning Colors ♥
- 1989 Sunday Silence
- 1990 Unbridled
- 1991 Strike the Gold
- 1992 Lil E. Tee
- 1993 Sea Hero
- 1994 Go for Gin
- 1995 Thunder Gulch
- 1996 Grindstone
- 1997 Silver Charm
- 1998 Real Quiet
- 1999 Charismatic
- 2000 Fusaichi Pegasus
- 2001 Monarchos
- 2002 War Emblem
- 2003 Funny Cide
- 2004 Smarty Jones
- 2005 Giacomo
- 2006 Barbaro
- 2007 Street Sense
- 2008 Big Brown
- 2009 Mine That Bird
- 2010 Super Saver
- 2011 Animal Kingdom
- 2012 I'll Have Another
- 2013 Orb
- 2014 California Chrome
- 2015 American Pharoah ₩
- 2016 Nyquist
- 2017 Always Dreaming
- 2018 Justify ₩
- 2019 Country House (Maximum Security disqualified)
- 2020 Authentic
- 2021 Mandaloun (Medina Spirit disqualified)
- 2022 Rich Strike
- 2023 Mage
- 2024 Mystik Dan
Legend – ₩ = Triple Crown winners, ♥ = Filly