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Alysheba
Alysheba (March 3, 1984 – March 27, 2009) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse that won two legs of the Triple Crown in 1987. A successful sire, he produced 11 stakes winners.
A bay colt, Alysheba was sired by Alydar out of the mare Bel Sheba, by Lt. Stevens. He was bred by Preston Madden at Hamburg Place Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, and was sold as a yearling to Dorothy and Pam Scharbauer for $500,000.
Trained by Jack Van Berg, Alysheba had a modest two-year-old season in 1986, and won only a maiden race. He finished third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, and lost the Hollywood Futurity in a photo finish. As a three-year-old, he underperformed in his preparatory races for the Kentucky Derby until it was discovered that he had an entrapped epiglottis. Surgery was successful, and he was entered in the Derby despite having only a maiden victory.
In the Derby, he and jockey Chris McCarron were nearly knocked to the ground at the top of the stretch by Bet Twice. Alysheba recovered from the collision and won the Derby in a slow time of 2:034⁄5 for 11⁄4 miles. He then came back with another win in the Preakness Stakes, then attempted to become American racing's 12th Triple Crown winner in the Belmont Stakes.
In the Belmont, Alysheba raced without the medication Lasix, which was prohibited at the time in New York racing. He finished fourth as Bet Twice won by 14 lengths. Alysheba next went to Monmouth Park for the Haskell Invitational, where he met Bet Twice, as well as Lost Code, a top-class speed horse that had won several derbies run at minor racetracks. The three horses finished together at the wire, with Bet Twice winning in a driving finish. Later in the year, Alysheba lost to Java Gold on an off track in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course; he then won the Super Derby at Louisiana Downs, his final preparation race for the Breeders' Cup Classic (the world's richest horse race at the time).
In the Breeders' Cup Classic, Alysheba met 1986 Kentucky Derby-winner Ferdinand in the first meeting of Kentucky Derby winners since Affirmed faced Spectacular Bid in the 1979 Jockey Club Gold Cup. Ferdinand (ridden by 56-year-old Willie Shoemaker) beat Alysheba in a photo finish by a nose. Alysheba lost the Horse of the Year vote to Ferdinand, but was named Champion Three-Year-Old of 1987.
As a four-year-old in 1988, Alysheba won six Grade I stakes. At Santa Anita, he won the Strub Stakes over Candi's Gold. Then he beat Ferdinand in the Santa Anita Handicap and (in another photo finish) the San Bernardino Handicap, with each horse carrying 127 pounds.
Alysheba lost to his old foes Bet Twice and Lost Code in the Pimlico Special, which had been revived for the first time in three decades. He also finished behind Cutlass Reality, who upset both Alysheba and Ferdinand in the Derby winners' final meeting in the Hollywood Gold Cup. Alysheba then defeated Bet Twice in the Philip K. Iselin Handicap at Monmouth Park Racetrack. Alysheba and Bet Twice met 9 times. Alysheba defeated Bet Twice in four of those races, Bet Twice won three times, and neither horse won two of the races.
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Alysheba
Alysheba (March 3, 1984 – March 27, 2009) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse that won two legs of the Triple Crown in 1987. A successful sire, he produced 11 stakes winners.
A bay colt, Alysheba was sired by Alydar out of the mare Bel Sheba, by Lt. Stevens. He was bred by Preston Madden at Hamburg Place Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, and was sold as a yearling to Dorothy and Pam Scharbauer for $500,000.
Trained by Jack Van Berg, Alysheba had a modest two-year-old season in 1986, and won only a maiden race. He finished third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, and lost the Hollywood Futurity in a photo finish. As a three-year-old, he underperformed in his preparatory races for the Kentucky Derby until it was discovered that he had an entrapped epiglottis. Surgery was successful, and he was entered in the Derby despite having only a maiden victory.
In the Derby, he and jockey Chris McCarron were nearly knocked to the ground at the top of the stretch by Bet Twice. Alysheba recovered from the collision and won the Derby in a slow time of 2:034⁄5 for 11⁄4 miles. He then came back with another win in the Preakness Stakes, then attempted to become American racing's 12th Triple Crown winner in the Belmont Stakes.
In the Belmont, Alysheba raced without the medication Lasix, which was prohibited at the time in New York racing. He finished fourth as Bet Twice won by 14 lengths. Alysheba next went to Monmouth Park for the Haskell Invitational, where he met Bet Twice, as well as Lost Code, a top-class speed horse that had won several derbies run at minor racetracks. The three horses finished together at the wire, with Bet Twice winning in a driving finish. Later in the year, Alysheba lost to Java Gold on an off track in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course; he then won the Super Derby at Louisiana Downs, his final preparation race for the Breeders' Cup Classic (the world's richest horse race at the time).
In the Breeders' Cup Classic, Alysheba met 1986 Kentucky Derby-winner Ferdinand in the first meeting of Kentucky Derby winners since Affirmed faced Spectacular Bid in the 1979 Jockey Club Gold Cup. Ferdinand (ridden by 56-year-old Willie Shoemaker) beat Alysheba in a photo finish by a nose. Alysheba lost the Horse of the Year vote to Ferdinand, but was named Champion Three-Year-Old of 1987.
As a four-year-old in 1988, Alysheba won six Grade I stakes. At Santa Anita, he won the Strub Stakes over Candi's Gold. Then he beat Ferdinand in the Santa Anita Handicap and (in another photo finish) the San Bernardino Handicap, with each horse carrying 127 pounds.
Alysheba lost to his old foes Bet Twice and Lost Code in the Pimlico Special, which had been revived for the first time in three decades. He also finished behind Cutlass Reality, who upset both Alysheba and Ferdinand in the Derby winners' final meeting in the Hollywood Gold Cup. Alysheba then defeated Bet Twice in the Philip K. Iselin Handicap at Monmouth Park Racetrack. Alysheba and Bet Twice met 9 times. Alysheba defeated Bet Twice in four of those races, Bet Twice won three times, and neither horse won two of the races.